THL 216 Exam 2

what are the two conquest narratives?

Joshua 1,3,6-8 and Judges 1

describe the conquest narrative of Joshua

• divinely sanctioned ethnic cleasning

• not let anything that breathes remain alive

• annihilate everything (don’t leave anything alive that breathes)

• triumph of absolute obedience

describe the conquest narrative of Judges

• gradual conquest with theological cycle

  • people forget God; God raises an enemy; people remember God; God raises up a Judge who delievers the people

  • cycle repeats several times

• consequence of partial obedience

Joshua 1

commission of Joshua, promise land, obedience emphasized

Joshua 3

miraculous Jordan crossing, ark signals God’s presence

Joshua 6

Jericho, siege, herem, Rahab spared

herem

ban, things devoted to destruction

spolis of war aren’t taken/touched

Joshua 7 & 8

Ai; Achan’s sin = defeat, purification = ambush and victory, covenant renewal

Judges 1

fragmentary, partial conquest, canaanites remain, gradual settlement

conquest hypothesis

W.F. Albright, Y. Yadin

united people called Israel invades Canaan from the east and subdues the Canaanites

pastoral-nomad hypothesis

Albrecht Alt

united people called Israel migrates peacefully into Canaan from the east, settles down and eventually takes over the land by war

peasant revolt hypothesis

N. Gottwald, George Mendenhall

a people called Israel emerges from within Canaan as refugees from the city-states, which they overthrew

ruralization hypothesis

L. Stager and others

most plausible and popular as it covers most of the bases

what river connects lake kinneret and the dead sea?

jordan river

what is the northern boarder of the north kingdom (israel)?

dan

what is the southern boarder of the north kingdom (israel)?

bethel

where is jericho from the dead sea?

north

which direction do you go from samaria to beersheba?

south

cities to the east/ in ammon (relative to dead sea)

rabbah

cities to the west/ in judah (relative to dead sea)

jerusalem

beth shemesh

hebron

arad

beersheba

cities to the north/ in israel (relative to dead sea)

jericho

bethel

gezer

shiloh

shechem

samaria

megiddo

beth she’an

cities way north/ in phoenicia or around there (relative to dead sea)

hazor

dan

akko (acco)

tyre

sidon

was jerusalem in the low or high lands?

high lands

was jericho in the low or high lands?

low lands

Achan

An Israelite from the tribe of Judah who stole forbidden items during the Jericho conquest, causing Israel’s defeat at Ai. He was executed for violating the ban.

Ahab

A king of Israel in the 9th century BCE, known for idolatry, his marriage to Jezebel, and conflicts with the prophet Elijah.

Ai

A Canaanite city near Jericho. Israel’s first attack failed because of Achan’s sin; the second attack succeeded after Israel followed God’s instructions

Albright, William F.

“father of biblical archaeology”

conquest hypothesis

Alt, Albrecht

pastoral-nomad hypothesis

archaeology

The scientific study of past human life through material remains such as tools, pottery, buildings, and artifacts

Baal

A Canaanite storm and fertility god worshiped in ancient Israel’s surrounding cultures. worship becomes a sign of covenant unfaithfulness

Bathsheba

Wife of Uriah the Hittite and later King David. David’s adultery with her and the arranged death of Uriah become a major turning point in David’s reign.

Beersheba

A major town in the southern region of ancient Israel

Bethel

means “house of God”

A significant religious site north of Jerusalem

one of the cities associated with destruction layers

Dan

A city in the far north of ancient Israel

the site where Jeroboam set up one of his golden calf shrines

David

The second king of Israel, founder of the Davidic dynasty. Known for unifying the tribes, establishing Jerusalem as the capital, and for key narratives like defeating Goliath and his complex family/political struggles

Deborah

A judge and prophet in the book of Judges. She leads Israel in battle against the Canaanite general Sisera. Her ally Jael kills Sisera, completing the victory.

Deuterocanonical

Books considered canonical in some Christian traditions (like Catholic and Orthodox) but not included in the Hebrew Bible. Examples include Tobit, Judith, and 1–2 Maccabees.

Deuteronomistic History (DH)

A scholarly term for the edited narrative running from Deuteronomy through 2 Kings, shaped by Deuteronomic theology.

Emphasizes covenant obedience, centralized worship, and interprets Israel’s history (including the monarchy and exile) through those theological lenses.

Gedaliah

A governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar after Jerusalem fell (586 BCE).

Ruled the remaining people in Judah at Mizpah until he was assassinated, which worsened the post‑exile chaos

golden calves

Idolatrous statues set up by Jeroboam at Dan and Bethel to keep northern Israelites from worshiping in Jerusalem.

A major symbol of apostasy in the Deuteronomistic History.

Gottwald, N.

peasant revolt hypothesis

Hannah

Mother of Samuel.

Known for her prayer in 1 Samuel 1–2 and for dedicating her son to God’s service

Huldah

A prophetess in the time of King Josiah.

Confirmed the authenticity of the “book of the law” found in the temple and supported Josiah’s reforms.

Hezekiah

A king of Judah known for major religious reforms, removing idols, and centralizing worship in Jerusalem.

Positively evaluated in the Deuteronomistic History.

Israel (kingdom of)

The northern kingdom after the split following Solomon’s reign.

Capital eventually became Samaria.

Known for repeated idolatry (e.g., golden calves), leading to its fall to Assyria in 722 BCE.

