Christian Scriptures Final Exam

Mr. Nessler's Final Exam

Canon

A collection of texts deemed normative and authoritative. (what Bible is)

Scripture

Text(s) functioning as normative and/or authoritative in the context of faith and religion (how Bible functions)

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (HB/OT)

Three parts consisting of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings

Torah/Pentateuch

Genesis-Deuteronomy, First five books of the Bible

Former Prophets 

Joshua-2 Kings (Except Ruth). Narrative and storytelling

Latter Prophets

Isaiah-Malachi. Poetry and forth telling.

Writings

Everything else (ex: Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Psalms, 1-2 Chronicles) Not canon/recognized in scripture but around referenced in NT.

Deuterocanonical Books

-Books left out of some HB/OT canons but included in others. (means “more canon”) 

-Left out Jewish+Protestant

-Left in Catholic+Eastern Orthodox

New Testament (NT)

Two parts: Gospels + Epistles (Letters)

Gospels 

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

Epistles

-Pauline (Romans, Galatians, Phillipinans

-General/ Catholic (1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude)

Manuscripts

copies (of copies of copies etc.) of biblical texts.

Autograph

The theoretical, earliest written version of biblical text.

Oral Transmission

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

Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS)

-Oldest Hebrew manuscript in existence today by a whole lot

-Some align with MT some with LXX

Genesis

-“beginning” in greek

-first book in Bible

Primeval History

-Gen (1-11)

-Creation accounts, flood narratives, Tower of Babel

Ancestral Narratives

-Gen (12-50)

-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph 

Genealogy

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

Adam and Eve

The first man and woman who ate from the garden of eden when pressured by snake, were then punished and expelled by God.

-Eve-childbirth

-Serpent to crawl on belly

Cain and Abel

-First two sons of Adam and Eve

-Both brothers make sacrifices to God, God prefers Abel’s offering and Cain murders his brother.

-God punishes Cain with expulsion.

Noah

-righteous receives God’s favor in warning of flood

-obeys God’s command and builds an ark+collects animal groups

-offers a sacrifice and covenant is struck

Noahic Covenant

The binding agreement struck between God + all living things that God will never again destroy creation. 

Etiology

a narration concerning the origin of some aspect of reality

Abram/Abraham + Sarai/Sarah

-nomadic herders (extremely wealthy)

-abuse and Exile of Hagar

-birth and binding of Isaac

Abrahamic Covenant

The binding, unconditional agreement between God and Abraham that he and his descendants will be particularly favored among humanity. “cuts” a covenant (circumcision)

1. To make Abraham a great numerous people

2. To bless Abram + his descendants

3. To make Abram’s name great

4. To bless all families of the earth through Abram’s line

Theophany

Tangible manifestation of divine presence (e.g., fire, clouds, thunder, etc.)

Isaac and Rebekah

-”laughter” re: Sarah laughing about having a child (old)

-Isaac narratives function as transitions from Abraham to Jacob.

Jacob/Israel, Leah+Jacob

-”trickster” fleeces brother Esau out of inheritance + mom Rebekah helps him

-Jacob wants to marry Rachel but is tricked into marrying Leah

-Renamed to Israel (etiology)

-Has 12 sons between wives + concubines 

-12 sons→ 12 tribes of Israel

Joseph

Worst brother → Egyptian Slave → Egyptian Official

-annoying abt Dreams from God + robe

-brothers sell him to slaves

-tells Jacob (father) he died

-Saves Egypt from famine

-tricks dad and brothers

convinces them to migrate to Egypt

Moses

-name in Hebrew (mosheh) means “drawn out”

-Kills a slave driver, flees, marries Zipporah, encounters God

-follows call narrative

-God appears to him in form of burning bush, appoints him to lead isrealies out of Egypt

-questions fitness to lead

-God pledges to be with him

-God turns rod into snake

Call Narrative

a common story structure employed concerning God’s call of an individual for a particular purpose; usually includes some or all of five parts

1. Confrontation

2. Commission

3. Objection

4. Assurance

5. Sign

Mt.Sinai/Horeb

-Most important locale of Israels wilderness travels

-Where Mosaic covenant was established.

Mosaic Covenant

A conditional covenant between God and the Israelites established at Mt.Sinai, such that if Israel “obeys [God’s] voice, “they will be to God, a “priestly kingdom and holy people”

Decalogue/The Ten Commandments

-ten fundamental instructions (torah) for maintaining a postitive relationship with God

-basis of Mosaic covenant

Leviticus

Three sections

1. Manual of Sacrifice

2. Manual of Purity

3. Hollines Code

Numbers

story of Israels journey in the wilderness

Source Criticism

a method of biblical analysis used to determine the sources (usually, 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, writtensources (JEDP) edited together

Priest

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

Ark of the Covenant

protective container that contained tables with Ten Commandments housed with Tabernacle

