Unit 2.1 Study Guide- Religion

  • The Divided Kingdom
      * What are the names of the two kingdoms after the division?- Kingdom of Israel to the North and Kingdom of Judah to the South
      * In which geographic region (between the two kingdoms) is Jerusalem in?- Located in Modern day Israel/the Middle East
      * Which line of kings continue to descend from the line of King David - the Northern or Southern Kings? - The Southern Kings, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin
      * Where is the temple located?- Located in the South and the North cannot access it
      * Who are the Kings of Judah descendants of? Descendants of David (Davidic Covenant)

  • The Assyrian Exile
      * Do the Assyrians attack the Northern or Southern Kingdom? - Attack the Northern kingdom
        * About how many tribes of Israel are taken into exile by the Assyrians?  10 tribes were taken captive.

  • The Babylonian Exile
      * Do the Babylonians attack the Northern or Southern Kingdom?- Southern Kingdom
        * About how many tribes of Israel are taken into exile by the Babylonians? - 10 tribes
      * In how many waves do the Babylonians exile the Jews?- Three waves
        * What of great significance is destroyed in third wave of exile? - The city fell in the third wave

  • The Prophets
      * What is their primary role in the biblical story?- Prophets are communicators of God’s message and call the people back to their faithfulness
      * What are the names of the four major prophets?- Major prophets include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
      * What is the difference between a major and minor prophet in the Bible?- Major prophets have longer books and minor prophets have shorter books

  • Daniel (prophet)
      * Is Daniel one of the four major prophets?- Yes
      * Who is the "Ancient of Days" in Daniel 7?- Ancient of Days is God
      * What does the term "Son of Man" refer to in Daniel 7?- Son of Man represents Jesus

  • The Return from Exile
      * Who defeats the Babylonians and issues an edict of religious tolerance, allowing the Jews to return to the promised land?- King of Persia, Cyrus, defeats the Babylonians and allows the Jews to return to their promised land
      * What has happened to the 10 tribes of the northern kingdom at this point?- Most had disappeared or been taken over by other peoples
      * What are the 3 rebuilding projects in the promised land and who are they each led by?- Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah

  • The Maccabean Revolt
      * Why are the Maccabees revolting? Who are the revolting against?- They are revolting against the Syrians to regain their homeland.
      * What is the name of the horrific Seleucid King that brings a great persecution on the Jewish people during this period?- Antiochus IV Epiphanes

  • The 5 Main Jewish Groups
      * What are the names of these 5 Jewish groups that existed at the close of the Old Testament period?- Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots, and the poor.
      * Pharisees- strict, external observance of all religious laws.
      * Sadducees: wealthy class, chief priests, but denied angels and afterlife.
      * Essenes- broke conventional Judaism and turned backs on world problems
      * Zealots- militant Jews, they were more of a terrorist group than religious
      * the poor- largest group and a bit of every group

  • Life in 1st Century A.D. Palestine
      * How does the political, economic, daily, religious, and educational life of the 1st century A.D. compare to life in those areas today?-
      * How does 1st century context in these areas of life shape your understanding of the world Jesus lived in?