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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How were books written at the time of the Pentateuch authors?
(a) literature and history all jumbled together.
(b) with little reference to history.
(c) mostly as literary stories.
(d) in bits and pieces that were stitched together.

2. What is the great irony of P's writing that favored the Aaronid priesthood?
(a) it was re-written to fit J, E, and D.
(b) it was left out of the final Torah all together.
(c) it was approved even by Authors J, E, and D.
(d) someone later pieced it all together with J, E, and D.

3. Why is the period 587-400 B.C. difficult to understand?
(a) no writing was done at that time.
(b) there is little or no archeological evidence about the exile.
(c) Egyptians and Babylonians did not keep records.
(d) secular history glosses over that period.

4. What does Friedman suggest is the only good news about the exile?
(a) that they missed a famine in Israel.
(b) that it only lasted fifty years.
(c) that it educated the brightest young people.
(d) that the Jews became wealthy in Babylon and Egypt.

5. Why does Friedman say that insertions were necessary in Deuteronomy?
(a) to broaden the story about the role of priests.
(b) to deny the history of the Jews.
(c) to prepare the readers for the new ending.
(d) to pave the way for a new covenant.

6. What is the first law given in Deuteronomy?
(a) to worship in a central place.
(b) to cease offering blood sacrifices.
(c) thou shall not make idols.
(d) thou shall not bear false witness.

7. What supernatural tales are left out by Author P?
(a) tales of God talking directly to Moses.
(b) tales of dreams, talking animals and angels.
(c) tales of miracles done in Egypt.
(d) tales of Aaron's golden calf.

8. Who allows the Jews to return to their home country?
(a) Baltshazzar the Benevolent.
(b) Ramses the Second.
(c) Cyrus the Great.
(d) Alexander the Great.

9. According to Friedman's theory, when does that place Author P in time?
(a) during the time of King David.
(b) during the time of the conquest of Canaan.
(c) during the time of the exile.
(d) during the time of the first Temple.

10. What happened to the Davidic covenant after the invasion of the Babylonians?
(a) the king is no longer on the throne and the Temple is burned.
(b) the Temple is rebuilt and a Davidic king is put in charge.
(c) God had to be reminded of his promise to David.
(d) a descendant of David is made governor of Judah.

11. Who is most likely the redactor for the entire Pentateuch?
(a) Ezra.
(b) Jeremiah.
(c) Samuel.
(d) Hezekiah.

12. Why does Baruch Halpern eliminate the possibility that a king had written Deuteronomy?
(a) it vows there will never be a king in Israel.
(b) it lacks the authority of a king.
(c) it has restrictions a king would not put upon himself.
(d) it has the language of common people.

13. What does Friedman speculate held the exiled Jews together?
(a) the nature of the Jewish religion.
(b) the resistance they put up.
(c) the blood relationship among them.
(d) the smuggled copies of the Torah.

14. What had most early scholars scholars considered that J and E had come from?
(a) right after settling in the land of Canaan.
(b) in the time of the two kingdoms, Israel and Judah.
(c) around the time of the death of Moses.
(d) during the time of King David.

15. Who conquered the Babylonians in 538 B.C.?
(a) the Egyptians.
(b) the Persians.
(c) the Greeks.
(d) the Romans.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the third part assumption of the pious fraud?

2. How did J's and E's texts probably originate?

3. What does Author P insist about the location for sacrifices?

4. Why does Friedman hold early Biblical scholars in high esteem?

5. From where does Friedman speculate the laws came from in the writings of Author P?

(see the answer keys)

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