Book Review
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Mardie MacDonald Fund
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In The Beginning - A Short History of the Hebrew Language.Most compelling thought:The forming of the names Abraham, Sarah, Elohim and most of all YHWH ties directly into the great Hebrew invention of vowel notation, and hence into the worldwide availability of literature and every great discussion that has formed human culture since. (Read our articles on these names.) Buy this book for: The more advanced Bible enthusiasts. Though brilliant, this book is not for beginning believers. In fact, this book is not even religious but scientific. |
Joel Hoffman
Joel M. Hoffman, PhD, is a much sought after presenter who lectures across the globe on popular and scholarly topics spanning history, Hebrew, prayer, education, and Jewish continuity. He has taught at Brandeis University; the Academy for Jewish Religion; and, currently, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. He presents at dozens of congregations and community events each year.
A brief review of:
In The Beginning
In The Beginning - A short History of the Hebrew Language by Joel M. Hoffman is possibly the most exiting book I've read in a decade. Hoffman's writing style is chipper and friendly; I never thought I'd be grinning widely while reading a book on linguistic theory. But it's more than that. In The Beginning is almost a coming of age novel, not just of the Hebrew language but of the whole of human speech. I'm sure it's often underestimated what the Hebrew language has done for mankind, but Hoffman explains and reveals with so much obvious fun that any reader with even the most modest interest in language feels quickened and finally informed.The ability to read and write equals the ability to preserve data and complex thought. It equals the ability of a culture to form a reflective continuum the way the universe forms time. But written text used to be nothing more than a string of vague consonantal hints towards spoken words. Esoteric knowledge was always a key without which the text could not be unlocked, and writing was merely an extension of the oral tradition. All of this changed with the incredible invention of the Hebrews to use symbols for vowels. When this art became established reading and writing became available to the masses, and it competes with the printing press for the predicate of most important invention that lead to modern civilization.
Hoffman tells the story with as much feel for flair as for clarity, and In The Beginning treads confidently and with a continuous sense of awe upon the stage of evolution. It lists the unknowns without shame or the idle consolation of conjecture, and revitalizes petrified certainties into wells of alternatives. After a brief introductory chapter Hoffman reviews the 'Rules of the Game,' which is a general essay on the 'Three Theories of the World,' namely 1) The Dumb-Luck Theory - everything happens by chance and that's it then; 2) The God-Theory - everything happens because of God and that's it then; and 3) The Science Theory - there is un underlying order to the universe that we humans can understand.
The language in which the Bible was written is a formidable phenomenon and every serious student of the Bible should at least be acquainted with some of the achievements of this language. The Bible is by no means just another book in a bookstore, but a bright bolt of light that caused the bookstore!
Doctor Hoffman responds:
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I'm delighted that you enjoyed my book, _In the Beginning_, so much. Thank you very much for your kind words. You summarize the "three theories of the world" well. I would add that I put that information into the book to make it clear that I am using the Science Theory in my treatment of Hebrew, while some other approaches combine science with God or (worse, in my opinion) conjecture. I also particularly like your observation that the Bible (and, I would add, ancient Hebrew) caused the bookstore. I hope you don't mind if I borrow this image for my public lectures. Incidentally, is English or Dutch your first language? The (English) review is, in my opinion, exceedingly well written. -Joel Hoffman |