Deuteronomy

Finale of the Pentateuch

Former Prophets/Deuteronomistic History (DtrH)

refers to the themes of Deuteronomy found throughout these books

Joshua (book)

Israel successful conquest of promised land (Canaan) after Moses death fulfilling abrahamic covenant

-picks up where Deuteronomy left off

Joshua (character)

Moses’ successor

-filled with a spirit of wisdom bc Moses had laid his hands on him

Theories of Israelite Occupation

1. Military invasion

2. Peaceful Infiltration

3. Peasant Revolt

Judge (term)

charismatic military leader

Judges (book)

period after death of Joshua and the rise of the monarchy when Israel lacked central leadership

The Judges Cycle

1. Apostasy 

2. Oppression

3. Outcry

4. Deliverance

Narrative Criticism

Analysis of a plot development/patterns, characterizations, points of view, + other literary elements of a story

Redaction Criticism

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

-i.e., historical development of a book itself

1-2 Samuel

History of Israels Transformation from judges to monarchy focuses on Samuel, reign of Saul, + complexities of David’s rule

Samuel (character)

-grew up in the presence of the Lord

-priest, prophet, and judge

-nearly perfect only one issue )made his sons judges but they were unlawful)

Prophet

Serves as a mouthpiece for the words of YHWH to Israel

Saul

-Israel’s first king

-early reign was great

-two organ stories (one + one -) 

-two critical errors

1. Makes a sacrifice for Samuel (not a priest) 

2. Sparing Amelite king and livestock (supposed to kill them all)

United Monarchy

The first period of the Kingdom of Israel in which all 12 tribes are united under a single king

David

-anointed by Samuel

-formidable warrior/tactician

-everyone LOVES David (Saul’s fam, philistines, everyone)

-greatest accomplishment: securing Jerusalem as capital

-rapes Bathsheba and is haunted by it (his downfall) 

Davidic Covenant

unconditional covenant between God + the house of David, promising security for the Davidic dynasty

Bathsheba

-who David rapes

-later marries him and conceives Solomon, next king

Solomon

-Remembered as the wise king of Israel, the son of David and Bathsheba

-He is famous for his wisdom, most famously demonstrated when he judged the case of the two prostitutes with the "split the baby" solution, but his reign is also characterized by great building projects like the First Temple in Jerusalem and later by his downfall due to idolatry caused by his many foreign wives. 

The Temple

The first temple of Jerusalem that reinforces Jerusalem as a center of YHWH worship.

Divided Monarchy

The second period of the monarchy post schism.

Kingdom of Israel

-Northern kingdom that consisted of seceded northern tribes (10/12)

-First king: Jeroboam

-Capital: Samaria (eventually)

Ahab and Jezebel

-Son of Omri married to Sidonian princess

-murdered legit prophets of YHWH

-synonymous w/ evil + idolatry

worshippers of Baal

-The seizure of Naboth’s Vineyard- watnted to buy his vineyard, said no, killed him + accused of b;ashphemy

Elijah and Elisha

-Prototypical prophet

-pronounces divine will concerning direction + judgement to power : condemns Ahab+Jezebel

-At Mt. Horeb: theophany of silence 

-Miraculous acts performed (revives child)

-Challenges Baal prophets to call down fire on Mt. Carmel

-never dies: taken into heavens by chariot of fire

-Successor of Elijah

-receives “double portion” of Elijah’s “spirit”

-takes up Elijah’s mantle (literally)

-miracles of healing and resurrection

-sic’s “she-bears” on kids for mocking baldness

Fall of Israel

(722 BCE)

Assyrian invasion of Israel, capture of Samaria, deportation of Israelites

-Explicit rationale: Assyrians fed up w/ Levant region (includes Israel+Judah)

-Implicit Rationale: “This occurred bc the people of Israel; had sinned against YHWH their God..they had worshipped other gods.” (2 Kgs 17:7) among other things, “cast images of 2 calves".” (2 Kgs 17:16)

Kingdom of Judah

-Southern kingdom that consisted of non-secede southern tribes (2/12)

-First king Rehoboam, son of Solomon

-Capital: Jerusalem

Mannaseh

-Longest reign of Judah’s kings

-Assyrian records mentions him as a loyal vassal (pays tributes on time, Judahite army helped Assyria conquer Egypt)

-Most EVIL king in history of Israel/Judah

-rebuilt everything Hezekiah tore down

-built altars to illicit gods in the temple precinct

-made his sons “pass through fire”

-”blood of the innocent” could fill Jerusalem from one end to another

-For YHWH heis the last straw a.k.a will bring Jerusalem/Judah lots of calamity 

Josiah

-torah found during his reign

-had reforms in response to finding the “book of the law” (Josiah’s Reforms)j

“Book of the Law”

early version of Deuteronomy, the Torah

Fall of Judah/Jerusalem and the Temple

Jerusalem reduced to rubble and temple destroyed in 587 BCE

The Babylonian Exile

Large number of people from Judah, usually VIP’s, deported (exiled) Develto the capital of Babylon (hoarding resources)

