Introduction to the Old Testament (Christine Hayes) Flashcards

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1
Q

From what text is the Babylonian Creation Myth derived?

A

Enuma Elish

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2
Q

Who introduced the revolutionary monotheism model?

A

Yehezkel Kaufmann

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3
Q

What was Kaufmann’s name for the domain prior to or above the gods in pagan religion?

A

Metadivine realm

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4
Q

According to Hayes, how does Near Eastern Mythology differ from Genesis in its portrayal of humanity?

A

Humans aren’t the pinnacle or purpose of creation, no stewardship of the world.

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5
Q

What does ‘Adam’ mean?

A

the adam (note definite article i.e. not a name) - the earthling.

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6
Q

How does the second creation myth of Genesis portray gender?

A

No implications of inequality - Eve created from side rather than head or foot.

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7
Q

How many times does the word ‘good’ appear in Genesis?

A

7, an example of leitwort (10 is also common)

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8
Q

How should “in the beginning” be translated?

A

Something like “When God began creating the world.” or “When on high” (cf. Enuma Elish)

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9
Q

What is the significance of “and there is darkness in the face of deep”

A

The Hebrew word ‘Tehom’ is a cognate of the Sumerian ‘Tiam’ - one of many explicit references to the Enuma Elish (e.g. Psalm 74:12-17, Isaiah 51:9-10).

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10
Q

What does Genesis 1 say about diet?

A

Vegetarianism, and no competition with animals for food (Genesis 1:29-30).

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11
Q

Who was the most important early Biblical archaeologist?

A

Edward Robinson - known for identifying sites with Biblical locations by correlating modern Arabic names e.g. Bethel.

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12
Q

Tree of knowledge…

A

of good and evil. Contrast from tree of life, which has Near Eastern precedents. Apple imagery comes from Latin ‘malum’ homonymy..

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13
Q

How are ‘Yahweh’ and ‘Elohim’ translated?

A

‘Lord’ and ‘God’, respectively.

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14
Q

What right does God give Noah declined to Abraham?

A

Taking of animal life.

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15
Q

How do Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 compare in portrayal of God?

A

Genesis 1 is abstract, Genesis 2 is anthropomorphic.

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16
Q

Why is Genesis 13:7 famous?

A

“The Canaanites and Perrizites were then dwelling in the land”, even though they were still dwelling there in Moses’ time.

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17
Q

Who began the modern critical study of the Bible?

A

Spinoza.

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18
Q

Who first emphasised Biblical contradictions and errors and denied Mosaic authorship?

A

Richard Simon.

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19
Q

Where was the Documentary Hypothesis first proposed?

A

Wellhausen’s ‘The History of Israel’ (1878).

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20
Q

What do Genesis 7:17 and 7:24 say?

A

Different things about the length of the flood (40 days or 150)?

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21
Q

How many animals of each kind?

A

Either two (Genesis 6:20) or two for unclean and fourteen for clean (Genesis 7:2-3).

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22
Q

What did Herman Gunkel do?

A

Attempted to analyse J, E, D and P to discover the pre-literary stages of their development.

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23
Q

What is significant about Numbers 21:14, Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 10:18?

A

They quote from otherwise unattested books (‘Book of the Wars of the Lord’, ‘Book of Jasher’) in ways that imply readers are expected to know them.

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24
Q

What was Gunkel’s approach called?

A

Form criticism.

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25
Q

What are etiological stories?

A

Legends explaining names, rituals and/or institutions.

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26
Q

What is tradition criticism?

A

Focuses on stages of text transmission until its present form, growing out of form criticism.

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27
Q

What do 1 and 2 Chronicles do?

A

Retell and work material of Genesis through 2 Kings, “clean[ing] up the embarrassing moments”.

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28
Q

What does Ezekiel do?

A

“interesting things with some of the legal material that we find in Leviticus”.

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29
Q

Why is William F. Albright famous?

A

Leading figure in 20th century American Biblical Archaeology.

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30
Q

What are the Bible’s favourite ideal numbers?

A

Five, seven, ten (generations from Adam to Noah and Noah to Abraham).

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31
Q

What is Nahum Sarna’s perspective on the Jewish patriarchs?

A

That their status as foreigners in Canaan, alleged kinship with the Aramaeans, and their violations of later norms (e.g. Jacob married to Leah and Rebecca simultaneously) implies some historicity.

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32
Q

What sites did the Albright school point to in advocating Patriarchal historicity?

A

Nuzi (barren wives should provide maidservants) and Mari (names Benamin, Laban, Ishmael).

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33
Q

What are the two types of covenant?

A

Suzerainty covenants and parity covenants.

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34
Q

What is surprising about the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 12 and 15?

A

Its unilateral nature i.e. only God has obligations.

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35
Q

What happens in Genesis 17?

A

The Abrahamic covenant is repeated, this time by P, adding the circumcision obligation.

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36
Q

What is distinctive about Israelite circumcision?

A

Practiced on infants, not as a rite of passage.

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37
Q

What chapter covers the Binding of Isaac?

A

Genesis 22.

