Banned Books of Bible Midterm Study Guide

What Are 7 Books in the OT Apocrypha

Tobit, Judith, Additions to Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ben Sira, Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, The Additions to Daniel, 1-2 Maccabees

Who was the Wife of Tobit

Anna

Who exiled Tobit (and where was he king of)

Shalmaneser V, King of Assyria

What was Tobit’s sons name

Tobias

Vulgate

Term for Bible in Latin

Peshitta

Term for Hebrew Bible in Syriac

What are 3 Books of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha

• 1-2 Enoch

• Jubilees 

• 3-4 Maccabees

• Joseph and Asenath

• Sibylline Oracles

• The Apocalypse of Abraham

• the Apocalypse of Adam

• Testament of Job

• Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah

• Prayer of Manasseh

When did the Kingdom of Israel fall to the Neo-Assyrian Empire

722 BCE

When did the Kingdom of Judah fall to the Neo-Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II

586 BCE

When did Assyria:Ashurr fall to the Babylonians

612 BCE

How many caves were there at the Dead Sea Scrolls?

11 Caves

What books were/ weren’t found at the Dead Sea Scrolls site?

Portions of all of the books except Esther and Nehemiah found there  Portions of Enoch, Jubilees found there, as well as portions of Ben Sira and Tobit, as well as Psalm 151, etc. 

When was the Jerusalem Temple rebuilt, and who were big supporters of it? Also who was the high priest at the time and governor?

• In 516 BCE, at the behest of the Prophets Haggai and Zechariah, at the time when Joshua was the high priest and Zerubabel was the governor.

What language was the Wisdom of Solomon originally written in and when/where does it date to

Originally written in Greek.  Often argued to hail from Alexandria, Egypt. Dates to the late 1^st century BCE or early first century CE.

Give a rough outline of The Wisdom of Solomon

(A) A Book of Eschatology (1:1-6:21).

(B) A Book of Wisdom (6:22-10:21). (or 6:22-9:18)

(C) A Book of History (11-19). (or 10:1-19).

What/When was the First Temple Period?

1000-586 BCE was the era in ancient Israelite history when Solomon's Temple stood in Jerusalem as the spiritual and political center of the Jewish people

What/When was the Second Temple Period

516 BCE to 70 CE, and spanning from the completion of the rebuilt Jerusalem Temple until its destruction by the Roman Empire

Who was Darius III assasinated by? (which book is this referenced in)

Ultimately, he was assassinated by some of his own lieutenants. (1-2 Macabees)

When/Where did Alexander the Great die

Babylon 323 BCE

What is the term for Alexander the Greats successors?, who is the primary interest for us?

Diadochoi (Alexander’s successors) Primary interest: Ptolemy I and Seleucus I.

What battle split the remnants of Alexander the greats empire, and who gained control of what because of it?

Ipsus 301 BCE.  Ptolemy I gains control of Levant.

What are the dates of Seleucus’s reign and how did it end? (what book tells us this)

Seleucus IV (187-175 BCE), Heliodorus plundered temple, as in 2 Macc 3, then Heliodorus assassinated Seleucus IV. 

Who desecrated the Jerusalem temple and when? What does Hanukkah commemorate? Give names and dates for the actions?

Antiochus IV (r. ca. 175-163 BCE).  Desecrated the Jerusalem Temple in 167.  It is rededicated by Judah Maccabee in 164 BCE.  This is what Hanukkah commemorates, that is, the rededication.

What is referenced in 1-2 Maccabees relating to Alexander the great?

Alexander the Great. Defeats Darius III (r. ca. 336-331 BCE) in a series of battles. 

When was the reign of Antiochus III

Antiochus III the Great (r. ca. 223-187 BCE)

When did the battle of Raphia ocurr and who participated

Raphia 218 BCE (between antiochus III and Ptolemy IV)

What was the reign of Ptolemy IV

r. ca. 245-204 BCE

When did the battle of Panium take place

200 BCE against Ptolemy V and the Seleucid Empire

What was Ptolemy V reign (what comes from his reign)

r. 204-181 BCE (the rosetta stone)

Who was Nebuchadnezzar (in Judith)

 Ruler described as reigning over the Assyrians from his great city of Nineveh, in his 12th year (Judith 1:1).

Who was Arphaxad

King of the Medes (1:1). Nebuchadnezzar was about to go to battle against him and asked his vassals in the southern Levant for help (1:7-11).

