exam 2
what are the two Canaanite gods that the people of Israel worshipped?
Baal and Asherah
who is Jeremiah's scribe?
Baruch
which tribe is Saul from?
Benjamin
what is the prize for killing Goliath?
David would be given one of Saul's daughters in marriage, he has no bride price so Saul makes David do him a favor, he has to go get 100 Philistine foreskins and bring them to Saul, he does it and gets to marry daughter Michal and be king since he is now in the royal family
who is Tamar?
David's daughter, is assaulted by her half brother Amnon, has a voice*** says no to Amnon, has shame, gets kicked out of house and taken in by brother Absalom, David doesn't care about her and does nothing to help
who is Nathan?
David's prophet, he tells him a story about how David has sinned, later ensures Solomon's rise to the throne and anoints him
who is Absalom?
David's son, helps Tamar after she is Assaulted by his half brother Amnon, is mad that David doesn't react or do anything about the assault, so he vows to take revenge, later on he kills Amnon in front of everyone, also gets revenge on David by trying to take over throne and fight but David wins (Absalom dies due to his long hair)
who does Judah switch their alliance to when the Babylonians come to power?
Egypt
third wave of returnees leader and task:
Ezra, reinstate religious rituals now that the temple is built (sacrifices, holidays)
which festival goes with Ecclesiastes?
Festival of Booths/Sukkot
which festival goes with Esther?
Festival of Purim
which festival goes with Ruth?
Festival of Weeks/Shavuot
what are the two subdivisions of the Nevi'im?
Former and Latter Prophets
describe the Davidic Covenant
God makes a covenant with David (through prophet Nathan) that He will make him a great name (dynasty), a place (land), and rest (protection). in return, David must obey the commandments of the Lord. this shows that God continues the theme of covenant**
Nahum focuses on which city?
Nineveh
what is the capital of Assyria?
Nineveh
what is the festival of Purim?
Haman (bad guy) cast lots to determine the day to begin the extermination of the Jews in Persia (but they didn't die, they got to defend themselves), celebrates the Jewish survival and learning to coexist with people who are different than you
what is the first decree in Esther?
Haman (bad guy) convinces King Ahasuerus into issuing a decree to kill all the Jews in Persia/exile, date decided by casting lots/Purim
describe the barren wife motif in Samuel:
Hannah is barren, but prays to God at Shiloh and he intervenes, blessing her with the birth of Samuel. shows that a great man (Samuel) is born to a barren wife
in which book was the Immanuel Prophecy?
Isaiah
who was Hezekiah's prophet?
Isaiah
list the Major Prophets (within the Latter Prophets):
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel
who was Saul's surviving son?
Ishbaal
what was the kingdom called when it was united?
Israel
describe the Philistines:
Israel's enemy, from Greece, known as the Sea Peoples, settled on the coast of Canaan, very technologically advanced (could make tools and weapons)
what happened in the Babylonian exile?
Jerusalem falls, King Zedekiah fled and captured, eyes punched out, upper class/elites taken to Babylon, poor class left behind and ruled by Babylonian empire, people fled to Egypt, this is their punishment for disobedience
what did the north/Israel become known as during King Omri's rule?
"Omri Land"
what do prophets say when speaking on behalf of God?
"Thus says the Lord"
what is the message from Judges that still holds true for the people of Israel?
"they all did what was right in their own eyes" (because they had no king)
what is apocalyptic literature?
"end of the world", full of symbolism so people could understand the meaning, talked about the future and God's coming judgment, addressed to people in crisis (end of THEIR world)
how many books of Psalms are there?
5
when did the southern kingdom of Judah fall?
587/586 BCE
who was the king of Persia?
Cyrus
who had the vision of dry bones?
Ezekiel
who is Gomer?
Hosea's wife, a prostitute, her adultery against Isaiah was like Israel's idolatry against YHWH
the northern kingdom is called:
Israel
list the Former Prophets:
Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings
the southern kingdom is called:
Judah
which inscription has the first mention of Israel?
Merneptah Stele
fourth wave of returnees leader and task:
Nehemiah, rebuild city walls
which festival goes with Song of Songs?
