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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was the political structure for the Israelites?
(a) they had a tribunal.
(b) they were anarchists.
(c) they lived under a king.
(d) they consisted of twelve tribes.

2. Why did the idea that there were four authors of the Pentateuch meet with resistance among Christians and Jews?
(a) the idea was thought to be the work of the Devil.
(b) the idea was too complicated to understand.
(c) the idea was too much of a change from traditional thinking.
(d) the idea was suspected of trying to undermine the Bible.

3. When does the Davidic king, Zedekiah, lose the throne and become a prisoner in Babylon?
(a) 587 B.C.
(b) 722 B.C.
(c) 777 B.C.
(d) 487 B.C.

4. Why was the pressure to unite under a King?
(a) the rule of law.
(b) the might of the Philistines.
(c) the proplem of tribal disunity.
(d) the need to be like the Egyptians.

5. What happened to the first books that suggested the traditional ideas about who wrote the Bible were wrong?
(a) the books became required reading for clergy.
(b) the books were banned or burned.
(c) the books became best sellers.
(d) the books were placed in all libraries.

6. How long has the Bible been in existence?
(a) five hundred years.
(b) two thousand years.
(c) thousands of years.
(d) a millenium.

7. How does Friedman build the case that Author E favored Israel and was, in fact, from Israel, probably the city of Shiloh?
(a) through the process of elimination.
(b) through the coded messages in the story.
(c) through historical and archeological discoveries.
(d) through analysis of the Ten Commandments story.

8. What did Spinoza point out about Moses being called "the humblest man on Earth"?
(a) it is a strange thing to say about Moses.
(b) it shows that Moses wrote the first five books.
(c) it is a lie.
(d) it is not something he would call himself.

9. What is a characteristic of Author J's writings?
(a) he appears to favor Israel over Judah.
(b) he extolls Moses over Abraham.
(c) he avoids the covenant between Moses and God.
(d) he leaves out important elements of the stories.

10. What is the status of Aaron in the narrative of Author E?
(a) it is hero status.
(b) it is insignificant status.
(c) it is objectionable status.
(d) it is sinful status.

11. Why does Cross propose that Deuteronomy was written during the reign of King Josiah?
(a) at that time there was a need for more information.
(b) at that time things were looking rosy for the kingdom.
(c) at that time writers had more time to write.
(d) at that time scholarship was prevelent in the kingdom.

12. What King returned to the reforms of King Hezekiah?
(a) King Belshazzar, a Babylonian appointee.
(b) King Ahab, husband of Jezebel.
(c) King Josiah, Hezekiah's great grandson
(d) King Exra, the phrophet king.

13. What do scholars call two different versions of the same story?
(a) a contradiction.
(b) a repetition.
(c) a puzzle.
(d) a doublet.

14. What was different after David died and his son became King?
(a) Solomon was peaceful, not going to war like David.
(b) Solomon moved the capital to Beersheba.
(c) Solomon became a greater conqueror.
(d) Solomon held elections among the tribes.

15. In short, what is the difference in the two different accounts of events in Genesis?
(a) Author J had limited knowledge of Hebrew history.
(b) Author E lived many centuries before Author J.
(c) Author E favored Israel, while Author J favored Judah.
(d) Author J was an enemy of author E.

Short Answer Questions

1. What were the cherubs inside the Holy of Holies?

2. Who became prophets?

3. What does Friedman say is not his purpose in writing the book?

4. What writer became known as Author D?

5. What symbol in Exodus parallels a similar object in the northern kingdom?

(see the answer keys)

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