Study Questions for readings on Exile and Return, Ezra and Nehemiah
each student should answer one question on this blog
Study Questions:
1.Know the dates for the following events: Babylonian Exile of Judah; Restoration of Judaean exiles to Judah. Completion of construction and inaugeration of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
2.Be able to identify prophets active during period of Babylonian exile and the restoration of Judah.
3.What is the Jewish attiude toward Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, as reflected in assigned readings in Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah?
4.Describe two major socio religious reforms instituted by Ezra the Scribe.
5. From your reading (Wylen Ch. 2 and Sources) what was the most important achievement of the early postexilic period (time of Ezra the Scribe)?
6.Who is the last prophet in the OT canon? When did prophecy “end”? Why did prophecy end? What replaced it?
7.What is meant by a “scriptural religion?” During what period in its history did Judaism become a scriptural religion? What effect did the new emphasis on scripture have on traditional prophecy? Think about possible connections between the transformation of Judaism to a Scriptural religion and the notion of the end of traditional prophecy.
(Looking ahead)
8.List and describe some (minimum 5) major differences between preExilic and post Exilic Judaism
9.List and describe some (minimum 5) significant commonalities between preExilic and postExilic Judaism
(way ahead to first century BCE )
10.Be able to enumerate significant differences between ‘traditional’ prophecy and apocalyptic prophecy.
11 Describe some differences and commonalities ( see Cohen, Ch. 1 [between preExilic and postexilic Judaism?])
3.What is the Jewish attiude toward Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, as reflected in assigned readings in Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah?
ReplyDeleteThe text reflects a grateful attitude toward Cyrus the Great. Maybe the graciousness is directed more towards God for inspiring Cyrus the Great for allowing the exiles to return to their land. There is definitely no animosity towards him. This is most clear in 2 Chronicles 36.
1. Know the dates for the following events: Babylonian Exile of Judah; Restoration of Judaean exiles to Judah. Completion of construction and inaugeration of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
ReplyDeleteThe restoration of Judaen exiles occurred in 538 BCE. Because 2 Chronicles 36:21 says the exile lasted for 70 years it had to be implemented around 608 BCE. The Second Temple in Jerusalem was completed in 444 BCE, along with the reconstruction of the community and city. However the temple was not inaugurated until the celebration of renewal and reconstruction was over which was the 24th day of the 7th month (Nehemiah 9:1).
4.Describe two major socio religious reforms instituted by Ezra the Scribe.
ReplyDeleteThe first socio religious reform instituted by Ezra the Scribe is seen in Nehemiah 8.14. Ezra tells the people of the words commanded by Moses that "the people of Israel should live in booths during the festival of the 7th month.
That is the only reform I could find when under Ezra the Scribe. But in Nehemiah 8.9 Ezra is described as "Ezra the priest and scribe," so I wonder if the others reforms I found under "Ezra the priest" could also be considered answers to the question?
Ezra the priest in Ezra 10.11 told the exiled people of Judah to separate themselves from their foreign wives and other people of land. This was done to preserve their culture.
4.Alex, Ezra the Priest=Ezra the Scribe. The too MAJOR reforms were
ReplyDelete1)instution of ban on intermarriage 2) his renewal of the Mosaic covenant which is broader than what you correctly noted above --the reinstitution of the holiday of booths (tabernacles) which had been long forgotten and unobserved.
Troy the Babylonian exile occurred in 586 BCE, close but not exactly 70 years prior to the return from exile and the rebuilding of the Temple--depends what you use as your "restoration" date.
ReplyDeleteDates as follows:
586 BCE: exile of Judah to Babylon
538 BCE: Cyrus the Great of Persia issues edict permitting return
520-515 BCE: Second Temple rebuilt and dedicated.
450-400 BCE: reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah
Sam, in some places Cyrus is even referred to as messiah of the Jews.
ReplyDelete2. From reading 2 Chronicles: 36.15-23 about the exile and return, the prophet active during the period of Babylonian exile and the restoration of Judah were Jeremiah.
ReplyDelete6.Who is the last prophet in the OT canon? When did prophecy “end”? Why did prophecy end? What replaced it?
ReplyDeleteThe last prophet in the OT cannon is Malachi. Prophecy ended after the final prophets Nehemiah and Ezra. It ended because the Jews now had a scriptural text to guide them. Thus a prophet wasn’t needed to deliver the message of God since they had his God's message in a written form. If they had both as a guide for the people there could be contradictions or inconstancies.
