Brief answer: define each of the follwoing terms. Cite one or more examples or illustrations from our reading in the Bible that help to clarify the term.
B Saga
C. Providence
D. Miracle
E. Etiology
II Fill in the blank:
A. The Patriarchal sagas begin with a promise to Abraham in Gen. 12:3: the three elements of the promise are a)_________; b)_______c) a large family. Two children were born to Abrahaml one through Sarah's handmaaid, whose name was____, who thus fulfilled one part of the promise. This son married Rebekah, and they had two sons, ______ and _____, the later becoming in thrun the father of 12 sons, who later become known as the father of the 12 tribes. Later, when these tribal groups became slaves in Egypt, God called Moses to become their leader and liberate them from the slavery and oppression of the Egyptian_______. While Shepherding his flock on Mt. Sinai (Horeb), Moses meets God at the burning bush, where God reveals his name as ____, as name related to the verb____; the sense of the Hebrew name of God is thus
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This God leads the people across the _____and then finlly to Mount_____where in a theophany, Moses receives the ______, which come to be known as the "law" or "Torah" (Hebrew).
III. Essays:
Write on any three of the following essays. Write your answers in the bluebooks. No pencils, please.
1) Write an essay on the Primeval history in Genesis 1-11. In this essay consider the basic structure of the story, with specific attention to the literary characteristics of the narrative, such as teh various symbols employed; explain the presence of anthropomorphism and etiology.
2) Write an essay in which you do an analysis of the so-called "Court History" or Succession Document in 2 Sam. and 1 King 1-2. How is David presented by the Court Historiean? How does he relate to his children? What are his sins? Discuss the covenant promise to David and explain the word "pay on "house." How, despite David's sins and weaknesses, does the promise get worked out is in history.
3) Write an essay in which you compare and contrast the Patriarchal sagas in Genesis with the Court History of David. Pay attention not only to the similarities and differences between the two conceptions of covenant but also to the difference in the literary genres (i.e., types) of saga and history writing.
4) Write an essay on the Joseph sotry. What literary techniques or symbolism do you find in the story? Give attention to Joseph as an "ideal man" who is directed divien providence; address the issue of God's "abseence in the story"; finally, what is the significance of the motif "that they might live"? and how is it essential to the story?
5) Write an essay on the Saul story (1 Samuel 8ff). Discuss the questio nof Saul as a tragic-like figure: what are his strengths and weaknesses? why does he fall and how is his fall portrayed by the writer? Is he or is he not a tragic figure, in your opinion? Tell why you take the position you choose on the issue.