Jael

A woman in Judges who kills Sisera by driving a tent peg through his head, completing Israel’s victory.

Jehoiachim

A king of Judah before the exile. Known for rejecting prophetic warnings and being negatively evaluated in the Deuteronomistic History

Jehoiachin

Ruled Judah briefly before being taken into Babylonian exile. Later released from prison by a Babylonian king

Jehu

A king of Israel who violently overthrew Ahab’s dynasty.

Praised for eliminating Baal worship but criticized for continuing Jeroboam’s golden calf cult.

Jeremiah

A major prophet during Judah’s final years.

Warned of coming exile, urged repentance, and witnessed Jerusalem’s fall

Jericho

A city near the Jordan River. First major victory in Joshua’s conquest; walls collapse after Israel’s ritual march.

Jeroboam

First king of the northern kingdom (Israel) after the split.

Set up golden calves at Dan and Bethel, becoming a key symbol of idolatry

Jerusalem

Capital of Judah.

Central worship site in Deuteronomistic theology; destroyed by Babylon in 586 BCE

Jezebel

Phoenician wife of King Ahab.

Promoted Baal worship and opposed Israel’s prophets (especially Elijah)

Joab

David’s military commander.

Known for loyalty but also for violent actions, including killing Abner and Amasa

Joshua

Successor to Moses; leader of Israel’s conquest of Canaan.

Associated with Jericho, Ai, covenant renewal.

Josiah

A king of Judah praised for major religious reforms.

Centralized worship, destroyed idols, and renewed the covenant after finding the “book of the law.”

Judah (kingdom)

The southern kingdom after the split.

Capital: Jerusalem.

Eventually conquered by Babylon, leading to the exile.

Levitical priesthood

The priests from the tribe of Levi responsible for temple worship, sacrifices, and teaching the law.

Central to Deuteronomic reforms that emphasize proper worship in Jerusalem

Manasseh

A king of Judah known for extreme idolatry, including altars to foreign gods.

Considered one of the worst kings in the Deuteronomistic History; his sins are said to contribute to Judah’s eventual exile

Merneptah stela

ca. 1207 BCE

earliest piece of known written mention of Israel

“Israel is laid waster; its seed is no more”

Nebuchadnezzar

The Babylonian king who conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BCE, and carried many Israelites into exile

Necho

An Egyptian pharaoh who fought in the region during the late 7th century BCE.

Killed King Josiah at Megiddo and influenced Judah’s politics before Babylon’s rise

Omri

A king of Israel who founded a powerful dynasty and built Samaria as the capital.

Often judged negatively in the Deuteronomistic History for continuing idolatry

Rahab

A woman in Jericho who sheltered Israelite spies.

Her family was spared during Jericho’s destruction because of her loyalty

Rehoboam

Son of Solomon and first king of Judah after the kingdom split.

His harsh policies caused the northern tribes to break away and form the kingdom of Israel

Samaria

Capital of the northern kingdom (Israel) after Omri built it.

Later became a symbol of the north’s idolatry in the Deuteronomistic History

Samuel

A prophet, priest, and judge who anointed both Saul and David.

Saul

The first king of Israel.

Ultimately rejected by God for disobedience; his troubled reign contrasts with David’s rise

Solomon

Son of David; known for building the Jerusalem temple, great wealth, and wisdom.

Later criticized for foreign wives and idolatry, contributing to the kingdom’s eventual split

Stager, Lawrence

ruralization hypothesis

Uriah the Hittite

A soldier in David’s army and the husband of Bathsheba.

David arranged his death in battle after committing adultery with Bathsheba

Yadin, Yigael

A prominent Israeli archaeologist and military leader

conquest hypothesis

Zedekiah

The last king of Judah before the Babylonian exile.

Rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, leading to Jerusalem’s destruction in 586 BCE; captured and blinded after trying to flee

what are the main concerns of the DH writers?

whether israel and its kings remain faithful to yahweh and the covenant

how does the deuteronomisitic writer judge kings?

by their obedience to yahweh

what is Martin Noth’s theory?

one exilic DH writer compiled and interpreted Joshua-2 Kings

what is Frank M. Cross’s theory?

Joshua-2 Kings reflects two major editions (Dtr1 and Dtr2)

what is Dtr1?

pre-destruction, royal scribes

an earlier edition associated with Josiah’s reign and hope for reform

what is Dtr2?

post-destruction, exile, priestly scribes

a later edition explaining israel and judah’s destruction

how does Dtr1 view Josiah?

positively, emphasizing his reforms and return to covenant faithfulness

why is Dtr2 more pessimistic?

the exile has happened, so it emphasizes persistent sin and judgment

how is david portrayed?

as the model king against whom later kings are often judged

why is Saul condemned?

his disobeys Yahweh’s commands and therefore loses divine approval

why is Ahab condemned?

he promotes Baal worship and leads israel into idolatry

why are Hezekiah and Josiah praised?

they reform worship and promote covenant faithfulness

what is the Deuteronomistic view of the northern kings?

mostly negative because they continue idolatry and disobedience

what happens to Israel and Judah?

israel falls to assyria

judah falls to babylon and goes into exile

how does the writer explain the exile?

as the consequence of persistent covenant disobedience

does the writer reject monarchy completely?

no faithful kings can be good; unfaithful kings bring disaster

what is the key standard for a good king?

faithfulness to yahweh and proper worship

what is the main argument about the monarchy?

kings are judged by covenant faithfulness, not political success