History 282/Jewish Studies 234

History 282/Jewish Studies 234

Sample Cumulative Questions

December 2007

1. Throughout Jewish history, religious leaders have cited past traditions and texts to legitimize innovation. Comment with specific examples drawn from at least three different times and places. Your answer should try, among other things, to explain why this “appeal to the past” has been so powerful a form of legitimation among Jews.

2. Claims to leadership can be made in many different ways. They can be based on social institutions, on personal charisma, or on values and ideals shared by the society. Drawing on the careers of at least three different leaders of the Jewish people for examples, describe the nature of each individual’s claim to authority and describe how that claim was incorporated into the Jewish historical self-perception. Your answer should be structural as well biographical.

3. This course has traced the gradual evolution of a Jewish national identity from the tribal associations of Canaan to the messianic revival of
Sabbetai Zevi. Outline the major elements in this national identity, and for each identify the time and circumstances under which it was incorporated into the national self-definition. What alternatives were rejected along the way?

4. At many stages of its development, Judaism has found itself in conflict and competition with other cultures that it both rejected and imitated, labeled as alien and took as a model. Discuss given specific examples from at least three different times and places.

5. From the time of the United (Davidic) Monarchy to the 17th century, religious authority has been claimed by varying institutions, groups, and leaders based on changing conceptions of Judaism and varying historical claims. Discuss these shifts in at least three periods. For each, explain what individual or group is claiming authority, how they legitimize or justify their claim, and who might oppose that claim.

6. One of the assertions made about Judaism is that it was an unbroken succession of written and oral traditions beginning with Moses and handed down to the present day, generally accepted by the entire community. Thinking about the material covered in the course, assess the validity of this statement, using specific events and ideas to back up your argument.