BIBL 1053 Master Study Deck

Master study deck for BIBL 1053. Includes key terms, Scripture identification, Schlimm readings, lecture concepts, and midterm/final review. Updated weekly.

Second Temple Judaism

Jewish life after the exile/rebuilt temple until the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE.

Monotheism

Belief in one God.

Polytheism

Belief in multiple gods.

Pentateuch

The first five books of the Bible: Genesis through Deuteronomy.

Holiness

Being set apart, distinct, and belonging to God.

Canon

A measuring standard used to recognize what belongs as Scripture.

Judge

A Spirit-empowered deliverer and leader in ancient Israel, not just a courtroom judge.

Moses

Leader of the Exodus and closely associated with the Torah/Pentateuch.

Abraham

Major Genesis patriarch who receives God’s covenant promises.

Hagar

Sarah’s servant and Ishmael’s mother in Genesis 16 and 21.

Abishag

The young woman who cared for elderly David in 1 Kings 1 and later became part of the succession conflict.

Deborah

A judge and major leader of Israel in Judges 4–5.

Theodicy

Wrestling with how God’s goodness and power relate to evil and suffering.

Shiphrah and Puah

The Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1 who disobeyed Pharaoh’s order to kill Hebrew baby boys.

Cosmos

The ordered world or universe.

Documentary Hypothesis

The scholarly theory that the Pentateuch was formed from multiple source traditions later woven together.

Didache

An early Christian teaching handbook with church practices and rules; it is not Scripture.

Suzerain

The stronger ruler in an unequal ancient treaty relationship.

Covenant

A binding relationship with commitments, responsibilities, and outcomes.

Tetragrammaton

The four-letter divine name YHWH.

Asherah

A term associated with Canaanite goddess worship and illicit worship in Israel’s world.

Ugarit

An ancient city whose texts help scholars understand Northwest Semitic language and religion, including Baal.

Baal

A Northwest Semitic term meaning “lord” that can also refer to particular Canaanite deities.

Diatessaron

Tatian’s second-century harmony combining the four Gospels into one work.

Messiah / Mashiach

Hebrew for “anointed one,” especially connected with a king.

Septuagint

The ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, often abbreviated LXX.

Dead Sea Scrolls

Ancient manuscripts that gave scholars much earlier witnesses to the Old Testament text.

Code of Hammurabi

An ancient Akkadian law collection that helps provide legal background for the world of the Old Testament.

Sargon

An ancient ruler linked to a story of a baby placed in a reed basket in a river and later raised to rule.

Oracles against the nations

Prophetic messages directed against foreign nations.

[SCRIPTURE ID] Creation, image of God, male and female

Genesis

[SCRIPTURE ID] Human formed from the ground, garden, helper

Genesis

[SCRIPTURE ID] Serpent, forbidden fruit, curse, fall

Genesis

[SCRIPTURE ID] Abraham welcomes three visitors; Sarah promised a son

Genesis

[SCRIPTURE ID] Israel crosses the sea; Egyptians pursue; LORD fights for Israel

Exodus

[SCRIPTURE ID] Day of Atonement, cleansing, holy place

Leviticus

[SCRIPTURE ID] Love your neighbor; justice for poor and foreigner

Leviticus

[SCRIPTURE ID] The LORD bless you and keep you; God puts his name on Israel

Numbers

[SCRIPTURE ID] Hear, O Israel; the LORD is one

Deuteronomy

[SCRIPTURE ID] Deborah, Barak, Sisera, Jael

Judges

[SCRIPTURE ID] Davidic covenant, throne and kingdom established forever

2 Samuel

[SCRIPTURE ID] Old David, Abishag, Adonijah vs. Solomon

1 Kings

[SCHLIMM] What is Schlimm’s big idea about the Old Testament?

It can be strange and difficult, but Christians should wrestle with it rather than avoid it.

[SCHLIMM] Why does genre matter?

Because the kind of literature changes how a passage should be interpreted.

