THL 216: Biblical Traditions - Exam 2 Study Guide

Essential vocabulary, key figures, and archaeological hypotheses for the Deuteronomistic History, Conquest narratives, and biblical monarchy.

Deuteronomistic History (DH)

The collection of biblical books from Deuteronomy through 2 Kings that recounts Israel's history from entering the Promised Land to the Babylonian Exile, interpreted through the theological lens that obedience to God brings blessing while disobedience brings disaster.

Conquest hypothesis

The scientific hypothesis proposed by W. F. Albright and Y. Yadin positing that a united Israel invaded Canaan from the east and conquered the land through military force.

Pastoral-Nomad hypothesis

The hypothesis developed by Albrecht Alt asserting that early Israelites were pastoral nomads who peacefully migrated into the central highlands of Canaan from the east before eventually expanding by warfare.

Peasant Revolt hypothesis

The sociological model formulated by N. Gottwald and George Mendenhall arguing that Israel originated from within Canaan as lower-class peasants and refugees who rebelled against oppressive Canaanite city-states.

Ruralization hypothesis

The hypothesis associated with Lawrence Stager arguing that Israel emerged as indigenous populations gradually moved away from decaying urban centers to settle and develop agricultural communities in the rural highlands.

Biblical Judge

A leader raised up by God to deliver, guide, and protect Israel from foreign oppression, combining the roles of God-appointed leader, military deliverer, and spiritual guide.

Achan

An Israelite who violated divine commands by secretly keeping devoted plunder from the destruction of Jericho, causing Israel to suffer defeat at Ai until he was exposed and executed.

Ahab

King of the northern kingdom of Israel who married the Phoenician princess Jezebel, sponsored the state worship of Baal, and was opposed by the prophet Elijah.

Ai

A Canaanite city attacked by Israel after Jericho; initially victorious against Israel due to Achan's transgression, but later ambushed, conquered, and burned under Joshua's command.

Albright, William F.

An influential biblical archaeologist who supported the Conquest hypothesis, arguing that archaeological excavations confirmed key elements of the biblical conquest narrative.

Alt, Albrecht

A German biblical scholar who formulated the Pastoral-Nomad hypothesis to explain Israel's gradual and peaceful initial settlement in Canaan.

archaeology

The systematic study of past human life, cultures, and societies through the excavation and analysis of physical material remains such as architecture, pottery, tools, and inscriptions.

Baal

A primary Canaanite god associated with storms, rain, and agricultural fertility whose worship was consistently condemned by Israelite prophets.

Bathsheba

The wife of Uriah the Hittite with whom King David committed adultery; after David orchestrated her husband's death, she married David and became the mother of King Solomon.

Beersheba

A prominent city in the southern desert region of ancient Israel, traditionally referenced in the biblical idiom 'from Dan to Beersheba' to define the southern boundary of the land.

Bethel

An ancient Israelite sanctuary town where King Jeroboam erected one of two golden calves to keep northern citizens from traveling to worship in Jerusalem.

Dan

The northernmost city in ancient Israel where Jeroboam placed a golden calf; traditionally used to denote the northern limit of Israelite territory.

David

The second king of Israel who killed Goliath, united the twelve tribes, conquered Jerusalem to make it his capital, and established the Davidic dynasty.

Deborah

A female prophet and judge of Israel who summoned Barak and helped lead the Israelite forces to victory over the Canaanite general Sisera.

Deuterocanonical

Books of the Old Testament accepted as canonical scripture by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, but excluded from the Protestant canon and the Hebrew Bible.

Gedaliah

A Judean official appointed governor of Judah by the Babylonians after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BCE, whose subsequent assassination prompted further chaos and exile.

golden calves

Cultic bovine statues erected by King Jeroboam I at the northern sanctuaries of Bethel and Dan, regarded by the Deuteronomistic historian as the quintessential sin of the northern kingdom.

Gottwald, N.

A biblical scholar who pioneered the Peasant Revolt hypothesis, applying a socioeconomic model to argue that early Israel originated as an internal revolt against oppressive Canaanite city-states.

Hannah

The devout mother of the prophet Samuel who prayed persistently for a child at the Shiloh sanctuary and consecrated him to God's service upon his birth.

Huldah

A respected prophetess consulted by King Josiah's officials after the discovery of the Book of the Law to authenticate the scroll and deliver God's impending judgment.

Hezekiah

A reforming king of Judah celebrated by the Deuteronomistic historian for trusting Yahweh, purifying cultic worship by destroying pagan shrines and the bronze serpent, and withstanding the Assyrian siege.

