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| In 722 BC, nearly twenty years after the initial deportations, the ruling city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Samaria, was finally taken by Sargon II after a three year siege started by Shalmaneser V. Ahaz ignores Isiaiah's warning to not join Assyria and to remain loyal to YHWH. |
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587: Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians, ending the Kingdom of Judah. The conquerors destroy the Jewish Temple of Jerusalem and exile some of the land's inhabitants.
597: Nebuchadnezzar lays siege to Jerusalem, which eventually fell on March 16, 597 BC |
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| After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Neo-Babylonian Empire begins to lose power. It was conquered in about 539 BC by Cyrus the Great. Cyrus was king of the Medo-Persian Empire. |
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| Construction is completed on the Temple in Jerusalem. |
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| Son of Gideon (Judges 9:1) and his concubine. He resorted to force to establish himself over Ephraim. He put all 70 of his half-brothers to death. Ruled only for 3 years in Shechem. He was unprincipled and very aggressive. |
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| Second son of David. Sister Tamar got raped and he waited 2 years to get revenge. Known as the most handsome man in the kingdom. Declared himself king of Hebron after a revolt. David sabotaged his operations and eventually defeated and executed him. |
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| Fourth son of David (2 Samuel). After his older brothers Amnon and Absalom died he became the heir to the throne, but Solomon was preferred over him. He eventually failed to take over the kingdom. |
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| Killed the Amelekites and was taken by King Saul. He was let to live, but the Israelites took all the livestock of the Amelekites. Samuel saw this act as defience to YHWH. Samuel then put Agag to death. This is when Samuel and Saul first met each other. |
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| Ahasuerus is found in the book of Daniel, the book of Ezra and the book of Esther. He is described as the King of Persia. In the book of Esther he holds a big banquet for the heads of the provinces and the court officials. At the banquet he asks his queen Vashti to present herself, and she refuses. King Ahasuerus dismisses her as queen and takes on Esther to be the new queen. (Est 2:1-4, 17). At the instigation of his chief minister Haman, a decree was issued for the annihilation of all the Jews living in the empire (Est 3:1-15). This scheme was thwarted by Esther and her cousin Mordecai. Haman was hanged and a new decree was issued by Ahasuerus allowing the Jews the right to kill their enemies (Est 8:3-14, 9:5-10, 13-14). This story is now known as Purim, a Jewish festival. |
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| The son of Omri, and the seventh king of Israel. Ahab reigned over the Israelite Kingdom at Samaria for 22 years (c. 871-852 B.C.). He entered into a political marriage with Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, the king of the Sidonians (I kgs 16:28-31). Under Jezebel's influence the cult of idols penetrated into Samaria where Ahab himself built a pagan temple (I Kgs 16:32-33). The prophet Elijah, who fought fiercely to preserve the monotheistic worship from the cult of Baal, warned Ahab that the country would suffer a severe drought which would end at his bidding only. Elijah stayed out of reach until the due time (I Kgs 17:1-9; 18:1-10). The king blamed Elijah for the drought and resulting famine in Samaria, but Elijah refuted the accusation (I Kgs 18:18). He then challenged the pagan prophets on Mount Carmel and proved their inefficacy. The pagan priests were seized and executed (I Kgs 18:20-40), and the rains came. Ahab informed Jezebel of Elijah's victory and of the defeat of the priests of her cult, and the queen vowed to pursue him relentlessly (I Kgs 19:1-2). Jezebel exerted an equally evil influence on the king in other matters: when Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell or exchange his vineyard which Ahab desired, Jezebel had him falsely accused of "cursing God and King", and he was subsequently stoned to death (I Kgs 21:1-16). When Ahab went to take possession of the vineyard, he was confronted by Elijah who denounced him as a murderer. The prophet predicted that, as the dogs licked up Naboth's blood, so dogs would lick up Ahab and Jezebel's blood and "whoever belongs to Ahab" would be eaten by dogs. Eventually Ahab would meet his death in battle with the Armenian army and dogs licked his blood. Ahab was succeeded by his son Ahaziah (I Kgs 22:29-40). |
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| When Ahaz was 20, he succeeded his father Jotham and ruled for 16 years as the King of Judah. He was one of the kings who "did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God. He practiced idolatry, and engaged in pagan sacrifices, even burning his own son (II Kgs 16:3-4) Early in his reign, Rezin, king of Aram (Syria) and Pekah, king of Israel, concluded an anti-Assyrian alliance and attempted to persuade Ahaz to join them in a single front, yet he refused and was invaded as a result. Ahaz was not strengthened by the prophet Isaiah's assurances that the Lord would not allow the Arameans and the Israelites to destroy Judah and place another king on the throne (Is 7:1-17). The helpless and terrified Ahaz turned to the king of Assyria Tiglath-Pileser III, and by despoiling the Temple treasury, bribed him to obtain his aid (II Kgs 16:7-8). Ahaz became his vassal and went to Damascus to render homage to the Assyrian king. While in Damascus he admired the pagan altar and sent a model of it to the priest Urijah in Jerusalem to have it copied, and later, upon his return, sacrificed upon this altar. He also had the ritual objects of the Temple removed "on account of the king of Assyria" (II Kgs 16:9-18), and installed a sundial in the Temple (II Kgs 20:11). |
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| Allegorical Interpretation |
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| Allegorical interpretation is an approach assuming that the authors of a text intended something other than what is literally express |
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| The eldest son of King David, born in Hebron. His mother was Ahinoam the Jezreelitess (II Sam 3:2). Lusting after his half-sister Tamar, who was very beautiful, he lured her to his quarters by feigning illness and requesting her to prepare his food; he then raped her and cast her out (II Sam 13:1-14). When King David heard of this he was very angry but did not punish his son. However, Tamar's brother Absalom, enraged by Amnon's treatment of his sister, swore to avenge her (II Sam 13:15-22). Two years later Absalom invited Amnon and all the other royal princes to a sheepshearing celebration at his estate at Baal Hazor. When Amnon's heart was merry with wine Absalom ordered his men to kill him (II Sam 13:23-33) and he then fled to Talmai, the son of the king of Geshur (II Sam 13:34-38). |
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| A prophet who denounced King Jeroboam II and wealthy officials for oppressing the poor people of Israel. Amos was a Judean who pursued his prophetic activity in northern Israel, especially at Bethel. His call to prophesy occurred sometime during the middle of the 8th century B.C. during a period of prosperity and national expansion rivaled only by the era of Solomon. But the military victories, construction of elegant houses, and endless feasting was only one side of the picture. Amos saw the deeper implications of these circumstances: the poor who suffered at the hands of the land-grabbing rich; and the disparity between people who feasted and those who went hungry. He laid much of the blame on the wealthy minority. When he once went so far as to predict the death of King Jeroboam, Amaziah, the priest of Bethel transmitted the threat to the king (Amos 7:10-17). Although Amaziah accused Amos of conspiracy, he nevertheless urged the seer to flee south of Judah and carry on his prophetic endeavor there. Bethel was effectively ruled "off limits" to him, for it was the royal sanctuary. Amos objected that he was not a professional prophet but that the Lord had taken him from his secular vocation and given him specific orders to prophesy against Israel (cf Amos 3:8). The prophet then announced an awful fate for Amaziah and his family: his wife would become a harlot, his sons and daughters slain, and Amaziah himself would die in an alien land, having seen his own property taken from him. (Book of Amos) |
