REL 301 Ancient Near Eastern Religions & Cultures

Midterm Exam Questions

 

The Midterm Exam will consist of ONE fill-in-the-table exercise (see below) and TWO essay answers. THREE (3) of the essay questions below 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 the development of cities (“civilization”) and larger states in the third millennium BCE, and theories about the role of religious institutions in that development. Which, if any, of those theories do you think most plausible? Why?
  2. Compare descriptions of gods with descriptions of queens and kings in ancient prayers, hymns, letters and inscriptions. Explain the similarities or differences in the context of ancient religion and politics.
  3. How did ancient art depict beliefs about gods? How did people understand the relationship between art and religion? Do you see any evidence that ancient religious beliefs were shaped by artistic forms and conventions?
  4. Is there literary evidence for religious change in the ancient Near East? If so, what kind of evidence is it (myths, royal inscriptions, wisdom instructions, etc.) and what kind of changes does it point to? How does it accord with non-literary evidence of religious practices?
  5. Describe the attitudes towards history reflected in ancient texts. How did prophets try to influence attitudes towards the past and future? Why did (do) people look for religious reasons for historical catastrophes?

 

QUESTION 1:

Place each of these societies/cultural periods in the appropriate space below (hint: though each period-name should appear in only one box in the table, some boxes should contain more than one while others should remain empty):

 

Middle Kingdom                                 Neo-Assyrian

Persian                                                Old Kingdom

Late Period                                         Neo-Babylonian

Old Babylonian                                   Israelite & Judean Kingdoms

Sumerian                                             New Kingdom

Hittite                                                  Ugaritic

Hellenistic

 

For one-half (1/2) point of extra credit each, add to the boxes the name of a king or queen of that time and place (maximum one per box).

 

Place

Time

Egypt

Eastern Mediterranean

Mesopotamia

3000-2000 BCE

 

 

 

2000-1500 BCE

 

 

 

1500-1000 BCE

 

 

 

1000-500 BCE

 

 

 

500-1 BCE