Exam 2

inclusio

A literary device whereby a theme, phrase or key word is mentioned at the beginning of a book or section and repeated at its end. This creates a bookends effect which highlights a theme or issue that is central to the work.

pseudepigrapha

A Greek term meaning "writings with false superscriptions." They are called this because the person with whom they are identified is not the true author. They are a group of about 65 non-biblical writings that were composed in the period 300 BCE to 200 CE. Their authorship is most often (falsely) associated with patriarchs of the Hebrew Bible like Abraham and Moses.

herem herem

A Hebrew term that can mean "ban," "doom," or "holy war." In the stories of the entry into the land it refers to the divine command to kill all the occupants of a town and give the accumulated treasures to God. It was a dedication of their victories as a sacrifice to God.

aramainism

A Hebrew word or phrase which reflects the influence of the Aramaic language upon Hebrew. This is usually indicative of a late stage of written Hebrew.

acrostic poetry

A device employed in poetry whereby the initial letters of each line, read downward, constitute a name, sentence or alphabetic pattern. In the acrostic poem of Proverbs 31, the pattern of the intitial letters of the 22 lines presents the letters of the Hebrew language in alphabetical order.

messianic secret

A feature found in the gospels, especially Mark, whereby Jesus is portrayed as trying to maintain an element of secrecy about himself and his work.

gematria

A system found in some languages, like Hebrew and Greek, by which letters can represent numbers and a combination of letters can yield a numerical total when added up.

theogony

An account of the origin and descent of the gods.

Zion

An ancient name for various parts of Jerusalem, of Judah and all the land. It is also sometimes used as a metaphor for the people of God, at various periods, from biblical times to the modern day.

eponymy

An eponym is a person whose name, and sometimes whose actions, represents a much larger group of people. Biblical examples include the names of Jacob and his sons as representing Israel and its tribes.

Syro-Ephraimite War

An international crisis that occurred in 734 that pitted the kingdom of Judah against a coalition comprised of Damascus (Syria) and Israel (Ephraim). The purpose of the war was to dispose of Ahaz, king of Judah, and to pressure Judah into joining Damascus and Israel in opposition to the expanding Assyrian empire.

eschatology

From a Greek word meaning "last" or "final," eschatology is teaching about the end of the world. It refers to a time in the future when the course of history will be changed and an entirely new state of reality will commence.

fulfillment citations

Gospel texts which attempt to see events associated with Jesus' life as being the fulfillment of other texts found in the prophets of the Hebrew Bible. They are typically found in the form, "This happened in order to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet X...." Among the four canonical gospels, these texts are predominantly found in Matthew.

oracle

Information transmitted from a deity to humans, usually either answers to important questions or revelations about present situations and future events. Comments (0)

seer

One who is given divine revelation in the form of visions which need to be interpreted to be understood.

theodicy

The attempt to explain divine justice in the face of experiences like innocent suffering, which appear to indicate God's indifference or even hostility toward virtuous people.

parallelism

The most prominent feature in ancient Near Eastern poetry. It refers to the repetition of the same or related ideas and/or grammatical structure in consecutive lines or verses. An example can be seen in Psalm 103:10:Line A -- "Not according to our sins did he deal with us;"Line B -- "And not according to our transgressions did he requite us."

deuteronistic history

The name used to designate the book of Deuteronomy as well as the section of the Hebrew Bible known as the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings). Many scholars understand the DH to be a single literary unit that has been edited or shaped with the themes and concerns of the book of Deuteronomy in mind.

christology

The study of the titles, concepts, themes and patterns by which the New Testament authors expressed their faith in Jesus as the Christ.

synoptic problem

The word "synoptic" comes from a Greek word meaning "seen together." The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are called synoptic because they share many similarities. Beyond this, though, they differ in some significant ways. The term "synoptic problem" refers to the difficulties in trying to understand and determine the precise historical and literary relationships among these three gospels.

kabod

The word kabod ("glory") is a technical term in the P tradition for the mysterious manifestation of the divine presence in worship. It comes from a Hebrew root that refers to weight or heaviness.

vaticinium ex eventu

This Latin term literally means "prediction after the event." It refers to texts and statements that predict events that have already come to pass. An example: the Yankees will win all three World Series in 1998-2000.

remnant

Within the Bible, the term refers to what is left of a community after it undergoes a catastrophe. The concept is most often used in reference to Israel/Judah. It often has a negative connotation: the catastrophe is so great that only an insignificant remnant survives. Sometimes, it has a positive sense: despite the catastrophe, a remnant survives as the basis for a renewed community.