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| Antiochus IV (175-164) was one of the cruelest rulers in history. He tried to spread the Greek culture throughout the empire, which was against the Jewish religion. A revolt started in 167 B.C., through his edict to change the Jewish religion and customs. The Jews fought the change and were the only people to do so. Antiochus wanted to stop the Jews from practicing circumcision, observing the Sabbath, or keeping their food laws. In fact, the Jews were to be put to death if they were caught with their "Book of the Law." And, he caused the desecration of the Temple, by burning an unholy sacrifice on the altar. Eventually the Maccabee family, led by Mattathias, overthrew Antiochus. The Temple was cleansed in 165 B.C. |
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| A North Semitic language, similar to Hebrew and written in the same square script. It emerged as the lingua franca of the countries along the commercial routes of the Fertile Crescent in about the 6th century B.C. Aramaic became the vernacular of Palestine and can be found in the Old Testament (Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Jer 10:11; Dan 2:4-7:28 are written in Aramaic). |
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| a genre of literature in which details concerning the end-time are revealed by a heavenly messenger or angel. The “Day of the Lord” is a good example, which Amos states will backfire against Israel. Elements include: revelation to a human by some heavenly figure, a description of the end-time, a pronounced dualism (good v. evil, light v. dark, life v. death), pessimism about the present and optimism about the future, imagery that is surreal/fantastic, rather than realistic |
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| the religious symbol of the pre-monarchic confederation of the twelve tribes of Israel, later installed in the Temple in Jerusalem by Solomon in the 10th century BCE. It formed the footstool for the cherubim throne on which Yahweh was thought to be invisibly seated. |
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| nation of power in the 720 BCE. King Pekah (Northern Israel) joined an alliance against Assyria, while King Ahaz (Southern Israel/Judah) joined Assyria for protection against the north. Results in Judah becoming the battlefield for Assyria and ruins the land and takes a toll on the population…God’s punishment for Ahaz not having faith in his will. The north is exiled by Assyria, now Judah is now the true holders of Israel religion. |
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| nation comes to power in the 600’s BCE. Babylon is victorious over Judah following Jeremiah’s predictions and results in the Babylonian exile. |
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| the movement of priest and people of power in Judah out of Judah and into Babylon. Exile was a successful method to threaten/punish rebellious vassals or opposing nations. Seen as caused by Israel’s failing to follow the word/demands of God. This is a recurring theme throughout the Hebrew Bible: Israel transgresses God, Israel is allowed to fall to another power raised up by God, Israel repents and God saves them. Shows how to |
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the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later David King of Israel; gave birth to David’s son Solomon who went on to be King of Israel.
-While Bathsheba was still married to Uriah she caught the eye of David and he went into her. David then tried to recall Uriah so that he could go into her and think the baby was his. When Uriah refused to leave his troops in battle, David sent a message to have Uriah left in battle to be consumed by the enemy. Then David was able to marry Bathsheba.
Significance: David’s actions were displeasing to the Lord who sent Nathan to rebuke him. The son he had through Solomon died shortly after birth which David took as punishment. |
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in II Kings, the places where King Jeroboam set up his centers for his Golden Calf cult; Bethel is on the southern boundary of the Kingdom of Israel and Dan is on the northern boundary
Significance: Jeroboam erected the calves as symbols of God so that the people would no longer have to go to Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem to worship; for this Jeroboam became known as the man who “made Israel sin” |
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also known as the “Minor Prophets”; the name for the 12 shorter prophetic books, from Hosea through Malachi
Books are roughly in chronological order |
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| -Early Assyrian period: Hosea, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah |
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| Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah |
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| Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi |
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| A call narrative is when a prophet first realizes or acknowledges his role as a prophet. A typical call narrative includes the description of an encounter with God, the prophet’s realization of God’s power and his own inadequacy, the cleansing of the prophet and then the divine commission of the prophet. The unique aspects of a call narrative can give an indication of the type of message a prophet will have. |
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| meaning rule or measure, is the term for a list of books that a particular community considers sacred and authoritative. The Jewish and Christian canons were formed through a long and complex process. |
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| The Chaldean country was in southern Babylon but became a term inclusive of all of Babylon once Nebuchadnezzar, a Chaldean conquered Assyria and established a “New Babylon.” The Chaldeans forced up to 10,000 Jews into exile. |
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| The cosmic mountain is a symbol found in the Hebrew Bible and Ugaritic literature. Levenson uses the idea of a cosmic mountain to explain the importance of Zion and the temple as a new type of cosmic mountain. Characteristics of the mountain are that it is a meeting place for the gods, it is a battleground of conflicting natural forces, it is a meeting place of heaven and earth, and it is a place were effective decrees are issued. According to Levenson, the mountain is central and everything else gets its bearings from that mountain |
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| Also called the “Succession Narrative,” this is the major source in 2 Samuel 9-20 and 1 Kings 1-2. It describes how Solomon became David’s succession detailing the events that led to Solomon’s birth, the death of Solomon’s older brothers and how Solomon rather than Adonijah assumed the thrown. |
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| a type of covenant where the recipient does not have to do anything; this is the type of grant God initially makes with David and his dynasty. David does not have to do anything but God is bound by his oath to build a house for David. |
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| Cyrus II of Persia tried to unite the Persian tribes and conquered Babylon. He is significant because he respected the independence of foreign people and their laws as long as they remained loyal to him. His rule ends the Babylonian exile for the Jews. |
