Introduction to the Old Testament (Christine Hayes) Flashcards
From what text is the Babylonian Creation Myth derived?
Enuma Elish
Who introduced the revolutionary monotheism model?
Yehezkel Kaufmann
What was Kaufmann’s name for the domain prior to or above the gods in pagan religion?
Metadivine realm
According to Hayes, how does Near Eastern Mythology differ from Genesis in its portrayal of humanity?
Humans aren’t the pinnacle or purpose of creation, no stewardship of the world.
What does ‘Adam’ mean?
the adam (note definite article i.e. not a name) - the earthling.
How does the second creation myth of Genesis portray gender?
No implications of inequality - Eve created from side rather than head or foot.
How many times does the word ‘good’ appear in Genesis?
7, an example of leitwort (10 is also common)
How should “in the beginning” be translated?
Something like “When God began creating the world.” or “When on high” (cf. Enuma Elish)
What is the significance of “and there is darkness in the face of deep”
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).
What does Genesis 1 say about diet?
Vegetarianism, and no competition with animals for food (Genesis 1:29-30).
Who was the most important early Biblical archaeologist?
Edward Robinson - known for identifying sites with Biblical locations by correlating modern Arabic names e.g. Bethel.
Tree of knowledge…
of good and evil. Contrast from tree of life, which has Near Eastern precedents. Apple imagery comes from Latin ‘malum’ homonymy..
How are ‘Yahweh’ and ‘Elohim’ translated?
‘Lord’ and ‘God’, respectively.
What right does God give Noah declined to Abraham?
Taking of animal life.
How do Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 compare in portrayal of God?
Genesis 1 is abstract, Genesis 2 is anthropomorphic.
Why is Genesis 13:7 famous?
“The Canaanites and Perrizites were then dwelling in the land”, even though they were still dwelling there in Moses’ time.
Who began the modern critical study of the Bible?
Spinoza.
Who first emphasised Biblical contradictions and errors and denied Mosaic authorship?
Richard Simon.
Where was the Documentary Hypothesis first proposed?
Wellhausen’s ‘The History of Israel’ (1878).
What do Genesis 7:17 and 7:24 say?
Different things about the length of the flood (40 days or 150)?
How many animals of each kind?
Either two (Genesis 6:20) or two for unclean and fourteen for clean (Genesis 7:2-3).
What did Herman Gunkel do?
Attempted to analyse J, E, D and P to discover the pre-literary stages of their development.
What is significant about Numbers 21:14, Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 10:18?
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.
What was Gunkel’s approach called?
Form criticism.
What are etiological stories?
Legends explaining names, rituals and/or institutions.
What is tradition criticism?
Focuses on stages of text transmission until its present form, growing out of form criticism.
What do 1 and 2 Chronicles do?
Retell and work material of Genesis through 2 Kings, “clean[ing] up the embarrassing moments”.
What does Ezekiel do?
“interesting things with some of the legal material that we find in Leviticus”.
Why is William F. Albright famous?
Leading figure in 20th century American Biblical Archaeology.
What are the Bible’s favourite ideal numbers?
Five, seven, ten (generations from Adam to Noah and Noah to Abraham).
What is Nahum Sarna’s perspective on the Jewish patriarchs?
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.
What sites did the Albright school point to in advocating Patriarchal historicity?
Nuzi (barren wives should provide maidservants) and Mari (names Benamin, Laban, Ishmael).
What are the two types of covenant?
Suzerainty covenants and parity covenants.
What is surprising about the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 12 and 15?
Its unilateral nature i.e. only God has obligations.
What happens in Genesis 17?
The Abrahamic covenant is repeated, this time by P, adding the circumcision obligation.
What is distinctive about Israelite circumcision?
Practiced on infants, not as a rite of passage.
What chapter covers the Binding of Isaac?
Genesis 22.
How does Abraham’s character differ between the stories of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Binding of Isaac?
In the latter he’s much less questioning of God.
How does Michael Coogan interpret the Yabbok River episode?
An adaptation of traditions of river gods, trolls or ogres.
What does ‘Yisrael’ mean?
“One who wrestles, who struggles with God”.
To which source is most of Genesis 12-50 usually assigned?
J.
What does Deuteronomy 21:15-17 say?
- “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.
What do the first fifteen chapters of Exodus describe?
The story of Israel in Egypt, including Moses’ career there.
What do Exodus 15:22 - Exodus 18 describe?
The journey to Sinai.
What happens in Exodus 19-24?
The theophany and the Mosaic covenant.
What happens in Exodus 25-40?
- Instructions on building and erection of the tabernacle (26-31, 33-40).
- The golden calf (32).