The Makers and Teachers of Judaism / From the Fall of Jerusalem to the Death of Herod the Great

by Charles Foster Kent

II

GENERAL QUESTIONS AND SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH

The General Questions, as in the preceding volumes, follow the main divisions of the book, and are intended to guide the student in collecting and co-ordinating the more important facts presented in the biblical text or in the notes.

The Subjects for Special Research are intended to guide the reader to further study in related lines, and, by means of detailed references, to introduce him to the most helpful passages in the best English books of reference. In class-room work many of these topics may be profitably assigned for personal research and report. The references are to pages, unless otherwise indicated. Ordinarily, several parallel references are given that the student may be able to utilize the book at hand. More detailed classified bibliographies will be found in the appendices of Volumes II-VI of the author's Student's Old Testament.

THE EXILE AND REVIVAL OF THE JUDEAN COMMUNITY

Section XCI. The Jews in Palestine and Egypt. GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. What did the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586 mean to the Jewish people? 2. Describe the structure and contents of the book of Lamentations. 3. Its probable authorship and date. 4. Its theme and historical value. 5. The condition of the Jews who were left in Palestine. 6. The numbers of the Jews in Egypt. 7. The life of the Jewish colony at Elephantine. 8. The character and service of the temple of Jahu.

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. The literary history of the book of
Lamentations. McFadyen, Introd., 294-7; Driver, Lit. of the O.T.,
456-65. 2. History of Egypt from 600 to 560 B.C. Breasted, Hist, of the
Ancient Egyptians, 404-18. 3. The discoveries at Elephantine. Sayce and
Cowley, Aramaic Papyri Discovered at Assuan; Sachau, Drei aramäische
Papyrururkunden aus Elephantine.

Section XCII. Ezekiel's Message to His Scattered Countrymen. GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. Describe the situation of the Jewish colony in Babylon. 2. Their opportunities and occupations. 3. Their religious life. 4. The prophecies of Ezekiel after the destruction of Jerusalem. 5. Meaning of his description of the valley of dry bones in chapter 37. 6. His conception of the way in which the scattered exiles were to be restored. 7. His plan of the restored temple. 8. The meaning and significance of this detailed plan.

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. Babylon under Nebuchadrezzar. Goodspeed, Hist. of Babs. and Assyrs., 336-50; En. Bib., III, 3369-71. 2. The religious institutions of the Babylonians. Goodspeed, Hist. of Babs. and Assyrs., 351-66; Jastrow, Relig. of Bab. and Assyr.; Johns, Bab. and Assyr. Laws, Letters, and Contracts, 208-17. 3. Influence of Babylonian institutions upon Ezekiel. Toy, Ezek. (Introd.).

Section XCIII. The Closing Years of the Babylonian Rule. GENERAL QUESTIONS. 1. Describe the different influences that transformed the Jews into a literary people. 2. The nature of their literary activity. 3. The Old Testament books that were written or re-edited during this period. 4. The general character of the Holiness Code. 5. The national hopes inspired by the liberation of Jehoiachin. 6. The character of Nabonidus. 7. The effects of his rule. 8. The early conquests of Cyrus. 9. His capture of Babylon. 10. His policy toward conquered peoples.

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. Contents and history of the Holiness Code. St. O.T., IV, 36-42; McFadyen, Introd. to O.T., 31-4. 2. The last decade of Babylonian history. Goodspeed, Hist. of Babs. and Assyrs., 367-76; Kent, Hist. J.P., 66-77. 3. Character and reign of Cyrus. Herodotus, I, 95, 108-30, 177-214; Hastings, D.B., I, 541-2; Rawlinson, Anc. Monarchies, IV, VII; Duncker, Hist. of Antiq., V.

Section XCIV. The Rebuilding of the Temple. GENERAL QUESTIONS: Describe the contents and literary history of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. 2. Their authorship. 3. The Chronicler's peculiar ideas regarding the restoration. 4. Revolutions in the Persian Empire that aroused the Jews to action. 5. Haggai's appeal to the Judean community. 6. Measures taken to stop the rebuilding of the temple. 7. Meaning of the rebuilding of the temple to the Jewish race.

