Introduction to Biblical Literature Exam 1
When Moses asks God to tell him his name, God answers, _____.
"I AM WHO I AM"
Which statement from Exodus does God use frequently in the Old Testament to define who he is?
"I will be your God; you will be my people"
Rough time period in which David ruled
1000 BC
Third wave of return exiles to the Promised Land
445 BC (led by Nehemiah, a governor)
Second wave of return exiles to the Promised Land
458 BC (led by Ezra, a priest)
The temple is rebuilt (Haggai)
520 BC
First wave of return exiles to the Promised Land
538 BC (led by Zerubbabel)
Date of the destruction of the southern kingdom by the Babylonians
587/586 BC
Date of the destruction of the northern kingdom by the Assyrians
722 BC
The northern kingdom (Israel) is destroyed by the Assyrians in which year?
722 BC
While waiting for Moses to come down from Mount Sinai, what idol do the people decide to build?
A golden calf
The patriarchs of Israel
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
The four major biblical covenants
Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, new
Which conqueror establishes Greek as the major trade and intellectual language of Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine and Egypt?
Alexander the Great
Chronological order of powerful empires in the Old Testament
Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, (Hellenistic) Roman
Adam and Eve's rebellion against God resulted in _____.
Banishment from the garden of Eden and a lack of close fellowship with God
Worked with another judge to lead Israel into battle. Timid and cowardly
Barak
Series one of the plagues
Blood, frogs, gnats
The ten plagues of Egypt
Blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, death of the firstborn
Why were the Israelites defeated at the battle of Ai? 1. Achan had kept some of the foreign treasure for himself 2. There was sin in the camp 3. Both 4. Neither
Both
Nonstandard prophet who exemplifies how to live faithfully in a godless environment (end-time events)
Daniel
Nonstandard prophet who foretold that after 70 years in exile, God would allow the Israelites to return home
Daniel (Jeremiah also does this)
Nonstandard prophets
Daniel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Who finally completes the conquest of the Promised Land?
David
Who is contrasted repeatedly with King Saul?
David
Final plague (climax)
Death of the firstborn
The last plague God sent upon Egypt was what?
Death of the firstborn
One of the few "squeaky clean" judges, full of faith and heroism. Serves as a kind of "foil" to another judge
Deborah
What is the name of the Philistine prostitute who helps to bring about the downfall of Samson?
Delilah
Which book contained the terms by which the Israelites could live and prosper in the Promised Land?
Deuteronomy
What is the book of Deuteronomy about?
Deuteronomy defines the terms by which Israel can live in the Promised Land with God in their midst and receive incredible blessings in life
Commandment seven
Do not commit adultery (how to treat each other)
Commandment six
Do not commit murder (how to treat each other)
Commandment ten
Do not covet other people's things
Commandment nine
Do not give false testimony (how to treat each other)
Commandment two
Do not have idols (how to treat God)
Commandment three
Do not misuse the name of the Lord (how to treat God)
Commandment eight
Do not steal (how to treat each other)
In which book is the writer (or central speaker) called "The Teacher"?
Ecclesiastes
The judge who delivered Israel by slaying the fat, defenseless King Eglon (an act of questionable valiance). There is no mention of repentance or the return of the nation to God
Ehud
A "generic" word that just means "god."
Elohim
Meaning of "Abram"
Exalted father
Who led the second wave of exiles back to their homeland in 458 BC?
Ezra
Which two books were originally written as one book?
Ezra and Nehemiah
True/False: After refusing to enter the Promised Land, the people of Israel wander in the wilderness for four hundred years
False
True/False: David builds a great temple for God
False
True/False: David wrote all 150 of the Psalms
False
True/False: Deborah was the first judge whom God raised up in Israel
False
True/False: From Malachi's perspective, worship in the new temple is going just fine
False
True/False: Hezekiah and Josiah are considered some of the worst kings of Judah
False
True/False: Saul dies while battling the giant Goliath
False
True/False: The Genesis account of creation was written to scientifically explain how the earth and all creatures came to be
False
True/False: The book of Judges ends with Israel in complete obedience and submission to God
False
True/False: When Joseph is reunited with his brothers he seeks revenge
False
True/False: The time lapse between the final prophecy of Malachi and the birth of Jesus is about 4300 years
False (430 years)
True/False: Gideon's story does not end well because he forms a golden calf and his family worships it
False (he made a golden ephod, i.e. a vestlike garment that only priests wore)
True/False: The Mosaic covenant is identical to the Abrahamic covenant
False (it complements the Abrahamic covenant, but it is not identical to it)
True/False: The prophet Elisha rebukes David after his affair with Bathsheba
False (the prophet Nathan rebukes David)
True/False: The first five books of the Bible are called the Prophets
False (they are called "the Pentateuch" or "the Torah")
Meaning of "Abraham"
Father of a multitude
Series two of the plagues
Flies, livestock, boils
Part of the Bible that covers the first part of the Great Story
Genesis 1-2
Part of the Bible that covers the second part of the Great Story
Genesis 3-11
A complex judge who seems to be a brave deliver who trusts in God, but who needed sign after sign (four in total) before he finally trusted God and acted. Collects captured gold and forms a golden ephod that is worshiped by his family
Gideon
Postexilic prophets that God uses to speak to people and encourage them to prioritize the building of God's house instead of their own homes
Haggai, Zechariah
Postexilic prophets
Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Series three of the plagues
Hail, locusts, darkness
Commandment five
Honor your parents (how to treat each other)
Standard prophets who try to warn Israel of the coming disaster but they refused to hear
Hosea, Amos, (Isaiah, Micah)
According to Genesis 3-11, what is the root cause of the pain and suffering in the world?