Passover
what superpower rose up as Babylon fell?
Persia
what does Nevi'im mean?
Prophets
parallelism is seen a lot in the book of ___________
Proverbs
first wave of returnees leader and task:
Sheshbazzar, lay foundation of the temple
messiah means
anointed one
what does Purim mean?
lots
Hebrew poetry is all about ____________
meter
was Samuel a king?
no
what are the types of wisdom literature?
practical and philosophical
Psalms books 1-2
pre-exile (David and dynasty)
with true repentance, there is always ____________
restoration
which inscription mentions David?
the Tel Dan Stele
what is Shavuot?
the festival of weeks, grain harvest, also called Pentecost, celebrates joy of worshipping YHWH no matter who you are (story of Ruth)
what is Lamentations about?
the gut-wrenching loss of the fall of Jerusalem
Ketuvim means
writings
what is wisdom literature?
writings that described wisdom, thought to be all of the elements of a person's character and upbringing that enable them to be a mature and successful member of society
describe the Babylonian exile:
- Babylonians invade Judah and begin exile as a warning - prophet Jeremiah tells King Zedekiah to just accept the takeover and not break the covenant - instead he decided to rebel with the Egyptians - Babylonians destroyed rebellion - King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged cities in Judah and Jerusalem - kingdoms are no more
which tribe is David from?
Judah
describe David's sin:
- David is at his house in Jerusalem on the flat roof - Bathsheba is bathing and doing her cleansing ritual after her 2 weeks of period/bleeding so she can become clean - this means she is devout and obeying the covenant - David knows she is the daughter and wife of someone important (father is advisor to king, and her husband is Uriah = Hittite, David's mighty man, at battle where David is supposed to be) - David sends for Bathsheba and assaults her, she becomes pregnant - panics and sends for Uriah but he doesn't come to see Bathsheba because he's obedient - David makes a plan for Uriah to die in battle - he takes Bathsheba as wife
describe the story of how David became anointed king:
- God tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem to anoint a new king of Israel - goes to the House of Jesse who has 8 sons - **second son motif: the youngest son of 8 is anointed - ^ God wants David, the shepherd boy - David is quietly anointed, but he has to wait until Saul is no longer king - he can play harp, which was the only thing that soothed Saul's tormenting so he plays for him and they become friends
describe the battle of David and Goliath:
- Philistines and Israel fight over Shephelah land so they battle - Philistines propose that each tribe picks one man to fight the other on behalf of everyone - Philistines choose Goliath (taunts Israel and their God, huge giant) - Saul is scared and can't make decisions - David hears from his brothers who are in the Israel army that Goliath taunts his God and is mad - Saul tells David he can fight - he goes to a dry river bed (wadi) and picks 5 smooth stones and decides he will fight in the name of the Lord - hits Goliath in the head with a stone, takes his sword and cuts off the head to win - David is praised and now well-known among the people
what happens with the prophet Samuel and Saul?
- Saul's military situation worsens - needs advice, but his prophet Samuel is dead - Saul finds Endor who can talk to dead spirits - resurrects? but then they both die
describe Solomon's wisdom:
- Solomon asks God for wisdom in 1 Kings 3 - God gives him what he asked for and more, but he must obey the covenant and walk in his ways - example of Solomon's wisdom: two prostitutes come to him fighting over a baby boy, he comes up with a solution
describe the moving of the capital under David's reign:
- capital was at Hebron (in Judah) for 7 years - Ishbaal (ruler of Israel) was killed - now David rules over both north and south - moves capital to Jerusalem so it is in a central location and doesn't belong to any tribe
describe the story of Saul:
- first king of Israel - he hides at his anointing in front of Israel - Israelites put trust in his appearance - king for two years - anxious about a battle with the Philistines and decides to offer up the sacrifice himself (BAD) - loses anointing but given one more chance - told to spare no one after defeating Amalekites, but he does spare the king and animals (DISOBEYS) - becomes tormented and descends from throne - dies after becoming jealous of David
describe Saul and David's relationship:
- friends at first because David played harp for Saul - after defeating Goliath and gaining popularity/success, Saul becomes jealous of David and sought to kill him - they have a tense relationship full of jealousy
describe Solomon's sin:
- had many wives and concubine - many of these were foreign and brought their foreign dieties/gods with them - Solomon would build places for his foreign wives to worship their gods in - he started to worship them too, and so did his people - resulted in mixing of religions against YHWH, which is disobeying covenant ** - suffers consequences = the kingdom will be taken from his house and given to someone else - luckily the Davidic dynasty will continue in Judah beyond his lifetime
describe the temple:
- in Jerusalem (now a political and spiritual capital) - stage 1 = courtyard (all can enter) - stage 2 = building (Holy Place, only priests and Levites can go) - stage 3 = Holy of Holies (little room where the Ark of the Covenant is, holds 10 commandments)
what can I say for the covenant essay question?
