Christian Scriptures Exam 1

Autographs

Original manuscripts of biblical books

Textual Criticism

Comparing biblical manuscripts and identifying their differences in an attempt to reconstruct what the autographs said

Formal Correspondence

Aims to translate biblical manuscripts word for word

Dynamic Equivalence

Aims to translate biblical manuscripts “meaning for meaning”

Scripture

Any piece of writing the provides authoritative guidelines for the beliefs and practices of a religious community

Canon

A fixed and binding list/ collection of the writings that function as scripture for a specific religious community

Old Testament

Story of Jesus

New Testament

Story of Jesus

Tanakh

the canon of scripture of Judaism

Septuagint (seventy)

Collection of ancient Jewish religious writings in Greek

Deuterocanonical Books

Jewish writings that were in the LXX and became part of the Roman Catholic OT, but did not end up in the Tanakh as part of the final canon of Judaism

Apocrypha

Deuterocanonical books not included in the protestant bible “hidden”

Inspiration

The belief that God has directly influenced the creation and/ or contents of the biblical writings

Inerrancy

The claim that the autographs of the Bible were totally free of all factual errors

Source Criticism

Process of attempting to identify the different sources used to compose a text

Documentary Hypothesis

Theory that the 5 books of the Torah contain material from multiple sources written at different times and later edited together

Enuma Elish

Ancient Mesopotamian creation narrative. Describes origins of the gods/ the world/ humanity. Focuses on the god Marduk and his defeat of Tiamat, goddess of the chaotic sea.

Emphases of Genesis 1 Creation Narrative

Monotheism, The world as the handiwork of God (Elohim), Humanity created in God’s image, Humanity as rulers over creation, Divine generosity, The goodness of all creation, The importance of rest

Emphases of the Genesis 2 Creation Narrative

Monotheism (one God), The world as the handiwork of God (YHWH), Humanity as spirit-filled dust, Humanity as caretakers of creation, Divine prohibitions, The reality of evil and death, the importance of relationships

Etiology

A narrative that explains the origin of a familiar aspect of life (such as a natural phenomenon or a cultural custom)

Curses for Disobedience

The Serpent: must crawl on its belly, will be at odds with humans. The Woman: Difficulty and pain in childbearing, Will be ruled by her husband. The Man: Must struggle against natural world. Man and Woman: Banished from the garden, Destined to die.

Noah

Builds the ark

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Ancient Babylonian myth that contains a flood narrative featuring the hero Utnapishtim

The Cursing of Canaan

Ham disrespects Noah, Ham;s descendants are cursed to serve Noah’s other sons

The Tower of Babel

Humans try to build a tall tower to be on the same level as God, God causes them to speak different languages and scatters them

YHWH’s Promises to Abram

To give him many descendants who will become a great nation, to make his name great, to bless him, to make him a blessing to all the families of the earth, to give his descendants the land of Canaan

Covenant

A binding agreement between two or more parties

Righteousness

Innocence/ right standing in God’s sight

Servant Abram had a kid with

Hagar

Abraham’s first son

Ishmael

Abram’s new name

Abraham “father of multitude”

Sarai’s new name

“princess”

Circumcision

removal of the foreskin of the male area

First legitimate son of Abraham

Isaac

The Binding of Isaac

God orders Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and gives no explanation. Abraham prepares to obey, but an angel intervenes and Isaac is spared

Rebekah

Isaac’s wife

Esau

first son of Isaac and Rebekah, has the birth right which is sold to Jacob for some stew

Jacob

Second son of Isaac but the one with the birthright

Leah and Rachel

Sisters that Jacob marries

What does God rename Jacob

Israel

Joseph

Jacob’s favorite son because he was Rachel’s

Exodus

A mass departure of people from a place

The Burning Bush

While Moses is tending sheep on Mt. Horeb, God speaks to him from a burning bush

YHWH

Jehovah- the one who is

Moses’ Brother

Aaron

The Passover

Prior to tenth plague, the Israelites smear lamb’s blood on their door frames so “the destroyer will pass over their houses. God orders Israel to commemorate this event with the annual festival of Passover

Mt Sinai

Where God leads the Israelites

The Ten Commandments

The initial set of ten laws that God gave to the Israelites immediately after they agreed to enter into a covenant

10 Commandments

1. You shall have no other gods before me

2. You shall not make/ worship idols

3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God

4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy by not working on the seventh day of the week (Saturday)

5. Honor your parents

6. You shall not murder

7. You shall not commit adultery

8. You shall not steal

9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor

10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor

The Covenant Code

Laws delivered by God to Moses following the 10 commandments which Israel agrees to obey as part of the new covenant. Consists of civil laws regulating people’s interactions in society.

The Law of Retaliation

Whatever you do to someone else will be done to you “eye for an eye”

The Golden Calf

When Moses is gone, Israelites convince Aaron to create a golden calf for them which represents the god who brought them out of Egypt

Tabernacle

an elaborate tent where God manifests his presence and where Israelites worship and offer sacrifices

Priests

Aaron and his direct male descendants

Levites

Other male members of the tribe of Levi serve as assistants to the priests

Leviticus

Third book of the Torah/ Pentateuch, concerned with “Priestly Matters”, contains 3 major sections of laws

Sacrifice Laws

Instructions on when to sacrifices animals and crops for various religious purposes

Purity Laws

Animals that are unclean/ unfit to eat (pork and shellfish), conditions that make people unclean/ unfit to enter the tabernacle.

Holiness

high standard of moral and sexual conduct that distinguishes Israelites from other nations

Numbers

Fourth book of the Torah/ Pentateuch is called “Numbers” because it describes two Israelite censuses. mostly tragic book describing how the Israelites journey from Mt. Sinai to the promised land of Canaan went wrong.

12 Spies

Sent to explore Canaan in preparation for an invasion. 10 of them insist the Israelites cannot defeat the Canaanites. Only 2, Joshua and Caleb, trust God. People believe the 10 spies and refuse to invade.

Deuteronomy

Fifth and final book of Pentateuch

Deuteronomy- Second Law

Records Moses’ farewell speech delivered near the border of Canaan, in which he repeats God’s commands to the new generation of Israelites

Theology of Deuteronomy

Insists on exclusive loyalty to YHWH

The Shema- A short summary of Israel’s faith that is regularly recited by Jews

Concerned with Social Justice

Obedience to God’s laws brings blessings, disobedience brings curses/punishment

Deuteronomistic History

Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings

Joshua

One of the faithful 12 spies, leader of Israel following Jacob

Rahab

Prostitute that protects the spies for them to spare her family in return

The Destruction of Jericho

Israelites march around the city, blow trumpets and shout. Their obedience causes the city walls to fall and they kill everyone in Jericho.

Herem

God-ordianed Israelite practice of completely destroying enemy populations, livestock, cities and possessions

Achan

Israelite who violated herem by looting at Jericho.

The Twelve Tribes of Israel

Reuben, Simeon, Benjamin, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Manasseh, Ephraim, Benjamin

Shiloh

First capital of Israel

Baal

Canaanite god of storms and fertility

Judge

military/political leader

Deborah

Israel’s only female judge