Books of the Old Testament Apocrypha

Tobit, Judith, Additions to Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ben Sira, Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Additions to Daniel, 1-2 Maccabees

Wife of Tobit

Anna

Assyrian king who exiled Tobit

Shalmaneser V

Name of Tobit's son

Tobias

Vulgate

Latin translation of the Bible

Peshitta

Syriac translation of the Hebrew Bible

Books of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha

1-2 Enoch, Jubilees, 3-4 Maccabees, Joseph and Asenath, Sibylline Oracles, The Apocalypse of Abraham, The Apocalypse of Adam, Testament of Job, Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah, Prayer of Manasseh

Fall of the Kingdom of Israel to the Neo-Assyrian Empire

722 BCE

Fall of the Kingdom of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar II

586 BCE

Fall of Ashur (Assyria) to the Babylonians

612 BCE

Number of caves at the Dead Sea Scrolls site

11 caves

Old Testament books missing from the Dead Sea Scrolls site

Esther and Nehemiah

Rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple

Completed in 516 BCE at the behest of Haggai and Zechariah; Joshua was high priest and Zerubbabel was governor

Language, provenance, and date of Wisdom of Solomon

Written in Greek, likely in Alexandria, Egypt; dates to late 1st century BCE or early 1st century CE

Three-part outline of Wisdom of Solomon

(A) Book of Eschatology (1:1-6:21), (B) Book of Wisdom (6:22-10:21), (C) Book of History (11-19)

First Temple Period

1000-586 BCE; era in ancient Israelite history when Solomon's Temple stood in Jerusalem

Second Temple Period

516 BCE to 70 CE; spans from completion of rebuilt Jerusalem Temple until its destruction by the Roman Empire

Assassination of Darius III

Assassinated by his own lieutenants (referenced in 1-2 Maccabees)

Date and location of Alexander the Great's death

323 BCE in Babylon

Diadochoi

Alexander the Great's successors; primary interest for Second Temple history are Ptolemy I and Seleucus I

Battle of Ipsus (301 BCE)

Battle that split Alexander's empire; Ptolemy I gained control of the Levant

Reign and death of Seleucus IV

Reigned 187-175 BCE; Heliodorus plundered the temple (2 Maccabees 3) and assassinated Seleucus IV

Desecration and rededication of the Jerusalem Temple

Desecrated by Antiochus IV in 167 BCE; rededicated by Judah Maccabee in 164 BCE (commemorated by Hanukkah)

Persian king defeated by Alexander the Great in 1-2 Maccabees

Darius III (reigned ca. 336-331 BCE)

Reign of Antiochus III the Great

ca. 223-187 BCE

Battle of Raphia (218 BCE)

Battle fought between Antiochus III and Ptolemy IV

Reign of Ptolemy IV

ca. 221-204 BCE

Battle of Panium (200 BCE)

Battle fought in 200 BCE between Ptolemy V and the Seleucid Empire

Reign and key artifact of Ptolemy V

Reigned 204-181 BCE; Rosetta Stone comes from his reign

Nebuchadnezzar (in the Book of Judith)

Ruler in Nineveh over the Assyrians who launched a punitive raid in his 18th year (586 BCE) against Levant vassals refusing to help against Arphaxad (Judith 2:1)

Arphaxad

King of the Medes (Judith 1:1) against whom Nebuchadnezzar waged war

Holofernes

Nebuchadnezzar's general in the Book of Judith (introduced in chapter 2)

Joakim (High Priest in Judith)

High priest who urged the city of Bethulia to hold its ground when Judah feared Nebuchadnezzar's army (Judith 4:6-8)

Response of the people to Holofernes's invasion

Cried out to God in humility and fasted (Judith 4:9-13)

Achior the Ammonite

Leader who recites Israel's history (ch. 5), is handed over to Bethulia (ch. 6), and converts to Judaism after Holofernes's death (14:10)

Bethulia

City besieged by Holofernes where supplies ran out, leading many residents to want to surrender (Judith 7)

Judith

Beautiful and pious widow who acts to save the besieged city of Bethulia (Judith 8)

Judith 8:18

Verse where Judith states that her people have not committed idolatry in recent times

Judith 9:10

Judith's prayer asking God to use the guile of her words to shatter the enemy's pride with a woman's hand

Judith's daily prayer routine

Prays each day before carrying out her plan to slay Holofernes (Judith 10-12)

Death of Holofernes

Judith slays Holofernes after he gets drunk (Judith 12-13)

Aftermath of Holofernes's death

The Assyrian army flees in terror after discovering Holofernes's body (Judith 14-15)

Biblical parallel to Judith slaying Holofernes

The story of Jael and Sisera in Judges 4-5, where a woman slays an enemy military commander

What was 1 Maccabees written in

Hebrew

What was Maccabees 2 originally written in

Greek (and is a condensed version of the work of Jason of Cyrene).

Who is Zerubbabel

Governor of Judah and descendant of David who led the first group of exiles back from Babylon and oversaw the rebuilding of the Temple. Worked with Joshua the high priest and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Temple completed 516 BCE (Ezra 3-6; Haggai; Zechariah 4).