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| The Cyrus Cylinder is a clay cylinder discovered in the 19th century. It describes Cyrus II’s policy of sending exiles back to their homeland. The Judeans were allowed to return under this policy, ending the Babylonian exile. |
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| He is an interpreter of dreams who displays how to obey the God of Israel even in the court of foreign kings. David is able to tell the dreams of kings as well as interpret the dreams, an ability given to him by God. The story of Daniel involves a few different kings worshipping God displaying his supremacy over lesser, foreign gods. Daniel is finally thrown in the lion’s den and left unscathed . The story goes to show God’s providence, supremacy and how the Israelites can keep obedient even in exile. |
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| He is consistently referred to as the greatest king of Israel. David is chosen as king over his older brothers, continuing the theme of the supplanting of the older brother by the younger. The early part of David’s rule is an example of a divinely appointed ruler, however David is plagued later on in his rule by straying from his own model with most notably his affair with the foreign queen Bathsheeba. While David is not the perfect king, he embodies Israel’s own wrestling with obedience to Yahweh. |
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| A promise made by God that if David kept obedience to God’s commandments, his dynasty would rule forever and the capital and Temple would never be destroyed. God’s home would be Jerusalem and He would dwell there forever along with the dynasty. The covenant is expressed as a father-son relationship, something that had not been seen up to that point in the Biblical tradition. It was both eternal and conditional. This signaled God’s migration in a sense from Mount Zion to the city of Jerusalem signifying His becoming more accessible to the people. Both political and religious centers at last were one and the same making the kingship theocratic. |
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| The day that Yahweh would come down and fight against His enemies. These enemies are also the enemies of Israel making the day a day of victory for Israel as well. However, to Amos and other prophets, Israel is counted among the enemies of God. Finally, it is considered a day of judgment at the end of the world. This day serves to place God in a position of supreme power, above all other gods. |
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| Beginning with the book of Deuteronomy, finishing the Pentateuch, and including Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, is a historical narrative depicting the formation of the fledgling nation of Israel in conjunction with its relationship with Yahweh. The DH was edited many times throughout the years with the last being a product of the Babylonian exile. Two prominent themes carried through from Deuteronomy are exclusive worship of Yahweh as a requisite for Israel’s continued possession of the Promised Land as well as worship only taking place where God has ordained it. A third theme also present is the Davidic covenant around which lies significant ambivalence. Using earlier, now nonexistent, sources the authors were responsible historians focusing on preservation rather than striving for consistency and placed a high importance on divine conversations with individuals providing an ongoing commentary of the narrative. The DH provides the best source on the early years of the newly forming nation of Israel and their relationship with Yahweh, the congealing of the Jewish faith and tradition. |
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| Jewish religious writings of the Hellenistic and Roman periods not considered part of the Bible by Jews and Protestants, but are parts of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. These books are not included as their authenticity and divine inspiration are both questioned in the Jewish and Protestant traditions. |
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| Literally meaning dispersion or scattering, it was originally used to refer to Judean exiles to Babylon in the 6th century BCE, and then all those living outside of Israel. A significant point of contention even within the Hebrew Bible, the diaspora served to transform the worship of Yahweh from a geocentric action to an act that could be performed anywhere as God left the Temple and moved into the hearts of those who had faith in Him. |
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| Priest of Shiloh serving as one of the last Judges over Israel, who sees childless Hannah praying silently to God and thinks she is drunk. He blesses her after she is found to be sober and promises the child to God. The child, Samuel, is left to Eli to raise in the priestly tradition. Eli’s own sons are wicked, and despite his condemnation of their actions, his family is cursed for their behavior. This goes against the earlier blessing of God that his lineage will endure forever. Upon Samuel’s first hearing Yahweh, Eli (not hearing the voice) instructs Samuel how to respond, and hears again the curse placed on him and his family. When the Philistines attack years later, Eli’s sons are all killed being the guardians of the Ark of the Covenant and Eli dies of a broken neck from falling backwards from shock upon hearing of their deaths. The story of Eli goes to reinforce the theme that Israel’s blessing was completely contingent upon their continued obedience to Yahweh. |
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Who: Enters in 1 Kings 17:1; 9th Century prophet; His disciple was Elisha; name means YHWH is god; he is a Tishbite, other than that his past his unknown.
Significance: He resurrected the widow's son, exemplifying his ability to mediate divine power (1 Kings 17:22). He strengthened the position of YHWH over Baal when he gets YHWH to answer his call to consume an offering, triumphing over Baal priests (1 Kings 18:38). He multiplies food (1 Kings 17:14) and parts the waters of Jordan (2 King 2:8). The latter is reminiscent of Moses (Deut. 18:15) along with ending life east of Jordan (2 Kings 2:9) and journey for forty days and forty nights. He ascended to heaven without dying (2 King 2:11) and he will come again as states in Malachi as John the Baptist (Matt. 11:10). His anointment of a new king over Aram, makes him the first prophet to become involved in internal politics of a nation outside of Israel. . |
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What: Marrying with(in/out) one's ethnic or religious group.
Significance: Integral part of of ancient Jewish culture in order to maintain a community's identity and keeping property within a group as exemplified with Abraham and Isaac sending sons back to Mesopotamia to get spouses. This is how the 12 tribes maintain each of their identities, bu of course not all follow this. Being exogamist outside of Israel, one could fall to their spouses own god, forgetting YHWH. |
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Who: Aruru made him out of clay. He is depicted as a beast, that lives with the herding animals. Enkidu becomes wise/above beast existence when he sleeps with her. In Uruk, Enkidu tries to stop Gilgamesh's royal prerequisite of a consummation of marriage and they fought and Gilgamesh wins. They become friends and journey together. Ishtar inflicts a disease on Enkidu, he dies;
Significance: The Enkidu character is humanized (through sex) as how Adam and Eve are when they eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which has its own sexual connotations. His death drives the plot in that it motivates Gilgamesh to seek immortality. This is a common want of members of earthly existence but can never be obtained. |
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Who: Second son of Joseph; At Jacob's end, he adopts Ephraim and his older brother and places Ephraim first among the two (Genesis 48:20) and blesses him, inheriting the covenant of Abraham. The tribe of Ephraim united with other tribes under Saul, but later joined David. Jeroboam becomes first king of northern Israel, who is from the tribe of Ephraim (one of the 12 tribes of Israel)(1 Kings 11:26).
