“Last month, I had the privilege of teaching 17 Bible translators in Dassa-Zoumé, Benin. The students came from all over the country, one student came all the way from Togo to Benin, riding the bus for 12 hours in order to participate. Some of them have been translators for years, some just started. Some left fields, goats, chickens and more behind to come to this class, while others came from big cities, but they all came with the same goal (to learn to translate the Old Testament directly from Biblical Hebrew into their languages). I was impressed with the eagerness with which these students learned. Coming from oral traditions, their ability to learn new words is outstanding and I could see their vocabulary grow every day. This was only my second time in Africa, and it still feels like ‘the other side of the world’ to me. But coming to such a place and suddenly finding yourself in a room full of people speaking (Biblical) Hebrew, feels nothing short of a miracle.

During the two weeks of learning spoken Biblical Hebrew through the story of Ruth, we laughed in Hebrew, prayed in Hebrew, talked about our families, agriculture, biblical feasts and more, all in Hebrew. Even the real-life challenge of finding a snake in the classroom, while writing the final exam, could not break the flow of Hebrew: The students were shouting ‘snake’ and ‘we need a big stick’, all in Hebrew. It was a delight to see this group grow, their kindness and care for each other and their passion for Hebrew.

At the end of the class, we told the students that the one who gets the highest grade in the final exam will receive a Hebrew Bible. Nes, whose name means ‘miracle’ in Hebrew, was the one receiving this special gift. Afterwards, he shared with me how for a long time already he had been looking for ways to buy a Bible in Hebrew – to no avail. It was a true miracle for him, as he said that ‘God has given me this book.'”

— From Raffaela, sharing her experience teaching translators Biblical Hebrew in Benin