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38
Q

How does Abraham’s character differ between the stories of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Binding of Isaac?

A

In the latter he’s much less questioning of God.

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39
Q

How does Michael Coogan interpret the Yabbok River episode?

A

An adaptation of traditions of river gods, trolls or ogres.

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40
Q

What does ‘Yisrael’ mean?

A

“One who wrestles, who struggles with God”.

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41
Q

To which source is most of Genesis 12-50 usually assigned?

A

J.

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42
Q

What does Deuteronomy 21:15-17 say?

A
  • “If a man has two wives, one loved, and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him sons, but the first-born is the son of the unloved one — / when he wills his property to his sons, he may not treat as first-born the son of the loved one in disregard of the son of the unloved one who is older.”
  • Exactly what Abraham does to Ishmael, Isaac to Esau and Jacob to Joseph’s brothers.
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43
Q

What do the first fifteen chapters of Exodus describe?

A

The story of Israel in Egypt, including Moses’ career there.

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44
Q

What do Exodus 15:22 - Exodus 18 describe?

A

The journey to Sinai.

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45
Q

What happens in Exodus 19-24?

A

The theophany and the Mosaic covenant.

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46
Q

What happens in Exodus 25-40?

A
  • Instructions on building and erection of the tabernacle (26-31, 33-40).
  • The golden calf (32).
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47
Q

To whom is the Exodus attributed?

A

Mostly J, with excerpts from E and legal/ritual material from P.

48
Q

What year does the Merneptah Stele date to?

A

1204 BC.

49
Q

The Fifteenth Dynasty of Egypt came from which ethnic group?

A

The Hyksos (Semites).

50
Q

When did Ramses II reign?

A

1279 - 1213 BC.

51
Q

How long were the Jews in Egypt.

A

Four generations (Levi was Moses’ great grandfather) according to Exodus 6:16-20 or 430 years according to Exodus 12:40-41 (this would make the Exodus 480 years before Solomon built the temple, and the Bible likes multiples of 12).

52
Q

Who are the ‘Apiru (Habiru)?

A

A variously described people mentioned in Near Eastern texts, some link them with the Hebrews.

53
Q

Where does the name ‘Moses’ come from?

A

Probably egyptian (Thutmosis, Ramses etc.). Exodus 2:10 etymology possibly invented to hide that.

54
Q

Where does the name ‘Yahweh’ come from?

A

Third person version of “I am that I am” (Exodus 3:14).

55
Q

What does Exodus 6:2-4 say?

A

He didn’t tell his name (Yahweh) to the Patriarchs, contradicting Genesis 4:26.

56
Q

What do the Ugaritic texts tell us about?

A

The Canaanite pantheon, in a language very close to Biblical Hebrew. Canaanite El very close to Patriarchal God e.g. “Father of all creatures”, “Bull”, “King”, “God of the father”.

57
Q

How do names change after Moses?

A

Switch from ‘El’ (Ishmael, Israel) to ‘Yah’ or ‘Yahu’ (Eliyahu).

58
Q

How is Yahweh similar to Baal?

A
  • Rides on the clouds.

- Revelations accompanied by thunderstorms and earthquakes.

59
Q

How does Mark S. Smith describe the transition to monotheism?

A

“Convergence and differentiation” - explains similarities with Canaanites and polemics against them.

60
Q

How should the Israelites and Cananites be understood?

A

A civil war between Yahweh-only Israelites and Israelites who continue their ancestors’ cult worship.

61
Q

How should ‘Yam Suph’ be translated?

A

Reed Sea (not Red Sea).

62
Q

What is the Song of the Sea?

A

Poem describing the parting of the Reed Sea, with an archaic linguistic style. Use of ‘drowning’ seems metaphorical.

63
Q

What change does Michael Coogan note in Caananite religion between 1500 and 1200 BC?

A

Replacement of El by Baal after the latter defeats a watery foe.

64
Q

Who noted six similarities between Hittite treaties and the Mosaic covenant?

A

Jon Levenson.

65
Q

What is noteworthy about the blessings and curses in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28?

A

Almost word for word resemblance to 677 Assyrian treaty.

66
Q

What is the significance of Jean Astruc (1684-1766)?

A

First to distinguish J from E.

67
Q

What does Leviticus 1-7 cover?

A

The sacrificial system.

68
Q

Leviticus 8-10?

A

Aaron as high priest.

69
Q

Leviticus 11-15?

A

The dietary system.

70
Q

Leviticus 16?

A

Procedure on Day of Atonement.

71
Q

Leviticus 17-26?

A

“Holiness code” (H instead of P).

72
Q

What distinguishes the Israelite sanctuary?

A

No statue of the deity.

73
Q

What does the word translated as ‘holy’ mean?

A

Separate.

74
Q

How is the Israelite conception of ‘holiness’ best understood for space and time?

A

Concentric circles, decreasing with distance from the centre.

75
Q

Etymology of ‘holiday’?

A

Holy day.

76
Q

How does Klawans interpret Israelite ritual purification?

A

Separating the least God-like aspects of humanity (death, sex) - ‘imitatio dei’.

