Deck 2: The Hebrews: a New View of God and the Individual

Question 1

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A)Mesopotamia and Egypt were both the birthplace of civilization and the spiritual ancestors of the West.
B)Mesopotamia and Egypt were the birthplace of civilization, but only the Greeks and the Romans were spiritual ancestors of the West.
C)Mesopotamia and Egypt were the birthplace of civilization, but the Hebrews and the Greeks were the spiritual ancestors of the West.
D)The Greeks and the Romans were the spiritual ancestors of the West because they totally ignored the older civilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt.
E)Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Hebrews  and the Greeks were all spiritual ancestors of the West.

Answer 1

Mesopotamia and Egypt were the birthplace of civilization, but the Hebrews and the Greeks were the spiritual ancestors of the West.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the treatment of the Exodus among scholars?

A)All agree that the story is fictional.
B)There is serious disagreement about the historical truth of the Exodus.
C)There is general consensus that, while archeological evidence is lacking to support the story, the Exodus did in fact occur.
D)There is general consensus that the Hebrews would not have preserved the story of their enslavement if it did not happen.
E)All agree that the story is fact.

Answer 2

There is serious disagreement about the historical truth of the Exodus.

Question 3

After the Persians under Cyrus conquered Babylon in 538 B.C.

A)almost all the exiled Judeans returned to Judah.
B)the Hebrews, now called Jews, rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem.
C)the continuation of the Jewish community was not threatened again until Roman times.
D)the Jews remained consistently faith to their traditional religion.
E)a new spiritual awareness eliminated social injustices in the Jewish community.

Answer 3

the Hebrews, now called Jews, rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem.

Question 4

Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt

A)after the Babylonian Captivity.
B)at the start of the Diaspora.
C)after the death of David.
D)and in the conquest of the Promised Land: Canaan.
E)and into a period of wandering in the Sinai.

Question 5

Under which of the following kings did Israel reach the heights of its power and prosperity?

A)Saul
B)David
C)Solomon
D)Hezekiah
E)Cyrus

Question 6

During the Babylonian Captivity

A)all of the Hebrews refused to assimilate to Babylonian ways.
B)Hebrew priests preached a message of despair that led to the erosion of faith.
C)the written tradition of the Hebrews was lost.
D)Hebrew priests struggled to understand the misfortunes that had befallen their people.
E)all of the above

Question 7

The creation of the so-called ten lost tribes was a consequence of the conquest of Israel by the

A)Assyrians.
B)Philistines.
C)Canaanites.
D)Babylonians.
E)Romans.

Question 8

The Kingdom of Israel split into Israel and Judah after the death of Solomon owing to

A)Israel's  refusal to resist the Assyrians.
B)Solomon's onerous taxes and his favoritism to Judah, the southern part of the kingdom.
C)Solomon's failure to designate a successor.
D)continuing conflicts over water rights.
E)religious disagreements.

Question 9

During the time of the Hebrew patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Hebrews

A)were seminomadic clans.
B)regularly invaded Mesopotamia and Egypt.
C)had no contact with Mesopotamian civilization.
D)had no contact with Egyptian civilization.
E)developed an entirely unique legal tradition that shared nothing with neighboring civilization.

Question 10

Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah

A)were responsible for the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
B)encouraged the assimilation of the Hebrews to Babylonian ways.
C)were kings of Judah following the Assyrian conquest of Israel.
D)died in battle against the Chaldeans.
E)saw the destruction of Judah as a punishment for violating God's laws.

Question 11

Under Moses, the central force in the life of the Hebrews became

A)a series of strong kings.
B)a set of powerful judges.
C)​ belief in one God.
D)his charismatic leadership.
E)colonization of Canaan.

Question 12

According to the text, which of the following was the darkest moment in the history of the Hebrews?

A)captivity in Egypt
B)the division between Israel and Judah
C)conquest by the Assyrians
D)the Babylonian Captivity
E)the Persian conquest

Question 13

The Dead Sea Scrolls

A)refer to Moses'  testament as the Israelites were about to cross the River Jordan into Canaan.
B)are documents dating from second century B.C. Judea, discovered in the 1940s.
C)contain a text of the Book of Isaiah that differs fundamentally from modern manuscripts.
D)are a set of Christian religious texts demonstrating the influence of Judaism on Christianity.
E)are better known as the Pentateuch.

