Description and Objectives
This two semester series provides a logical introduction to the language, grammar, and vocabulary of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. We work systematically through a standard textbook and begin to read actual samples of biblical texts. By the end of the first semester you will be able to read and understand several basic Bible narrative passages. By the end of both semesters you will be able to read and understand a number of biblical narrative passages. This course will benefit students interested in the language, religion, and culture of ancient Israel and the ancient Near East. It will also permit students to read and understand the grammar of medieval and modern Hebrew, and provides the essential background for subsequent work in graduate school or seminary. Students will also learn ways to approach learning a classical language.
Format
Class meetings will consist of lectures, grammar exercises, translation, and oral drills.
Homework and Study expectations
Learning a language requires you to invest significant energy and time. In keeping with University of Minnesota guidelines you will be expected to spend two to three hours of study for every hour of class time. Daily, consistent vocabulary study and daily homework assignments will help you master the material.
Textbook Exercises: You will be expected to come to class each day with the homework exercises prepared. This means they should be written out and fully understood. Always check your work against the answer key. If your answer was incorrect, try to understand why. If you cannot figure it out, I expect you to consult with me (email, office hours, class). This homework will be collected periodically.
Worksheets: In addition to your regular exercises from the textbook, I will be assigning worksheets periodically throughout the semester. These will aid in your mastery of new verb and noun paradigms. These will be collected whenever they are assigned and returned.
Required textbooks
Thomas O. Lambdin, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1971). Reprint Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd, 1973 (paper). ISBN 0232513694.
H. G. M. Williamson, Guide to Lambdin’s Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1987). ISBN 1-85075-045-9.
Gary A. Long, Grammatical Concepts 101 for Biblical Hebrew: Learning Biblical Hebrew Grammatical Concepts through English Grammar (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002) ISBN 1-56563-713-5 (recommended).
Review Sheets
Definite Article Review Sheet
Review of Lambdin 1-8
Review for Lambdin 16-23
I-Aleph and I-Guttural Review
Verbal Object Suffixes Review
Course Schedule
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Textbook
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Topic (paragraph #)
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Assignments Due
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XXI-XXIII
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Intro/Alphabet (1)
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XV-XVI; XXIII-XXV
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Alphabet/Sounds (1, 7-8)
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A
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Alphabet/Transliteration
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XVII-XVIII; XXV-XXVII
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Vowels/Syllables (1-2, 9-11)
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B
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Alphabet Practice
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XVIII-XXI
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Stress and vowel reduction (3-6)
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C
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Vowel Transliteration/Syllables
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Review
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D
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Supplementary Materials:
Reading Exercises
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Quiz 1
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Lambdin 1
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Nouns (12-13)
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Definite Article/Prepositions (14-16)
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1.1
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a all; b all (use the vocab list on p. 6)
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Lambdin 2
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Noun Plurals (19)
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1.2
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c all; d all; transliterate d 1, 3, 5
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Definite Article cont. (18, 21)
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2.1
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a all; b first column; c first column; d first column
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Review
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2.2
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e all; f all; g all; transliterate g 2, 4, 6
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Quiz 2
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Lambdin 3
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Adjectives Forms (22)
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Adjectives Use (23)
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3.1
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a all; b all
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Lambdin 4
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Noun Plurals (25)
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3.2
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c all; d all
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Active Participles (26)
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4.1
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b all; c 2, 4, 6, 8; d 1, 3, 5, 7
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Review
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4.2
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e 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 14; f 3, 4, 5, 6
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Quiz 3
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Lambdin 5
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Prepositions (29-31)
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Relative word ’ašer (32)
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5.1
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a all; b all; c all
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Lambdin 6
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Participles II G, III G, III ’ (35)
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5.2
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d 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 12; e 1, 2, 5, 6
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No Class
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Noun Plurals—irregular (34)
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6.1
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a all; b 1, 3, 5
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Review
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6.2
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c 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9; d 1, 2, 3, 7
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Quiz 4
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Lambdin 7
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Predication of Existence (37)
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Prepositions with Pronominal Suffixes (38)
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7.1
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a 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12; b 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
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Lambdin 8
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Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns (40)
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7.2
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b 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10; c 1, 3, 4, 5
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Participles (41)
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8.1
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a all; b 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
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Review
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8.2
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c 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; d 1, 2, 6, 7
Review Assignment
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Exam 1
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Lambdin 9
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Perfect (43-44)
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Perfect / Conjunction wĺw (45-46)
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9.1
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a all; c 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9
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Lambdin 10
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Perfect Gutturals (48)
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9.2
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b all; d 2, 5, 6, 8
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Perfect I nűn / noun plurals cont. (49-50)
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10.1
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a one verb; b 2, 4, 6, 8
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Review
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10.2
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c 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9; d 1, 2, 4, 7
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Quiz 5
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Lambdin 11
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Perfect III ’aleph / noun plurals cont. (52-53)
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Interrogative ah (54)
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11.1
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a first column; c 1, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12
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Lambdin 12
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Perfect III hē (57)
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11.2
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b 1, 3, 5, 7; d 1, 2, 4, 5
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Directive ah (58)
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12.1
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a evens
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Lambdin 13
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Nominal Predication (60)
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12.2
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b odds; c 4, 5, 6, 8, 11
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Verb hāyāh (61)
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13.1
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a even; b odds
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Review
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13.2
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c 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; d 1, 3, 4, 5
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Quiz 6
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Lambdin 14
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II waw II yôd perfect (64)
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Prepositions / kôl (65-66)
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14.1
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b 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9
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Lambdin 15
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Geminate Perfect (68)
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14.2
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a odds; c 1, 5, 6, 7
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’im and ’et with Pronominal Suffixes (69)
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15.1
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a odds
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Review
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15.2
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b 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 10; c 1, 3, 4, 6
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Quiz 7
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Lambdin 16
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Construct (72)
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Singular Construct (73)
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16.1
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a odds; b odds
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Review I
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17.1
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a first column; c all; d 2, 3, 5, 7
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Review II
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G
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Review Assignment
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Exam 2
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Lambdin 18
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Plural Construct (78)
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Construct cont. (79)
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18.1
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a all; b 1, 3, 4
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Lambdin 19
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Pronouns (81-82)
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18.2
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c all; d 1, 2, 4, 5
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Prepositions with Pronominal Suffixes (83)
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19.1
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a even; b all
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Lambdin 20
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Pronominal Suffixes on Nouns (85)
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19.2
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c 4, 6, 10; d 2, 3, 5, 6; e all
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Nouns cont.
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20.1
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a odds; b evens
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Review
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20.2
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c 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12; d 1, 3, 6, 7
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Quiz 8
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Lambdin 21
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Stative Verbs (87)
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Lambdin 22
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Imperfect (90)
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21.1
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a 1, 2, 3, 7, 9; b 1, 3, 5, 8; d 2, 5
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Imperfect cont.
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22.1
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a all; b evens
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Lambdin 23
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Imperfect in a (94)
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22.2
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c 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10; d 2, 3, 6
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III ‘aleph Imperfect (95)
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23.1
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a odds; b evens
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Review
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23.2
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c 1, 3, 6, 10; d 1,5; e all
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Review
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H
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Review Assignment
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Review
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I
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Review Assignment
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End of First Semester
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