[SCHLIMM] Does symbolic mean false?

No. Symbolic language can still communicate truth.

[SCHLIMM] What is description vs. prescription?

Description tells what happened; prescription tells what people should do.

[SCHLIMM] What disturbing Psalm is a major example in Chapter 5?

Psalm 137:9

[SCHLIMM] Who kills 1,000 Philistines with a donkey jawbone?

Samson

[SCHLIMM] What virtue is Richard Briggs associated with?

Humility

[SCHLIMM] What is foundational in Genesis 1:27 for gender?

Male and female both share the image of God.

[SCHLIMM] What does patriarchal mean?

A social system where men hold more power and privilege than women.

[SCHLIMM] Who called woman the “devil’s gateway”?

Tertullian

[SCHLIMM] What strange law involves living in huts for seven days?

The command to live in booths or huts for seven days.

[SCHLIMM] What modern practice does Schlimm use to show customs can seem strange?

Bathroom practices

[SCHLIMM] What female image does the Bible use for God?

A nursing mother

[SCHLIMM] In Leviticus, what are the age-five valuations for a boy and girl?

Boy: 20 shekels; Girl: 10 shekels

[SCHLIMM] What animal does Deuteronomy forbid eating that sounds unusual today?

Rock badger

[SCHLIMM] Is ritual impurity automatically a moral sin?

No. Ritual impurity can come from ordinary life and is not automatically sinful.

[SCHLIMM] Does Schlimm teach that the Old Testament law is simply outdated legalism?

No

[SCHLIMM] What does “sticking with it” mean when reading strange Old Testament laws?

Study the law patiently in context and ask what values or theology it reveals.

[SHORT ANSWER] Why is Genesis 1:27 theologically significant?

Genesis 1:27 teaches that humanity is made in God’s image and explicitly includes both male and female. O’Connor emphasized that adam can mean man, mankind, humanity, or human beings depending on context. Because male and female are named together, the verse presents God’s image as belonging to humanity as a whole.

[SHORT ANSWER] What is the basic structure of an Ancient Near Eastern covenant?

The six parts are preamble, historical prologue, obligations, placement of the covenant document, witnesses, and outcomes such as blessings or curses. Biblical covenants use these patterns to show relationship, responsibilities, accountability, and consequences.

[SHORT ANSWER] How does Genesis creation compare with Ancient Near Eastern creation accounts?

Genesis shares an ancient setting with other creation stories, but its theology is different. Genesis presents one God rather than many competing gods, creation happens without divine warfare, and humans are made with dignity in God’s image rather than mainly as labor for the gods.

[SHORT ANSWER] What are two major themes in Leviticus and why do they matter?

Two major themes are holiness and God’s presence/covenant life. Holiness means being set apart and belonging to God, while Leviticus also shows that holiness affects everyday treatment of neighbors, the poor, foreigners, worship, purity, and justice.

[SHORT ANSWER] How can Exodus 14 be divided into two story strands?

One strand emphasizes Moses stretching out his hand and the waters dividing. Another emphasizes the LORD driving the sea back with a strong east wind, panicking the Egyptians, and causing the water to return. O’Connor connected this to the Documentary Hypothesis and differing narrative emphasis.

[SHORT ANSWER] Compare Saul and David as rulers of Israel.

Both are anointed rulers, but David is presented as succeeding in areas where Saul fails. David shows compassion toward Saul, defeats the Philistines, captures Jerusalem, and brings greater unity. David is still morally flawed, but the narrative contrasts his leadership with Saul’s fear, disobedience, blame, and decline.

[SHORT ANSWER] Why does the Golden Calf appear three times, and why does it matter?

The Golden Calf pattern appears in Exodus 32, Deuteronomy 9, and 1 Kings 12. Exodus and Deuteronomy recount the wilderness failure, while 1 Kings shows Jeroboam repeating the same idolatry later with two calves. The repetition shows Israel failing to learn from an earlier covenant failure and connects the divided kingdom back to the same old sin.