Significance: Joshua was from this tribe and took major role in the conquest of Canaan, over coming other cultures and therefore canaanite religions. |
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What: It is a Mesopotamia creation story. The earliest versions of the story come from the third millennium BC. Its hero is Gilgamesh, a ruler of city Uruk. He is initially unpopular among his people, having athletic contests and sleeping with many brides of other men on their wedding night. With complaints of the people, Aruru makes Enkidu. Enkidu had been freeing trapped animals. So Gilgamesh, upon request of a hunter, sent a prostitute to seduce Ekidu and succeeded. After that, Gilgamesh and Ekidu fight because Ekidu is appalled by Gilgamesh's royal practice of sleeping with brides. Gilgamesh wins, then they become friends, journeying together. When Ishtar cannot have sex with Gilgamesh, she causes Ekidu to die. Gilgamesh, sad and mortal, leaves to find immortality. He goes over the ocean to humans that gods made imortal, Utnapishtim and his wife. Gilgamesh wants the same thing. Utnapishtim tells him of the flood and the story. The gods remember humans, thank to Utnapishtim and then they receive immortality for reminding the gods. Utnapishtim, by his wife, told the direction of restoring youth by getting a plant at bottom of the sea to Gilgamesh. He gets the plant but a snake takes it.
Significance: Common themes among Genesis and other ancient prose. Continues the common theme of people not able to acquire something divine like immortality; Utnapishtim is equivalent to Noah in that he refuge in a boat during a flood by command of a divine entity. Also the story is reminiscent of Eden since there is a snake that steals immortality from humans. The knowledge Ekidu gets with sex is similar to how knowledge is received by Adam and Eve eating the “fruit.” |
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Who: Her book is in the Writing. She is the Persian queen of Xerxes(486-465 BC). She replaces Queen Vashti and is a cousin of Mordecai. She saves her people from destruction. She conceals her Jewish identity. In her book, angered by Mordecai's reservation from bowing to him, the recently appointed Haman plots to kill Mordecai and all the Jews. He declares to the king that certain Jews do not follow the edicts and suggests killing them. Xerxes agrees. Mordecai motivates Esther to approach the king about her concerns. So Mordecai, king, Esther, and Haman eat together. In light of the king praising Mordecai, Esther reveals Haman's evil intentions. Haman is then executed. Mordecai asssumes his place and protects Jews throughout the land.
Significance: Provides the etiology of for the Jewish festival of Purim. YHWH is not mentioned in this book explicity, but through the actions and righteousness of individuals. The focus of YHWH is seen through his working through people. We also see the display of a woman's empowerment: breaking court protocol and approached the king of her concerns. She also counsels Mordecai herself. Some people question importance because it was Mordecai that urged her to speak up, belittling her empowerment, see White's work for more. |
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Who: His book is autobiographical and filled with visions. Ezekiel was exiled to Babylonia during the first deportation by Nebuchadrezzar (597 BC) and his prophesying took place there. He was a priest back home. Ezekiel eats scrolls just like Jeremiah (internalizing text). He experiences speechlessness, shaving his head, trembling. He highlights the iniquities of Israel that will bring judgement on them: idolatry and ritual impurity.
Significance: He was the first prophet to receive a call outside the Promised land. This signifies a shift in thought that divine presence was not linked to only that land. It is realized that it follows the people wherever they may go. Ezekiel explains that children shall not suffer for iniquity of the parents, which is contrasted with the ten commandments that suggest otherwise. |
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Who: His book is autobiographical and filled with visions. Ezekiel was exiled to Babylonia during the first deportation by Nebuchadrezzar (597 BC) and his prophesying took place there. He was a priest back home. Ezekiel eats scrolls just like Jeremiah (internalizing text). He experiences speechlessness, shaving his head, trembling. He highlights the iniquities of Israel that will bring judgement on them: idolatry and ritual impurity.
Significance: He was the first prophet to receive a call outside the Promised land. This signifies a shift in thought that divine presence was not linked to only that land. It is realized that it follows the people wherever they may go. Ezekiel explains that children shall not suffer for iniquity of the parents, which is contrasted with the ten commandments that suggest otherwise. |
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Who: The work associated with him is a fictional autobiagraphy; His missions in the text are dated to the seventh year of Artaxerxes. He was a member of a priestly family and a scibe skilled in the works associated with Moses. Persian king had him travel to Israel in order to impose the commandments. They identified all the men who intermarried and they had them cast away the children and wives. Ezra, in Nem 10 leaded a ceremony of renewal and ends telling the people to live in the ways as prescribed by Moses. Ezra opposes intermarrying, supports sabbath observance, and supports support of Temple people by food and taxes. He exclaims these to the people
Significance: Ezra went from the Diaspora to Israel, after residing in Babylon for a while. This suggests that Jewish authority sits in the hands of the leaders of the Diaspora in Babylon and not in the people that reside in Israel. Which is possible since divine presence/inspiration is not linked with the boundaries of of land (Ezekiel). |
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Who: Judge of Hebrews, son of Joash, and belonged to the tribe of Manasseh. He is a nobody, insignificant before the coming of a messenger. He got proof of Gods will to make him judge by use of wool, having the wool be wet and not wet after dewing. He destroyed the altar to Baal and the symbol.
Significance: He liberated the Israelites from the hands of he Midianites and Amalekites. In the beginning he reaffirms the Moses theme in that he is unsure of his worthiness to do such tasks. He also walks in these foot steps when he achieves victories with divine assistance. He also reaffirms YHWH's rule (kingship) over Israel and refuses to become king because of that. He also has an ephod made out of Midianite gold. |
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| legendary ruler of Uruk who was originally unpopular, eventually sought immortality but is undermined by a snake. Parallels garden of eden with Enkidu’s loss of innocence much like the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It also has a parallel with the relationship of Jonathan/David and Enkidu/Gilgamesh |
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| in Ancient Near Eastern culture they were a seat/pedestal for the gods. One possible interpretation of Exodus 32 is that Aaron made a seat for God. Later editing may have made a seemingly harmless seen polemical because of its close connection with later idolatry in the northern kingdom in the cities of Bethel and Dan. There could also be a dispute between the two houses of priests, the Levitical priests and the Aaronic. |
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| Hosea’s unfaithful wife that God told him to marry. She may symbolize God’s relationship with Israel as being unfaithful and a source of grief. |
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| antagonist of the book of Esther. He is Persian nobility and is portrayed as a complete villain. |
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| Samuel’s mother; favorite, but barren wife. She prays to God for fertility. She dedicates her firstborn to the LORD. She is a very independent woman in the Hebrew Bible although she conforms to many of the contemporary social norms. |
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| just king of Judah who introduced religious reform by focusing worship of YHWH in Jerusalem and also by encouraging the Passover pilgrimage. He was king during the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib in 701 BC |
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| an improper place to worship because it undermines the significance of Temple worship in Jerusalem and it is usually connected with apostate worship of other deities |
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| prophet of the northern kingdom who had an adulterous wife. Their relationship served as a metaphor for the relationship between God and Israel. He used this language of a sexual relationship to signify how important the covenant between God and Israel is. |
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The house of David is the lineage stemming from King David. Given by God through a Covenant of Grant, this lineage is guaranteed to rule Israel. In 2 Samuel 7, we see that God has blessed David’s house forever. David’s son, Solomon, and his son, Rehoboam, are members of this House.
