Combinations
Hebrew
Those who decide they wish to study just Hebrew, or Hebrew in combination with a related language or subject such as Aramaic (including Syriac) or Arabic do so entirely within the Faculty of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies. However, it is possible for students to combine Hebrew with Greek, or Hebrew with a European Language, these other languages being taught in the Faculty of Classics and in the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages (MML) respectively.
A combination of Hebrew with a modern European language in which the majority of the papers are in Hebrew is offered in the Faculty of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, whether in Part I or in Part II of the Tripos.
Those reading Hebrew are encouraged to visit Israel, and those studying Modern Hebrew are encouraged to take a summer course at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Financial help is often available. Those reading Hebrew and Israeli Studies (a four-year course) will spent their third year at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Aramaic
The syllabus in Aramaic prescribes that it must be studied with another subject. The other subject is usually Hebrew, but there are alternative possibilities; for example, Syriac goes well with Coptic for those interested in Middle Eastern Christianity.
For Part I (two years) candidates study the Aramaic parts of the Bible (some chapters in Daniel and Ezra, and one verse in Jeremiah) and some chapters of a Targum, and also biblical and other texts in Syriac, as well as taking an essay paper on the Targums and the history and literature of a period of the Syriac-speaking church.
For Part II (one or two years) candidates offer papers in both Jewish Aramaic (papyri, inscriptions, Dead Sea Scroll texts) and Syriac (poetic and prose texts) as well as Christian Palestinian Aramaic. Their further choice of papers depends on the papers they take in their other language, but it is possible to take an essay paper on either Aramaic language and literature or a period of the Syriac-speaking church, and those taking Part II in two years may substitute a dissertation for one paper.
