STUDY GUIDE FOR BIBLE 123 OLD TESTAMENT (Dr. Wheeler)
Test #1
I. Terms to be familiar with
Canon
Covenant
Torah
Mesopotamia
Patriarch
Fertile Crescent
Enuma Elish, Marduk, Tiamat
Gilgamesh Epic, Ea, Utnapishtim
Redaction Criticism
Syncretism
Pentateuch
Anthropomorphism
Ziggurat
Elohim
El
Mizpah
Bethel
Form Criticism
Goshen
Hebrew/Aramaic
Haran
Septuagint/LXX
Hyksos
Ur
JEDP
Sitz im Leben
Tradition Criticism
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II. Concepts and Ideas
• Babylonian Creation story
Hebrew world view (3-storied universe)
Divisions of the OT: Torah (Law), Prophets, and
Writings
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Meaning of idea that we are created in the Image of
God
The religious message of the following OT stories:
Creation,
3 Main Themes of the Old Testament
1. God is the source of the world & mankind;
2. God makes himself known to mankind;
3. God seeks the kind of relationship with mankind that will enable mankind to be what he was created to be.
Rebellion in the garden of Eden,
The Flood,
Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice,
Jacob wrestling with angel(God) at Bethel (renewal of covenant)
Joseph being sold (Providence of God)
Themes of the Pentateuch
1. Sovereignty of God
2. God in History
3. Struggle with sin, evil
4. Salvation
5. Holiness
The covenant between Abraham and God: promises: 1. Make a great name/nation
2. Divine protection and care
3. Homeland
Religious Ideas of Gen 1-3
1. People are free to choose their own way of life
2. People exercise this freedom by rebellion
3. The result is separation from God condition: obedience ceremonial ratification of the covenant, ceremony of the split animals and the smoking fire pot
Authorship of Pentateuch - different ideas: Moses, oral tradition, JEDP theories
Basic Theme – Sin leads to a broken relationship with God which in turn leads to broken relationships among people
III. Important People
Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Lot, Isaac, Rebekah, Eliezer, Jacob, Esau, Laban, Ishmael, Hagar, Rachel, Joseph, Potiphar
Cycle of sin/rebellion of Genesis 1-11
1. The seriousness of sin;
2. God’s judgment on sin;
3. God’s grace
Be able to apply these to the main stories in Genesis 1-11:
Adam and Eve
Cain and Abel the flood and Noah the tower of Babel