Who was Joshua (Jeshua) the high priest

Priestly leader who returned with Zerubbabel and helped lead the Temple rebuilding. Often paired with Zerubbabel as the priestly and civil leaders of the restored community.

Who were Haggai and Zechariah

Prophets of the early Persian period who urged the returned community to finish the Temple after work stalled. Their oracles date to around 520 BCE.

What was the context Completion of the Second Temple (516 BCE)

Date the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem was finished, under Zerubbabel and Joshua, with the encouragement of Haggai and Zechariah.

Who was Ezra, and when did he live

Priest and scribe who came to Jerusalem from Babylon with authority from the Persian king Artaxerxes to teach and enforce the law of God. Associated with the public reading of the Torah and reforms such as addressing intermarriage (Ezra 7-10; Nehemiah 8). (458 BCE)

Who was Nehemiah (445 BCE)

Cupbearer to Artaxerxes who was sent to Jerusalem as governor to rebuild its walls. Completed them despite opposition from Sanballat and Tobiah, and carried out social and religious reforms (Nehemiah 1-6, 13)

Put these kings in order and dates : Cyrus the Great, Cambyses, Darius the Great, Xerxes, Artaxerxes

1. Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II)

   • Reign: 559–530 BC

   • Details: Founded the Achaemenid Empire by defeating the Medes, Lydians, and Babylonians. [1]

2. Cambyses (Cambyses II)

   • Reign: 530–522 BC

   • Details: Son of Cyrus who successfully conquered Egypt and added it to the empire. [1]

3. Darius the Great (Darius I)

   • Reign: 522–486 BC

   • Details: Reorganized the empire into satrapies (provinces), built the Royal Road, and standardized coinage. [1]

4. Xerxes (Xerxes I)

   • Reign: 486–465 BC

   • Details: Son of Darius known for launching the major invasion of Greece and suppressing revolts in Egypt and Babylon. [1]

5. Artaxerxes (Artaxerxes I)

   • Reign: 465–424 BC

   • Details: Son of Xerxes who governed during a period of relative consolidation and interacted with biblical figures like Ezra and Nehemiah

Leaders of the Second Temple rebuilding (516 BCE)

Zerubbabel (Davidic governor) and Joshua/Jeshua (high priest), encouraged by the prophetic ministries of Haggai and Zechariah

Ezra (458 BCE)

Priest and scribe who returned from Babylon during the reign of Artaxerxes I to read the Torah publicly and enforce community religious reforms

Nehemiah (445 BCE)

Cupbearer to Persian King Artaxerxes I who was appointed governor of Yehud, rebuilt the defensive walls of Jerusalem, and implemented social reforms

Original language and perspective of 1 Maccabees

Originally composed in Hebrew (surviving in Greek); provides a pro-Hasmonean historical narrative of the Maccabean revolt from Mattathias to Simon

Original language and background of 2 Maccabees

Originally composed in Greek; an abridgment of the five-volume historical work by Jason of Cyrene emphasizing theology, Temple holiness, and resurrection

Henotheism

The religious practice of worshiping a single deity while acknowledging the existence of other gods, reflected in passages like Exodus 15:11, Deuteronomy 32:8-9, and Psalm 82

Evolution of monotheism in ancient Israel

Shifted from earlier henotheistic perspectives toward strict, exclusive monotheism during and after the Babylonian exile, prominently articulated in Second Isaiah and Sirach 36:1-5

Original meaning and grammatical usage of 'ha-satan'

Means 'the accuser' or 'the adversary'; originally used with the definite article as a functional role or office within the heavenly council rather than a proper personal name

Role of ha-satan in Job 1-2

Member of the divine council who acts as an adversary or prosecutor, testing human faithfulness exclusively under God's sovereign permission

Contrast between 2 Samuel 24:1 and 1 Chronicles 21:1

In 2 Samuel, the Lord incites David to count Israel; in the later post-exilic account of 1 Chronicles, 'Satan' (without the definite article) incites the census

Theological shift in explaining evil between early biblical texts and Second Temple literature

Early texts attributed all events and calamity directly to God's sole will; Second Temple literature developed extensive demonology and supernatural intermediaries to account for evil

Sheol in early Israelite thought

A shadowy, undifferentiated subterranean underworld where all the deceased abide in silence, unable to participate in the active praise of God

Daniel 12:2-3

The clearest and most explicit passage in the Hebrew Bible affirming an end-time bodily resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked

View of the afterlife in Ben Sira (Sirach)

Maintains traditional this-life retribution and denies post-mortem reward or resurrection, viewing Sheol as the universal, final end of human existence