77
Q

What are the two types of impurity?

A

Moral and ritual.

78
Q

In terms of authorship, how does Biblical law distinguish itself from Near Eastern codes?

A

Claims to be from God, not Hammurabi, Ur-Nammu etc.

79
Q

Translate ‘Lex Talionis’

A

Latin for ‘eye for an eye’ (Leviticus 24:17-22).

80
Q

What does Hammurabi prescribe death for?

A

Theft, assisting slave escape, cheating customers over drink prices.

81
Q

What does the Torah prescribe death for?

A
  • Intentional homicide.

- “certain religious and sexual offences”.

82
Q

Numbers 35:31-34

A

You may not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of a capitol crime; he must be put to death. Nor may you accept ransom in lieu of flight to a city of refuge”.

83
Q

How does Eve know they are prohibited to eat from the tree?

A

Not stated - could have been God or Adam who told her.

84
Q

Who is Esarhaddon?

A

Assyrian Emperor (681-669) who conquered Egypt. His vassal treaties were used as a model for Deuteronomy according to Moshe Weinfeld - the curses match up nearly word for word

85
Q

Archaeology of Joshua’s conquests?

A
  • Only 2 of the 20 allegedly conquered cities show destruction layers - Jericho wouldn’t even have had walls.
  • New 13th century cities materially entirely Canaanite.
  • Merneptah stele shows they were in Canaan by 1204.
86
Q

Three models for emergence of Israeli nation-state?

A
  • Immigration in wake of Bronze Age collapse
  • Internal revolt (Canaanite letters to Pharaoh complaining about Habiru)
  • Canaanites who developed their own identity, who knows why.
87
Q

Who is Rahab?

A

Canaanite prostitute who delivers Jericho into Joshua’s hands.

88
Q

What nationality was Delilah?

A

Philistine, at least we think.

89
Q

What does ‘messiah’ mean?

A

Annointed.

90
Q

What lost texts does Kings mention?

A
  • Acts of Solomon
  • Annals of the Kings of Israel
  • Annals of the Kings of Judah
91
Q

When did Jerusalem become a major town?

A

After the fall of Israel in 722.

92
Q

What is the primary focus of the story of Solomon?

A

Building the temple.

93
Q

How many wives did Solomon have?

A

700, along with 300 concubines.

94
Q

When did Solomon die?

A

922.

95
Q

Who is the first king named outside the Bible?

A

Omri (Israel, 884-873) in the Meshe Stele (aka Moabite Stone) and Black Obelisk of Shalmeneser.

96
Q

Who are the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?

A

Governors and merchants carried off into Mesopotamia after Sargon II’s conquest.

97
Q

Who are the Samaritans?

A

Those who stayed behind after 722.

98
Q

What two tribes was Judah composed of?

A

Judah and Benjamin.

99
Q

What is an ‘apostle’ (as in ‘apostolic prophet’)?

A

A messenger.

100
Q

Where is the story of Micaiah found?

A

1 Kings 22.

101
Q

Where are the Elijah stories (contest w/ Baal and Asherah prophets) found?

A

1 Kings 17-19, 21.

102
Q

Literary features of Amos

A
  • Editorial notes at the start
  • Compilation of various materials
  • Claims authority from “the call”
  • Literary forms: oracle against the nations, riv, hymns.
103
Q

Themes of Amos

A
  • Decay of the period
  • Primacy of morality (perhaps over the cult)
  • Moralistic historiosophy
104
Q

What covenant does Isaiah emphasise?

A

Davidic - focuses more on failures of kings than violations of the nation, believes Zion inviolable.

105
Q

What covenant is emphasised by Amos and Hosea?

A

Mosaic.

106
Q

What is the initial call in Isaiah 6?

A

Prevent the people from understanding, lest they repent and save themselves.

107
Q

How do the prophets differ from J and D in terms of other nations’ relationship to God?

A
  • J: everyone once knew God and turned away from him.
  • D: Yahweh is Israel’s God.
  • Prophets: God will make himself known to all the nations. Israel was not an undeserved choice (Torah), but the instrument of universal redemption.
108
Q

From where will the Messiah come, according to Isaiah?

A

The Stump of Jesse (11:1-16)

109
Q

What does Isaiah prophesy to Ahaz (7:4-14)?

A

A young woman will bear him a son called Immanuel. In the Septuagint the translation for “young woman” could also mean “virgin”, hence Matthew 1:22-23.

110
Q

Which prophet upholds the inviolability of Zion?

A

Isaiah.

111
Q

Which version of Jeremiah is the longer?

A

Masoretic, LXX much shorter.

112
Q

Which prophet has close linguistic and ideological connections with the Deuteronomistic historian?

A

Jeremiah.

113
Q

What time limit does Jeremiah set on the restoration?

A

70 years.

114
Q

What is interesting about Jeremiah 31:31-34?

A

Seems to express dissatisfaction w/ free will.

115
Q

When can we start using words like ‘Judaism’?

A

After the exile, w/ Jeremiah’s new covenant saying that you can be faithful to YHWH in an idolatrous land.