- the covenant has been continued through David (Davidic covenant = God promises David that he will give him a place (land), rest (protection), and make him a great name (descendants/dynasty) as long as he obeys His commandments and lives in covenant) - however, David breaks this covenant and disobeys when he sins by assaulting Bathsheba and essentially killing Uriah - leads to consequences (chaos in his house and the public will see) - his children disobey too (Amnon and Tamar assault) - Solomon also breaks covenant even after asking for wisdom (begins worshipping other gods that his foreign wives influence him with), starts syncretism - then, under the rule of Omri, Ahab and Jezebel break the covenant because they worship the Canaanite gods of Baal and Asherah, which influences many prophets too - Elijah stays true to YHWH and obeys, so he is blessed in showdown against Baal prophets on Mount Carmel - also, the nations of Israel and Judah disobey their Suzerian treaties with Assyria and Babylon overall, and they break covenant through idolatry and social injustice - ultimately, the exile is the outcome of this repeated Deuteronomic theology, which eventually leads to some covenant revival under Ezra
describe the consequences of David's sin:
- the sword (chaos) will never depart from his house - trouble within his home will rise up for everyone to see - he will sleep with wives and concubines - the baby he had with Bathsheba will die
describe the battle between God/Elijah and Baal:
- there was a drought for 3 years - final showdown at Mt. Carmel - 450 prophets of Baal vs. Elijah, the prophet of YHWH - two altars were built and each had a cut up bull on it - prophets of Baal cried out to their gods with no answer - Elijah made a trench around the altar and drenched it with water and cried out to YHWH, he answers and sends fire then rain for the drought
how many tribes are in the North?
10
how many books are in the Ketuvim?
13
how many tribes are in the South, and what are their names?
2, Judah and Benjamin
how many books are thought to be in Isaiah?
3
what are the subdivisions of the Latter Prophets?
3 major and 12 minor prophets
when did the northern kingdom of Israel fall?
722/721 BCE
when did the united kingdom of Israel split?
922/921 BCE
who is Hannah?
Samuel's mother, barren wife motif, annually visits Shiloh to pray at a shrine for God to intervene and bless her with a son, has a song, vows to dedicate her child to God as a Nazarite
who was the first king?
Saul
list the first three kings of the united monarchy:
Saul, David, Solomon
who is Rehoboam?
Solomon's son, becomes king of Judah, is king when the kingdoms split
who was put on the throne by the Babylonians, also called a puppet king?
Zedekiah
second wave of returnees leader and task:
Zerubbabel and Joshua, rebuild temple
who is Uriah?
a Hittite, Bathsheba's husband, fights in David's army and was one of his Mighty Men
who is Jezebel?
a Phoenician princess, married to Ahab, an evangelist for new Canaanite religion that praises Baal and Asherah (fertility deities), doesn't worship YHWH, runs the relationship
what is the Cyrus Cylinder?
a clay cylinder (Persian artifact) that contains the details of the official decree that emancipates (frees) the people of exile to go back home
describe Ruth:
a foreigner, Moabite, ancestor of King David and descendant of Jesus, was married to one of Naomi's sons but then he died so she becomes a widow, stays by Naomi's side even when she tells people to leave, then marries Boaz after he steps up as a Goel, foundation of inclusive view of following YHWH (even foreigners can worship God)
who is King Hezekiah?