This term is significant because it grants David and those that will descend from him power of Israel. It also promises prosperity, as God has blessed David’s house forever, promising its perpetual continuance. Thus, it legitimizes David’s reign over Israel. |
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Immanuel means “God is with us”, as seen in Isaiah 7 when God reassures Ahaz to stay the course when in danger of foreign invasion. God promises Ahaz protection, saying that “a young woman shall bear a son named Immanuel”. This is a sign of redemption for Israel—that she will be saved from her foes. Professor HT notes this as the potency of the Temple, while many Christian interpreters see this as a foreshadowing of Christ. Others interpret Immanuel as Hezekiah who ruled after Ahaz, and was a strong king.
This term is significant for several reasons. For one, it shows the different interpretations from different readers in reading the Hebrew Bible. It also notes the power of the Temple, and the belief that Zion was impenetrable because of God’s power. Most of all, it denotes the weight that the Israelites placed on divine salvation despite frightening odds. |
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| Isaiah of Jerusalem (= First Isaiah) |
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First Isaiah is considered the proverbial author of 1 Isaiah, a prophet who lived in Jerusalem in the 8th century BC. He warned Israel to turn back to Yahweh, insisting on the power of faith. In beginning his prophecy, Jeremiah’s lips were burned by an ember from God, to ready him for his proclamations to Israel, because he had “unclean lips”. Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Isaiah was big on the theme that God holds no bounds. His three big messages were 1, the center of Zion; 2, the domination and universality of YHWH; and 3, a deep sense of YHWH’s holiness.
Isaiah is significant because his prophesies are used in an attempt to explain Judah’s subjugation to the Assyrians and foreign powers. Related to the Deuteronomistic Logic, Judah will suffer if her people abandon God and do not follow his ways. Interpreted from political anguish and military defeat, Isaiah’s words are cherished later on by those in exile as an explanation for their woes. |
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Jeremiah was a very bleak prophet who came after Isaiah, prophesying from about 626 to 585 BC. In this time, Jerusalem would be captured by Babylonians in 586, with the Temple destroyed. Jeremiah’s lipe were also touched directly by God as His words were literally put in Jermiah’s mouth. Much of Jeremiah is calling for repentance to God and predicting ensuing disaster for Judah.
Jeremiah is significant because he is another prophet forwarding Deuteronomistic Logic, in that Judah will be punished for sinning and abandoning God. Jeremiah goes so far as to say that even by having the Temple, Judah was not safe. His words would come to be correct, and were used by Jews in exile to explain their demise. |
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Jezebel is a Tyrian princess who married Ahab of the Northern Kingdom. She had her own religious establishment to worship Baal and eliminate other rival prophets of YHWH. She also had judicial power, calling for Naboth to be executed on false charges.
Jezebel is another example of strong woman in the Hebrew Bible. Assertive and powerful, she basically rules the North through her sons and husband. She is also an example of the DH’s logic, in that she forces the Jews to worship Baal, and is destroyed by God through Jehu. |
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Jeroboam was an officer of Solomon who split the kingdom, seceding the North, Israel, off of Judah the South. Jeroboam performed a great sin, not only in splitting the kingdom, but in creating two shrines to worship YHWH that were not in Jerusalem. This act violates the principle of a central sanctuary in Jerusalem.
Jeroboam is significant because he was the catalyst for the split of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. |
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Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and later the Southern Kingdom of Judah. When David assumes the kingship of Israel from Saul, one of his first acts is conquering Jerusalem, a Jebusite city. As no one before him was able to conquer it, David was immediately marked as a strong king upon defeating this city. He made it the capital, and his son, Solomon, built the Temple there. When the Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC, a great number of refugees flooded to the capital. Jerusalem, however, would fall to the Babylonians in 586, its temple destroyed and people pushed into exile. They would return under Cyrus’ decree in 538, to rebuild the temple. It would later be conquered by Alexander, placed under Macedonian rule, and later split amongst Alexander’s successors.
Jerusalem is significant because it is the capital of Israel, Judah, and the center of Jewish worship. Acting as the location of the temple and the political center for centuries, Jerusalem is more than just physically important. It represents a kingdom granted by God, associated with the idea of Zion—God’s powerful presence amongst the Israelite people. Its relation to the people in the success of the kingdom, the exile, and the return, defines the people of Israel throughout the books of the Hebrew Bible. |
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Job is a book in the Hebrew Bible dedicated to wisdom literature. A man faithful to God and righteous in almost every way, Job is inflicted with physical and emotional pain—his children killed and his body covered in sores. Tested by the satan to see if he will keep his faith, his life is turned upside down. Even through this pain, Job remains faithful to God. Yet, he questions why these things have happened to him in an extensive dialogue with three of his closest friends and eventually God himself. In the end, Job’s good life is returned to him, but not without hardship and intense existential questioning.
Job is significant because it marks a different perspective of wisdom literature, engaging the question of theogany. Unlike other parts of wisdom literature, good (Job) is punished. Job gets no clear answer as to why he suffers, but the significance of a different perspective is paramount in that it allows the text to have an inner discussion on wisdom and the merits of faith. One interpretation of Job forwarded by Professor H-T is that Job shows pure moral theory: that we are to worship God simply because He is God, not expecting anything in return. |
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Jonathan is only portrayed through the pro-David, anti-Saul perspective of the DH, but he is crucial to understanding David’s accession to the throne. Jonathan is Saul’s son, and is a popular and successful warrior. He helps to conquer the Philistines at Geba but dies with his father at Mount Gelboa.