Question 14

Scholars of early Hebrew history

A)are able to draw on plentiful references to the Hebrews in nonbiblical sources.
B)have to rely almost entirely on the Hebrew Bible.
C)are united in their opinion on the accuracy of the Bible.
D)have reached consensus on the reliability of the information contained in the Bible.
E)all of the above

Question 15

The biblical stories of the Garden of Eden and the Flood derive from

A)Egyptian sources.
B)Persian sources.
C)Canaanite sources.
D)Mesopotamian sources.
E)Philistine sources.

Question 16

The Philistines who invaded Canaan in the early twelfth c entury B.C. probably came from

A)Mesopotamia.
B)Upper Egypt.
C)the Aegean Island and the coast of Asia Minor.
D)the Western Mediterranean.
E)Persia.

Question 17

During the eleventh century B.C., the twelve Hebrew tribes united under the leadership of

A)Saul.
B)David.
C)Solomon.
D)Abraham.
E)Moses.

Question 18

All of the following is true of the three centuries after the Israelites returned to Canaan following the Exodus EXCEPT

A)some magnificent sections of the Old Testament took form.
B)the Israelites subdued neighboring peoples during the reign of David.
C)the Israelites began the gradual colonization of Canaan.
D)the Israelites faced challenges from the Philistines.
E)the Israelite belief in one God immediately produced the belief in a single, almighty king appointed by God for all of the Hebrew peoples.

Question 19

The text states all of the following EXCEPT

A)Hebrew Scripture represents Jewish oral and written traditions from about 1250 to 150 B.C.
B)compiled by various religious devotees, Hebrew Scriptures contained factual errors, imprecisions, discrepancies, legends and folklore.
C)as a composite, religiously inspired work, Hebrew Scriptures offer no reliable history.
D)the Tanak consists of thirty-nine books written over several centuries.
E)the first five books of the Tanak are sometimes called the Torah or the Pentateuch.

Question 20

The text explains that

A)the Hebrew view of God evolved with the history of the Hebrew people.
B)the early patriarchs were probably not monotheists.
C)there is debate among scholars concerning whether or not Moses'  religion was purely monotheistic.
D)at one time, the Hebrews effectively undeified all gods except their own while still acknowledging their existence.
E)all of the above

Question 21

For the Hebrews, history

A)represented a human rather than a divine drama.
B)obscured the presence and will of God.
C)revealed God's lack of compassion and concern for human beings.
D)demonstrated the clash of human will with God's commands.
E)all of the above

Question 22

Judith and Deborah are remembered as

A)mothers of the ancient patriarchs.
B)women who found the baby Moses cast adrift in the Nile.
C)the two most important of Solomon's seven hundred wives.
D)prophetesses and wise women consulted by their community's leaders.
E)wives of foreign rulers who urged their husbands to let the Hebrews return to their own land.

Question 23

Among the ancient Jews, there existed a dynamic tension between parochialism and

A)individualism.
B)God's transcendence.
C)monotheism.
D)universalism.
E)the Covenant.

Question 24

Jeremiah preached all the following EXCEPT

A)idol worship is evil.
B)mistreatment of others should be avoided.
C)resistance to Babylon must be steadfast.
D)God punishes the Hebrews because their guilt is great and their sins are numerous.
E)God will not abandon his people even as he punishes them.

Question 25

The Hebrews

A)were concerned with human intellect and the power of the mind.
B)speculated about the operations of nature.
C)believed that nature was testimony to God's greatness.
D)speculated about the nature of God.
E)are considered to be the first philosophers.

Question 26

During the age of classical or literary prophecy

A)the Hebrews wandered in the Sinai desert.
B)prophets responded to problems in Israel's social structure.
C)small farmers, as well as large landowners, lived comfortably.
D)Israel was still a tribal society.
E)Abraham set out for Palestine.

Question 27

The mature Hebrew view of one God differed from other ancient Near Eastern religions in all the following ways EXCEPT

A)Yahweh was eternal.
B)the Hebrew God did not possess human attributes such as anger, jealousy, or satisfaction.
C)the Hebrew God was omnipotent, sovereign, and not subject to fate.
D)Yahweh was transcendent, that is, he was above nature and not part of it.
E)the Hebrew God created a universe that itself was not divine.