a good king of Judah because he did religious reform, grew the kingdom, Isaiah was his prophet, but even though Isaiah told him not to rebel and to keep the Suzerian treaty with the Assyrians, he did not and refused to pay tribute for a bit, was attacked by Sennacherib in 701 BCE
what is the Kinsman redeemer?
a person who is responsible to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or in need. ex: restoring the family land or marrying the widow of a relative (Boaz to Ruth)
who is Ezra?
a priest, Persian official, and scholar/scribe, had the king's authority to recognize the religious affairs of Judah in Jerusalem (during second wave of returnees from exile that he led), brought the law and translated it into Aramaic, religious/covenant revival, more education
what is Nathan's story?
a rich man wants to have a feast but not kill his own sheep, he steals the poor man's sheep, David is the rich man
who is Ahab?
a successful king, built campaign well, married to Jezebel (Phoenician princess) who worships Baal and Asherah, weak in the relationship, is influenced to worship those gods too because of Jezebel, didn't like Elijah because he still worshipped YHWH
describe the literature/style of the Ketuvim:
a variety of genres, hodgepodge
describe the Mesha Stele:
a victory monument about Mesha (king of Moab) and his conquering of the kingdom of Israel under the reign of Ahab
what is a dry river bed called?
a wadi
who was Elijah?
a well-known prophet of the OT, could perform miracles linked to fertility, still worshipped YHWH even when many others worshipped Baal
Who is the Witch of Endor?
a woman who can talk to dead spirits
what is Sennacherib's prism?
an engraved stone where King Sennacherib of Assyria talks about his attacks on Judah, he destroyed 46 towns, shares how he shut King Hezekiah up like a bird in a cage
philosophical wisdom
asks the big questions, extended discussions, life is not simple, many unanswerable questions, meanings, Job
who is Josiah?
became king of Judah at 8 years old, a good king, interacted with Egypt a lot, did religious reform, cleaned out temple, found scrolls which were the lost book of the law, realized they haven't been following the law so he called for revival and covenant renewal, removed cults and destroyed other places of worship/temples that weren't for YHWH alone, he dies young by trying to stop Syrians from entering the land
what is the main subject of 1 and 2 Samuel?
birth of the Davidic dynasty
who is Jonah and what is his story?
called to go to Nineveh (capital of Assyria) to preach to them about their wickedness, hesitant because he doesn't want God to give those people grace because they are the enemy, flees to Tarshish, is on a ship and a storm comes, Jonah knows he needs to go overboard to stop it, ends up in a big fish for 3 days, prays and God hears him but says to go to Nineveh, he finally obeys and proclaims YHWH's judgment to Nineveh, the people actually repent and God gives restoration, Jonah is mad bc enemies were forgiven, shows God cares for all the people **
what is Passover?
celebration of the Angel of Death passing over the homes due to not killing the first born son, God's liberating love and commitment to Israel
practical wisdom
concerned with the problem of everyday living, easily taught, how to be a good person, easy to remember, Proverbs
who is Bathsheba?
devout woman, daughter of the advisor to the king, husband to Uriah, the woman with which David has an affair and later marries, mother of Solomon
who is Ezekiel?
during the exile, priest turned prophet, his authority was validated by exilic leaders (contrasts Jeremiah), used lots of symbolism, had visions
what were the Lachish releifs?
engraved/carved art done by King Sennacherib to show the Assyrians' point of view of their attacks on Lachish (the second most important city besides Jerusalem), had imagery to show the Assyrians' brutal tactics (women and children being taken away, starving animals, people hurt)
Psalms book 3
exile
what is Sukkot?
festival of Booths/feast of tabernacles, an agricultural festival where the people live in tents and remember/celebrate God's provision, the good harvest
describe the acrostics in Lamentations:
first 4 poems of the book are acrostic, where each line of the poem begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet (22 lines long), shows a creative, smart author because that is super hard
who is Hosea?