He is significant because of his relationship with David. Even though he is Saul’s son, poised to become the next king, he gives his robe and friendship to David. Thus, he helps to affirm David’s right to be king. |
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king of Judah who brought about major reforms during the Deuteronomic reform, he encouraged the exclusive worship of YHWH, destroyed objects related to Baal, he also reinstitutes the Passover celebrations and returns the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple
These reforms are incredibly important to bringing the people back in YHWH’s favor as reforms seem to be a constant theme to bringing people back to the word of God and following the Covenant |
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| Jotham delivered a parable in the book of Judges using analogies to trees and them trying to anoint a king. He was making a commentary on power and how the assumption of power carries great responsibility. It is significant because it highlights every single assumption of power for kings and how their actions carry great consequences for themselves, and the people of Israel. |
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| Kabod is Hebrew literally for wealth, but in the Bible means more like the weight of someone’s representation/their significance |
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| the third of three divisions of the Hebrew Scripture which contains Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiasties, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles. It is significant as it ends the Hebrew Bible and is the wisdom writings. |
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| Established in Deuteronomy saying that the people of Israel may set up a king that God chooses, and they may not put a foreigner over them. He also can’t have many wives or be very rich. He also must fear the Lord and obey His law. It is important because it establishes the distinctions for having a king even though God said it was not a good idea and it would end up hurting the people in the end. |
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| revolt led by Judah Maccabee to take back Jerusalem which was successful. After its success they ritually cleansed the Temple and reestablished the traditional Jewish worship. Its significance is the fact that it shows the people’s desire to follow their God and to keep their religious identities even when they are being ruled over. |
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| A short parable to convey some sort of moral or religious lesson. An example is how Ahab was shown by a prophet the wrong course to take to lead to his downfall. It’s significance is that these short parables can be used to relate the Biblical messages to modern times. |
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| It is the physical Hebrew text of the Hebrew Bible that is used for translations. It’s significance is the fact that it shows the manifestation of the transition from oral religious traditions to actually writing down the stories to be shared and passed on. |
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| Merkevah comes up in Ezekiel 1:4-26 and refers to the throne-chariot of God, the four wheeled vehicle drive by four living creatures, each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle. This is another example of the strange visions that Ezekiel had and it became a foundation for Jewish mysticism. |
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| The Mesha Stela is an important Moabite text discovered in 1868 that provides insight into the reign of King Mesha of Moab and confirms certain historicity of the Bible around the late 10th and 9th century. This nonbiblical source describes the capture of seven thousand Israelites by King Mesha and of ritual objects. Both the Bible and the Mesha Stela agree that the northern kingdom of Israel controlled Moab for sometime but eventually revolted and recovered its independence in the second half of the 9th century. |
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| Derived from the Hebrew word mashiah, meaning "anointed one," this term in the Hebrew Bible refers to past and present anointed kings and priests who restored the positive relationship between God and Israel. Whenever Israel disobeyed, God punished his people and "messiah" is a term that refers to those who were able to bring Israel back to prosperity. It came to refer to a future King of Israel from the Davidic Line, who will rule the people of the united tribes of Israel and herald the Messianic Age. The book of Isaiah says that the Messiah will be called Immanuel and that the coming of the messiah is a divine promise from God. |
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| Michal is found in the book of 1 Samuel. She is the daughter of Saul and the first wife of David. Although her marriage is arranged, Michal's loyalty to and love for her husband motivate her to side with David over her father. In 1 Samuel, we see Michal deceive her father using "teraphim" (household gods) and even undermine Saul's attempt to murder David. She is a biblical female figure during the rise and reign of David who demonstrates independence in a male-driven society. |
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| The development and shift towards monotheism begins with the prophet Elijah and later confirmed in Second Isaiah. Elijah's name itself means "My God is Yahweh," and the altar he constructed on Mount Carmel with twelve stones signifying the old Israel shows a shift towards the unification of Israel and the establishment of monotheism, or the worship of only Yahweh. In Second Isaiah, we finally get a clear statement that there is no other God to be worshiped but Yahweh. Although Second Isaiah does seem to suggest that other deities exist, Yahweh is the one who captured and controlled the primeval chaos, a sign of his ultimate power. |
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| Mordecai is a biblical figure found in the book of Esther and is Esther's cousin. When Haman, King Ahasuerus, was appointed the second highest person in the kingdom, he issued a decree for the death of Mordecai and all of his people (the Jews) for his refusal to bow and worship to the king when everyone else did. Mordecai becomes the driving force behind Esther's action to expose Haman's evil plot to the king. It is important to note that Mordecai tells Esther that if she does not stand up for her people, somebody else will. Mordecai sees the patterns of the world. Mordecai is a variant of Joseph in that he is falsely accused and ends up receiving the honors his enemy wants while his enemy perishes. |
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| Mount Carmel was an altar constructed by Elijah, a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel. The altar consisted of twelve stones to represent the older Israel and the twelve-tribe confederation, which preceded the monarchy and whose constitution was the Sinai Covenant. The altar marks, for the first in the Bible, a shift towards absolute monotheism with the unification of Israel represented by the twelve rocks and the allusion to the elderly Israel, where Yahweh alone is to be worshipped. |
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| Naboth's Vineyard comprises 1 Kings 21 and is the story of King Ahab of Samaria's envy for Naboth the Jezreelite's vineyard. When Naboth refuses to sell Ahab the vineyard, Ahab becomes depressed, and his wife Jezebel takes action to have Naboth brought forth as the honor of a festival and have false charges brought upon him. Naboth is then stoned to death and Ahab takes over his vineyard. When Ahab goes to claim the vineyard, Elijah comes and tells Ahab of the sin and disgrace he has committed. Ahab repents and humbles himself before the Lord so God delays the punishment to his son's lifetime. |
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| In 2 Sam 12, Nathan tells King David story about a rich man who would give a hungry traveler one of his own sheep, but took a poor man's only lamb and prepared it for the traveler. David responds that the rich man should die; Nathan tells him, "You are the man," because God has given David wives, kingship, the house of Israel, and David killed a man and took his wife, and God is angry. |
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| Babylonian king in 600 BC. In Book of Daniel, he throws 3 Israelites into a furnace for not worshipping him; when the three Jews are miraculously saved, Nebuchadnezzar has a change of heart and worships Yahweh. He is punished for his cruelty though, and is turned into a wild beast, but eventually God re-establishes him over his kingdom. |
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| prophet who tries to reform and re-establish the Jews in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. Believes that living in Jerusalem with the Temple is essential to be within the Covenant. Emphasizes pure lineage, geneology of House of Israel, and condemns mixed marriages. |
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| As opposed to God's initial Covenant with Israelite people, the Christian belief in Jesus Christ as the "New" Covenant which God makes with all people, not just Jews, promising salvation. |
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| A central theme of 2nd Isaiah, that the Israelites' return from Babylon is a new Exodus. Linked by author to Israel's earlier journey from Egypt to Canaan, with Yahweh's protection. This new exodus, though, is supposed to promise peace and prosperit, not the arid wilderness of Canaan. |
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| Empire which under Cyrus the Great captured Babylon in the 539 BC, and allowed the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem if they wished. Persian control lasted some 200 yrs, and was relatively peaceful for Judah. |
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| A Sea People who in 1 Sam come into conflict with Israel over territory west of Jordan River in the 1000's BC, and capture the Ark at one point.. Defeated when Samuel is Judge, and under Saul as king. David kills Goliath the Philistine. |
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| "Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem"--laments the plight of the Jews in Exile, and prays that God will destroy Israel's enemies. Stresses the importance of Jerusalem as central to God's people's identity. |
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The Book of Esther commences with a six month (180 day) drinking feast given by king Ahasuerus, for the army of Persia and Media, for the civil servants and princes in the 127 provinces of his kingdom, at the conclusion of which a seven day drinking feast for the inhabitants of Shushan, rich and poor with a separate drinking feast for the women organised by the Queen Vashti in the pavilion of the Royal courtyard.