Israel (kingdom of)

The northern kingdom formed by the ten northern tribes following the breakup of the united monarchy after Solomon's death, which established its capital at Samaria until conquered by Assyria.

Jael

A Kenite woman celebrated in the book of Judges for killing the Canaanite commander Sisera by driving a tent peg through his temple while he slept in her tent.

Jehoiachin

King of Judah who succeeded Jehoiakim and ruled for only three months before surrendering to King Nebuchadnezzar and being deported to Babylon.

Jehoiachim / Jehoiakim

King of Judah placed on the throne as an Egyptian vassal who later paid tribute to Babylon before revolting, setting the stage for the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem.

Jehu

A military commander anointed king of Israel who staged a violent purge that annihilated the dynasty of Omri and Ahab, killed Jezebel, and eradicated the official cult of Baal.

Jeremiah

A major Judean prophet active before and during the Babylonian exile who foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple due to Judah's covenant unfaithfulness.

Jericho

The first Canaanite fortified city besieged and conquered by the Israelites in Joshua, celebrated for its walls falling after the Israelites marched around them.

Jeroboam

The first monarch of the splintered northern Kingdom of Israel who dismissed northern Levitical priests and set up rival cultic centers with golden calves at Bethel and Dan.

Jerusalem

The Jebusite stronghold captured by King David that served as the political capital and religious heart of the united monarchy and subsequently the southern kingdom of Judah.

Jezebel

A Phoenician princess and queen consort of King Ahab who promoted Baal and Asherah worship in Israel, persecuted the prophets of Yahweh, and was killed during Jehu's rebellion.

Joab

King David's ruthless and capable nephew and chief military commander, who executed key state operations and frequently took matters into his own hands.

Joshua

The successor of Moses who commanded the Israelite tribes across the Jordan River and spearheaded the military conquest and territorial allotment of Canaan.

Josiah

A faithful king of Judah who instituted sweeping religious reforms, destroyed pagan high places, and renewed the covenant after finding the Book of the Law in the Temple.

Judah (kingdom)

The southern kingdom composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, ruled continuously by the Davidic line from Jerusalem until destroyed by Babylon in 586 BCE.

Levitical priesthood

The hereditary priestly class descended from the tribe of Levi entrusted with carrying the Ark of the Covenant, maintaining the sanctuaries, teaching the Law, and offering sacrifices.

Manasseh

A long-reigning king of Judah remembered by the Deuteronomistic historian as the most wicked and idolatrous monarch, whose egregious sins sealed Judah's inevitable destruction.

Merneptah stela

An Egyptian royal victory stela from circa 1208 BCE commemorating the military campaigns of Pharaoh Merneptah, containing the oldest known extrabiblical inscription mentioning 'Israel'.

Nebuchadnezzar

The Neo-Babylonian king who besieged Jerusalem, destroyed Solomon's Temple, and initiated the Babylonian exile of the Judean populace.

Necho

An Egyptian pharaoh who marched north to assist Assyria and clashed with King Josiah at the Battle of Megiddo, where Josiah was killed.

Omri

King of northern Israel who established a politically powerful dynasty, secured the northern monarchy internationally, and founded the capital city of Samaria.

Rahab

A Canaanite prostitute in Jericho who sheltered the Israelite scouts and facilitated their escape, securing salvation for herself and her household when Jericho fell.

Rehoboam

The son and successor of King Solomon whose refusal to alleviate royal taxation and forced labor provoked the northern tribes to secede and split the monarchy.

Samaria

The hill-top capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel founded by King Omri, which served as the kingdom's administrative and religious hub until destroyed by Assyria in 722 BCE.

Samuel

The revered prophet, priest, and last great judge of Israel who guided the nation through the transition to monarchy by anointing both Saul and David as kings.

Saul

The inaugural king of the united monarchy of Israel, chosen from the tribe of Benjamin, whose disobedience to divine directives led to God's rejection of his dynasty.

Solomon

The third king of Israel, son of David, renowned for his wisdom, immense wealth, foreign political alliances, and the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem.

Stager, Lawrence

A prominent biblical archaeologist who championed the Ruralization hypothesis, utilizing regional material culture and settlement patterns to explain early Israel's highland origins.

Uriah the Hittite

An elite foreign soldier in King David's army and husband of Bathsheba, who was intentionally stationed on the front lines by David to be killed in battle.

Yadin, Yigael

An Israeli archaeologist and general who conducted excavations at Hazor and Megiddo, advocating for the archaeological plausibility of the Conquest hypothesis.

Zedekiah

The last king of Judah, placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar; his eventual rebellion against Babylon culminated in the total sack of Jerusalem and his capture in 586 BCE.