Christian Scriptures Final Pt #1

Vocab for Brent Nessler's final exam

Canon

a collection of texts deemed normative and or authoritative

Scripture

texts functioning as normative and or authoritative in the contst of faith and religion

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (HB/OT)

1. Torah/Pentateuch → first 5 books

2. Prophets → former and latter

3. Writings → everything else

Torah/Pentateuch

Genesis-Deuteronomy (first 5 books)

Prophets (Former and Latter)

Former = Joshua - 2 Kings (except Ruth)

Latter = Isaiah - Malachi

Writings

Everything else in HB/OT (Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Psalms, 1-2 Chronicles)

Deuterocanonical Books

texts/books left out of the some HB/OT canons, but included in others.

most were written prior to the lifetime of Jesus.

New Testament (NT)

made up of the Gospels and Epistles.

all books seem to reflect a criterion of apostolicity

Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

Epistles

Pauline Epistles, general/catholic epistles

Manuscript

copies (of copies of copies etc) of biblical texts

Autograph

theoretical earliest written version of a biblical text (aka the first one)

Oral Transmission

refers to the process of transmitting stories, poetry, laws, information, etc orally

Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS)

the oldest hebrew manuscript in existence today by a whole lot

Genesis

1. Primeval history → creation accounts, flood narrative, and tower of babel

2. ancestral narratives → Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jospeh

Primeval History

creation accounts, flood narrative, and tower of babel

1. narratives → Cain & Abel, flood narrative, and tower of babel

2. Genealogies → descendants of adam, noah, and shem and terah

Ancestral Narratives

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jospeh.

Genealogy

a list/record of descendants usually only includes names of the males especially first born sons

Adam and Eve

first man and woman to be created → ate forbidden apple → get kicked from garden

Cain and Abel

Both offer God a sacrifice to God but he prefers Abels → Cain kills his brother → Cains punished with expulsion

Noah

God regrets creating humanity → wants to wipe everything out with flood → remembers noah’s righteousness → warns him to build ark → noah does and is saved

Noahic Covenant

unconditional, god will never again destroy the world, sign is a (rain)bow

binding agreement struck between god and all living things that god will never again destroy creation

Etiology

a narration concerning the origin of some aspect of reality (example = the Tower of Babel)

Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah

very wealthy nomadic herders

God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac → tries to → angel stops them → was a test of Abrahams Faith

Abrahamic Covenant

Abraham and family (Israelites), numerous descendants blessed family famous name blessing to the world, sign is circumcision

binding, unconditional agreement between god and abraham that he and his descendents will be particularly favored amount humanity

Theophany

visible, temporary, and sudden manifestation of God in a tangible form, often featuring sensory elements like smoke, fire, or wind

Isaac and Rebekah

first born son of Abraham and Sarah, father of Jacob(Israel), functions as transitions from Abraham to Jacob

Jacob/Israel, Leah, and Rachel

Jacobs a trickster, second born son of Abraham, marries Rachel tricked into marrying Leah first tho, gets renamed Israel, has 12 sons that will be the 12 tribes of Israel

Joseph

gods presence is less

brothers sell him into slavery & tell father he’s dead → interprets the kings dreams → becomes an egyptian official

Moses

sent down nile when baby to be saved → adopted by royalty → kills slave driver → flees to Midians → gets message from god to free the peoples of Egypt → 10 plagues → escapes & travels to Mt. Sinai → gets 10 commandments

Call Narrative

common story structure employed concerning Gods call of individual for a particular purpose; usually includes some of of all…

1. confrontation

2. commission

3. objection

4. assurance

5. sign

Mt. Sinai/Horeb

most important locale of Israel wilderness travels, where they got the 10 commandments and mosaic covenant

Mosaic Covenant

conditional convent between god and Israelites established at Mt. Sinai, such that if Israel obeys Gods voice they will be to god a preistly kingdom and a holy people

Decalogue/the Ten Commandments

10 fundamental instructions (torah) for maintaining a positive relationship with god

Leviticus

3rd book of Pentateuch, theme = for israelites to be holy as YHWH is holy

1. Manual of Sacrifice (specific of various sacrifices & emphasizes legitimacy of Aarons descendents as priests

2. Manual of Purity (what actions and objections are clean vs unclean, day of atonement)

3. Holiness code (laws meant to distinguish Israelites from neighbors, festival days)

Numbers

Mt. Sinai/Horeb → wilderness struggles

Israelites refusal to enter promise land → punishment = 40 years of wondering

Source Criticism

a method of biblical anaylsis used to determine the sources (usualy written) that were used in the creation/compilation of a given text

Documentary Hypothesis (JEDP)

an early source critical hypothesis suggesting that the Pentateuch derives from four theoretical written sources (JEDP) edited together

J = Yahwist - narratives w/YHWH name

E = Elohist - narratives w/God name

D = Deuteronomic - narratives and laws reflecting Deuteronomy

P = Priestly - narratives and laws explicating orderly rituals, feast days etc

Priest

ordained leader in worship, law, rituals, and festival days

Ark of the Covenant

the protective case for the Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy

second law, presents the ideological basis of “D” passages, ending to great sympony

Former Prophets/Deuteronomistic History (DtrH)

refers to the themes of deuteronomy found throughout these books

Joshua (book and character)