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. The historical value of Ezra and Nehemiah. Torrey, Composition and Historical Value of Ezra and Nehemiah, or Ezra Studies, 62-251. 2. The first two decades of Persian history. Goodspeed, Hist. of Ancient World, 60-2; Ragozin, The Story of Media, II; Meyer, Anc. Hist., 88-93. 3. Evidence that there was no general return of the Jews in 536 B.C. Kent, Hist. J.P., 126-36; Torrey, Ezra Studies, 297-307.

Section XCV. Zechariah's Visions and Encouraging Addresses. GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. Describe the evidence that Zechariah wrote from the point of view of a priest. 2. The structure and contents of his book. 3. The problems of the Judean community. 4. Their hopes of a national revival. 5. Zechariah's assurances. 6. The steps that were taken to make Zerubbabel king. 7. Evidence that the popular kingly hopes were disappointed. 8. The content of Zechariah's later sermons. 9. The hopes which he inspired in his fellow-countrymen.

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. Origin of the apocalyptic type of prophecy. Jewish Encyc., I, 669-73; St. O.T., Ill, 42-3; Hastings, D. B., I, 109-10. 2. The popular messianic hopes of the period. St. O.T., III, 44-5, 472-86. 3. The establishment of Darius' authority. Herodotus, II, 67-86; Ragozin, Media, XIII; Hastings, D. B., I, 558.

Section XCVI. Israel's Training and Destiny. GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. Describe the conditions in the Judean community during the seventy years following the rebuilding of the temple. 2. The forces that kept alive the spiritual life of the Jews. 3. The indications that Isaiah 40-66 were written in Palestine. 4. The probable date of these chapters. 5. Their distinctive literary characteristics. 6. The purpose for which they were written.

SUBJECTS FOE SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. The organization of the Persian Empire under Darius. Goodspeed, Hist, of Anc. World, 62-3; Ragozin, Media, 384-91; Sayce, Anc. Empires, 247-50; En. Bib., I, 1016-7. 2. The Persian invasions of Europe. Goodspeed, Anc. Hist., 122-8; Herodotus, IV, 1-142; Ragozin, Media, 412-29; Bury, Hist. of Greece, 265-96; Botsford, Hist. of Greece, 127-36. 3. Contents and literary characteristics of Isaiah 40-48. St. O. T., Ill, 27-30; Cobb, in Jour, of Bib. Lit., XXVII, 48-64; Box, Isaiah, 179-237.

Section XCVII. Conditions and Problems in the Jewish Community. GENERAL QUESTIONS: I. What is the probable date of the book of Malachi? 2. Describe its teachings regarding the temple service. 3. The need of a great moral awakening. 4. The doubts expressed by the faithful in the community. 5. The encouraging promises held out to them. 6. Presentation of the problem of the faithful in the psalms of the period.

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. Contemporary Greek history and literature. Goodspeed, Anc. Hist., 159-96; Bury, Hist. of Greece, 507-90; Jebb, Greek Lit., 109-20. 2. The earliest psalms. Briggs, Psalms, I, LXXXIX-XCII; Cobb, Bk. of Pss., XI-XIV; Driver, Lit. of the O.T., 371-2; McFadyen, Introd. to O.T., 238-50. 3. Psalm literature among contemporary peoples. Breasted, Hist. of Anc. Egyptians, 273-7; Jastrow, Relig. of Bab. and Assyr., 294-327.

Section XCVIII. The Problems and Teachings of the Book of Job. GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. Describe the structure of the book of Job. 2. The different literary units which have entered into it. 3. The probable dates of these different sections. 4. Contents of the original prose story. 5. The theme and contents of the great poem in 3-31, 38:1-42:6. 6. The different lines of progress in Job's thought. 7. The meaning of the speeches of Jehovah. 8. The contribution of the book to the solution of the problem of evil.

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. The Babylonian prototype of Job.
Jastrow, in Jour. of Bib. Lit., XXV, Pt. II, 135-91. 2. Comparison of
Job with other great skeptical dramas. Owen, The Five Great Skeptical
Dramas of History. 3. The modern explanations of the problem of evil.
Royce, Studies of Good and Evil.