Question 28

In general, the text presents the Hebrew religion as

A)fundamentally different from those of Mesopotamia and Egypt but almost indistinguishable from Greek philosophy.
B)consistent and unchanging from the time of Abraham to the Babylonian Captivity.
C)a set of practices and beliefs that evolved over time.
D)once influential but ultimately largely irrelevant to the future development of the West.
E)driven by ritual and absent any concern for individualism or social justice.

Question 29

The Hebrews'  conception of God led to each of the following EXCEPT

A)the prohibition of images of heavenly and earthly things.
B)the absence of moral freedom for human beings.
C)limitation on obedience to earthly rulers.
D)a demythicized concept of nature.
E)the belief that God did not create people to be his slaves.

Question 30

Which of the following best describes the role of prophets in Jewish history?

A)Prophets foretold the future, giving the Hebrews a permanent advantage over their enemies.
B)Prophets served as role models for material success.
C)Prophets gradually declined in importance as the loose confederation of Hebrew tribes was united into a single kingdom.
D)Prophets often appeared in times of national disaster or moral confusion; they exhorted the nation to obey God's law.
E)Prophets agreed with the priests'  consistent insistence on deeper spiritual insight and morality in everyday life.

Question 31

Biblical law included provisions that

A)justified the annihilation of foreign enemies in war.
B)condemned to death by stoning family members who chose to serve other gods.
C)ordered the execution of homosexuals.
D)cursed the disobedient with physical and mental ailments.
E)all of the above

Question 32

According to the text, the Hebrews'  new conception of God led to a new conception of self by

A)holding that humankind is the centerpiece of God's creation.
B)stating that humankind was created in God's image.
C)giving humankind volition, the power to choose between good and evil.
D)insisting that God did not create humankind to be his slaves.
E)all of the above

Question 33

The text connects Hebrew religion with the ultimate rise of a scientific worldview in the West by

A)noting that the Hebrews did not regard nature in and of itself as divine.
B)describing early Hebrew contributions to astronomy and mathematics.
C)asserting that the Hebrews created the world's first phonetic writing system.
D)noting early Hebrew advances in irrigation technology.
E)explaining how the Hebrews replaced the mythic-religious worldview with theoretical science.

Question 34

With respect to women, Jewish law and practice required all the following EXCEPT

A)equal treatment of men and women since both were made in the image of God.
B)a woman should consider her husband to be her master.
C)a husband should respect and support his wife.
D)women could not be witnesses in court , but they could be prophetesses.
E)a woman could never divorce her husband , and she could inherit property only if there was no male heir.

Question 35

Who of the following was NOT a prophet?

A)Amos
B)Hosea
C)Isaiah
D)Zedekiah
E)Jeremiah

Question 36

For Amos, the most important requirement of the Law was

A)equality for all.
B)the acquisition of wealth and power.
C)the pursuit of justice.
D)devotion to the king.
E)the performance of prescribed rituals.

Question 37

Israelite law

A)provided normative guidelines for the community but not the individual.
B)emphasized property as more important than people.
C)embraced the idea that law should treat the poor and the rich differently.
D)expressed mercy toward the oppressed.
E)denied the humanity of slaves.

Question 38

Hebrew  law's regulation of family relationships included which of the following practices?

A)Polygamy was prohibited.
B)The father and mother had equal authority in the family.
C)The authority of the father never extended to married sons and their wives.
D)Adultery was punishable by death.
E)all of the above

Question 39

The Hebrew c ovenant refers to

A)God's promise to the prophets that they would have a heavenly reward.
B)a long tradition of commercial codes.
C)a special agreement between God and his " chosen people."
D)the heroic pact among the Hebrews themselves not to be assimilated during periods of exile.
E)a special kind of agreement between Israel and its neighbors ensuring the full equality of both parties.

Question 40

How did the Hebrew view of history differ from that of the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians?

A)The Hebrews kept careful records of their past, while the Egyptians and Mesopotamians did not.
B)Egyptians and Mesopotamians believed that God intervened in history, while the Hebrews did not.
C)While the Jews saw human history as a process leading to a goal, the Mesopotamians and Egyptians saw history as a repetition of past events.
D)The Mesopotamians and the Egyptians shared the same history as the Hebrews.
E)The Hebrews believed that history is of no importance since their God is eternal.

