bible study guide for the first test

aww. so guess what? my professor said he'd give us a study guide, so i was soooo excited. i mean what kind of a professor does that much job for you?                                                              but wait. finish reading this post...



Here is a copy of lecture notes and study questions which you might find useful in addition to what you have in your book by Harris.





-Prof. Spaulding




►       BIBL2000 Study Guide 1
►       General Bible
1.      List the divisions of the Bible and their contents.
2.      Describe the various kinds of literature in the Bible (ten or more examples).
3.      Note the typical elements of a study Bible.
4.      In what languages was the Bible written?
5.      What issues make Bible study difficult?
►       General Bible
6.      What are the stages in the Bible coming to us?
7.      How are Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Bibles the same?
8.      How do they differ?
9.      What are some of the issues that are raised about authorship in the Bible?
10.     In what ways have Christians and others understood the Bible as inspired by God?
►       Interpretation
1.      Explain Professor Spaulding’s Circle of Interpretation.
2.      What is the meaning of exegesis?
3.      What are the elements of interpretation?
4.      What is the definition of Biblical criticism?
5.      Explain Textual Criticism (Lower Criticism).
6.      Explain Historical Criticism.
►       Interpretation
7.      Explain Literary Criticism and Source Criticism.
8.      Explain Form Criticism.
9.      Explain Redaction Criticism.
10.     What are the resources for Biblical studies (e.g.:  concordances, commentaries, etc.)?
11.     What firelds of study can be used to study the Bible (e.g.:  archaeology)
12.     How can our presuppositions get in the way of the study of the text.
►       Canonization
1.      What is the definition of canon in biblical studies?
2.      Describe the process of canonization in the Old Testament including dates.
3.      Describe the process of canonization in the New Testament including dates.
4.      On what principles were the canonical decisions made?
5.      Define Deutero-canonical, Apocrypha, and Pseudipigrapha.
6.      In canonical context what do accepted, disputed, and rejected mean?
►       Copying and Preserving
1.      How were the books gathered and preserved?
2.      Describe oral and written stages in Bible composition.
3.      Describe the materials used in preserving the Bible.
4.      What caused difficulties in the copying process?
5.      Are the texts of the Bible reliable?
6.      How do Biblical compare with other ancient materials?
►       Translation
1.      Describe the two major approaches to translation.
2.      What are the differences between a committee translation and an individual translation?
3.      What are the strengths and weaknesses of a Bible paraphrase?
4.      What is the best translation?
5.      What is the Septuagint?
6.      What is the Vulgate?
►       Translation
7.      What was the first complete translation of the Bible from Latin into English?
8.      What was the first complete translation of the Bible from Greek into English?
9.      What was the date and circumstance of the King James Version of the Bible?
10.     What was the first Roman/Catholic translation of the Bible into English?
11.     How did the late 1800s discovery of earlier manuscripts affect translation?
12.     What are examples of good current translations of the Bible?
►       Geography
1.      What is the size of Palestine?
2.      Describe the various climates in Palestine.
3.      Explain the four east-west regions of Palestine.
4.      How do plants and animals differ between North and South Central Highlands?
5.      How did geography and climate affect religious expression in Israel?
►       Geography
6.      What is the fertile crescent?
7.      What is the Semitic Quadrangle?
8.      How did location between Egypt and the Northern Empires impact Israelite life?
9.      How was trade and commerce conducted?
10.     What was work like in Palestine?
Lecture Notes
•       What is the Bible?
•       1. A collection of books
•       2. A variety of literature
•       3. Written over hundreds of years
•       4. Composed in three different languages:
•       Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek
•       5. Authors known and unknown
•       6. Divine and Human interaction in writing
•       7. Separated from us by time, culture, and world view
•       8. Joined by common humanexperiences and by the Spirit
•       9. Ranges from simple to complex
•       10. Huge quantity of secondary sources

BIBLE DEVELOPMENT STAGES
1.      INSPIRED WRITING
2.      ORAL FORM FIRST
3.      COLLECTED
4.      COPIED & PRESERVED
5.      CANONIZED
6.      TRANSLATED
7.      INTERPRETED

