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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. Who revised the book "Antiquities of the Jews" and may have changed the text of the book?

2. Around what year does the author believe Jesus was born?

3. What rural area did Jesus begin teaching in?

4. What does B.C.E stand for?

5. About which people did Josephus write?

Short Essay Questions

1. What structures did archeologists find that dated back to 70 C.E., thus alleviating some of the controversy about where Jesus taught?

2. Who do historians believed helped take care of the disciples since they no longer worked for a living after they began to follow Jesus?

3. What is a legendary figure?

4. What does Sanders say Jesus' small following did in comparison to other movements throughout history?

5. What are the terms B.C.E. and C.E. alternate abbreviations for, and what do they stand for?

6. What act symbolized the new covenant?

7. In "Miracles," Sanders poses two views of Jesus' ability to perform miracles. What are the two views?

8. When Pilate was first asked to execute Jesus, why did he refuse?

9. Who wrote the Gospels?

10. How does Sanders say that many of the conflicts Jesus had with the laws in Galilee would be seen today?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the discrepancies that arise concerning the resurrection? Why are these discrepancies problematic?

Essay Topic 2

What is history and how does E.P. Sanders treat the information presented in this book in terms of its historical merit? Why does he consider Jesus a legendary figure and not a historical one?

Essay Topic 3

What are the two contexts Sanders examines Jesus' life in? Describe both and discuss what role each of them plays in constructing a history of Jesus.

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