Ancient languages taught at Polis: Polis is the only academically accredited institution in the world that teaches six ancient languages, namely ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Latin, Classical Syriac, Coptic, and Standard Arabic, using the innovative immersive method.
Global impact in ancient languages: Polis has been teaching Ancient Languages for 12 years in Jerusalem, while also organizing annual courses in Italy, France, and the United States, and pilot intensive courses in Spain, Argentina, Peru, and Morocco, thus producing a global impact.
Learning the languages of the Bible, preserving the correct interpretation: most of the people who speak Ancient Greek in the world have studied at Polis, as well as many of those who speak Biblical Hebrew.
Coptic Language: Following the request of a Coptic Bishop and with the support of a generous donor, Polis has developed a method to revive Coptic as a living language, and has started a training program with a group of Egyptian teachers.
Teaching Arabic and Hebrew: in the same institution, a singular fact, contributes to the atmosphere of coexistence in the region and is a reason for hope in the often divisive reality of Eastern and Western Jerusalem.
Research in Second Language Acquisition: The interaction between teachers of different languages, modern and ancient, has fostered the sharing and developing of new techniques, with the Polis Method becoming an international reference point for teachers of Second Language Acquisition.
Open meeting point at Jerusalem: Unlike other academic institutions in Jerusalem linked to one particular religious tradition, in Polis there is fruitful interaction between scholars from the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian cultures.
Saxum Visitor Center: Polis was in charge of providing all the historical and Biblical data that are displayed in the Saxum Visitor Center, which was inaugurated in 2019 and currently receives around fifteen thousand visitors annually.
Historical sites in the Holy Land: The graduate programs of Polis include visits to the main historical sites of the Holy Land, enriching the students with a deep knowledge of the history and geography of the region.
Multilingual Library: The constantly expanding Polis Library already contains some 12,000 volumes, including primary sources in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic; as well as a collection of rare books from the 16th and 16th centuries for specialized research in languages, history, and religions.
Archives and books of Anouar Hatem, Syrian Ambassador to the Holy See: Polis is proud to be the recipient of the historically invaluable personal archives and library of Anouar Hatem, a scholar who worked in the Syrian government during the country’s transition to independence (1941-1953) and then as Syrian ambassador to the Holy See (1953-1958/1961-1964).
Ancient Greek
Biblical Hebrew
Classical Syriac
Coptic
Latin
Modern Hebrew
Modern Standard Arabic
Spoken Arabic