In the Beginning: A Short HIstory of the Hebrew Language

New Book by Dr. Joel Hoffman, Lecturer on Hebrew, HUC-JIR/New York

Dr. Joel Hoffman, Lecturer on Hebrew at HUC-JIR/New York, has just published "In the Beginning: A Short HIstory of the Hebrew Language", issued by NYU Press.

Dr. Hoffman follows and decodes the marvelous adventure that is the history of Hebrew, illuminating how the written Hebrew record has survived, explaining the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls and ancient translations, and analyzing clues about how the words of the Bible were actually pronounced. Easy-to-read and enlightening, In the Beginning places 3,000 years of fascinating developments into historical context and describes their continuing impact on the modern world.

Reviews include:

Rabbi Larry Kushner: "A history that reads like an airport novel...On virtually every page, we are delightedc by at least one surprising fact, amazing theory, or delicious metaphor."

Dr. Marc Brettler: "A wonderful contribution...[t]his book really brings the study of Hebrew into the 21st century. Those interested in language and students of Hebrew at all levels will benefit from its insights"