Human sin
The prophet who spoke most frequently about "suffering servant" was _____
Isaiah
The four major prophets
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel
God reaffirms the covenant with Jacob when he changes his name to _____
Israel
What is the book of Judges about?
Israel's downward spiral of disobedience (Israel turns away from God to idols; God hands Israel over to oppressors; Israel suffers under foreign domination; God raises up a "judge" to deliver Israel; repeat)
Makes a vow to God to sacrifice whatever comes out of his house first to greet him if God gives him victory in battle. His daughter is the first thing to greet him
Jephthah
Which prophet tells the people they will live in exile for 70 years?
Jeremiah
Leader of the new northern kingdom
Jeroboam
The people of Israel must cross the _____ right before they enter the Promised Land
Jordan River
Commandment four
Keep the Sabbath day holy (how to treat God)
Psalms which contain poetic, woeful cries of pain and anguish are called _____
Lament psalms
In Genesis 12:1-3, besides numerous descendants and blessings, what does God promise to Abraham?
Land (and a promise of blessings and cursings on others, depending on how they relate to Abraham)
The four primary components of the Abrahamic covenant
Land, descendants, blessing (to Abraham and all nations), blessings and curses on others depending on how they relate to Abraham
In Genesis 12:1-3, as God makes his famous promise to Abraham, what does God tell Abraham to do?
Leave his home and his people and travel to a land that God will show to him
Which book stresses holiness, because when God comes to live in your midst, everything in your life will change?
Leviticus
Which of the following is NOT a plague that God sends on Egypt? 1. Blood 2. Frogs 3. Flies 4. Lice
Lice
Postexilic prophet who addresses how the Israelites are to live as they wait for the coming of the Messiah, ending with an exhortation to wait for the coming of the prophet "Elijah"
Malachi
What is the final book of the Old Testament?
Malachi
Who did God empower to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem in record time?
Nehemiah
After the flood God uses _____ and his family to rebuild mankind
Noah
Nonstandard prophets who preach judgment against Edom and Nineveh, respectively
Obadiah and Nahum
Who finds Moses in the basket in the Nile river and "rescues" him?
One of Pharaoh's daughters
The five basic parts or movements of a story
Opening, crisis, struggle to resolve the crisis, climax, closing
The first judge, apparently a man of good character. Delivers the Israelites from their Mesopotamian oppressors. It is unclear whether he was able to return the people to a true worship of God
Othniel
The _____ is established in Exodus chapter 12 to commemorate the tenth and final plague
Passover
How does God lead the Israelites through the wilderness?
Pillar of cloud by day; pillar of fire by night
A(n) _____ psalm gives thanks to God for all that he has done
Praise
The _____ are God's spokespersons who deliver his message to the people of God
Prophets
Which book exhorts its readers to be like the wise person, and not like the simple, the fool, or the scoffer?
Proverbs
Wisdom books
Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Which book is subdivided into 5 smaller books?
Psalms
Who is the Canaanite prostitute living in Jericho who is saved from destruction?
Rahab
Part of the Bible that covers the fifth part of the Great Story
Revelation 19-22
In which book does a mother-in-law play a major role?
Ruth
Why is the story of Ruth so significant?
Ruth declares that Naomi's people will be her people and Naomi's God will be her God
The climactic character of the Judge sequence and the most tragic of the judges; supposed to be a Nazarite, and filled with great strength
Samson
The last of the judges, but also a priest and prophet. Presides over the transition of the judges to the monarchy. Anoints both Saul and David
Samuel
Who is the first King of Israel?
Saul
Preliminary warning of the ten plagues of Egypt
Sign of the snake
The prophets make three major indictments or charges against Israel/Judah. Two of these are idolatry and religious ritualism. What is the third?
