Short essay (knowledge and understanding question from the grading guidelines). I will choose one of the following 6 essays on the test (30 points).

Short essay #1:

• Briefly list Saur's five criteria for relating archaeology to history.
• Explain how the case study on Hezekiah that was presented in class incorporates these five criteria.
• What are the presuppositions of this case study?
• What are the strength and weaknesses in this case study?

Short essay #2:

• Briefly describe the "form-critical approach," "the literal approach," "the essential continuity approach," and the "faith / event approach."
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of each approach?
• Which approach do advocate at this time? Why do you advocate this particular approach?

Short essay #3:

• Why do some maps of the ancient Near East have an orientation to the East? (hint: see Macmillan Bible Dictionary, p. 11)
• Draw a schematic map showing the major countries in the ancient Near East. Show where major exportable economic resources (such as copper, iron, gold, spices, etc.) were found. On your map show the economic resources found in Israel.
• Briefly describe the geographical setting of ancient Israel. Identify the two main cultural and political centers of the ancient Near East and identify some of the major goods that were exported. Briefly describe the economic resources of ancient Israel, and describe how a knowledge of these resources is helpful for biblical interpretation.
• Briefly describe which areas (e.g., Jezreel Valley, Samaria Hills, Judean Hills, Judean Desert, Negeb, Galillee, etc) of ancient Israel had the best economic resources. What economic resources did the other areas have, and which areas had the most important rade routes. Why is this information helpful for understanding Judean and Israelite history?

Short essay #4:

• Briefly describe the following regions: Jezreel Valley, Sharon Plain, Coastal Plain, Samarian Hill Country, Judean Hill Country, Judean Desert, Shephelah, and the Negeb.
• Which of the above areas were the most fertile? What were the major economic resources of the regions? Which areas were most important for trade and which areas were most important for agriculture?

Short essay #5:

• What are the arguments that Ahlström makes against the identification of Lachish with Tell ed-Duweir?
• What are the counter-points to his arguments?
• Which of the counter-points are the most convincing?
• How is this example of the identification of Lachish helpful for us in this course? (Hint: think about the larger issue of how and why we identify particular tels with biblical sites rather than the particular arguments presented by either Ahlström or Davies)

 

 Short essay #6:

• Why did Aharoni and Amiran suggest that there should be 3 periods in the Iron Age II period? Were their reasons based on pottery and archaeological finds or historical periods? If they used both archaeological and historical reasons, please explain why.
• Why does Barkay use more approximate dates for his classification of the Iron Age II period? Does this avoid the "problem" of using historical periods to define changes in material culture?
• By looking at how Hazor and Lachish are used to divide the Iron II periods, why are the divisions in the 10th and 9th centuries the hardest to pin down?