I learned a lot about the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies which is backed by the world-famous Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

I’d heard online that the biblical studies faculty, teaching all kinds of biblical-related courses, including biblical Greek, was one of, if not the best in the world. Therefore I was pretty excited to see what the Biblical Hebrew courses had in store for me, and I was not disappointed.

Israel Institute of Biblical Studies’ Course Content

The Israel Institute of Biblical Studies offers five Biblical Hebrew courses with varying levels.

• The Biblical Hebrew level 1 course: You’ll get an introduction to Biblical Hebrew, including the Hebrew alphabet, basic vocabulary, and grammar. The course spans 8 months with weekly 2-hour lessons.
• The Biblical Hebrew level 2 course: This level is best for those who have a basic understanding of the Hebrew alphabet and reading skills, going deeper into the grammar and vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew. You cover some basic Hebrew verbs, basic sentence structures, and some Hebrew nouns, and begin your deep dive into the Hebrew Bible. The course also lasts 8 months with weekly meetings of 2 hours. 
• The Biblical Hebrew level 3 course: This level is for learners with a good grasp of basic Hebrew grammar and vocabulary, teaching more advanced verb forms, and a detailed study of the biblical texts, including the Hebrew bible’s poetic and prophetic texts. 
• The Biblical Hebrew level 4 course focuses on strengthening your reading comprehension and ability to translate more complex biblical texts, including looking into advanced grammar and syntax, cultural and historical context, enriching your Biblical Hebrew vocabulary, and developing your translation skills. The course lasts 8 months with weekly meetings of 2 hours.
• Biblical Hebrew level 5 is the highest level of the courses on offer, focusing on biblical poetry, the unique linguistic characteristics of the first and second temple periods, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the historical development of the Hebrew language over 1000 years as it changes and adapts. The course lasts 8 months, with weekly 2-hour-long meetings.
• There’s an additional Biblical Hebrew course focused solely on reading. The Hebrew reading lab is a reading-focused program, based around reading the scriptures out loud, and is suitable for both intermediate and advanced students. It focuses on sentence analysis to improve pronunciation, grammatical forms and aims to enhance learners’ translation abilities. As with the other courses, this is held across 8 months with 2-hour-long weekly meetings.

Each of the above courses has rolling start dates and is accredited with three academic credits, which are recognized worldwide. The total tuition for each of the course levels outlined above costs $1,295, with an option to pay in 9 monthly installments. At the time of writing, there is also a 7-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied. 

Israel Institute of Biblical Studies’ Teaching Methodology

As you can see from the outline above, the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies teaching methodology is tiered, with a clear progression from basic and introductory Biblical Hebrew to much more advanced and in-depth study. There’s also a separate course focusing solely on Hebrew reading and translation.

I really like the progression of the courses, I could definitely see how it would fit most physical Hebrew Learners though. The courses are taught with a heavy focus on historical context, always keeping in mind the intricacies of translating a Biblical language into Modern English, through interactive activities, discussion, and homework. I really like this approach, with its mix of self-led, teacher-led, and interactive study. I think it would suit a lot of different types of language learners.

Israel Institute of Biblical Studies’ Instructor Expertise

Presented in association with the internationally renowned Hebrew University of Jerusalem, I was very impressed with the instructor’s expertise across each of the courses. As each instructor has an academic background, and are native Hebrew speakers, you can be certain that you’re getting the very best of the very best. Unlike with other online courses, you’re getting the real deal here. I felt at all times that I was being taught by people who not only really knew their stuff, but had a genuine passion for the language. That in turn really inspired me to keep going and kept me engaged. 

Israel Institute of Biblical Studies’ Student Interaction

The Israel Institute of Biblical Studies has a fantastic online forum dedicated to discussing everything and anything to do with Biblical Hebrew. I found it super easy to discuss and share my thoughts and feelings with other language learners, not only from my Biblical Hebrew course itself but from all the Biblical Hebrew courses offered by the platform. Not only that, but I also had access to the courses’ teachers and international experts, being able to directly discuss ideas and question them. I always appreciate a language learning platform that provides me with this kind of service.

Israel Institute of Biblical Studies’ Course Length and Pace

I feel that when learning a complex language like Biblical Hebrew you have to be prepared to dedicate the time, and unlike its modern counterpart, modern Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew is a much tougher nut to crack. That’s why I don’t think having a self-led course, or a gamified version of a Biblical Hebrew course would work very well for any type of learner.

The courses on offer at the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies are long, there’s no way to mince my words. Lasting for 8 months at each level, with 2 hours of study a week, the pace was slow enough that I could understand complex concepts and feel some progression, but fast enough that I didn’t get bored and actually found myself looking forward to the next week’s lesson.

I was a little worried initially that the course would be too slow for me, but with my hectic everyday life, this wasn’t what happened in practice and I found the pace really suited me.

Israel Institute of Biblical Studies’ Accessibility

Israel Institute of Biblical Studies is accessible offline, at least the resources that support the course. The bulk of the classes, such as the 2-hour weekly interactive classes, require you to have an internet connection as they are live-streamed. I would say if you’re more used to self-led learning, and require an app for your downtime, then you might be a little disappointed by what’s on offer here. 

Israel Institute of Biblical Studies’ Cost

The Israel Institute of Biblical Studies Biblical Hebrew courses don’t come for free by any means. The cost is actually quite steep, but I guess for what you’re getting, such as access to international experts in Biblical Hebrew, not to mention a lot of course face-time and excellent teaching methodology, I would say it’s worth the price.

Each level of the course comes with a 7-day money-back guarantee, which may change from the time of writing this review.

The Bottom Line on Israel Institute of Biblical Studies 

Biblical Hebrew is a tricky language to learn, and as such you need to dedicate yourself to learning it. Although the price tag of the course is rather high, I would say it’s worth it thanks to its fantastic teaching methodology and access to International Biblical Hebrew experts.

I think the courses on offer here have enough material and types of learning materials to keep every type of learner engaged. Having said that, the price tag might be a little off-putting for some.