At this feast Ahasuerus gets thoroughly drunk and orders his wife Vashti to display her beauty before the people and the princess. She refuses, and Ahasuerus decides to remove her from her post. Rabbinic interpretations suggest that he had her killed, but this fact is not mentioned in the text. [30]. He then orders all young women to be presented to him, so he can choose a new queen to replace Vashti. One of these is Esther (Haddassah, who changed her name to Esther so that the king wouldn't know she was Jewish), who was orphaned at a young age and was being fostered by her cousin Mordecai. She finds favor in the king's eyes, and is made his new wife. Esther does not reveal that she is Jewish. Shortly afterwards, Mordecai discovers a plot by courtiers Bigthan and Teresh to kill Ahasuerus. They are apprehended and hanged, and Mordecai's service to the king is recorded.[31]
Ahasuerus appoints Haman, an Agagite (interpreted in later sources as a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag) as his prime minister. Mordecai, who sits at the palace gates, falls into Haman's disfavor as he refuses to bow down to him. Having found out that Mordechai is Jewish, Haman plans to kill not just Mordecai but the entire Jewish minority in the empire. He obtains Ahasuerus' permission to execute this plan, against payment of ten thousand talents of silver, and he casts lots to choose the date on which to do this - the thirteenth of the month of Adar. When Mordecai finds out about the plans he orders widespread penitence and fasting. Esther discovers what has transpired; she requests that all Jews fast and pray for three days together with her, and on the third day she seeks an audience with Ahasuerus, during which she invites him to a feast in the company of Haman. During the feast, she asks them to attend a further feast the next evening. Meanwhile, Haman is again offended by Mordecai and builds a gallows for him.[32]
That night, Ahasuerus suffers from insomnia, and when the court's records are read to him to help him sleep, he learns of the services rendered by Mordecai in the previous plot against his life. Ahasuerus is told that Mordecai has not received any recognition for saving the king's life. Just then, Haman appears, and King Ahasuerus asks Haman what should be done for the man that the King wishes to honor. Thinking that the man that the King wishes to honor is himself, Haman says that the man should be dressed in the king's royal robes and led around on the king's royal horse. To Haman's horror, the king instructs Haman to do so to Mordecai.
Later that evening, Ahasuerus and Haman attend Esther's second banquet, at which she reveals that she is Jewish and that Haman is planning to exterminate her people, which includes her. Ahasuerus orders Haman hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. The previous decree against the Jews cannot be annulled, and the King allows Mordecai and Esther to write another decree as they wish. They write one that allows the Jews to defend themselves during attacks. As a result, on 13 Adar, five hundred attackers and Haman's ten sons are killed in Shushan. Throughout the empire an additional 75,000 are slain (Esther 9:16). On the 14th, another 300 are killed in Shushan. This story is important because it is another account of the Israeli people’s deliverance from execution. It is a story in the bible with a strong female main character who is put into a place of power and has the choice whether to save her people or not, and does so to good effect. |
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The main speaker in the book, identified by the name or title Qohelet, introduces himself as "son of David, and king in Jerusalem." The work consists of personal or autobiographic matter, at times expressed in aphorisms and maxims illuminated in terse paragraphs with reflections on the meaning of life and the best way of life. The work emphatically proclaims all the actions of man to be inherently "vain", "futile", "empty", "meaningless", "temporary", "transitory", or "fleeting," depending on translation, as the lives of both wise and foolish men end in death. While Qohelet clearly endorses wisdom as a means for a well-lived earthly life, he is unable to ascribe eternal meaning to it. In light of this perceived senselessness, he suggests that one should enjoy the simple pleasures of daily life, such as eating, drinking, and taking enjoyment in one's work, which are gifts from the hand of God.
According to Talmud, however, the point of Qohelet is to state that all is futile under the Sun. One should therefore ignore physical pleasures and put all one's efforts towards that which is above the Sun. This is summed up in the second to last verse: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone" (12:13). |
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| King of Judah during the reign of Jeroboam in the North. He engaged ina systematic defensive buildup, and fortified many cities on the border. This may have been in anticipation of the campaign of Shishak, and also because of the repeated conflict with Jeroboam (1 Kings 14.30) Rehoboam was succeededby his son Abijam. He is important because he forsook the counsel of the old men, and took counsel with the younger people around him, not listening to the wisdom of ages past. |
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| Capital of the Northern kingdom of Israel from 9th century to 722 BCE, when the Assyrians took it over. Omri moved the center of the North from Shechem to Samaria. |
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| Idealized, he embodies the priest, judge and prophet. He is portrayed as an ideal figure who is larger than life. He is a priest, but not a member of the priestly tradition in a normal sense. Samuel is also a judge, in the capacity of a local military leader. The deuteronomic historian believed that his job as a judge extended to most of Israel, when in reality it was probably not as extensive. |
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| a word meaning adversary. It is important because it does not necessarily mean Satan as we mean it today. |
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| Complex and ultimately tragic, dies in battle against the Philistines. Initially selected by God as king, god soon chooses David instead. Because of his personal traits, he was a popular military leader. Saul was also afraid of people challenging his authority, so he becomes increasingly hostile towards David when he realizes his popularity. |
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| Second Isaiah (=Deutero-Isaiah)-Isiah 40-55 |
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| The principal enemy is Babylon. Jerusalem has also been destroyed, so this means that it is a later book. It also mentions Cyrus of Persia twice, and praises him for delivering the jews. |
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| reconstruction of the Temple took place around 515 BCE. In 70 BCE, Jerusalem was captured by the Romans and the rebuilt Temple was destroyed. Passover celebrated immediately after the rebuilding. Celebrated by all the returnees and some new people who joined and separated themselves from the pollutions of the nations of the land. Many people thought the second Temple wasn’t nearly as grand as the first. But it is surely a symbol of Judaism’s growth and their expansion of their religion. |
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| King of Assyria who captured all the cities of Judah. |
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| the ancient Greek translation of Kings, 1 and 2 Samuel, originally together as one book. An extended history of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. This is significant because it covers a lot of history from the beginning of the monarchies to the fall of Jerusalem. |
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| Place of worship. Where the covenant was renewed. Both Abraham and Jacob built altars here and it is the burial site of Joseph. Place where Dinah’s rape occurred. It is the place where Jacob gets his people to rid themselves of all their foreign articles so that they can be “pure” for he is going to fulfill the vow made with God. |
