Ch.1C fill-in sheet
What two circumstances does the Bible give for Solomon's downfall?
(a) He apparently engages in a number of political marriages to many pagan women whom Solomon allowed to foster polytheistic religious practices among the Israelites; (b) Solomon's treatment of his own people is a more serious blot against his recore—though the historical record conflicts, he may have enslaved some of his own people
Identify three theological themes in the perspectives of the historical books
1) god remains with the israelites when they most need his help 2) israel's leaders, including king david, reflect israel's pattern of infidelity in their own lives 3) god's mercy protects israel from its enemies
In 722 BC, the __________________ obliterated the northern kingdom of Israel and practiced the military strategy of ____________________. These exiles are often referred to as the "_____________________________," though the Assyrians would have left the majority of the ___________________ in place to work the land and provide ________________ to the new Assyrian overlords.
Assyrians; deportation; Ten Lost Tribes of Israel; population; wealth
The Book of ________________ is divided into two sections of stories and ___________________________. The message of the story in chapters 1-6 is that ____________________ with civil authorities combined with ____________________________ and obedience to God's Law will protect the Jews and allow them to survive and even thrive under ______________________________.
Daniel; apocalyptic visions; cooperation; faithful prayer; foreign rule
The message of Esther is the same as ______________: cooperation with the ____________ rulers and refusal to compromise in __________________ matters, combined with the traditional elements of ___________________—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—will ensure God's ___________________.
Daniel; civil; religious; Jewish faith; protection
True or False. David's reign as king has to be clearly justified, since he is not of the family of Samuel, which makes his succession of Samuel difficult.
False. David's reign as king has to be clearly justified, since he is not of the family of Saul, which makes his succession of Saul difficult.
True or False? In the fifth year of King Jeroboam, Shishak attacked Jerusalem and took everything, including the treasures of the Temple and of the royal palace.
False. In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak attacked Jerusalem and took everything, including the treasures of the Temple and of the royal palace
True or False? The Assyrian siege of Jerusalem by Sargon II was successful and is recorded not only in 2 Kings but in Assyrian archives as well.
False. The Assyrian siege of Jerusalem by Sargon II was unsuccessful and is recorded not only in 2 Kings but in Assyrian archives as well
True or False? The exiles and former exiles who had remained faithful to YHWH during the time of captivity are known as God's relics.
False. The exiles and former exiles who had remained faithful to YHWH during the time of captivity are known as God's remnant.
True or False? There is no archeological evidence of David's kingdom or mention of its existence outside the Bible.
False. There is very little archeological evidence of David's kingdom or mention of its existence outside the Bible.
What were two of Ezra's reforms? What did he intend to do?
First, he forbade mixed marriages, and even dissolved Jewish marriages with non-Jews. Second, he forbade unnecessary mingling with foreign nations. His intent was to establish the purity of the Jews as God's People.
What are two significant ways the Philistines threatened Israel?
First, they had the ability to fashion weapons with iron, which tribal Israel was not yet capable of doing. Second, the Philistines' military strength was partly based on their effective self-organization. Tribal Israel, on the other hand, was rather poorly organized.
Only the kings ___________________ and Josiah received unmitigated praise in the historical books. Hezekiah removed the __________ ______________, shattered the pillars, and cut down the ______________________. Before Josiah there had been no king who turned to the ___________ as he did, with his whole _____________, his whole ___________, and his whole _________________, in accord with the entire law of ______________.
Hezekiah; high places; sacred poles; Lord; heart; soul; strength; Moses
What did Jeroboam do in response to his fear that Judah and Israel might reunite through the worship at the Temple in Jerusalem?
In the northern cities of Dan and Bethel, Jeroboam brought gold calves and built temples there. He also appointed priests from among the people living in those areas who were not Levites, the traditional tribe of priests
The first great threat to the northern kingdom of ________________ was the Neo-Assyrian Empire, while the other came from the rising local power based in ____________________ in Syria. Due to ongoing tensions between these two powers, the years 785 and 730 were __________________ for both Hebrew states, though the __________________ condemned the fact that the prosperity benefited mainly the _________________________.
Israel; Damascus; prosperous; prophets; elite landowners
The relationship between Judah and _______________ was one of constant conflict and these _________________ were complicated by the involvement of other local regimes and larger __________________. By 722 BC, the ____________________ Empire used brute force to dominate the entire region, conquering all of the ________________________________.
Israel; battles; empires; Assyrian; northern kingdom
___________________ led the insurrection against King Rehoboam and founded the ________________ kingdom of Israel. After incurring Solomon's anger for speaking against the people's _____________________, Jeroboam sought the protection of _________________, the pharaoh in _________________.
Jeroboam; northern; mistreatment; Shishak; Egypt
The southern kingdom of _____________ continued for _________ years after the kingdom of _____________. Its final days were largely determined by the _____________ between the Egyptian and Babylonian Empires. From 609 to 597 BC, after the death of King __________________ in battle, the leaders of the royal house in Judah were really Egyptian ___________________________.
Judah; 135; Israel; rivalry; Josiah; puppet rulers
Although __________________________ chose Zedekiah to rule Jerusalem, he was persuaded by the ________________ to attempt a revolt against the ___________________, with catastrophic results. Nebuchadnezzar's forces returned to _____________________ and devastated it around the year _________ BC, a major event in the _____________ of God's people.
Nebuchadnezzar; Egyptians; Babylonians; Jerusalem; 587 or 586; history
Around 445 BC, _____________________ persuaded the Persian king _____________________ I to make him the governor of _______________. Nehemiah proceeded to oversee the rebuilding of the walls of the _____________. This accomplishment reestablished the _________________ of the Jewish nation in the _____________________.
