JoAnna M. Hoyt

Isn't this just the most beautiful thing you've seen today? DIU's new MA in Biblical Languages and Linguistics. It's so new the details aren't on the website yet, but we're working on it.

I didn't know when I randomly drafted the degree proposal two December's ago (when I should have been grading finals, instead) how much work I was creating for myself when I sent it to admin. But I am so exceedingly happy for this new (and desperately needed) program!!

DIU has a new Master of Arts in Biblical Languages and Linguistics (MA-BLL) degree!!
Final approval has been received and the official announcement will come soon. It's so new the website is not complete yet, and the details are still being added to the catalog.

www.diu.edu/gial/ma-bibl...

America is not the new Israel, but we sure are acting more and more like Ancient Israel as they drew closer and closer to their exile and further and further away from God.

'tis the season to study the prophets carefully

"Her leaders establish 'right order' for their own benefit
Her priests teach for rewards
Her prophets tell the future for cash
Yet, they support themselves on Yhwh, saying
'Yhwh is in our midst!
Calamity will not come upon us!'"
-Micah 3:11

Yesterday's posts about The Bunny Song & the image that prompted it, makes me feel justified in adopting the name "Nebby" for that person on the day after the election. It reorients me to the reality that many others have lived under such & worse
And to pray for more to be like Rack, Shack, & Benny

The Elisha stories have broken me.
Digging into their technicalities have led me to begin praying for - and desperately searching for - evidence of manuscript variants or scribal errors.
The syntax & lexical issues in the axe head story alone was enough to send me over the edge.

If there's one thing I've learned this past year, it's that you should not randomly draft a proposal for a new degree & send it to admin unless you just don't have enough emails, meetings & paperwork in your life.
But on the plus side...a new AWESOME degree is coming soon to DIU!!

Yesterday I finished my last Hebrew Discourse Features class of the semester. And today, the world is a little bit sadder.

The semester ended with the students presenting their macrostructure analysis of a text.

...then we played Hebrew banangrams. :)

A student recently read "The Blue Parakeet" by @scotmcknight.bsky.social and commented:

"I don't know if he intended this, but that book is a great defense for women in ministry."

Oh, it was intentional.

Today another young Hebrew scholar passed their thesis defense and added more amazing research to the field.

If you're interested in valency and frame semantics (...and the very annoying Hebrew verb פקד), then stay tuned - I'll share the link once its posted at diu.edu

Guys, I'm in love.
The new book "The Biblical Hebrew Verb: A Linguistic Introduction" (J. Cook) completes me.*

I just skimmed his discussion on the binyanim in prep for a defense. Guys. It's concise, clear, & doesn't peddle faulty traditional explanations.

*=my need for a Hbw Linguistics book

I hereby declare that the first Monday back to campus after 8 days of conferences, that also falls on the last week of classes, shall henceforth be known as The Monday of all Mondays.

I was tempted by the alternative purchase gift - the WBC socks. But I only saw the green NT version. If they had the blue OT version, I would have definitely picked the socks. Well, that's not true, I would have gotten both since the book/mug design is so well-done.

Yup! My future is strong with IBR. It and SBL are a breath of fresh air following ETS. I do still have a small shred of hope that ETS could improve, but it shrinks every year. :(

Yes!

(I was going to post a gif of excitement in response...but it felt wrong to post a happy animation in response to a comment about the Levitie's concubine, trauma, and religious corruption... But, nonetheless, I'm excited to see what you could reveal with such a study!)

I agree. I can't quite figure out why, but it reminds me of a good book that I read recently. 🙂

I'm not surprised at all. Not at all. The gender issue tends to be an obvious issue (at least for me, it is) - but it's not just that. There are many more factors to the differences between the conferences. Many.

I completely understand. I came so very close to walking away after this year. So very very close...

Conversations in my subject area aren't much better. Everyone seems content to teach and talk about Hebrew the same way they always have...even when the problems are pointed out.

Obligatory post-conference haul pic.
Purchased books on the right - a good mix of Hebrew & pastoral. Looking forward to diving into both.
Free books on the left.
2 free pen cups.
A fancy leather portfolio.
Five bags.
And a Zondervan pen my mom (randomly) demands from me every yr.

More random conf reflections:
- My future with ETS will not endure forever. There is still good there, but parts are oppressive. Currently, I use it only as time to meet w/ people, support friends, & vote for those who fully include **all** who agree w/ the doctrinal statement.

Random Conference Reflections:
- 8 days of being surrounded by and talking with amazing people in your field is life giving.
- Staying a 15min walk away is a great excuse to see more of the area and enjoy the fresh air.
- Your best & most comfortable shoes *will* turn on you.

Today is the day I learn that I am actually a robot who cannot successfully pass a recaptcha test.

Adjusting my life plans accordingly.

After skimming the book I also immediately submitted a request to my school's library strongly urging them to get this book sooner rather than later. I'm not saying something because I constantly forget to request the library purchase books that they need to have.

An intentional approach of not caving to "good English" when seeking to understand Hebrew is refreshing. I do this in my classes. When a stu' asks if X can be translated as Y, I focus on what the Hebrew is doing, not good English...English is just a necessary evil when talking about Hbw.

After teaching my Hbw Discourse class virtually this morning, I made my way to the conference exhibit hall & quickly purchased my 1st book of the week: John Cook's new book, "The Biblical Hebrew Verb: A Linguistic Introduction"
I knew I would like it, but I like it even more after reading the intro

I'm packing for SBL/ETS and I realized that SBL linguistic sessions may be the only place besides DIU that I can wear this DIU T-shirt.

(The saying came out of one of my classes because of student frustration with the inability to run linguistic tests on dead languages.)