BIBLE 331 – Old Testament I – Pentateuch and Historical Books

Final Examination Review Sheet

Things You Should Review:
 The geography of the Ancient Near Eastern World and Ancient Israel
 The layout and function of the tabernacle/temple
 The aspects of the Patriarchal/Abrahamic covenant
 The plagues and their relationships to ancient Egyptian deities
 The layout of the Mosaic covenant as compared to the ancient vassal treaties
 The ten commandments
 The major feasts of the Old Testament
 The major empires and people groups of the ancient world of significance to the study of the OT
 The major historical/archeological periods related to the study of the Old Testament
 The dates of major events (patriarchs, exodus, establishment of monarchy, destructions/exile of Samaria
and Jerusalem, cycles of return of the exiled people to the land, time of the Maccabees, etc)
 Major archeological sites and evidences discussed in relation to Old Testament events
 The different senses of Scripture according to the Church Fathers
 Specific Patristic interpretations of key passages events (creation and fall, human nature based on early
chapters of Genesis, God’s appearances to the Patriarchs and Prophets, the events of the Exodus, the
purpose and place of the Law in the Old and New Covenants, Messianic hopes emerging from the Old
Testament, Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament)
Key Terms:
Words
Monotheism Syncretism Polytheism
Absolute Chronology Relative Chronology Middle Bronze Age (2000-1550)
Late Bronze Age (1550-1200) Iron Age I (1200-1000) Iron Age II (1000-586)
Babylonian Period (586-539) Persian Period (539-330) Hellenistic Period (330-63)
Pentateuch Casuistic Law Apodictic Law
Prohibition (in the Law) Death law Civil Laws
Ceremonial Laws Cultic Laws Primeval History
Creation Paradise Fall
Pantheon Patriarchal History Covenant
Election Theophany Yahweh (Name of God)
Decalogue Documentary Hypothesis Yahwist
Elohist Deuteronomist Priestly Writer
Exodus Vassal Treaty Vassal
Suzerain Passover Holiness/Consecration
Impurity/Unclean Purity/Clean Purifying
Atonement Sacrifice(s) Day of Atonement
Sabbath
People
 BIBLE 331 – Old Testament I – Pentateuch and Historical Books
Final Examination Review Sheet
Israelites/Hebrews Hittites Egyptians
Sumerians Babylonians Assyrians
Philistines Arameans Canaanites
Moabites Edomites Phoenicians
Amalekites Midianites Israel & Judah
Adam Eve Noah
Abraham Isaac Jacob
Joseph Sons of Jacob Moses
Aaron Levites Priests
Joshua Samson Gideon
Deborah Barack Samuel
Eli Hophni Phineas
Saul David Jonathan
Absalom Solomon Reheboam
Jereboam Omri Ahab
Jezebel Elias (Elijah) Elisha (Elisseus)
Jehu Ahaz Hezekiah
Josiah Sennacherib Isaiah
Manasseh Josiah Jehoiachin
Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus the Great Zerubbabel
Ezra Nehemiah Ruth
Esther Tobit Judith
Antioches IV Epiphanes Alexander the Great Maccabees
Baal Asherah Marduk
Hammurabi Deuteronomistic History Historiography
Archeology Literary Criticism Textual Criticism
“The Ban” in Joshua Apostasy Levirate Marriage
Kinsman Redeemer Tribal League Monarchy
Ark of the Covenant Tabernacle Temple
Davidic Promise United Monarchy Divided Kingdom
Chronicler Purim Hannukah

Places
Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia Egypt
 BIBLE 331 – Old Testament I – Pentateuch and Historical Books
Final Examination Review Sheet
Nile River Tigris River Euphrates River
Canaan/Palestine Asia Minor/Anatolia Arabian Peninsula
Coastal Plain Central Highlands Jordan Rift
Transjordan Plateau Jordan River Dead Sea
Levant Sea of Galilee

Be able to locate these events in their respective books/chapters:

Genesis
Creation of the World
Fall of Mankind and Expulsion from Paradise
The Flood
Call of and Promise to Abraham
The Ratification of the Abrahamic Covenant (when God passed through the animal parts)
The Introduction of Circumcision
Abraham hosts three “angelic visitors”
Abraham “Offers” Isaac as a Sacrifice to God
Jacob’s vision of the heavenly ladder with angels ascending and descending
Joseph sold into slavery in Egypt
Joseph, now second to Pharaoh in Egypt, reveals himself to his brothers
Exodus
Call of Moses at the Burning Bush
The Original Passover
The crossing of the Red Sea
The Israelites receive the Ten Commandments at Mt Sinai
The Original Ratification of the Mosaic Covenant
The Incident of the Golden Calf
The Lord makes his glory to pass by Moses on Mt Sinai and renews the Covenant
Leviticus
The Consecration of Aaron as Priest
The Day of Atonement
Levitical Pronouncement of Blessings and Curses (26)
Numbers
The spies sent into the Promised Land
 BIBLE 331 – Old Testament I – Pentateuch and Historical Books
Final Examination Review Sheet
The Rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram
The Trial of the Fiery Serpents and Moses makes the Brazen Serpent
Deuteronomy
Deuteronomic Ten Commandments
Warnings about false prophets (13)
Laws regulating kings (17)
Promise of the future prophet (18)
Deuteronomic Pronouncement of Blessings and Curses (28)
The Death of Moses and the hope for a prophet like Moses
Joshua
Battle of Jericho
Covenant Renewal (Reading of the Law) at Ebal and Gerezim
Covenant Renewal at Shechem
Judges
Israel’s Cycle of Apostasy
I Kingdoms
Birth of Samuel
Call of Samuel
Israel’s Request for a King (8)
II Kingdoms
Davidic Promise (7)
David and Bathsheba
III Kingdoms
Solomon Consecrates the Temple (8)
The Man of God’s Oracle against the Sin of Jereboam (13)
Elijah’s Contest with Prophets of Baal (18)
Elijah’s Vision on Mt Horeb (19)
IV Kingdoms
Fall of Samaria to Assyria (17)
Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon (25)
II Maccabees
Martyrdom of the 7 Youths and their Mother (7)
Rededication of the Temple – Hannukah (10)
 BIBLE 331 – Old Testament I – Pentateuch and Historical Books
Final Examination Review Sheet
Canon of St Andrew of Crete
You will be given a number of verses from the Canon of St. Andrew and asked to explain a few of them. I will
ask you to give a brief background to the incident alluded to and then to briefly explain what application the
canon makes. I will not just the more obscure references (like Ahitophel) but events you should be more
familiar with. You may review the canon here online: http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/canon.htm

Everyone Should Write this Essay (20 Pts)

Write an essay summarizing the overarching narrative that runs from Genesis to Maccabees. Be sure to address
the following themes: Creation/Fall, the Abrahamic Promise/Covenant, the Exodus and Sinai Covenant, the
Davidic Covenant, the Exile and Return, and the Sense of Disappointment and Anticipation experience by those
returning from the Exile which points towards and finds fulfillment in the New Testament. Be sure to highlight
how the covenants begin to unfold in the Old Testament but remain ultimately unfulfilled looking forward to the
coming of Christ.

Choose One Additional Topic and Write an Essay on It (20 Pts)

1. We learned about and discussed the Israelite conquest of the land of Canaan. This story raises problematic
moral questions for some. Write a brief essay addressing these concerns by attempting to answer the following
questions: How do we square the fact that we, as Christians, believe in a loving, gracious and just God with the
fact that God seems to have commanded the people of Israel to commit an act of ruthless genocide against the
people of Canaan? How would you respond to someone who said that the Christian scriptures endorse violence
against others as much as the Quran because of the stories in the book of Joshua? Does this mean Christians can
carry out Jihad?

2. We discussed the impact of Judah's diaspora on the development of Jewish religious beliefs and practices
during their exile in Babylonian and in the post-exilic restoration. Describe some aspects of/events in the exile
experience which brought about some of these changes, specifically commenting on the following developments:

A. Shift from monolatry and syncretism to strict monotheism

B. Development of a clearer eschatological outlook and its importance for the Jews
C. Shift from temple to synagogue and home-based worship/ritual
D. The rise in importance of rituals like Passover, circumcision and Kosher/purity laws

3. The modern science of archaeology has shed a great deal of light on the customs and history described in the
Old Testament. Discuss in general why archaeology is useful but some of its limitations in proving the authenticity
of the events described in the biblical narratives. Use one of the cases as an example, describing what discoveries
archaeologists have uncovered in relation to the block of biblical narrative, what evidence it might offer and what
might account for any difficulties in providing clear proof of the authenticity of the biblical account.

A. The Patriarchal Narratives

B. The Egyptian Bondage and Exodus of the People of Israel
C. The Conquest of the Promised Land

4. The Holy Fathers did not limit their interpretations of the Old Testament to strictly literal and historical
readings, but employed allegorical and typological interpretations to understand the Old Testament in relation to
the mystery of Christ and the Church. First, describe the four senses or levels of meaning the Church Fathers say
exist within the Scriptures. Then, briefly explain how the Church Fathers understood one of the following Old
 BIBLE 331 – Old Testament I – Pentateuch and Historical Books
Final Examination Review Sheet
Testament events, first summarizing the biblical story and then describing the interpretation of one or more of the
Holy Fathers we read or discussed in relation to it.

A. Man’s Original Creation and Fall into Sin

B. The Passover and Exodus out of Egypt
C. The Revelation and Construction of the Tabernacle

5. Although Israel was commanded by God to worship Him and Him alone, it is clear from the pages of the Old
Testament that they had a hard time remaining faithful to this command. Explain the cycle of Israel’s apostasy in
the time of the Judges and later during the reigns of Kings Jereboam and Ahab and how God attempted to
straighten his people out through the Judges and Prophets.

6. We read about and discussed the synoptic works (“synoptic” meaning works of history that look at the same
events) of the so-called Deuteronomic History (Joshua/Judges/Samuel/Kings) and the Chronicler’s History
(Books of Chronicles). Discuss the different historical settings of the composition of these two histories and the
differences in their approach to and portrayal of Israel’s history, especially the time from the reign of King David
to the Babylonian Exile. What might account for the differences between their portrayals based on when they
were writing, for whom, and why? What message would the different histories convey to their audiences? Why
should we not be troubled by the fact that we have these two different groups of historical accounts (think of the
Gospels)?