Social injustice
The _____ is a tent-like structure that housed the presence of God in the wilderness
Tabernacle
Chronologically speaking, which of the following are in the correct order, from earliest to latest? 1. Tabernacle, synagogue, temple, church 2. Temple, tabernacle, synagogue, church 3. Tabernacle, temple, synagogue, church 4. Tabernacle, temple, church, synagogue
Tabernacle, temple, synagogue, church
Daniel lives through the rule of two different empires. They are:
The Babylonian Empire and the Persian Empire
Originally the "minor prophets" were all placed on one scroll. What was that scroll called?
The Book of the Twelve
Commandment one
The Lord alone must be worshiped (how to treat God)
Empire in power at the end of the Old Testament
The Persian empire
Which empire replaces the Babylonian empire in 539 BC?
The Persian empire
Who did God use to allow the Israelites to go back to their homeland in 539 BC?
The Persian king Cyrus
Empire in power at the beginning of the New Testament
The Roman empire
What empire conquered Jerusalem in 63 BC?
The Roman empire
Which empire installs Herod the Great as king over Judea?
The Roman empire
Which of the following does NOT offer hope for the future? 1. God decrees judgment that the serpent will be crushed and defeated through one of Eve's descendants 2. The birth of Seth 3. The building of the tower of Babel 4. Noah and his family being saved from the great flood
The building of the tower of Babel
What are the books of Ezra and Nehemiah about?
The exiles' return to the Promised Land and struggle to rebuild Jerusalem, the temple, and their society
Two things that drive the story in the book of Joshua (and indeed, throughout the rest of the Old Testament) are:
The fulfillment of God's promise of land Whether the Israelites will obey Deuteronomy and be blessed
Called Israel. Consists of ten tribes, with its capital at Samaria. All its kings are bad
The northern kingdom
Genesis 3-11 corresponds to which part of the big Story in the Bible?
The second part (something happens that produces tension or some type of crisis; often one or more of the characters are threatened)
Called Judah. Consists of Judah and Benjamin, with its capital at Jerusalem. Most of its kings are bad
The southern kingdom
What is the situation in Judah when the Old Testament comes to a close?
There is no Davidic king on the throne and the Persians rule over Judah
What distinguishes Adam and Eve from the rest of creation?
They are made in the image of God and are his representatives to administer to creation
Daniel proves his valiant faithfulness to God when he is:
Thrown into the lions' den
Why did the descendants of Noah build the tower of Babel?
To make a name for themselves (to be great independently of God and to make their own "name" by which to be identified)
True/False: A great famine reunites Joseph and his brothers in Egypt
True
True/False: Abraham's son Isaac is born in fulfillment of God's promise
True
True/False: Adam and Eve were placed in a perfect garden where they had everything they could ever need
True
True/False: David concocts a plan that will lead directly to the death of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah
True
True/False: Deuteronomy promises blessings if the Israelites obey and curses if they disobey the covenant
True
True/False: Hannah is the humble and faithful mother of Samuel
True
True/False: Historians are not certain who the Pharaoh of Egypt was when the exodus occurred
True
True/False: In the Hebrew Bible, the title of the book of Psalms is "Tehillim," which means "praises"
True
True/False: In the book of Esther, God is not mentioned at all
True
True/False: In the book of Judges, the people of Israel forsook God and worshipped the gods of other nations
True
True/False: Jacob's twin brother is named Esau
True
True/False: Leviticus structures the daily life of Israel around the categories of clean and unclean
True
True/False: Moses received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai
True
True/False: Samson is considered the most tragic of all the judges
True
True/False: Song of Solomon illustrates to God's people how wonderful love between a man and a woman can be
True
True/False: The Romans rule the biblical world throughout the New Testament era
True
True/False: The culture that Alexander the Great and his successors attempted to install is known as Hellenism
True
True/False: The flood is a reversal of the creation in Genesis 1
True
True/False: The name Abraham means "father of a multitude"
True
True/False: The prophet Jonah preaches directly to the Assyrians in Nineveh
True
True/False: The prophets Daniel and Ezekiel are both part of the population of Judah that is taken into exile in Babylon
True
True/False: The rapid growth of the sons of Israel is what first drew the ire and aggression of Pharaoh
True
True/False: The ultimate goal of the wisdom literature is to produce strong character in the people of God
True
True/False: There is no mention of God's presence returning to the temple in Ezra-Nehemiah
True
True/False: Herod the Great is the Jewish king over Jerusalem when Jesus is born
True (Jerusalem is in Judah which is called Judea during the Roman rule in the New Testament)
Abraham is from _____ which is in the region of Mesopotamia
Ur
A word that functions as God's actual specific name, probably related to the Hebrew verb "to be" and used especially in contexts of covenant relationship
Yahweh
Standard prophets who graphically told what was about to happen to Judah
Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah
The Hebrew word "hebel" means _____
vanity (meaninglessness, absolute futility, breath or vapor)