Postcolonial Studies

gives attention to how texts reflect ongoing negotiations between

1) reality of imperial oppression

2) the desire to maintain indigenous identity (e.g., colonial mimicry)

Colonial Mimicry

The practice of claiming + reframing imperial forms/propaganda as an expression of idealogical resistance

Trauma Studies 

Gives attention to how texts portray, are shaped by, and originate from traumatic experiences (e.g., war, abuse)

Prophet

A figure who interprets an/or communicates the will of a diety (e.g., judgement, direction)

Prophecy

the subject mater of divine words, omens/signs, or symbols that commentate on present circumstances + near future consequences 

Latter Prophets/Prophetic Literature

anthologies of oracles recorded, organized, + preserved in the biblical canon

Oracle

short poetic speeches (spoken or written) communicating divine words

Retributive Jusitice

Principle illustrated in the Former + Latter prophets; YHWH’s response to Israel corresponds with their conduct 

-Adhere to YHWH’s covenant → blessing and prosperity

-Break YHWH’s covenant →cursing/struggle

Isaiah (prophet)

Called by God through a visions where a seraphim cleanses his lips with a hot coal

Isaiah (book)

-spans the pre exilic, exilic, and post exilic periods

1. Proto-Isaiah: Chs 1-39

-Pre-exilic oracles + later edits 

-Historical references: Assyrian → Babylonian threat 

2. Deutero-Isaiah Chs 40-55

-Exilic oracles + later edits 

-Historical references: experiences during Babylon Exile; hope for return to Judah

3. Trito-Isaiah Chs 56-66

-Post-exilic oracles 

-Historical References: Post-return challenges; Jerusalem as the hope for the world, references to Temple rebuilt 

Zion Theology

Belief that Jerusalem is indestructible + center of the world w/ YHWH’s blessing

Jeremiah (prophet)

-son of a priestly family

-Appointed as a “prophet to the nations”

-consecrated pre-birth

-”weeping prophet”

-witnessed destruction first hand 

-not sent to Babylon

-writes to the exilic community

-remainder of life spent in Egypt (kidnapped) 

Jeremiah (book)

Three sections:

1. oracles regarding Israel/Judah (1-25)

2. Scribal Anthology (26-45)

3. Oracles against the nations 

Ezekiel (prophet)

-priest → prophet

-visions of scroll full or woe and mourning, instructed to eat scroll (“sweet as honey”)

-taken to Babylon w/ early group of deportees

-experienced intense, extremely detailed, extremely vivid visions 

-engaged in many object lessons

-FIRST BIBLICAL FIGURE REGARDED AS TRAUMATIZED

Ezekiel (book)

Three part structure

1. judgement against Israel/judah (1-24) - mostly narrative

2. oracles against the nations (25-32) - mostly poetry

3. restoration for Israel (33-48) - mostly narrative 

The Book of the Twelve

The twelve so-called “minor prophets”; theorizes that all twelve books were compiled and transmitted on a single scroll

The Writings

-last to become canon + recognized as scripture

-3 subsections 

1. Sifrei Emet: ps, prov, job

2. Hamesh meailot: song, 5th, lam, ecclesiastical, esth

3. Other writings: Ezra-neh, chronicles 

Diaspora

The scattering of people beyond their homeland

Cyrus the Great

-Persian imperial founder; releases exiled community

-only non-israelite messiah

Ezra-Nehemiah

-recounts return + rebuilding of temple + Jerusalem walls

-rebuilding Jerusalem + the temple with Persian authorization

-emphasis on family units

-lots of genealogical records

-positive/negative reactions w/foreign people

-Mass divorces as finale

-Extreme measure to maintain Yehud identity as “Israel” 

Ezra (character)

Priest/scribe “skilled in law of Moses”; oversees religious laws

Nehemiah (character)

A governor; leads reconstruction effort of Jerusalem wallsa governor; leads reconstruction effort of Jerusalem walls

Chronicles

-written down during late Persian/early-hellenistic period

-retells story of the monarchy

-quotes many passages from sam-kgs verbatim 

-incorporates numerous unique passages into preexisting material 

-beings w/ 9 chapters of genealogies 

-only recounts story of Judah 

-presents David as nearly perfect

-presents Solomon as nearly perfect 

The Psalms

5 books ending w/ a benediction

-Book I (1-41): mostly individual laments

-Book II (42-72): Mostly individual laments 

-Book III (73-89): Mostly laments 

-Book IV (90-106): Mostly communal praises

-Book V: (107-150): Mostly communal praises

Form Criticism

An approach to biblical analysis that focuses on categorizing formal patterns and structures of texts

Genre

Formal category regarding literary style + structure

Resilience Studies

An interdisciplinary appraoch that considers how texts derive from + encourage resilience

Parallelism

The structure of parallel words, lines, +sections ised at the basis of virtually all Hebrew poetry