REL 114  THE BIBLE

Study Guide for Exam # 1

 

  1. Be familiar with the contents of the biblical readings and be able to summarize the contents and story lines of the books from Genesis through Deuteronomy. Know who the main characters are.
  2. Be familiar with the readings from the textbook and with Gilgamesh XI.
  3. Review the various critical methods for studying the Bible and understand their relationships to each other.
  4. Be familiar with the historical and cultural background of the Bronze Age and its civilizations.  What does the Gilgamesh epic reveal about the stories in Genesis 1-11?
  5. Be able to compare the cycles of stories in Genesis 12-50 on the basis of their literary styles, main themes, and depictions of God.
  6. What was the historical situation of the Near East at the time of Israel’s emergence in Canaan?
  7. Be familiar with the story of the Exodus.  What was Egypt like in the late Bronze Age?
  8. What is a “covenant”?  Why did Israel make one with God at Sinai?  What is its connection to treaties and to laws?
  9. Be familiar with overall contents of the ritual rules in Leviticus. What was their role in the Temple? What is their connection to the authority of scripture?

 

            Essay Questions for Exam # 1

 

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

 

1)  Select one of these four methods of biblical criticism (Text, Source, Form, Feminist) and assess its usefulness for understanding the Bible. Give an example of its application to a particular text and be sure to explain what the method’s goals are, as well as its strengths and weaknesses.

 

2)  Compare and contrast the flood stories in Gilgamesh XI and Genesis 6-9. How and why does the version in Genesis alter the meaning of the Mesopotamian story?

 

3)  Describe how and why the author(s) of the Bible distinguished the time depicted in Genesis from the period depicted in the following books.

 

4)  Describe the plague stories in Exodus. Evaluate their role within the Book of Exodus and their significance for current discussions of religion and violence.