Chaim Menachem Rabin facts for kids

Chaim Menachem Rabin (Hebrew: חיים מנחם רבין; 1915–1996) was a brilliant professor who studied languages like Hebrew and other ancient languages from the Middle East. He was born in Germany, became a British citizen, and later moved to Israel. He spent his life teaching and researching these languages, helping us understand old texts better.

Chaim Rabin's Early Life and Education

Chaim Rabin was born in Giessen, Germany, on November 22, 1915. His parents were Israel and Martel Rabin. After finishing school in April 1933, he traveled to Palestine. There, he spent a year studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Moving to England for Studies

After his time in Palestine, Chaim moved to England. He eventually became a British citizen. He enrolled at the School of Oriental Studies at the University of London. In 1937, he earned his first degree, a BA.

In 1939, he completed his PhD. His special project was called Studies in Early Arabic Dialects. From 1938, he also worked as a lecturer at the same school, which was later renamed the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Wartime and Oxford University

When World War II began, Chaim was briefly held on the Isle of Man. However, he was soon released. In 1941, he moved to the University of Oxford. There, he earned his MA degree. In 1942, he received another advanced degree, a D.Phil. His project for this degree was about how the syntax (sentence structure) of Hebrew changed after the Bible was written. In 1943, he became a special lecturer in post-Biblical Hebrew at Oxford.

A Professor in Israel

In 1956, Chaim Rabin and his wife, Batya, moved to Israel. He became an Associate Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Later, he became a full Professor of Hebrew Language. He taught and researched there until he retired in 1985.

Researching Ancient Connections

Professor Rabin was very interested in how languages connect. At a big conference in India, he shared his research. He talked about how some words in the Hebrew Bible might show that people traded between Tamil Nadu (a region in India) and Palestine thousands of years ago. He hoped that scholars in Tamil would also look for Hebrew words in their language.

Diving Deep into Hebrew and Semitic Languages

Chaim Rabin's main focus was on all parts of Hebraic linguistics. This included studying how the language of the Hebrew Bible was translated. He also deeply studied the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are very old manuscripts. He also looked closely at medieval codices (old handwritten books). He took over as the main editor for the Hebrew University Bible Project.

Training Future Translators

Rabin was a leader in teaching people how to become translators in Israel. He and Shoshana Bloom started the Department of Scientific Translation at the Hebrew University. He was also a member of the Academy of the Hebrew Language. Chaim Rabin passed away in Jerusalem on May 13, 1996.