from Judah but called to preach to the NORTH (Israel), countryman, loved farming, married Gomer (a wh*re) and pursued her despite her choosing prostitution, believed idolatry was like adultery, against syncretism and the worshipping of Baal instead of YHWH
what did Jeroboam do in terms of religion?
he set up two temples at Bethel and Dan, adopted the Canaanite symbol of Baal-Hadad as the new symbol of God (an idol) and put the calf images at the temples
what does Samuel's name mean?
he who is from God
describe Naomi:
her husband and sons die so she becomes a childless widow, friends with Ruth (her daughter-in-law), vulnerable, uses the Kinsman redeemer concept so Boaz can step up and marry Ruth as a Goel
Bethlehem means:
house of bread
what is the Deuteronomic theology?
if you obey covenant = blessings, if you disobey = consequences
what are the two types of Psalms?
lament and praise
Baal is the fertility god of:
land (rain and lightning)
describe the Day of Atonement:
like Yom Kippur and Day of YHWH, people seek forgiveness and be restored, a day of judgment, but message of hope
describe Song of Songs:
love songs, attributed to King Solomon and his many wives, lots of physical description and imagery, "the best song", romantic
what is Qohelet?
means "teacher", the teacher in Ecclesiastes is the main character who searches for life's meaning but never finds it, realizes the meaning is to live with YHWH
what were the consequences for Israel after they broke the covenant by worshipping Baal and Asherah?
military coups come and take Ahab's reign, Jezebel dies, judgment came, conquered by Assyrians after they broke the Suzerian treaty, the elite were taken into captivity and the other captives were imported into Israel (exile)
Asherah is the fertility god of:
mother earth (people/women)
who is Isaiah?
native of Jerusalem, has access to the royal court, prophet during Assyrian Crisis, called to preach to people who didn't pay attention to him, "debby downer"- prophet of judgment and doom, saw how the people were worshipping other gods and just going through the motions, used agricultural language, warned Hezekiah to resist joining rebellion against Assyrians/not break covenant
who is Omri?
new king who arose in Israel (north), he sought alliances with neighbors (including Judah) and had many wives, expanded kingdom, moved kingdom capital to Samaria, establishes a dynasty, a SUCCESSFUL KING
did everyone want to leave Babylon from exile after Cyrus allowed them to?
no
Assyria attacked the _______
north
what are the speeches that prophets give called?
oracles
what is the message of Job?
philosophical wisdom, big questions, challenges the traditional Deuteronomic theology and how it is too cookie cutter, doesn't account for "why do bad things happen to good people?", bad things happen, but God works all things for good
Psalms books 4-5
post-exile
who is Jeremiah?
prophet from the tribe of Benjamin, prophesied to all of Judah, known as the weeping prophet (witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem), has a scribe so probably cannot write, laments, mocked and people didn't listen to him, tells people not to rebel or break treaty with Babylon, writes letter to the exile people telling them to get comfy
what makes a good king?
religious reform, they keep the covenant and help their people keep the covenant too/bring them back
what did Cyrus encourage the exiles to do?
return to their homelands if they want, he really wants them to go home and repair the houses of the gods
describe the characteristics of David:
ruddy (red/ginger), beautiful eyes, handsome, musical (can play lyre/harp), warrior, well-spoken, the Lord is with him
who is Jeroboam?
servant of Solomon, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, good politician, wanted to return to Israel's "Golden Era" of leadership (wants to make places of worship)
who is Amos?
shepherd from Judah, called to prophesy in the NORTH (Samaria), talked about themes of social injustice and idolatry, used agricultural imagery from his farming, God is concerned with all people, they must not abuse this gift and God demands righteous living and sincere worship
what does Megillot mean?
small scrolls
describe Megillot:
small section of the Ketuvim (writings), 5 small scrolls/books, different genres, used in liturgical worship practices in Judaism, each book corresponds with a festival in which it is used
what is a prophet?
someone called by God (not a job) to bring people back to covenant, act as messengers and ambassadors of God, speak in oracles, compassionate to the oppressed, said "Thus says the Lord" when speaking on behalf of God
what is a Nazarite?
