Exam 2

Know the Pharaoh after the end of the 15th century BC who created a monotheistic religion.

Akenaten

What group of documents reflect the decline of Egyptian control of Canaan that mention a group of people called the "Habiru?"

a. Amarna letters (Amama?)

What two people groups in northern Syria and Anatolia struggled in an "ever shifting stalemate?"

Mittani and Hittites

At the beginning of Iron Age I, what group of people move into Syria and Canaan, destroying many cities in Canaan?

Sea peoples

What sub-group of these people settled in the southern coastal plain of Canaan during the time of the Judges?

Philistines

What empire ruled in Israel around the dates of 1000-900 BC?

David and Solomon

What group of people moved into Syria from Mesopotamia during Solomon's reign and became the major enemy of Israel during the time of Ahab?

Aramaeans

What king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire besieged Jerusalem and claimed to have had Hezekiah shut in "like a bird in a cage?"

Sennacherib

What Neo-Babylonian king defeated the Assyrians at the Battle of Carchemish in 605, and ultimately destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC?

Nebucahadnezzar

What does it mean that the worldview of the ancient near eastern historian was supernaturalistic?

History is the outcome of the activity of the gods

Know the basic points about how the OT differs from historiography of the Ancient Near East.

• Historiography- the writing of history and all of the assumptions that such writing entails

• OT not produced under sponsorship of king

c. Reflects the long-range plan of Yahweh

d. Omens not viable option

e. Yahweh involved in both history and historiography

f. Historiography as revelation

Know the basic points of "theological perspectives: period of the Judges" in respect to results

a. God's judgement and the Israelite conquest

b. Through the cycle of judges, God repeatedly shows himself merciful

c. God abandons the land

d. Capture of the ark by the philistines

e. Israel becomes frustrated with lack of central leadership- kingship for the wrong reasons

What was the real issue with Israel's motivation to have a king "for the wrong reasons?"

A king was a political solution to problems

Who was the first king of Israel who represented a rejection of God in his role, a kind of king the people asked for?

Saul

Who was the king of Israel who was chosen with God's criteria, a king as vice regent with God?

David

Know which prophets were mentioned as having interactions with kings in the "theological perspectives" discussion

Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah (gave counsel to the kings. Most not accepted)

Know how God shows his sovereignty in the Narrative

a. overt acts of power

i. parting of the red sea fire on mt. Carmel

b. working behind the scenes

i. Esther, Ruth

c. Situations in which a crisis is not resolved

i. Death of Josiah

Know why the exile was a "watershed" for Israelite theology

a. Covenant curses were not just rhetoric

b. Exile was punishment for unfaithfulness

c. Hope could be anticipated

Know the basic points for the purpose of the book of Joshua

a. God is sovereign in world events

b. God kept His covenant promise

i. Land

1. Victory over inhabitants

2. Distribution

ii. Covenant - renewal in chapter 24, "choose this day..."c. God is serious about judgment

i. Against sinful nations and sinful Israel

ii. God shows compassion even on the judged when they exhibit faith (Rahab)

Know who Joshua defeated in the 3 military campaigns: Central, Southern, Northern

a. Central - Jericho, Ai, and Bethel

b. Southern - kings of the south led by the Jebusite Jerusalem, Gibeon was the target

c. Northern - Kings of the north led by Hazor

At what city did Joshua perform a covenant renewal ceremony?

Covenant renewal at Shechem

Know the basic points for the purpose of Judges

a. Israelite failure to keep the covenant

b. People and leaders equally culpable

c. Downward spiral of judges- each is worse than the last

d. Syncretism- assimilating foreign religious belief and practice into one's own

What is the meaning of the Hebrew word for Judge, shophet?

Charismatic military leader

Know the basic elements of the "Judges cycle."

