REL 301 Ancient Near Eastern Religions & Cultures

Final Exam Questions

 

THREE (3) of the following questions will appear on the exam, and you will be expected to choose TWO (2) to answer.  Prepare your answers in advance to all five questions.  I suggest you develop short outlines of your answers that can easily be memorized.  Notes or other aides may NOT be used during the test.

 

  1. Describe ancient scribal education and the characteristic values of the scribal class. Evaluate the degree to which scribes’ monopoly on writing has or has not biased our understanding of ancient culture and religion. Give examples from specific texts to back up your observations.
  2. Cite specific texts and historical examples to answer the following questions: What roles did women play in ancient Near Eastern societies. To what degree did the depictions of goddesses in art and literature mirror those gender roles or not? If not or not always, how do you explain the differences?
  3. Evaluate the following statement on the basis of your knowledge of the religious practices of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Israel and the readings and class discussions about magic and divination: “Magic and rationality do not conflict: magic is rational, and its argumentation is often rationalistic” (Baines, RAE 165)
  4. Evaluate the relationship between hedonistic advice and afterlife beliefs in ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Israelite cultures on the basis of specific texts and the class discussions.
  5. With attention to material and literary as well as religious reaons, explain why the Bible has had such a greater and different impact on Western cultures than other ancient Near Eastern texts. What issues attend the rediscovery and appropriation of ancient Near Eastern culture in the 19th-21st centuries?

 

The final exam will take place Monday, May 5th, at 5 p.m. in HL 102.