TENTATIVE MIDTERM I STUDY GUIDE

Revised February 6, 2020.  My plan for the Spring 2020 exam is to give you a two-sided exam and let you choose which version you prefer.  For each version of the exam, I will choose *one* (1) of the essay questions below.  Then I will choose 12 ID's, four each from the ID groups related to the essay I *did not* choose for that side.  For instance, if I give you essay choice "A," I will give you four ID's from group 2, four from group 3, and four from group 4.  You will write on *eight* (8) of those 12.

Note that questions A, C, and D are similar in format: all of them ask you (to some extent) to compare Torah books to other ancient laws.  You can include comparisons/contrasts with the Sumerian, Assyrian, and Babylonian laws we covered in class. 

In your answer to the 2nd question, you might tie in some of the material you read in Genesis, Exodus, and Deuteronomy.  Does taking a literalist, rationalist or neo-orthodox approach help  as you look at these books?   Is there a better way to approach the Torah?

POTENTIAL ID'S:

(TORAH), (TANAKH), COVENANT, ADAM, EVE, NOAH, ABRAHAM, SARAH, FGS I, FGS II, FGS III

DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS, JEDP, ELOHIM, (SOURCE CRITICISM), (FORM CRITICISM), NEO-ORTHODOXY, STELAE, (ALBRIGHT), MAXIMALISTS, MINIMALISTS

MOSES, PHARAOH (PER-O), JETHRO, PASSOVER, RAAMSES, AARON, (MIRIAM), "I AM," 10 COMMANDMENTS, 10 PLAGUES, (LXX), (SEPTUAGINT),

CODE OF HAMMURABI, SHEMA, 10 COMMANDMENTS, LEVITE, (JUBILEE), (DEUTERONOMIC COVENANT), (SONG OF MOSES), IDL I, IDL II, IDL III

                *FGS=Favorite Genesis story, IDL=Interesting Deuteronomy law

POTENTIAL ESSAY QUESTIONS:

A.    The Torah contains perhaps the finest law code the ancient world produced, probably because it is a lot more than just a law code.  The book of Genesis is a good illustration of this.  Comment.

B.    The literalist, rationalist, and neo-orthodox approaches to scripture all have their strengths, but none of them are complete satisfactory in their attempts to understand and explain the Old Testament. And sometimes Old Testament scholars end up as perfect examples of Paul's comment on those who "professing themselves to be wise, become fools."

C.    The Torah contains perhaps the finest law code the ancient world produced, probably because it is a lot more than just a law code.  The book of Exodus is a good illustration of this.  Comment.

D.    The Torah contains perhaps the finest law code the ancient world produced, probably because it is a lot more than just a law code.  The book of Deuteronomy is a good illustration of this.  Comment.