Abrahamic Religions

Syncretism

With belief; melding of beliefs from different faith traditions

Septugint

Greek version of the Hebrew Bible

Canonization

Process of picking and choosing what stories went in the Bible

Historical criticisms of the Bible

Which books came first between Mark, Matthew, and Luke; authors would add their own agenda to their stories

Literary criticism

Examining syntax and agenda within pieces of writing

What are the two main historical events for Israel

Exile and Exodus

Henotheism

Privileges one God before others and doesn’t deny the existence of others

Nevim

Prophets

Kethuvim

Writings

Four main stories to the Hebrew Bible (JDEP)

Jahwist, Deuteronomist, Elohist, Priestly

Documentary hypothesis for Old Testament

JDEP; said to have occurred after rebuilding of the second temple after Exile

Documentary hypothesis

When the original stories are pieced together while the new stories are being written

What type of religion is Christianity considered to be

Radical reforming religion

Hyksos

Allegedly, rulers of Egypt; possible inspiration for Exodus story

What are almost all Genesis stories considered

Myth

Covenant

Power differential between parties

Covenant formed between God and Abraham in Genesis 15

God tells him he will have offspring, but they will be enslaved for roughly 400 years before they’re freed and given vast lands and powers

What does the covenant between God and Abraham show

That God can be trusted

Common themes for Genesis 12-17

Dramatic, covenants are formed, character development with Abraham and God

Etiology

Mythic story that explains a natural occurrence

What covenant is formed in Genesis 21

God makes a covenant that Ishmael will have a great nation of him

How many covenants has God formed with Hagar and Ishmael

Two

How does God punish the Egyptian people/land in Exodus 7-11

Releases plagues, frogs, gnats, flies, and turns water to blood (first punishment)

Anthropromorphize

Give human characteristics to non-human characters

How many plagues were there originally thought to be

Eight

Key events from Exodus 1-15

Moses’s story

How is the story of the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14) unclear

There may be involvement of interweaving of other stories; relates to the JDEP

How are the commandments (Exodus 20) divided

Relationship with God and relationship with neighbor

What are the two representations of the golden calf in Exodus 32

The calf is Canin God while the gold is all things precious

Key event in Samuel 15-24

Story of David

Epic hero

Always knows who they are and why they’re on their mission(s)

Epic hero example

Odysseus

Novel hero

Doesn’t know who they are and come to realize who they are the story progresses

Novel hero example

David

Message in Psalm 1

How to have a good life as a person

Message in Psalm 2

How to have a good life as a society/corporation

Purpose of Psalm 46

Psalm of comfort and refuge

How does the covenant expand in Isaiah 57

Expands to include foreigners and Eunachs

Message of Amos 5

Seek the lord and live; if you seek good you live, seek evil and you die; fanfare that people think matter doesn’t matter in the end