Terms for REL 101: Understanding the Bible
Last updated 8 February 2016.
You are responsible for learning all the terms in this list as they are used in class or appear in the assigned readings
throughout the semester. Look in the textbook(s) for definitions or explanations. Use also other sources listed in the
syllabus as well as resources in the library or on the Web.
Pay attention to the use of these words in your readings and in class. Never be afraid to ask me or others what a term
means (but do the research yourself first).
Terms in yellow may be on the midterm exam.
In addition, terms in green may be on the final exam.
666
Aaron
Abba
Abel
Abraham
actual Jesus
AD
Adam
adonai
agape
Alexander the Great
Alexandria
allegory
Alpha & Omega
Amos
anachronism
Ancient Near East
angel
(the) Annunciation
anthropomorphism
anti-Christ
Antioch
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
(the) Antitheses
aphorism
apocalypse
apocalyptic (literature)
Apocrypha
apodictic
apology
apostasy
apostle
Aramaic
Ark of the Covenant
Armageddon
(the) Ascension
Asia
Asia Minor
Assyria
Athens
atonement
Augustus
Ave Maria
Baal
Babel
Babylon
Babylonian exile
baptism
Barabbas
Bathsheba
BC
BCE
Beatitudes
beloved disciple
Bethel
Bethlehem
Bible
bibliolatry
bishop
Caesarea
Cain
Cana
Canaan
canon
Capernaum
catholic
Catholic Epistles
CE
centurion
Cephas
cherub(im)
Christ
christological titles
Christology
Chronicler’s History
church
circumcision
codex
Code of Hammurabi
cosmopolitan ethos
cosmopolitanism
Court History (Succession
Narrative)
covenant
cult
Cyrus (the Great)
D
Damascus
Daniel
David
Davidic covenant
Day of Yahweh
deacon
Dead Sea Scrolls
Decalogue
demon
deuterocanon(ical)
Deuteronomic
Deuteronomic Code
Deuteronomic Reform
Deuteronomistic
Deuteronomistic History
Deutero-Isaiah
deutero-Pauline
devil
Diaspora (or Dispersion)
Diatessaron
Dionysus
disciple
Docetism
documentary hypothesis (=
source hypothesis)
doxology
dualism
E
Eden
egalitarian ethos
Egypt
eisegesis
ekklesia
El
El Shaddai
Elijah
Elohim
emperor cult
endogamy
Enuma Elish
Epicureanism
epiphany
epistle
eponym
eschatology
eschaton
Essenes
Esther
etiology
Eucharist
Euphrates
evangelist
Eve
exegesis
exile
Exodus
exogamy
exorcism
expiation
Ezekiel
Ezra
faith
Fertile Crescent
Former Prophets
Four Horsemen
fundamentalism
Galilee
Gehenna
genealogy
Gentile
Gethsemane
Gideon
Gilgamesh epic
glossolalia
gnosis
Gnosticism
Gnostics
golden calf
the Golden Rule
Golgotha
Goliath
Gomorrah
golden calf
gospel
Gospel
Gospel of Thomas
grace
Greco-Roman world
Greece
Hades
haggadah
halakah
Hanukkah
Hasmoneans
Hebrew
Hebrew Bible
Hebron
hell
Hellenism
Hellenist
Hellenistic
Hellenistic period
Hellenistic world
Hellenization
henotheism
herem
heresy
hermeneutical circle
hermeneutics
Herod (the Great)
hesed
heterodoxy
heteropraxy
Hexateuch
Hezekiah
high places
historical criticism
historical Jesus
Holiness Code
Holy of Holies
Holy Spirit
holy war
Horeb
Hosea
hour of glory
hymn
idol
idolatry