Apostasy (worship of other gods), oppression from God, cry for deliverance, appointment of a judge, peace repeat

Who are the "major Judges" in the book of Judges

Othniel, Ehud, Deborah/Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson

Know the basic points for the purpose of Ruth.

a. When people are faithful, God is faithful- He is working behind the scenes

b. Contrast to the more "negative" tone of Judges

c. Ruth's faithfulness stimulated Israel's faithfulness

Know the basic points for the purpose of 1st and 2nd Samuel

a. Tells the story of the establishment of the kingship covenant with David

b. Establishes Samuel as kingmaker

c. Addresses the choice of Saul as king

d. Shows that David did not usurp Saul's throne

How was the request for a king in 1 Samuel a reflection of the frustration of the people?

Disorganized, competing interests, political and military weakness

The ministries of Elijah and Elisha revolve around what Northern Dynasty

a. Omride dynasty (Ahab and Jezebel) for Elijah

What is the broad theme of 2 King 8 through the end of the book?

Focuses on the failures of the Kings

In the summary of the biblical story of 1st and 2nd Kings, what is the subject matter of the first stories

Account of Solomon's succession and reign

At what cities did Jeroboam provide alternate sanctuaries for worship so the northern kingdom would not have to go to the Jerusalem temple

Dan and Bethel

In what year did the Northern Kingdom of Israel fall to the Assyrians

722 BC

In what year did the Southern Kingdom of Judah fall to the Babylonians

587 BC

Concerning what king of Judah did Sennacherib, king of Babylon, boast "I made him prisoner in Jerusalem...like a bird in a cage?"

Hezekiah

What king of Judah was a second great reformer under whom the "Law" was found during restorations of the Temple

Josiah

Know the basic points for the purpose of 1st and 2nd Chronicles

a. Written after the people returned from the exile

b. Shows that obedience leads to blessing and disobedience leads to trouble

c. The kingdom is not dependent on the king, but is spiritual

d. Living out the kingdom in the present rather than looking to the future

e. Community sees itself in the long line of tradition (genealogies) that has stood for the kingdom of God

What is the purpose of Ezra and Nehemiah

Show God's restoration of his people to their land

What book of the historical narrative does not mention God, and uses motifs such as coincidence, hidden information, irony, and reversal

Esther

What did the story of Ananaias and Saphira demonstrate

God of judgement

Know the basic points of "Understand how God is involved in everyday events.

a. Biblical perspective- the fall has created a broken world

b. God is not responsible for evil

c. God molds brokenness into his plan

Know the basic presuppositions that we as Christians we bring to the text, according to class discussion

a. The nature of God, inspired nature of God's revelation, accuracy of the text

i. This leads us to trust the historicity of the text

b. One the other hand, we cannot be naiive about the nature of the ancient texts or to impose upon them expectations that would have been foreign to its authors

What people group experienced a resurgence in Mesopotamia between 850-750 BC?

The Assyrians

What kings of Israel and Aram formed a "Syro-Ephraimatic" coalition against Ahaz of Judah?

Kings Pekah & Rezin

What king of Judah died in an attempt to stop the Egyptians from coming to the aid of Assyria at the battle of Carchemish

Josiah died

What Judean king rebelled against Babylon leading to the first wave of exiles in 597 BC

Jehoiakim rebelled in 598

What king of the Medo-Persian Empire defeated the Medes in 550 and ruled the empire with benevolent policies?

King Cyrus

What are the similarities between the Bible and Ancient Near Eastern narratives

i. No intention of objectivity

ii. Role of deity is central & assumed

1. Deuteronomic Theology - obey & you will be blessed, disobey & you will be cursed

2. Plotline demonstrates that the king's obedience to the Law led to prosperity; disobedience led to hardship & bloodshed

What is the meaning of the Hebrew word herem

Herem - to devote to as holy to the Lord

Know the elements of the plot line of the Exile (theological perspectives)

i. God's punishment of Israel

ii. Purging & purification of Israel

iii. Remnant

In what chapter of Joshua would you find the renewal at Shechem with the famous challenge "choose this day who you will serve?"

Joshua 24

What does the word "syncretism" mean in regards to our discussion of idolatry?

Syncretism - Assimilating foreign religious belief & practice into one's own

What is the name of Ruth's mother-in-law?

Naomi

Be able to recognize the purpose of 1&2 Kings (at least the first 2 points

a. Demonstrates that the kings of Israel & Judah failed to live up to the ideals of the kingship

b. God was justified in exiling His people