Nehemiah; Artaxerxes, Judah; Temple; autonomy; Promised Land
When Solomon's son, ___________________, hears that the northern Israelite peoples are upset and ___________ over their years under Solomon, he defiantly declares, "Whereas my father put a ____________________ on you, I will make it ________________." His answer led directly to the _____________ of the kingdom, into a ___________________ kingdom and ___________________ kingdom.
Rehoboam; angry; heavy yoke; heavier; split; northern; southern
List the evidence for Solomon's reputation as a great builder in the Bible.
Solomon built up Jerusalem, including an actual palace and the Temple itself, but also built many other walled cities as military fortresses
What does the Bible focus on during the period of the kings between 922 and 722 BC?
The Bible focuses more on the survival and perpetuation of the form of YHWH worship that: (a) was much more consistent with the messages of the prophets, and (b) was opposed to the official versions of the religious establishments supported by Israel's and Judah's rulers
Why is the promise made to David by the Lord in 2 Samuel so significant for Christians?
The prophecy is the basis for the Jewish expectation of a Messiah, a son of David, which Jesus would eventually fulfill
What is the religious message of the Book of Tobit?
The religious message is that the virtue of God's People will triumph over the sinfulness of their oppressors and their own sinfulness.
What do the books of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah tell us about? What is the purpose of their messages?
They provide details about the challenges faced by the Jewish people as they resettled in Judah. They, along with the first six chapters of the Book of Daniel and the books of Tobit, Judith, and Esther, all carry messages meant to inspire people to remain faithful and brave during troublesome times
What were the two main religious themes of the author of Chronicles?
Two of the main religious themes were true worship and true kingship in Israel
Those who believed _______________ alone should be worshipped supported a community where the rich _________________ with the poor and where __________________ was practiced. The other perspective, identified in the Bible as a form of _____________________, was more closely identified with the ______________________________ of the Canaanites and with the _________________ and landowning classes.
YHWH; shared; justice; paganism; ancient polytheism; kings
True or False? The historical books of the Old Testament take a decidedly fixed attitude against the development of a monarchy in Israel
false; mixed attitude toward
Saul was selected the ___________________ of Israel, however, he was a deeply _________________ leader who failed to establish a ______________________________. He "reigned" over a loose-knit organization of _____________ and people who were mostly farmers and was essentially a _________________ who had limited success against the _____________________.
first king; troubled; centralized government; tribes; warrior; Philistines
1 and 2 Chronicles instructed the post-exilic _____________________ to learn from its history, especially that the people's ___________________ depends on their true _________________ to God. While God does honor his ____________________, he also punishes ___________________ and disobedience of the ______________.
generation; happiness; fidelity; covenants; idolatry; Law
If Israel desired a king due to a fear of the Philistine armies, is ironic about this request?
god has protected them for the past 20 years against their enemies, but when the legendary philistines threaten them, they immediately turn away from god
What warnings does the prophet Samuel give about having a king rule over Israel?
he will make you slaves, then you will complain, but god will not answer you
The ________________ books tell how the Hebrews lived out the covenant in the _____________________, beginning with Israel's desire for a _________________, the stories of kings, and the _______________ monarchy up to the time of the ___________________ captivity and the ____________________ of Jerusalem.
historical; promised land; monarchy; declining; babylonian; destruction
List the positive and negative aspects of the monarchy in Israel's history
positives: israel has strån central gov.; holy city built in jerusalem; dynasty formed eventually leading to birth of messiah negatives: economic system favored rich not poor; bad decisions made by rulers set precedents for the people
After Solomon's death, Israel was divided into two _________________________: the southern kingdom, called _____________, which consisted of the traditional territory of only ________ tribes— _____________________ and Judah— and the northern kingdom, called "____________" made up of the other ten ______________.
separate kingdoms; Judah; two; Benjamin; Israel; tribes
At the same time that the _____________ of Israel were consolidating, the legendary ___________________ were coming together to take their share of __________________. Israel's conflicts with the Philistines became severe at times, and in midst of these _________________, the Israelite tribes determined to ________________ themselves more effectively against the Philistine _______________.
tribes; Philistines; Palestine; conflicts; organize; threat
True or False? It is accurate to think of David less as a king over a vast kingdom and more as a military leader who enforced submission in a large territory.
true
True or False? The Babylonian exile ended when the Persians invaded Babylon and allowed at least some of the exiled Jews to return to their homeland.
true
True or False? The Book of Judith has a similar message to Tobit about what the Jews must do to survive life in the Diaspora under foreign rule: faithfulness to YHWH was paramount in the protection of the Jews living in the Diaspora.
true
True or False? The biblical portrait of King Solomon is a mixed bag of both positive and negative decisions.
true
True or False? There is considerable archaeological evidence of King Solomon's role as an administrator of a united kingdom.
true
True or False? While Judah's kings considered themselves the legitimate rulers, the unequal division of the tribes strongly hints the majority of people rejected the kings of Judah.
true
The Old Testament describes the conditions of exile in _____________________ terms. The Babylonians destroyed the ________________ and carried off many of the religious implements of ________________. The policy of Nebuchadnezzar was to place captured religious implements or ________________ in the temple of Marduk, the main state god, in order to symbolize the _________________ of the people and the defeat of their ___________.
very dark; Temple; worship; statues; capture; gods
After a series of ____________ between the relatives of ____________ and David, David consolidates his reign. The path to the throne for David is paved in _______________ as he systematically eliminates ___________ to the throne and engages in _________________ conquests against the ____________________ and the political communities across the __________________________.
wars; Saul; blood; rivals; military; Philistines; Jordan River
