AOS1 (Background of the Tradition) Flashcards
Name/describe the sections the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is divided into
1) The Torah (Teaching/Law):
- First five books of the bible (Gen-Deut)
- Known as Pentateuch/Five Books of Moses
- Contains religious/social/criminal laws
- Contains origins of Hebrew tribes that became Israel
2) The Nevi’im (Prophets):
- Contains Former Prophets (before Israelite exile to Babylon in 586 BC - Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings)
- Contains Latter Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel)
3) The Ketuvim (Writings):
- Diverse collection of material
- Contains histories (Ezra), stories (Esther), poetry (Lamentations), wisdom (Proverbs) + book of Psalms
What is the name given to the collection of the 3 parts of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament?
The Tanakh.
What is a Covenant?
An agreement between two parties with mutual benefits, usually made between God and a prophet.
List all the covenants + their agreements + purpose
1) Edenic
God: Make man great + live in harmony
Adam: Not eat from forbidden tree + be loyal to God
Purpose: Establish goodness of man/creation of man
2) Noahic
God: Build Ark + save 2 of every animal/mankind
Purpose: Cleanse world/rebirth of mankind
3) Abrahamic
God: Make Abraham/people great + children ‘numerous as stars’
Abraham: Worship God + circumcise every male in tribe
Purpose: Secure mankind’s faith + stop false idol worship
4) Mosaic
God: Bring Israelites from slavery to Promised Land
Moses: Guide people to Promised Land
Purpose: Reward struggles of Israelites
5) Davidic
God: Make David the ancestor of the Messiah
Purpose: Redeem mankind through Messiah
6) Messianic
God: Save mankind from sin through Jesus’ sacrifice
Purpose: Save mankind from sin
List 2 important Jewish festivals + how they are celebrated + why they are important to the Jews
1) Feast of Passover
Celebration:
- Lasts for 7 days (Starts 14th of Nisan)
- Feast on meal (sender = order)
Importance:
-Celebrates God’s liberation of Israelites from Egypt
2) Feast of Weeks/Pentecost
Celebration:
- (Starts 6th day of Sivan)
- Stay up the whole day reading scriptures
- Eat at least one dairy meal (milk + honey idea)
Importance:
- Celebrates God giving Israelites 10 commandments + God’s blessing of wheat harvest in Exodus
Describe the Jewish group of Pharisees
- Established later in Hasmonean period
- Pharisees = ‘separated ones/separatists’
- Appear as religious school
- Very close group who never separated from one another
- Political interest, rivaling the Sadducees
- Religious liberals (wanted to reinterpret scriptures/entertain new ideas + beliefs)
- Known as ‘most meticulous observers of the ancestral laws’
- Seen as opposing Jesus
Describe the Jewish group of Sadducees
- Established 135 BCE (Maccabean uprising)
- Sadducees = ‘righteous ones’
- Appear as social-political party
- Aristocrats, dominated most of the politics of Jerusalem (Sanhedrin)
- Conservatives, reading/believing only the Torah
- Did not believe in resurrection (not in Torah)
- Embraced Hellenism/Greek culture
- Seen as opposing Jesus
1) 4 similarities between Pharisees and Sadducees
2) 4 differences between Pharisees and Sadducees
1)
- Both opposed Jesus
- Both depicted negatively by Luke/Gospels
- Devoutly believed in the Torah
- Both religious groups interested in politics
2)
- Pharisees believed in resurrection, Sadducees did not
- Pharisees (liberals = reinterperting/reading more scriptures), Sadducees (conservatives = only Torah)
- Pharisees believed/used oral law, Sadducees did not
- Pharisees (religious group), Sadducees (social-political party)
Timeline of Israelite’s ‘tragic history’, briefly describing each period
1) Babylonian Exile (587 BC - 538 BC)
- End of independence under Kings (David, Solomon)
- Loss of King/land/temple
- Loss of culture/identity
- Organised structure of texts/scriptures
2) Resettlement under Persia (538 BC - 175 BC)
- Return to homeland
- Emergence of Jewish groups/conflict between
- Rebuilding of Temple (more modest)
- Language now Aramaic
3) Greco-Syrian Oppression (175 BC - 167 BC)
- Rule of Antiochus IV
- Jerusalem captured/Jews killed or expelled
- Jewish religion outlawed
- Temple plundered/Jews revolted
4) Independence (167 BC - 64 BC)
- Began w/ Maccabean revolt
- Jerusalem recaptured, peace/freedom reinstated
- Hasmonean period begins (house of Simon)
- Dispute between Hasmoneans
5) Roman Conflicts (64 BC)
- Began w/ Pompey ending Hasmonean dispute
- Romans invade, Pontius Pilate = prefect of Jerusalem
- Rule of Herod the Great
- Temple plundered/Jews persecuted
Why were the Israelites exiled to Babylonia?
God allowed Nebuchadnezzar/Babylonians to exile the Israelites as punishment for their sins of idolatry and rebellion against him.
What was the impact of Greek and Roman influence in 1st century Palestine and Judaism?
- Culturally/linguistically Greek
- Politically/militarily Roman
- Jewish people persecuted/oppressed (Herod the Great ruling through fear)
- Heavy taxation and punishment
- Jewish religion persecuted (temple converted for Zeus)
- Instated higher standard of science/medicine + education
1) What does the word synagogue mean?
2) Explain what synagogues are.
3) Explain their importance to the Jewish people.
1) ‘Assembly/Meeting Place’
2)
- Created after the destruction of Solomon’s temple (3rd century BCE)
- Buildings used as places of prayer for the Jews
- Also used as places of study and meeting
- At least 10 Jews lived here
- Split into 3 separate seating sections (elders, teachers, people)
- Used as a meeting place on the Sabbath where scriptures are read
3) The synagogue represented a place where God was present within society, where they could pray to him.
1) What is the Sabbath/Shabbat?
2) How is the Sabbath celebrated?
1) A Jewish celebration that celebrates God’s creation of the world, and the redemption of the Israelites through Exodus.
2)
- Begins on Friday at sundown, ends Saturday at sundown
- All work is ceased
- Candles are lit at sundown
- Several feasts, containing bread (celebrate manna)
- Reading of scriptures (Psalms)
1) Why did God call Isaiah? Explain his calling.
2) What did Isaiah say about the coming Messiah?
1)
- Chosen because of connections with royalty
- Israelites making alliances w/ foreign nations (to do this, committed idolatry)
- Vision of God’s throne in Temple
- Denounced sins of Judea (‘here am I’)
- Preached + made prophecies
2)
- Will be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
- Will be heir to throne of David
- Will be persecuted
- Will bear people’s sins
- Will be silent before accusers
- Will heal brokenhearted
1) What was the Jewish idea of ‘kingship’?
2) What were the Messianic expectations of the Jews?
1)
- Jews wanted to have a King like foreign nations
- Saul originally appointed (but killed himself)
- David was chosen by God
- Wanted a person to lead, organise, and make great
2)
- Someone who would liberate them from the rule of the Romans
- A strong, warrior-like figure
- Someone who would grant them independence
- Benevolent leader, who would make the Jews great
- Someone who would crush the Romans through force
- Issue in period of peace and justice
