Listed below are significant terms and identifications from lectures, readings, and discussion sections. It may be helpful to consult these terms before and during the course of the week in which they come up. For each term, you should know what it means and how it relates to study of the Bible. Some terms have significance that far exceed the scope of this class (for example, Egypt); be sure you can describe what their significance is to biblical studies ("Egypt was one of the superpowers of the ancient world, where the Israelites were in bondage, where Jesus and his family supposedly fled during his infancy," and so forth). Some terms are more complicated than others (e.g., "Documentary Hypothesis" will be more complicated than "hesed").
This list contains only definable terms; be aware that, especially for the final exam, you will have to be able to talk about concepts and ideas as well. For this kind of studying, you should use the topics in the lecture outlines.
Skip ahead to: bible basics, Torah, Prophets, Writings, Apocalypticism, Gospels, Acts & Paul, Post-Paul, canon & culture
Jewish Scriptures, Hebrew Bible, TANAK
Torah/Law
Nevi'im/Prophets
Ketuvim/Writings
Old Testament/New Testament
Apocrypha/Deuterocanon
Biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek)
Mesopotamia
Egypt
Alexander the Great
Temple of Jerusalem
"maximalist" vs. "minimalist" historians
lower/higher criticism
fundamentalism/inerrantism
literary criticism
Torah/Pentateuch
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Adam & Eve
Noah
Tower of Babel
YHWH/the LORD
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph
covenant (berit)
Hebrews
Israel
Moses
hesed
genres (genealogy, etiology, hero cycles, songs)
Documentary Hypothesis
historical criticism
Former Prophets & Latter Prophets
Twelve Tribes
Saul
David
Jerusalem
Solomon
Divided Kingdoms (Judah, Israel)
(Babylonian) Exile
priests
prophets
Zion
Babylon
Davidic covenant
idolatry
"sin of Jeroboam"
Baal and Asherah
charismatic authority
literary and nonliterary prophets
social justice
diaspora (pronounced: dee-ASS-poor-uh)
monolatry versus monotheism
Writings/Ketuvim
Psalms/the Psalter (pronounced: Salms, SALL-tur)
liturgy
Lamentations
Song of Solomon (aka Song of Songs)
wasf (one syllable: pronounced like "wasp," but with an f on the end)
allegory
Wisdom Literature
Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes
theodicy
Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah
Ruth
Esther
Daniel
apocalypse, apocalyptic, apocalypticism
hellenism
Roman Empire
Herod the Great
zealots
sects
Dead Sea Scrolls
"Jesus Movement"
messiah/messianism
renewal movements
John the Baptist
Josephus
Galilee
Septuagint (LXX)
gospels, acts, letters, revelations
Synoptic Problem
Four-Source Hypothesis
"Q" (from German Quelle [pronounced Kvell-uh], "source")
redaction criticism
form criticism
historical criticism
Kingdom of God
messianic secret
passion
crucifixion
resurrection
nativity
Sermon on the Mount
Luke-Acts
gentiles
Word/Logos
"signs source"
"speeches source"
Easter
Pentecost
Holy Spirit
apostles
Saul/Paul
Peter
gentiles
Christians
undisputed, deutero-Pauline, Pastoral letters
"Three Pillars" (James, Cephas, John)
"body of Christ"
the "strong" and the "weak"
porneia (fornication)
parousia (second coming)
household codes
bishops and deacons
Thecla
"Catholic Epistles" (also "General Epistles")
renunciation
heresy and orthodoxy
martyrdom
666
canon
apocrypha
Gospel of Thomas
Acts of Paul and Thecla
Nag Hammadi
Marcion
inerrantism/fundamentalism
Scopes Monkey Trial
First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America
Ten Commandments
popular culture