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| King of the Northern Kingdom, Israel. He established two royal shrines, one at Bethel and one at Dan to discourage worship by his subjects in Jerusalem, the capital of the “rival” kingdom. YHWH was worshipped at these shrines enthroned on a calf. This was his “sin” because it violated the principle of a central sanctuary for all Israel and because in their tendentious interpretation it was a form of idolatry. This shows their importance they placed on having one place to worship YHWH, in the Temple. Also reflects problems with the divisions between the two “brother” nations of Israel and Judah. |
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| the Mountain on which God revealed himself to Moses and made the covenant wiht Israel. The Ten commandments were received. The official rules given to Israelites. They broke it and Moses smashed them. (another copy was given at Shechem). This incident showed the weakness of Israel—they kept going back to other gods. There is some debate about the purpose of the calf without a rider. |
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| Solomon is David’s son and successor. Solomon’s mother Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan convinced David to name Solomon the new King instead of his eldest son Adonijah who tried to claim the throne for his own without David’s blessing. Solomon then takes the throne and carries out the last wishes of David, which included killing some enemies and most importantly, building a Temple for God to rest in. Aside from his building of the Temple, Solomon is significant because he asked the Lord for ultimate wisdom in order to lead the people of Israel well instead of asking for power or gold. Solomon was later considered to be the wisest man in the world and many of his proverbs are in the Hebrew Bible. |
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| Solomon’s Temple is the first temple dedicated to Yahweh in Jerusalem. The temple was made with the finest materials from Israel and many other surrounding nations. Solomon put extreme care into every aspect of the temple to the point where he had each stone cut elsewhere so as to not disturb the peace within the Lord’s new home. By the time any material made it to the temple, it was already perfect. The Temple itself was massive and had three rooms of increasing holiness. Much of the building was lined with gold. The Temple is so significant because it represented a permanent home for Yahweh, who was supposed to be everywhere at once. |
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| (from coogan 541) “Son of Man” in the Hebrew Bible generally means a human being. Ezekiel and Daniel are both addressed as “son of man” emphasizing their statuses as mere mortals. In the New Testament, “son of man” tends to refer to Jesus. In Daniel 7:13 the term is used to refer to a figure that looks like a man but is clearly more than a man (thought to be the angel Michael). Elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible the term is thought to signify the people of Israel. The significance of the term depends on which usage of it is being analyzed. |
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| When the people of Israel were in exile in Babylon, they longed to be home. Some eventually did make it back but others were unable to. These members of the Diaspora set up synagogues as the centers of their new communities and their new places of worship. Synagogues were set up so that the worshippers would be facing Jerusalem during their prayers as a way to keep their focus on Zion. Synagogues are significant because they represented acceptable means of praying to Yahweh from outside of Jerusalem at the holy Temple. |
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| In 734 BCE, as Tiglath-pileser moved to reestablish Assyrian control over the smaller kingdoms of the Levant, including Syria, the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and others. The small kingdoms under siege formed a coalition to fight the Assyrians off and wanted Judah to join them. King Ahaz refused to bring Judah into their group. To force Judah to join, the kings of Aram and Israel, Rezin and Pekah, laid siege to Jerusalem, in what is called the Syro-Ephraimite War. The crisis is significant because it led Ahaz to call for aid from Assyria instead of standing firm in his faith to Yahweh. By becoming a vassal of Assyria in order to gain protection from Rezin and Pekah, Ahaz essentially gave up the rule of the line of David and Israel was then forced to pay tributes to someone other than Yahweh. |
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| Jeremiah’s temple sermon is when the prophet Jeremiah is instructed to stand at the entrance of the Temple, and to announce Yahweh’s conditions for continued possession of the Promised Land. This decree made by Jeremiah was not originally believed by the people of Judah because they thought that their actions had no bearing on Yahweh keeping his promise of defending Jerusalem for David’s sake and the sake of David’s line. The people of Israel thought that the covenant made with David was more powerful than the Sinai covenant and the Ten Commandments. This sermon is significant because it is a warning to the people of Judah that if they do not change their ways, Yahweh will leave his home in the Temple and abandon the people. |
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| Tamar was David's daughter. Raped by brother Amnon. Absalom kills Amnon for this |
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| Theodicy is the defense of the good in Yahweh, in the face of evil. An example of theodicy comes in the book of Job. Job is an innocent and pious man who has terrible things happen to him as the result of a “bet” between Yahweh and the satan. In the face of all of the evil that happens to him, Job still defends the Lord and remains faithful. The term is significant because it deals with steadfast faith in the actions of God. |
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| Assyrian king who conquered Northern Kingdom in 732 BC, exiled them to Assyria |
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| Monarchy from the time of Saul to Rehoboam. Lasted until the split into the Northern and Southern monarchies. The kingdom had its greatest power during this time and was seen as a golden age, especially the reigns of David and Solomon. |
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| the husband of Bathsheba, with whom David had an affair. When she became pregnant, David summoned Uriah from the battlefields, but he wouldn’t sleep with his wife, since it would dishonor him as a soldier, so David made him fight on the front lines so he would be killed. |
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| Uta-napishti (=Utnapishtim) |
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| Character in the Epic of Gilgamesh who survived the great flood and was given immortality for it. Gilgamesh asks him how he did it, and Utnapistim gives advice on how to become immortal, but Gilgamesh ultimately fails. |
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| Seen as knowledge, especially in Solomon. Knowledge was fixed and didn’t change, it governed the natural and human worlds. It holds that there is a divine plan underlying everything, and that the wise can see this pattern |
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| Examples are Job, Proverbs, Qohelet, Psalms, Song of Songs. |
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| In Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a woman. There’s intentional sexual tension between the naïve young man and wisdom. She (Wisdom) attempts to seduce him into the right way. |
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| Another name for Judah, the southern kingdom |
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Definition
| The mountain where the temple was. Poetic term for Jerusalem. There’s a shift from Sinai to Zion as the place of revelation, signaled the shift from the Sinai to the Davidic covenant. Many psalms written extolling Zion. ( |
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Term
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Definition
| View that YHWH is the great king and chose Zion as His dwelling place. He once lived on Sinai, but moved to Zion. |
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