Question 41

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Hebrew tribes

Question 42

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Torah

Question 43

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
ten lost tribes

Question 44

Which of the following CANNOT be associated with mainstream Hebrew traditions?

A)There is a direct relationship between the individual and God.
B)One must develop a social conscience.
C)Israelites must set an example of righteousness for all humanity.
D)Only God's chosen nation will receive his blessings.
E)Human dignity does not make men and women equal nor does it require the abolition of slavery.

Question 45

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
patriarchs

Question 46

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Kingdom of Israel

Question 47

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Kingdom of Judah

Question 48

As applied to ancient Israel, parochialism refers to

A)a concern for all humanity.
B)a complete separation of church and state.
C)a separate system of religious schools.
D)the relative economic and cultural backwardness of the Judah, the southern kingdom.
E)a narrow tribal outlook of a nation set apart from others.

Question 49

Isaiah emphasized

A)the importance of rituals as the essence of the Law.
B)the requirement of the Hebrews to honor God with burnt offerings and incense.
C)the importance of social hierarchy and the separation of wealth.
D)ethical conduct and righteousness.
E)acts of external religious devotion as the best way to worship God.

Question 50

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Exodus

Question 51

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
David

Question 52

How has the Jewish tradition influenced the West?

A)The Hebrew vision of a messianic future helped to lead to the notion of progress.
B)Monotheism encouraged the concepts of free will and a conscience answerable to God.
C)Hebrew Scripture has been an inspiration for Western religious thinkers, poets, novelists, and artists.
D)As part of Christianity, many Jewish ideals became part of the Western tradition.
E)all of the above

Question 53

The text lists all of the following as essential continuities between ancient Judaism and Christianity EXCEPT

A)monotheism.
B)prophetic values.
C)regulation of all aspects of daily life and the promise of Canaan/Palestine as the home of God's chosen people.
D)the moral autonomy of the individual.
E)Hebrew Scriptures as the Word of God.

Question 54

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Hebrews, Israelites, Jews

Question 55

The text identifies the emphasis on the individual's responsibility for his or her own actions as a key component of Western thought best associated with

A)Moses.
B)the prophets.
C)the kings.
D)the patriarchs.
E)Abraham.

Question 56

Monotheism allowed the Jews to

A)justify their achievements as a great empire.
B)develop a rational view of the universe.
C)initiate a process of self-discovery and self-realization unmatched by other Near Eastern peoples.
D)achieve absolute equality between men and women.
E)all of the above

Question 57

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Solomon

Question 58

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Hebrew Scriptures

Question 59

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Canaan

Question 60

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Babylonian Captivity

Question 61

Instructions: Please use this outline map of the Near East to answer the question(s).
Identify and label the city of Babylon as well as the homeland of the leader who liberated the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity.

Question 62

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
individualism

Question 63

Instructions: Please use this outline map of the Near East to answer the question(s).
Locate and  label the following: the kingdoms of Israel and Judah after the death of Solomon; the city of Jerusalem.

Question 64

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Jeremiah

Question 65

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
I-Thou relationship

Question 66

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. In what ways did the civilization of the ancient Hebrews differ from that in other areas of the ancient Near East? What contacts did they have, and what impact did they have on each other's development?

Question 67

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
The Law

Question 68

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
transcendence

Question 69

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Pentateuch

Question 70

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
covenant

Question 71

Instructions: Please write a thorough, well-organized essay to answer each question. What evidence is available to scholars seeking to reconstruct the history of the ancient Hebrews, and why does it present challenges in interpretation? What scholarly controversies exist concerning the events of Hebrew history?

Question 72

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
monotheism

Question 73

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
universalism

Question 74

Instructions: Please use this outline map of the Near East to answer the question(s).
Locate and label the original home of the Hebrews, Canaanites and Philistines. Delineate with arrows any migration that occurred among these people prior to 1000 B.C.

Question 75

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
messianic age

Question 76

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
parochialism

Question 77

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
Isaiah

Question 78

Instructions: Please use this outline map of the Near East to answer the question(s).
Locate and label the major rivers and bodies of water associated with ancient Hebrew history.

Question 79

Key Terms Instructions: Please define the following key terms. Show Who? What? Where? When? Why Important?
prophets

Question 80

Instructions: Please use this outline map of the Near East to answer the question(s).
Locate and label the homeland of each important neighbor of the Hebrew people: Egyptians, Phoenicians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans.