Review Sheet for Dead Sea Scrolls Midterm
I. Short Answers:
Dates:
I may ask you for the dates or give you the date and ask for the major event. You should be able to describe each event or period in one or two sentences.
1250BCELeave Egypt
1000BCEKing David
722BCEExile of Northern 10 tibes
587/586BCEDestruction of Temple I
539 BCECyrus the Great – Persian rule
516 BCESecond Temple Built
c. 450BCEEzra and Nehemiah are active
332 BCEAlexander the Great – Greek rule
164 BCEMaccabean Revolt
153BCEJonathan the Maccabbee makes himself Kohen Gadol
150BCE-70CEPharisees
70 CESecond Temple Destroyed
132 CEBar Kokhba Revolt
50-200 CETannaitic Period
220 CEMishnah & Tannaitic Midrash Compiled
200-500 CEAmoraic Period
400 CEYerushalmi & Amoraic Midrash Compiled
500-700 CESavoraim in Babylonia
600 CEBavli Completed
Provide brief descriptions of these texts. For each provide one idea or law that is included in it:
The Halakhic Letter
Community Rule
Damascus Document
Define terms and explain significance:
Sect, Nissoq (water stream), Pliny, Philo, Josephus, Hyksos, Ahmose I, Astronomical Diary, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Alexander, Antiochus, Seleucids, Ptolemies, Yehoyakim, Yehoyachin, Zedekiah, 10th of Tevet, 17th of Tamuz, 9th of Av, Gedaliah, Yehoyishma, daughter of Sawas-sar-usur, Zechariah, Zerubabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Cairo Geniza, Jonestown
II. Essays:
Review the story of the discovery of the scrolls. When, where, who and what. List the first seven scrolls discovered.
Recount some of the controversies that surrounded the publication of the scrolls.
General contents of the scrolls. List the three types of scrolls found. When were most of these scrolls written? When were they stored?
What are three interpretations of Jeremiah’s prophecy found within Tanakh?
What are the five stages of exile and five stages of redemption that we identified surrounding the destruction of the first Temple and its rebuilding?
Sectarianism. Describe the state of the Jewish community in Palestine during the Second Temple Period. What were the major sects? How do we know about them – describe our sources. What distinguished each group from the other? What populations did each attract? What were the subjects of their disputes (both theological and halakhic)? Make sure to cite which source says what.
Who was Hananiah Nothos? Describe a typical day of a Yahad member. (first reading)
What is the Community Rule? Describe its contents and purpose.
What is the Damascus Document? Where was it found? What is the structure of its contents? What does it say about polygamy – provide all proofs that it cites and alludes to.
What is the law regarding marrying one’s niece according to the Qumran sectarians? What are its proofs? In what other scrolls is this law addressed? How is the presentation of this law different in those scrolls and why?
Who were the Qumran sect? Compare the sectarian writings to descriptions of the sects by Hellenistic writers and rabbinic literature. What are the similarities with and differences from the Essenes and the Sadducees? Would you identify them with either or none of these?
Were there women living at Qumran. Provide all evidence for and against. What is your opinion and why?
Provide an overview of the historical background of the time period during which the scrolls were written and stored. List the major events happening in Israel during these centuries. What prompted this group to move to Qumran? What brought about their demise?
What is the Halakhic Letter? What other names does it have? Where was it found and in how many copies? Who wrote it to whom? When? What does it say? What is its structure? Describe and give examples for each of its parts. (This includes a description of the sectarian calendar.) What parallel sources do we have in the Mishnah? What does this scroll tell us about the identity of the sect?