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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. Why do the poor look to Jesus in Capernaum?

2. What does Simeon reveal to reassure the people?

3. Why is Abbot Joachim starving himself to death?

4. What is the subject of the parable Jesus tells the poor on the hill in Capernaum?

5. Who shelters Mary Magdalene in Capernaum?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Abbot Joachim dying?

2. Why does the mob chase Mary Magdalene to Capernaum?

3. What happens between Jesus and Mary Magdalene at sunset, on Jesus's first night in Magdala?

4. What transpires between Jesus and Ananias?

5. What are Jesus's beliefs regarding the Messiah at the beginning of the novel?

6. What do Jesus and Nathaniel talk about at the wedding of Nathaniel's nephew?

7. In Chapter 11, what does Simeon say to Jesus about the possibility of Jesus being the Messiah?

8. What does Jesus tells Simeon at the end of Chapter 10?

9. What occurs between Judas, Zebedee, and Philip when they meet in Capernaum during the storm?

10. How does Jesus's mother feel when she sees Jesus carrying the cross at the beginning of the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Matthew writes one account of Jesus's genealogy, but he is forced by an angel to change what he has written, so that it is in accordance with prophecy. How does Matthew feel about doing so? Why? How does Jesus feel when he reads it? Why? Why does the angel force Matthew to lie? What is Kazantzakis trying to say about his views on scripture? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

The angel with the green wings is the last one to tempt Jesus and shows him what he could have had if he had not chosen to follow the path God laid out for him. What effect does the angel's interference have on Jesus? How does it change Jesus's attitude toward the events of his life and his crucifixion? Who sent the angel? Why? What is its purpose? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Paul tells Jesus that obstinacy, longing, and faith create truth. The world needs consolation, factual or not. How does Jesus react to these statements? How true are they? What historical examples serve to prove Paul's point? What is Kazantzakis trying to say about faith, religion, and truth? How does Paul's version of truth relate to the kind that Jesus is trying to spread? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

(see the answer keys)

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