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Biblical Languages

Overview - Hebrew

Windows Operating System

In order to type in Hebrew, you will need to install the proper Hebrew keyboard driver, in addition to using an appropriate font. Follow these instructions to conform to the standards adopted by NCU. Scroll down for instructions on Macs (OSX).

Hebrew Keyboard Driver

The keyboard driver tells the computer which Hebrew letter to display when a given key is pressed on the keyboard. For example, one driver might display an 'alep when you press the "a" key, while another will display an a-class vowel.

The driver you need to install uses the "SIL Layout" and can be found on the Society for Biblical Literature website. Be sure to select the keyboard driver for Windows that uses the SIL Layout. NOTE: Do not download the font.

​After the Downloads window pops up, open the Biblical Hebrew Keyboards Installer." Follow the prompts given by the installer. Next you will need to follow these steps to begin typing in Hebrew.

  1. Go to Apple > System Preferences > Language and Text (or access from the Dock)
  2. Click on "Input Sources" near the top
  3. Select "Biblical Hebrew - SIL" (NOTE: do not select "Biblical Hebrew - Tiro")
  4. Close System Preference

In order to switch to the Hebrew keyboard, you can change the language input by clicking on the country flag located on the menu bar.

Word Processor

Versions of Microsoft Word prior to the 2016 release do not offer support for right-to-left (complex) languages. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you use the 2016 release of Microsoft Word, or select another word processor. The two other main options are Pages and Mellel. Pages can be purchased through the App Store. Mellel is a very powerful and well supported processor, and is generally favored by graduate students working in the Hebrew Bible. Both of these options can save documents in Microsoft Word format and thus be used for submitting assignments electronically.

Font

The standard font adopted by NCU for typing in Hebrew is Times New Roman. In order to ensure that this is selected please set your default font for both English and Hebrew to Times New Roman (12-point).

Congratulations! You are ready to type in Hebrew.

 

 

Overview - Greek

Windows Operating System

In order to type in Greek, you will need to install the proper Greek keyboard driver, in addition to using an appropriate font. Follow these instructions to conform to the standards adopted by NCU. Scroll down for instructions on Macs (OSX).

Greek Keyboard Driver

The keyboard driver tells the computer which Greek letter to display when a given key is pressed on the keyboard. The driver you need to install is the "Greek Polytonic" keyboard. In order to install it, please follow these steps:

  1. Go to Control Panel > Language
  2. Click on "Add a Language"
  3. Select "Greek" from the list, and click "Add"
  4. Click on "Options" to the right of the Greek keyboard
  5. Under "Input Method," click on "Add an input method"
  6. Select "Greek Polytonic" from the list, and click "Add"
  7. Remove the regular "Greek" keyboard, so only the "Greek Polytonic" is remaining
  8. Click on "Save"

In order to switch to the Greek keyboard, you can change the language input on the task bar (see image below.

Font

The standard font adopted by NCU for typing in Greek is Times New Roman. Follow these steps to ensure this is properly set up:

  1. Open a new Word document
  2. Open the pop-out Font window
  3. Set the Font to Times New Roman, Regular, 12-point
  4. Click on "Set As Default" in the lower left corner
  5. Make sure the default will apply to all documents based on the normal template.

Congratulations! You are ready to type in Greek.

Mac Operating System (OSX)

In order to type in Greek, you will need to install the proper Greek keyboard driver, in addition to using an appropriate font. Follow these instructions to conform to the standards adopted by NCU.

Greek Keyboard Driver

The keyboard driver tells the computer which Greek letter to display when a given key is pressed on the keyboard. The driver you need to install is the "Greek Polytonic" keyboard. In order to install it, please follow these steps:

  1. Go to Apple > System Preferences > Language and Text
  2. Click on "Input Sources" near the top
  3. Select "Greek Polytonic" from the list
  4. Close System Preferences

In order to switch to the Greek keyboard, you can change the language input by clicking the flag located on the menu bar (see image below).

Font

The standard font adopted by NCU for typing in Greek is Times New Roman. In order to ensure that this is selected please set Times New Roman (12-point) as the default font.

Congratulations! You are ready to type in Greek.