HIST 2221 OSU Test 2 Terms

Ancient Biographies

An ancient genre of literature that narrated the life of a famous person, usually in chronological sequence, in which the protagonist's major personality characteristics were established at the outset and were displayed in various things she or he said or did throughout life

Passover

The most important and widely celebrated annual festival of Jews in Roman times, commemorating the exodus from Egypt.

Infancy Gospel of Thomas

The early non canonical Gospel account that describes deeds and experiences of Jesus between the ages of five and twelve

Infancy Gospels

Noncanonical accounts of the deeds and experiences of Jesus as a child

Gospel

The translation of a Greek word that literally means "good news", used of the first four books of the New Testament (and books like them) that narrate the good news of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

Messiah (Christ)

From a Hebrew word that literally means "anointed one," translated into Greek as Christos, from which derives our English word Christ. In the first century C.E., there was a wide range of expectations about whom this anointed one might be, with some Jews anticipating a future warrior-king like David, others a cosmic redeemer from heaven, others an authoritative priest, and still others a powerful spokesperson from God like Moses.

Four Source Hypothesis

A solution to the "Synoptic Problem" that maintains that there are four sources that lie behind the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke: (1) Mark was the source for much of the narrative of Matthew and Luke; (2) Q was the source for the sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark; (3) M provided the material found only in Matthew's Gospel; and (4) L provided the material found only in Luke.

Genre

Refers to a kind of literary text i.e. a novel, a gospel etc)

L

a document (or documents, written or oral) that no longer survives but that evidently provided Luke with traditions that are not found in Matthew or Mark.

M

A document (or documents, written or oral) that no longer survive but that evidently provided Matthew with traditions that are not found in Mark or Luke

Markan Priority

The view that Mark was the first of the Synoptic Gospels to be written and was one of the sources used by Matthew and Luke

Messianic Secret

Reference to a literary feature of the Gospel of Mark, that Jesus regularly attempts to keep his messianic identity secret by urging those he heals, the demons, and his disciples not to reveal to others who he is.

passion

From a Greek word that means "suffering," used as a technical term to refer to the traditions of Jesus' last days, up to and including his crucifixion.

Q

The source used by both Mathew and Luke for the stories they share, principally sayings that are not found in Mark; from the German word Quelle, "source". The document no longer exists but can be reconstructed on the basis of Mathew and Luke

Son of God

In most Greco-Roman circles, the designation of a person born to a god, able to perform miraculous deeds and/or to convey superhuman teachings; in Jewish circles, the designation of persons chosen to stand in a special relationship with the God of Israel, including the ancient Jewish Kings.

Son of Man

A term whose meaning is much disputed among modern scholars, used in some ancient apocalyptic texts to refer to a cosmic judge sent from heaven at the end of time.

Synoptic Gospels

The Gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke, which narrate so many of the same stories that they can be placed side by side in parallel columns and so "be seen together"

Synoptic Problem

The problem of explaining the similarities and differences between the three Synoptic Gospels.

Antithesis

Literally, "contrary statements," used as a technical term to designate six sayings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in which he states a Jewish law (you have heard it said...) and then sets his own interpretation over it ("but I say to you..."

Aramaic

A Semitic language similar to Hebrew that was the native tongue for Jesus and many other Jews living in Palestine during the New Testament period.

Beatitudes

A Latin word meaning, literally, "blessings," used as a technical term for the sayings of Jesus that begin the Sermon on the Mount

Fulfillment Citation

The citation of Old Testament Scripture in certain passages of Matthew, where the OT is said to have been "fulfilled" in something that Jesus did or experienced.

Genre Criticism

a method used to study a literary text by asking how its genre text functioned in its historical context and by exploring, then, its historical meaning in light of its literary characteristics

Golden Rule

The pronouncement of Jesus that you should "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Similarly worded pronouncements were made by other great religious teachers in the ancient world.

Gospel of the Nazareans

Jewish-Christian Gospel written in Aramaic that was very similar to our Gospel of Matthew, without its first two chapters.

Gospel of Peter

Fragmentary account of Jesus' trial, crucifixion, and resurrection, discovered in the tomb of a monk in Egypt; the Gospel is more anti-Jewish than those in the New Testament, and it recounts the resurrection event itself (with Jesus emerging from his grave as a giant, with a cross emerging behind him).

Lord's Prayer

The prayer Jesus taught his disciples to show them how to pray

Nazareans

An early group of Jewish Christians who maintained their Jewish identity and lifestyles and insisted that keeping the Jewish Law was essential for salvation

Redaction Criticism

The study of how authors modified or edited (i.e., redacted) their sources in view of their own vested interests and concerns.

Redactor

Another name for editors

Sermon on the Mount

The sermon found only in Matthew 5-7, which preserves many of the best-known sayings of Jesus (including Matthew's form of the Beatitudes, the antitheses, and the Lord's Prayer).

Apology

A reasoned explanation and justification of one's beliefs and/or practices, from a Greek word meaning "defense."

comparative method

A method used to study a literary text by noting its similarities to and differences from other, related, texts, whether or not any of these other texts was used as a source for the text in question.

manuscript

any handwritten copy of a literary text

Prophet

One who speaks words given by means of revelation from God

Quirinius

According to Luke, the governor of Syria when Jesus was born in Bethlehem

Theophilus

The person to whom Luke dedicated both his gospel and the book of Acts. Theophilus may have been an actual person, possibly a Roman administrator, or the name may be symbolic for the Christian reader (one who "loves God" or who is "loved by God"