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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 are the tribes of Israel conquered by the Assyrians in 722 B.C.?

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

3. What do scholars call two different versions of the same story?

4. What observation did Thomas Hobbes make about certain language in the Bible.

5. What is one reason that the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem was unsuccessful?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the story of Moses smashing the tablets of stone tend to discredit the southern kingdom of Judah?

2. What is evidence that Moses did not write the Pentateuch--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy?

3. What is the traditional belief that Friedman addresses in his book?

4. What conclusion did Friedman wish to build a stronger case for?

5. What made it evident that there were two different writers identified as Author J who became identified as Author E?

6. What method does Friedman use to determine the identity of Author E?

7. How does Author J justify the southern calf images while casting aspersion on the norther versions?

8. What is different about the God of the Hebrews?

9. Explain Friedman's reason for writing WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?.

10. How does a fifth person come into the picture regarding the Pentateuch?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay of at least two typewritten pages on the topic, Ramifications for the Rest of the Bible. Assuming that Friedman, et al, are correct in assigning at least three authors to the Torah, not to mention a redactor who put them all together, speculate on what you think that means for the Bible as a whole. Take into consideration that reproduction of biblical texts was done laboriously by hand for over a thousand years.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay of at least two typewritten pages on the topic, Monotheism Versus Paganism. Points for mention include (1) the monotheistic nature of Judeo-Christian religion, (2) the subject of guilt in monotheism, and (2) the animistic nature of paganism.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay of at least two typewritten pages on the topic, Why Ezra Could Not Leave Out Certain Passages from the Torah. First (1) define how Ezra had a bias toward the Aaronid priesthood, (2) how he was confronted with writers who disagreed with the centralized location for sacrifices, and (3) then explain how popular familiarity of Bible stories prevented him from simply tossing out writings of those he disagreed with.

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