December 16, 2011
Terms
Be able to define or describe the following terms in a sentence or two and/or highlight two or three key points (such as might be included in a multiple-choice or matching-type question).
| Source Criticism | Casuistic | Deutero-Isaiah | Chokhmah | Antiochus IV |
| Form Criticism | Hittite Suzerainty Treaty | Trito-Isaiah | Mashal | Ex Eventu Prophecy |
| Redaction Criticism | Wilderness Generation | Jehoiachin | Lady Wisdom | Maccabean Revolt |
| Torah | Shema | Fall of Jerusalem | Qohelet | Chanukkah |
| Documentary Hypothesis | Centralization of Cult | Exile | Megillot | Hasmoneans |
| Habiru | Deuteronomic Historian | Messiah | 9th of Ab | Sirach |
| Covenant | Models of Israelite Settlement | Restoration Period | Genre | Canon |
| Binding of Isaac | Amphictyony | Zerubbabel | Allegory | Palestinian Canon |
| Joseph Novella | Jerusalem | Second Temple | Nebuchadnezzar | Alexandrian Canon |
| Sojourn | United Monarchy | Parallelism | Apocalyptic | Apocrypha |
| Passover | Fall of Samaria | Sitz im Leben | Apocalypse | Deuterocanon |
| Decalogue | Court Prophet | le-Dawid | Hellenization | Septuagint |
| Apodictic | Proto-Isaiah | Imprecatory Psalms | Alexander the Great |
Points to Ponder
Be able to discuss the following issues in a brief essay.
- Be able to describe the Documentary Hypothesis in general terms. What are J, E, D, and P? What phenomena in the text of the Pentateuch have led scholars to embrace the Documentary Hypothesis, and what criticisms have been leveled against it?
- Trace the struggle of Abraham and Sarah to have an child. What obstacles did they face? How do the concepts of “covenant” and “promise” figure into this struggle?
- Be able to trace the highlights of the lives of both Jacob and Joseph. How do these characters and their actions advance–or threaten–the promises God made to their ancestors?
- Describe the Decalogue. How have various groups organized its contents? How is it like similar texts from Israel’s neighbors, and what are the elements that make it unusual or unique?
- Describe the place of Deuteronomy within the Pentateuch. How does it compare or contrast with other documents of Israelite law? How should it be understood in the historical and theological contexts of Israel’s developing faith?
- Describe the cycle of apostasy and liberation in the book of Judges. How does this cycle serve as a theological “grid” through which to interpret the book?
- Describe the political, economic, and religious contours of the United Monarchy period. What was good? What was bad?
- What is a “prophet”? What are the functions and characteristic elements of Israelite prophecy? How were Israelite prophets both like and unlike prophets in other Ancient Near Eastern cultures?
- Discuss the book of Isaiah in its final form as a message for the post-exilic community. What does Isaiah say that would be a comfort (or a challenge) to Jews returning to their homeland?
- Discuss the Babylonian exile as a catalyst for the religious thought of Judaism. What theological questions did the exile raise, and how did those who lived through it seek to answer them?
- Describe Jeremiah’s prophetic career. Name two or three key passages in the book of Jeremiah that shed light on his message in the years leading up to and following the Fall of Jerusalem.
- Discuss the diversity of the Psalms in terms of historical context, authorship, and subject matter. Be able to say something about the arrangement of the Psalms and what this might say about their continued importance in Israelite/Jewish religion.
- What is Hebrew “wisdom literature” and how does it differ from other genres of the Old Testament? Describe the overall message of the book of Job. Describe the nature of the wisdom material found in the book of Proverbs.
- Describe the book of Esther in terms of its religious importance. Be able to say something about the debates surrounding the genre of the book. Be able to note a few basic points about both Song of Solomon and the book of Ruth in terms of their significance in Jewish thought.
- What are the characteristics of apocalyptic literature and the apocalyptic mindset? How does the book of Daniel reflect these characteristics?
- Describe the reception of the Apocryphal (Deuterocanonical) books of the Old Testament within Christianity.
- Describe the events surrounding the Maccabean Revolt. What was the political situation of the Jews at the time, and how did Judah Maccabee change things?
Format of the Exam
Part I. Forty-five multiple-choice questions worth 5 points each, based on the key terms listed above and assigned Scripture readings (225 points).
Part II. One essay question (125 points). You will have a choice between three of the following questions:
- Discuss feminist perspectives on the interpretation of the Bible. Specifically, what strategies have feminists used in addressing biblical stories that have been used to subjugate women? Use biblical examples of your choosing to illustrate how these strategies might be employed.
- Discuss the Documentary Hypothesis as an answer to the question, “Who wrote the Pentateuch?” What details in the biblical text led scholars to develop this theory? What can be said both for and against this interpretation of the texts?
- Summarize the ministry and message of either Amos or Hosea, giving attention to questions of the prophet’s biographical background, the historical situation in which he ministered, and the major themes of his message.
- Take a position with respect to how we are to understand Israel’s settlement of Canaan. What evidence supports this position? What are the alternatives?
- Choose one of the five Festival Scrolls (Song of Songs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, or Esther) and provide a brief introduction. Address such issues as: when was this book written? What is its genre? What is its message, both for the original audience and today?
- Discuss the value of the Apocryphal (Deuterocanonical) books of the Old Testament for understanding Jewish and Christian thought. How do these books shed light on the Second Temple period? Should these books be included in the Bible? Why or why not?
Please bring your own paper on which to write your essay.