Character: successor of Moses, he is “filled with spirit of wisdom because moses had laid his hands on him”, sends ark of the covenant before people, reaffirms Mosaic Covenant, sends spies to check out promised land

Book: offensive warfare including commands for elimination of Canaanite peoples

Theories of Israelite Occupation

1. Military Invasion

2. Peaceful infiltration

3. Peasant revolt

Judges (term and book)

Term: decision maker, charismatic military leader

Book: cycle of rebellion against God, oppression by foreign enemies, repentance, and rescue by temporary leaders

The Judges Cycle

1. Apostasy

2. Oppression

3. Outcry

4. Deliverence

Narrative Criticism

anaylsis of plot development/patterns, characterizations, POV, and other literary elements of story

Redaction Criticism

anaylsis of the editorial layers of a given text, discerning the development of a text over time

1–2 Samuel

narrate Israel’s critical transition from a loose confederation of tribes led by judges to a unified kingdom under a monarchy

Samuel (character)

pivotal figure → nearly perfect only mistake was making sons judges who did not walk in his ways. mother dedicated him to priesthood

Priest, Prophet, and Judge

Prophet

serves as a mouthpiece for the word of YHWH to Israel

Saul

first king of Israel, hot, liberates people from Philistines adversaries/oppressors. major errors = 1. unlawful sacrifice 2. sparing amalekite king and livestock.

Gets paranoid over David

United Monarchy

the first period of the kingdom of Israel in which all twelve tribes are united undeer a single king

David

formidable warrior/tatician from the start, beloved by all but Saul, repelling challengers both at home and abroad

CAPTURED AND ESTABLISHED JERUSALEM AS CAPITAL

Davidic Covenant

unconditional between God and the house of David, promising the security of the Davidic dynasty → response to establishment of Jerusalem

Bathsheba

down fall of David.

David sees Bathsheba from the roof as she is washing herself → he sends for her (rapes) → she becomes pregnant → David tries to cover it up by having her husband come back then tries to send him into battle to die → marries Bathsheba

Solomon

son of David and Bathsheba (Bathsheba ensures he will be the heir) → gifted knowledge of understanding and discern between good and evil → built the first temple but begins building altars to various god (Idolatry)

The Temple

reinforces Jerusalem as center of YHWH worship

Divided Monarchy

second period of the monarchy post-schism

Kingdom of Israel

seceded northern tribes, first kind = Jeroboam, capital = Samaria

Ahab and Jezebel

Ahab was the son of Omri; Jezebel was was his wife. → both evil

seizure of Naboth’s vineyard

Elijah and Elisha

Elijah is prototypical prophet → comes because of what happened to Naboth → condemns Ahab for death of Naboth

Elisha is the successor of Elijah → receives “double portion” of Elijah’s spirit

Fall of Israel

722 BCE - Assyrian invasion of Israel, capture of Samaria, and deportation of Israelites.

Kingdom of Judah

Manasseh

longest reign of Judah’s kings, most EVIL king in history of Israel/Judah → YHWH last straw → causes Babylonian exile

Josiah

Judah king who finds the “Book of the Law” → consults with Huldah (prophetess) to authenticate → weeping king because he cried and ripped clothes → causes delayed punishment

“Book of the Law”

torah found during Josiah’s reign (instructions on how to live) - early version of deuteronomy

The Babylonian Exile

587-539 BCE a period in which the babylonian empire conquered Judah and exiled many Jerusalem residents to Babylon

temple destroyed in 587 BCE

Postcolonial Studies

gives attention to how texts reflect ongoing negotiations between 1) the reality of imperial oppressions and 2) the desire to maintain indigenous identity

Colonial Mimicry

the practice of claiming and reframing imperial forms propaganda as an expression of ideological resistance

Trauma Studies

gives attention to how texts portray are shaped by and originate from from traumatic circumstances

Prophet

a person that interprets and or communicates the will of the divine

Prophecy

a person that interprets and or communicates the will of the divine; more forthtellers than foretellers

Latter Prophets/Prophetic Literature

anthologies of oracles, recored, organized, and preserved in the biblical canon

Oracle

short poetic speeches (spoken or written) communicating divine words

Retributive Justice

principle illustrated in the former and latter prophets; YHWH response to Israel corresponds with their conduct

Isaiah (prophet and book)

prophet: during syro-ephraimite crisis

book: judgment against Israel/Judah and others; YHWH’s supremacy over all nations

Zion Theology

belief that Jerusalem is indestructible and center of world with YHWH’s blessing

Jeremiah (prophet and book)

prophet: son of priestly family → “Prophet of the nations” | witnessed destruction of Jerusalem

book: 1. oracles regarding Israel/Judah 2. Scribal anthology 3. oracles against the nations | judgement concerning interpersonal conduct as basis for judgement, lament as a prophetic expression, deuteronomistic like sermons, YHWH’s supremacy over all nations

Ezekiel (prophet and book)

prophet: priest → prophet, vision of scroll full of woe and sadness, experienced intense visions, engages many strange object lessons, first regarded as “traumatized”

book: 1. judgement 2. oracles 3. restoration | holiness of the Temple (YHWH depicted as abandoning temple), shift to individual responsibility/accountability for sins, visions of a new temple