Copied and Preserved
The Difficult Process of Transmission
We do not have any of the original books.
We have copies of copies.
Not perfect but highly accurate
Many minor variations
A few important variations
Different families of manuscripts vary in level of accuracy
Difficulties for Scribes
Primitive materials
Nature of the languages
Tedium of the work
Accidental changes
Purposeful changes
Primitive materials
Reed pens
Ink from lamp black
Papyrus or Parchment
Cumbersome scrolls
Working conditions
Hebrew Manuscripts
Differing Versions
No punctuation
No vowels
English Examples:
               HPPPTMS
               SL
Sale    Sail
Soul    Sole
Soil
Slay
Isle
Greek Manuscripts
Many forms of LXX (Septuagint)
No punctuation
All Capitol letters
No space between words
English Example: GODISNOWHERE
“God is now here” “God is nowhere”
Errors of Eye & Ear
Dittography
Skipped words or lines
Corrections
Marginal comments
Dictation errors
Memory Errors
Parallel stories or passages
Faulty memory
Differing manuscripts remembered
Purposeful  Changes
Correct perceived errors
Improve grammar
Polish rough sections
Fit with church practice
Correct theology
Explain obscure passages
Age of Hebrew Manuscripts
Until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1940s and 1950s, the earliest Hebrew manuscripts were from the ninth Century. DSS were from near the time of Jesus.
Comparison showed high level of accuracy.
Dead Sea Scrolls: Isaiah
Age of Greek Manuscripts
Earliest Major Manuscripts 4th C.
               Sinaiticus & Vaticanus
Papyri earlier with fragments goin back as early as 130AD (?)
KJV based on manuscripts from 9th C.
Many more manuscripts in Greek
Codex Sinaiticus (s)
Codex Vaticanus (B)
Codex alexandrinus (A)
Codex Boreelia (Byzantine)
Biblical Criticism
       A careful analysis of biblical materials in a scholarly objective manner
       Evaluation which may be positive, negative or neutral
Exegetical Methods
       Tools for Interpretation
       Compare to movie or drama critic
       Conclusions based on well reasoned argument
Historical Criticism
       The History of the Text
               Authorship
               Date
               Setting
               Audience
               Purpose
               Final Form
       The History in the Text
What actually happened?
               Current Historical Standards
               Stories for Political Purpose
               Stories as Metaphor
               Hyperpole in History
Textual Criticism
       Compare the ancient manuscripts
       Choose the best reading (as close as possible to the original)
       Construct the text
       Footnote examples
Source Criticism
       Discovering sources that underlie texts
       Quotations are obvious examples
       Other sources may be marked by changes or breaks in language or style
       Source issues in the Synoptic Gospels
       J E P D theoies of composition in the Books of Moses
Form Criticism
       Form or Genre of Literature
       Form usually oral before written
       Forms bsed on needs of Judaism or Early Christianity
       Examples of larger and smaller genre

Redaction Criticism
       A Redactor is an editor / author
       Comparisons are made between parallel accounts
       Difference are accounted for by the redactor’s purpose
       Examples from the Synoptic Gospels
Canon Criticism
       Focus on the final canonical form
       How does canonical context influence interpretation?
       How do the reading communities of believers shape interpretation?
Social Science Criticism
       Setting the text in the context of the social world
       Use of social sciences
       Archeology
       Anthropology
       Economics
       Psychology
Narrative Criticism
       Studying the text using literary methods
       Plot
       Narrator
       Characters
       Style
       Figures of Speech
       Implied author
Reader Response Criticism
       Focus on Audience
       Use of Communication theory
       Meaning not just in author’s intent but in readers response
       Reader fills in the gaps
Other Methods
A Sampling of current Methods
       Political Criticism
       Tradition Criticism
       Rhetorical Criticism
       Structural Criticism
       Feminist Criticism
       Post Modern Criticism

The Task of Exegesis
       Interpretation Explained
       Exegesis is the process of discovering the meaning of the scripture as it would be understood by its first hearers, and conveying that meaning to the present reader.
       The Circle of Interpretation
       What does it say?
       Close reading of the text is difficult because previous understandings interfere
       Our reading communities shape our reading
       Our presuppositions color our readings
       Our experiences may shade our reading
       Differences may not be noted carefully
       Examples:
       What did it mean?
       How was the material understood by the first hearers and early readers?
       What are the cultural and historical issues?
       How have the words and concepts changed?
       Examples of different meanings
       What does it mean?
       How is this meaningful for today?
       How would we put it in words now?
       What is the theological center?
       How could it be applied to the church or society
       Example: Meat offered to idols
       What does it mean for me?
       How can this be applied to my life?
       Are there any parallel  circumstances?
       How can this be both relevant and faithful?
       The Interpreter in Interpretation
       Is the Interpreter the interpretation?
       Can we wall the experimenter out of the experiment?
       Recognizing our own tendencies and presuppositions
       No one is 100% objective
       Controlling subjectivity
       Context Always
       1.  Meaning is always found in context
       2.  Word examples
       3.  Sentence Examples
       4. Historical and cultural examples
       Language and Usage
       Distinctive nature of Greek and Hebrew
       Semantic Fields not origins
       Form and Function
       Grammar & Punctuation
       History and Culture
       Noting the surrounding culture and history
       Group rather than Individual
       Rural rather than Urban
       Village rather than City
       Slow Change
       Sacred combined with secular
       Literary Concerns
       Kinds of Literature
       Subsets of literature
       Using reading techniques of literature
       Author, audience, setting
       Purpose
       Literary conventions
       Inspiration
       Various definitions of inspiration:
       Dictation
       Totally accurate in all it affirms
       Totally accurate in matters of faith and practice
       Guidance in composition
       Guidance in reading
       Inspired as all human literature is
       Observation
       The Sesame Street Test
       Close Reading
       The Flags
       More complex comparison
       Artistry and Science
       Open mindedness
       Willingness to consider change
       Verification or consultation
       Imagination
       Spiritual insight
       Prayer
•