Section XCIX. The Training and Mission of the True Servant of Jehovah. GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. Describe the different characteristics of Jehovah's servant in Isaiah 49-53. 2. What was the prophet's purpose in presenting this vivid portrait of Jehovah's ideal servant? 3. Describe the class to whom the prophet appealed. 4. His interpretation of the task of the servant. 5. His training. 6. The different methods whereby he was to accomplish his mission. 7. Did the prophet have in mind an individual, a class, or simply an ideal character? 8. In what ways were his predictions fulfilled? 9. In what sense is his ideal of service of present-day application?

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. The meaning and history of the different messianic titles. St. O.T., III, 39, 47; En. Bib., III, 3057-61. 2. Contents and unity of Isaiah 49-55. St. O.T., III, 28-30; Box, Isaiah, 238-83. 3. How far was Jesus influenced by the ideal of the suffering servant?

Section C. Nehemiah's Work in Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem. GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. What is the historical value of Nehemiah's memoirs? 2. In what way was he informed of conditions in Jerusalem? 3. How did he secure permission to go to Jerusalem? 4. Describe the obstacles that there confronted him. 5. His plan of work. 6. His diplomacy in dealing with his opponents. 7. The task of rebuilding the walls. 8. Their dedication. 9. The significance of the rebuilding of the walls.

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. Contemporary events in Greek history.
Goodspeed, Anc. Hist., 141-72; Bury, Hist, of Greece, 336-75;
Botsford, Hist, of Greece, 151-85. 2. The topography of Jerusalem.
Kent, Sib. Geog. and Hist., 64-72; Smith, Jerusalem, I, I-249;
Hastings, D.B., II, 591-6. 3. Recent excavations at Jerusalem.
Jerusalem Vol. of P. E. F. Memoirs; Bliss and Dickey, Excavations at
Jerusalem; Smith, Jerusalem, I.

Section CI. Nehemiah's Social and Religious Reforms. GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. Describe the cruel oppression of the leaders of the Jewish community. 2. The effect upon the mass of the people. 3. The way in which Nehemiah corrected these evils. 4. The evidence for and against the historical accuracy of Nehemiah 13. 5. Nehemiah's measures to improve the temple service. 6. His emphasis upon Sabbath observance. 7. His opposition to foreign marriages. 8. The importance of his work as a whole.

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: I. In what respects was Nehemiah a worthy successor of the earlier Hebrew prophets? 2. The later Jewish laws regarding the Sabbath. St. O.T., IV, 263-4. 3. Regarding marriage with foreigners. St. O.T., IV, 54-5.

Section CII. Traditional Account of the Adoption of the Priestly Law. GENERAL QUESTIONS: 1. Describe the present literary form of the tradition regarding Ezra. 2. Its probable history. 3. Its historical value. 4. The facts underlying it. 5. Origin of the later priestly laws. 6. Their general purpose. 7. Their more important regulations. 8. Their transforming influence upon the Jewish community.

SUBJECTS FOR SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. The difficulties in accepting the
Ezra narrative as strictly historical. Torrey, Ezra Studies, 208-78;
Smith, O.T. Hist., 390-8. 2. History of the later priestly codes. St.
O.T., IV, 43-8. 3. Income and duties of the priests and Levites according
to the late priestly codes. St. O.T., IV, 187-92, 197-202.

Section CIII. The Jewish State during the Last Century of Persian Rule. GENERAL QUESTIONS: I. Describe the indications that the Judean community enjoyed unusual prosperity during the half-century following the work of Nehemiah. 2. The effect of this prosperity upon the intellectual life of the Jews. 3. The growth of the Psalter during this period. 4. The date of the prophecy of Joel. 5. Its theme. 6. The hopes of the Jews at this time. 7. Nature of the rule of the high priests. 8. The evidence regarding the date of the Samaritan schism. 9. Its causes. 10. Its effect upon Judaism.

SUBJECTS FOB SPECIAL RESEARCH: 1. History of the Persian Empire between 400 and 332 B.C. Cox, The Greeks and the Persians. 2. Contemporary events in Greek history. Goodspeed, Hist. of Anc. World, 173-204; Meyer, Anc. Hist., 244-74. 3. The history of the Samaritans. En. Bib., IV, 4256-64; Montgomery, The Samaritans.