5. From your reading (Wylen Ch. 2 and Sources) what was the most important achievement of the early postexilic period (time of Ezra the Scribe)?
ReplyDeleteI'm not exactly sure which of the two events that I read about is the most important of the period. However, it seems to be a toss up between Ezra introducing the scroll of the Torah to the people of Judah or the intense revival of devotion to God led by Nehemiah and Ezra.
8. List and describe some (minimum 5) major differences between pre-Exilic and post-Exilic Judaism
ReplyDeletePre-exilic Jews were ruled by kings, but post-exilic Jews were ruled by priestly elite.
Pre-exilic Jews spoke Hebrew, but post-exilic Jews spoke Aramaic.
Pre-exilic Jews did not accept an evil being, but post-exilic Jews used Satan the “fallen angel” to personify evil.
Pre-exilic Jews had mostly only oral law traditions, but post-exilic Jews ruled on the basis of the Torah.
Pre-exilic Jews believed our God is the best God, but post-exilic Jews believed our God is the only God.
Re 7: ban on intermarriage and reintroduction of Torah to people were Ezra's most important achievements.
ReplyDeletere 8
ReplyDeletethe following list (adapted from Shaye Cohen's from the Maccabees to the Mishnah) is the best list I know:
Commonalities between PreExilic and Postexilic Judaism:
monotheism,
covenant with Israel,
land and temple,
sacred calendar,
many religious observances.
Most impt: All Jews see selves as not merely successors but continuators of legacy of Sinai (preexile!). Christianity asserts newness, but Rabbinic Judaism does not.
Differences:
1. Preexilic Israel tribal to individualistic society society living on ancestral land; membership by birth. Post exilic Jews returned from Babylon not as tribes but as clans—whole tribal structure was destroyed and many never came back, but lived on as Jews without their own land in Babylon and later elsewhere. Over time because of movement, Judaism sees self more as religion and less as nationality. Creates institution of conversion and with it the ban on intermarriage. Sees self as family/clan that anyone can enter.
2. PreE Israel worshipped through sacrifice at temple with priests as their middlemen; prayer not a standard form of worship, in temple or elsewhere. Sacrificial cult lasted as long as temple, but in Postexilic pd. Jews developed new liturgies including prayer and recitation and study of scripture; this new form influenced even the Temple but its new home was the synagogue. Private worship also a new feature—as was study which was seen as an act of worship. Piety for PreE pd centered on group; in PostE pd it moved toward individual as well as group.
3.PreE Israel believed God administered justice in this world THEODICY; either by punishing sinners or their offspring. PostE Judaism increasingly saw reward/punishment as only on individual and pushed up to an afterlife with reward and punishment moved into next world or end of time. Some included idea of resurrection of the dead.
Idea of political messiah in postE pd. God will free Israel from foreign rulers and restore sovereignty to Israel. ESCHATOLOGICAL doctrines (=ideas about end of time or ultimate future) an innovation of PostE Judaism.
Postexilic Judaism also developed ideas about a cosmic struggle between good and evil forces that was echoed by good and evil inclinations at war within individual people. Not so dualistic as to obviate monotheism, but did believe in angels and spirits who administered God’s will. Post Exilic God was more transcendent that PreE God had been
4.Government of PreE Israel was by kings guided by prophets; Post E pd ruled by priesthood with temporal power—Davidic royal line disappears at start of preEx period; only hear about it again in rabbinic pd when alleged Davidic descendents emerged as community leaders. Also hear about Davidic line in discussions of endtime and later in gospel traditions on Jesus as member of Davidic line (Matthew).
5.PreEx authoritative prophets replaced in Post E by seers, mystics, faith healers, Hasidim (=pietists_. PreE prophets replaced mainly by scribes- authority figures whose prestige derived from erudition in texts, not personal charisma or magic powers (like earlier prophets). These scribes usually set selves in opposition to priesthood.
6.PostEx pd by 2nd c. BCE saw rise of sects that disappeared only after 70CE. Most sects argued that the temple was corrupt and that their way was the true way to behave. Synagogues and schools competed with the temple in Israel and in the Diaspora. These pick up and take over after the destruction of the temple.
7.PostEx Judaism a book religion-canonize and enshrine the Bible. No longer write new biblical books, they study the existing biblical books and develop new literary genres or biblical interpretations (oral law).
two major socio religious reforms instituted by Ezra the Scribe.
ReplyDeleteThe priesthood was purified and mixed marriages dealt with as the principles of the law became applied to every detail of life. Gradually many Jews came to believe that here lay the only real proof of who was a true Jew.