The Use of Scholarship in
Exegesis and Interpretation
Guidelines for practice
•       Scholarship deals in degrees of probability not absolute conclusions
•       In interpretation, presuppositions are often determinative
•       Don’t accept conclusions without following the whole argument.
•       Check the original rather than quote secondhand
•       Authority cannot be transferred from one field to another.
•       Always check the age, settings and sponsorship of sources
•       Scholarly conclusions often change as new data is uncovered

       Canonization
       How we got the books in the Bible
       Canon (kanwn)
       Originally “a measuring stick”
       In biblical studies “an official or accepted list of scriptures”
       Biblical books were written and in use long before they were generally accepted or officially designated as scripture (canonized)
       Hebrew Bible Canon
(Old Testament)
       TORAH
Historical  Markers
1.      Between 900 and 400 BCE with the split of Northern and Southern Kingdom
2.      King Josiah’s recognition of the law of Moses (621 BCE)
Neb’im = Prophets
About 200 BCE
The Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach (180 BCE)
Kethubim (Writings)
About 70-90 CE
Rabbinic work at Jamnia
       Stages in the Development of the New Testament Canon
       Stage 1
       Authority of the words and works of Jesus
       Stage 2:
       Use of gospels and epistles by the church fathers
Stage3
       Marcion’s list (144 CE)
       Edited version of Luke and ten letters of Paul
Stage 4
       Muratorian Canon late 2nd C
       Four Gospels, Acts, 13 Letters of Paul, 1&2 John, Jude, Revelation, Wisdom of Solomon, Apocalypse of Peter
       Stage 5
       Books undisputed
       Books disputed
       Books rejected
       Origen and Eusebius
       Stage 6
       Festal Letter of Athanasius (376 CE)
       Council of Rome (382)
       Synod of Cathage (397)
       How did the process operate?
       1.Was it attached to an an apostle or an ancient worthy?
       2. Did it correspond to orthodox teaching?
       3.  Was the content and or style inspiring?
       4. Was it generally accepted over a long period of time?

       TRANSLATIONS
       The Bible in English
All translations use a constructed Greek and Hebrew  Text
       Formal Correspondence vs Dynamic Equivalent
       Long History of Translation
       1380    Wycliffe (Latin)
       1525    Tyndale (Greek)
       1535    Coverdale
       1537    Matthew’s Bible
       1538(?) Taverner’s Bible
       1539    Great Bible
       1560    Geneva Bible
       1561    Bishop’s Bible
       1582    Reims Douay (Roman Catholic)
       King James Version
       Also called the Authorized Version
       Printed in 1611
       Later Versions
       1881    English Revised Version
       1901    American Standard Version
       1902    Weymouth
       1913    Moffatt
       1923    Goodspeed
       1941    Catholic Revised Bible
       1946    Revised Standard Bible
       Committee verses Individual
       Strengths and Weaknesses
               in All Translations
       Almost all translations are good
       Best translation depends on the circumstance
       Many of the editorial aids are not in the original
       Geography of Bible Lands
       The World of the Bible
       Fertile Crescent
       The Fertile Crescent
       Stretching from the Persian Gulf in an broad arc to Egypt
       Often described as the cradle of civilization
       Especially fertile lands in Egypt and in Mesopotamia
       Israel in the narrow band between the Kingdoms of the North and Egypt
       Semitic Quadrangle
       Largely unproductive land
       Peopled by speakers of Semitic languages like the Hebrews
       Many of the people were nomatic but shared common elements with people like the Canaanites
       The Westward Crescent
Extended Arc From North Africa around the Mediterranean Sea to Rome and beyond to Spain
       Greater Importance with Hellenistic and Roman Empires
       Change in focus from the Middle East to the West
       Palestine/Israel
       Heights and Depths
       From Mt. Hermon at +9,232 ft
       To the Dead Sea         at -1,296 ft
       In a little over 150 miles
       A fall in elevation of 10,000 feet
       Palestine
       Costal Plain
       Central Highlands
       Jordan Rift
       Transjordan Highlands
       Divide in quarters
       Upper left most fertile
       Lower right least fertile
       Upper right limited fertility
       Lower left somewhat fertile
       Weather and Seasons
       Dry and Rainy Seasons
       Rain crucial for crops but undependable
       Flora and Fauna
       From Tropical Desert in South
       To Temporate Climate in North
       Various animals in regions changing over time
       Various plants in regions
       Crops and Commerce
       Northwest:
       Garden crops, fruit, wheat, cattle
       Southwest:
       Grapes, olive oil, barley, sheep, goats
       Far South:
        Tropical crops, salt
       Geography and the Faith
       Nomadic experience
       Settled Farming experience
       Examples in the text:

this is all i have to say.
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