someone who is designated to the service of the Lord by separating themselves, they vow not to cut their hair, drink fermented substances, and stay away from unclean things. vow could be for a designated time or for life, many times it is made by a barren wife on behalf of the son for life
Babylon attacked the _________
south
describe the time of the exile/what it was like:
spoke in Aramaic, creative time, wrote down history so future generations would not forget the past, crisis of identity and faith (how could God let this happen), longed for home, traumatic
what are the strengths and weaknesses of Israel?
strength = economy (water, land) weakness = politics (too many rulers/too much change)
what are the strengths and weaknesses of Judah?
strength = politics (better, less rulers) weakness = economics (rocky land- Shephelah, no trade routes)
what happened to the king of Judah at the end of 2 Kings?
taken into captivity
describe the characteristics of Saul:
tall, handsome, anointed one, troubled, anxious, lack of confidence
what is Solomon known for?
temple, wisdom, wives/women
which festival goes with Lamentations?
the 9th of Av
what are the Minor Latter Prophets also called?
the Book of the Twelve
what are the Former Prophets also known as?
the Deuteronomic History (from when they enter the promised land and exit at the end)
what did Israel and their enemy (Philistines) fight over?
the Shephelah land
what is the 9th of Av?
the day on the Jewish calendar when they believe Jerusalem was destroyed, it is a day of sadness and mourning of the temple's destruction, day of fasting
explain the concept of Deuteronomic history:
the former prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) and how they are like one text telling of Israel's successes and failures as they either obey the covenant (blessings) or disobey (consequences), and the destruction of the north (Israel) by the Assyrians and the south (Judah) by the Babylonians
describe Jerusalem:
the holy city, captured by David and made the spiritual and political capital of the united kingdom (then just Judah under Davidic Dynasty), in neutral location, destroyed by the Babylonians and Nebuchanezzar
Samuel serves as the transition between _________ and _________.
the judges and the monarchy
describe the role of Samuel:
the last judge, anoints the first two kings (Saul and David). he is a prophet, judge, priest, and military leader. he was born to a barren mother and was dedicated as a Nazarite. was approached by elders who asked him to appoint a king.
what is the allegorical interpretation of Song of Songs?
the male lover is YHWH and the female is Israel, and the relationship/love represents the love and desire YHWH has for Israel to have relationship with him and live in covenant
what is meter in Hebrew poetry?
the pattern of the text/rhythm
describe how Israel fell/ended:
the people didn't keep their Suzerian treaty with the Assyrians (current superpower), so they were attacked
in order to justify David's kingship, you must hear of _______________.
the tragedy of Saul
what is the Siloam Inscription?
the workers who built Hezekiah's tunnel documented their experiences in this engraving
what happens when the Babylonians come and give a warning at Jerusalem?
they take elites into exile, including priest Ezekiel
the Ketuvim is the __________ group of the Hebrew bible
third
who is Solomon?
third king of Israel, anointed king by Nathan, consolidates his reign by killing all threats to the throne
why did Solomon have many wives?
to form foreign alliances/piece treaties
what is the purpose of Chronicles?
to serve as commentary, look back on Israel's history, show God's covenant promises even through punishment, a message of redemption and hope, written by a Chronicler (unknown), focuses on the good, first commentary on scripture
what was Isaiah's pantomime?
walking around naked for three years
what is the theme of Ecclesiastes?
we can search for life's meaning but we will never fully discover it in this world, the world is fleeting, life is meant to be lived in relationship with YHWH
how does Saul lose his anointing?
when he is anxious about a battle with the Philistines, he offers up the sacrifice himself (which he is not supposed to do). therefore, Samuel comes and tells Saul that the Lord's anointing is no longer upon him.
describe Hezekiah's tunnel:
when the Assyrians were about to attack Judah, Hezekiah prepared Jerusalem for battle by locking the one gate and building an underground tunnel so the people could go and get water/food/tools while they wait for the attack around city walls
who are the oppressed people in this world?
widows, orphans, foreigners
what were Psalms used for?
worship services
