Judeo-Greek

Teacher: Dr Julia G. Krivoruchko, University of Cambridge

Class Level: Beginners & Advanced (Basic knowledge of Ancient or Modern Greek is recommended for the Beginners class and required for the Advanced class. It is advised that students in the Advanced class have attended the Beginners class previously and have basic knowledge of Hebrew script, preferably also Hebrew language.)

Class Schedule 2024-25: Beginners class Wednesdays from 12:45-13:45 UK Time; Advanced class Wednesdays from 15:45-16:45 UK Time (you can check time-zone comparisons on sites such as this one)

Class Length: Beginners class 1-term class (Hilary Term 2025); Advanced class 1-term class (Trinity Term 2025) (Oxford dates of term are available on the University website)

Class Description: The Beginners class will introduce students to the history of research on Judeo-Greek and its evolution from the Hellenistic until Modern period. Special attention will be given to the interaction of Judeo-Greek with other Greek varieties in a wider sociolinguistic context and the genre specifics of available texts. Students will become familiar with short samples of Medieval Judeo-Greek from Genizah manuscripts (ca. 11th century CE) and Modern Judeo-Greek (18th-19th centuries) from published materials.
The Advanced class will be dedicated to reading Early Modern Judeo-Greek biblical translations from early prints and published materials, as well as more recent paraliturgical poetry. We will focus on the relationship between the Hebrew original and the Judeo-Greek translation, comparative analysis of the translations from different periods, as well as linguistic variation represented in Early Modern Judeo-Greek texts.