Pentateuch Mid-Term

Want to know what type of questions appear on a graduate level Biblical studies test? Here are a few.

Essay Questions
Gerhard von Rad has pointed out that the episodes of Genesis 1-11 are linked by the themes of the spread of human sin and the recurring response of God’s grace. Discuss this scheme, and show how it links the Primeval History of Gen 1-11 with the Patriarchal narratives of Gen 12-50.

In Gen. 12:1-3, Abraham is called to take up a promise. Show how the rest of the Abraham and Sarah stories are organized around the themes of this promise. In what ways can the promise of these verses be traced beyond Abraham to the rest of the Old Testament?

As a result of the archeological discoveries of the 19th-20th centuries, modern interpreters of the opening chapters of Genesis have been confronted with a wealth of comparative material from the ancient Near East. Discuss the ways in which these extra-Biblical parallels may illumine our studies of the opening chapters of Genesis, citing some specific examples from the accounts of Creation or the Flood. Be as specific as possible in alluding to details, both of the ancient Near Eastern texts (naming the texts, the characters, the situations, etc.) and of the Biblical accounts to which you are comparing them.

Identify each of the following with a word, phrase, or brief sentence:
--the occupation of Abel and of Cain
--the third son of Adam and Eve, “instead of Abel”
--Lamech, husband of Adah and Zillah
--he “walked with God; and he was not, for God took him”
--the three sons of Noah
--the son of Noah from whom Abraham was descended
--pillar of salt
--Moab and Ben-ammi
--Ishmael
--Abimelech, king of Gerar
--the land of Moriah
--the land of Nod
--Jacob's father-in-law