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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. According to the laws of Deuteronomy, where was the central place for sacrifices?

2. What does Jeremiah mention in his writing that none of the other prophets mention?

3. Who does Friedman identify as the writer of Deuteronomy?

4. Who is most likely the redactor for the entire Pentateuch?

5. What happened after the fall of the kingdom of Israel?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who accompanied Jeremiah into exile in Egypt and how did that affect the texts?

2. Why is the period 587-400 B.C. difficult to understand?

3. At what point does the original draft of Deuteronomy stop making sense?

4. Why was a fix necessary for the text of Deuteronomy?

5. At the rebuilding of the Temple, what is a major difference between it and the original Temple?

6. Why is identifying the time of writer P of significance?

7. How does the importance of sacrificing becomes apparent?

8. Explain how are D and E writers different from J and P authors?

9. What does Friedman speculate held the Jewish people together, even during the exile?

10. Describe the great irony of the P version of the Torah.

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, How Friedman's Book Changed My Ideas About the Bible. First, (1) explain your mind set about the Bible before reading Friedman's book, then (2) discuss the great lengths scholars such as Friedman have gone to in discovering the existence of various writers, and finally, (3) discuss whether the evidence presented seems plausible to you and whether it altered your interpretation of the Bible in any way.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay of at least two typewritten pages on the topic, Comparison of Covenants. Summarize the covenants of (1) Abraham, (2) Moses, and (3) David. Analyze them from the standpoint of equivocation, purpose, and reward. Apply the debate about unconditional covenants from God which was used as an argument against multiple writers of the Torah.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay of at least two typewritten pages on the topic, The Importance of Language. Your essay should center around (1) the way languages change with popular use, (2) the historical use of languages at various times during the writing of the Bible, and (3) how these linguistic changes help to identify approximate dates certain passages were written.

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