Department of Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas at Austin

Hebrew Studies

The Hebrew Studies Program at the University of Texas, which confers B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees, offers the most comprehensive program in Hebrew and Jewish Studies available in the Southwest, and its faculty is dedicated to teaching and research. Because of the growth of ethnic consciousness and the rise of modern Israel, there has been increased interest in Hebrew and Jewish studies which has encouraged the growth of the program and holds forth the promise of professional development in one of the most steadily growing fields of study.

Hebrew language instruction at all levels is fully supported by locally-developed, state-of-the-art computer assisted language instructional materials.

Archaeological Dig

Since 1975, the Hebrew Studies Program at the University of Texas has been conducting an archaeological excavation at Tel Yin'am and Beit Gan in the eastern Lower Galilee. The project, under the direction of Professor Harold Liebowitz, involves excavation of two prominent sites which have yielded unique assemblages of local and imported material in addition to the only iron smelter known from the ancient Near East. The University-sponsored project is designed as an advanced research project and as a field school and laboratory for graduate and undergraduate students interested in Near Eastern archaeology.