Biblical Hebrew and Sharing God's Word in a Digital Age

The digital environment has transformed the ways in which students, pastors, scholars, and wider audiences encounter the Bible and its original languages. In this invited presentation, Dr. Adam J. Howell draws on his extensive experience teaching Biblical Hebrew and communicating Hebrew-language scholarship through digital media, particularly through Daily Dose of Hebrew.

The presentation will examine what Howell has learned from bringing Biblical Hebrew to online audiences: which kinds of Hebrew and Old Testament content generate sustained engagement, how short-form teaching can encourage continued interaction with the biblical text, whether interest in Biblical Hebrew is expanding in digital environments, and what opportunities and limitations social media and online platforms present for serious engagement with Scripture.

Drawing on both academic teaching and years of digital communication, the presentation will offer a practical reflection on the relationship between biblical-language education, new media, audience behaviour, and the continuing task of helping readers remain engaged with the Hebrew Bible.

Adam J. Howell is Associate Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Boyce College, the undergraduate college of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. His teaching and scholarly work concentrate on the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, the historical and archaeological backgrounds of the Old Testament, and the interpretation of biblical texts within their ancient Near Eastern context.

Howell earned his B.S. at East Tennessee State University and subsequently completed both the M.Div. and Ph.D. at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His doctoral work was in Old Testament Studies and focused on the Aramaic Targums, particularly the Memra, Shekinah, and Yeqara traditions and their relevance for the interpretation of biblical and early Christian texts.

In addition to his university teaching and scholarly publications, Howell is the host and primary contributor of Daily Dose of Hebrew, a digital educational initiative designed to help students, pastors, and readers remain engaged with the Hebrew Bible. Daily Dose of Hebrew regularly presents short videos centred on individual Hebrew verses, together with additional teaching on Hebrew grammar, syntax, vocabulary, textual interpretation, and resources for maintaining competence in Biblical Hebrew.

His work brings together academic study of the Hebrew Bible, biblical-language pedagogy, and digital communication, making him particularly well positioned to address how serious engagement with Biblical Hebrew can be sustained in the age of social media and short-form online content.

Howell's scholarly interests include Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, Old Testament history and theology, the ancient Near Eastern and archaeological backgrounds of the Hebrew Bible, scribal traditions, Targumic literature, and the relationship between original-language study and biblical interpretation.

His work also places particular emphasis on the long-term retention of Biblical Hebrew and on practical methods for helping former language students continue reading the Hebrew Bible beyond formal coursework.