imago Dei
Imitatio Dei
immanence
Immanuel
(the) Incarnation
inerrancy
Isaac
Isaiah of Jerusalem
Ishmael
Isis & Osiris
Israel
J
Jacob
James (“the Lord’s brother”)
Jeremiah
Jeroboam I
Jerome
Jerusalem
Jesus
Jesus Seminar
Jew
Jewish Scripture
Jewry
Jezebel
Job
Johannine epistles
John of Patmos
John the Baptist
Jonah
Jordan River
Joseph
Joshua
Josiah
Judah
Judaism
Judas Iscariot
Judas Maccabeus
Judea
judge
Jupiter
justification by faith
justified
kairos
kenosis
kerygma
kerygmatic Christ
King James Version
Kingdom of God
Kingdom of Heaven
Koine
L
Lament
lamentation
Last Supper
Latter Prophets
the (Jewish) Law
Lazarus
Levites
lex talionis
liturgy
logos
LORD
Lord’s Prayer
Lord’s Supper
LXX
M
Maccabees
magi
(the) Magnificat
Manasseh
manna
manuscript
Marduk
Markan priority
martyr
Mary
Mary Magdalene
Masada
Masoretic Text
Mediterranean Sea
Mesopotamia
messiah
messianic secret
Micaiah ben Imlah
midrash
Minor Prophets
Miriam
Mishnah
Mithras
monolatry
monotheism
Mosaic covenant
Moses
Mount of Olives
MT
mystery (= mystery religion)
myth(ology)
Nag Hammadi
Nazarene
Nazareth
Nehemiah
Nero
Noah
numerology
Nunc Dimittis
Old Testament
Omri (house of)
oracle
oral Law
oral tradition
orthodoxy
orthopraxy
P
pagan
Palestine
pantheism
pantheon
papyrus
parable
Paraclete
parallelism
parenesis
parity treaty (or covenant)
(the) Parousia
(the) Passion
Passover
Pastoral Epistles
Pastorals (= Pastoral Epistles)
patriarch
Paul
Pax Romana
Pentateuch
Pentecost
pericope
Persia
Peter
Pharisees
Philemon
Philippi
Philistines
philosophy
Phoenicia
pistis
Plato
polytheism
Pontius Pilate
predestination
presbyter
priest
Priestly history
Promised Land
prophecy
prophesy
prophet
Prophets
propitiation
proverb
providence
Psalm
Psalter
Pseudepigrapha
pseudonymity
Ptolemies
Q
Qoheleth (Koheleth)
Qumran
rabbi
Rahab
realized eschatology
reconciliation
redaction criticism
redactor
redeemer
Rehoboam
repent
resurrection
revelation
righteous(ness)
Roman Empire
Rome
Rosetta Stone
Sabbath
Sadducees
salvation history
Samaria
Samaritans
Samson (& Delilah)
Samuel
Sanhedrin
Sarah
(the) Satan
Saul
Saul of Tarsus
savior
scapegoat
scribe
scripture
Sea of Reeds
Second Isaiah
Second Temple
Seleucids
Semites
Septuagint
seraph(im)
Sermon on the Mount
seven seals
Shechem
(the) Shema
Sheol
shofet
signs
signs source
simile
Simon
(Mount) Sinai
Socrates
Sodom
Solomon
Son of God
Son of Man
soul
Stoicism
Sumerians
suzerainty treaty (or covenant)
synagogue
syncretism
Synoptic Gospels
Synoptic problem
Synoptics (=Synoptic Gospels)
tabernacle
Talmud
Tanak(h)
Temple
Ten Commandments
testament
Tetragrammaton
Tetrateuch
theocracy
theodicy
theology
theophany
Third Isaiah (Trito-Isaiah)
Thomas
Tigris
Torah
tradition
transcendence
Transjordan
tree of life
Tribal Confederacy
the Twelve
two-document theory (= twosource hypothesis)
Tyndale, William
undisputed letters
universalism
Vulgate
Wisdom
Wisdom Literature
Wycliffe, John
Yahweh
YHWH
Zealots
Zeus (= Jupiter)
(Mount) Zion
Zion theology
Zoroastrianism