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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What happened to the merchant's business after the court case?

2. Who takes over Elisha's circumcision ceremony at the absence of Abuyah?

3. How does Elisha plan to defend himself to the Sanhedrin?

4. Who tells Elisha Pappas is not good company for him, and that he should not be reading Greek books?

5. Where does the plague strike?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Elisha handle his new life in Antioch?

2. Which friend of Elisha's is better at processing the Greek literature than the other two? Why?

3. Why does Elisha seek out the Christians and Gnostics?

4. Why did the merchant's business suffer after taking his case to the Roman courts?

5. What is the job of the Sanhedrin?

6. Elisha sees a young boy climbing a tree for bird eggs. What happens to the little boy and how does it affect Elisha?

7. In Part One, Chapter V, how did Elisha feel about attending the Sanhedrin for the first time?

8. In the Prologue, what do the sages debate over and what do they decide?

9. Do you think Shraga is right to rebel against the Roman government and fight for his beliefs?

10. What do the two famous sages, Eliezer and Joshua, discuss at Elisha's circumcision ceremony?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast Shraga and Elisha's characters. In what ways are they similar? How do they react to the Jewish tradition? Make sure to describe their mutual relationship and how this can illustrate their distinct similarities and differences.

Essay Topic 2

When Meir and Beruriah's sons die, Elisha thinks about the fragility of life. Elisha looks to Jewish stories and traditions for solace, but he begins to doubt their veracity. Why does Elisha look to the Jewish traditions and literature for comfort? Why does he doubt their potency and truth? Cite three examples of mistrust of faith throughout the novel and explain the tensions characters have between faith and reason.

Essay Topic 3

In As a Driven Leaf, Deborah and Elisha are betrothed according to Jewish tradition. What similarities is their marriage based on? Find other couples and marriages in the book. What similarities are their relationships based on? Compare and contrast at least two relationships. Support your examples with material from the book.

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