Question 1

Analyze the notion of two messiahs revealed in the Dead Sea Scrolls. What did the Essenes take to be the roles of each of the messiahs?

Accepted Answer

Some scrolls indicate that a final battle between good and evil would usher in the Kingdom of God, which would be ruled by two messiahs. One would be a priestly messiah who would lead the faithful in the worship of God in a purified Temple. He would reinstitute the sacrificial rituals in accordance with the will of God. The other messiah would be a king, ruling over the children of God. The Essenes started their own monastic-like community with strict rules to keep themselves pure and ready for the fulfillment of this end time prophesy. Notice that they separated the concepts of messiah and God. Later, some Christians would use this concept to claim that Jesus, as the Son of God, was the fulfillment of both messianic descriptions (i.e., he was both a priest and a king).

Question 2

According to the War Scroll, the final war will last seven years.

Accepted Answer

According to the War Scroll, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the final war is described as lasting forty years, not seven.

Question 3

The Sadducees looked forward to the resurrection of the dead.

Accepted Answer

The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.

Question 4

The Pharisees did not have significant political clout.

Accepted Answer

The Pharisees were a religious sect in ancient Judea, and they did not have significant political power.

Question 5

Most ancient Jews were not a member of any particular sect.

Accepted Answer

While there were several sects within ancient Judaism, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots, the majority of Jews were not affiliated with any specific sect and simply practiced Judaism according to their own traditions and beliefs.

Question 6

Arabic was the ancient tongue of Judea.

Accepted Answer

The ancient tongue of Judea was Hebrew, not Arabic.

Question 7

Which group was aristocratic and most closely tied to the Temple?&#10;A) The Pharisees&#10;B) The Fourth Philosophy&#10;C) The Sadducees&#10;D) The Essenes

Accepted Answer

The Sadducees were a Jewish group that was aristocratic and closely tied to the Temple in Jerusalem. They were known for their focus on the literal interpretation of the Torah and for their rejection of the oral law and tradition upheld by the Pharisees.

Question 8

Acceptance into the Essene community required all of the following except:&#10;A) A two-year initiation period&#10;B) Relinquishing all personal property to the community&#10;C) A marriage that had produced children&#10;D) Strict adherence to divine law

Accepted Answer

The Essenes were known to abstain from marriage and procreation. Therefore, acceptance into the Essene community did not require a marriage that had produced children.

Question 9

What were the Roman administrators who governed regions of the Roman Empire under a king called?&#10;A) Augurs&#10;B) Priests&#10;C) Prefects&#10;D) Hasmoneans

Accepted Answer

The Roman administrators who governed regions of the Roman Empire under a king were called prefects. Augurs were Roman officials who interpreted omens and signs, priests were religious officials, and Hasmoneans were a Jewish dynasty who ruled Judea during the Second Temple period.

Question 10

Why are the Dead Sea Scrolls so valuable?&#10;A) Because they are nearly a thousand years older than the oldest copies of the Hebrew Scriptures that we previously had&#10;B) Because they constitute proof that the other Scriptures are inauthentic&#10;C) Because they discredit the idea that Jesus was the messiah&#10;D) Because they were written on platinum

Accepted Answer

The Dead Sea Scrolls are valuable because they are nearly a thousand years older than the oldest copies of the Hebrew Scriptures that we previously had, providing insight into the history of Judaism and early Christianity.

Question 11

What was the physical sign of the covenant between ancient Jews and God?&#10;A) The wearing of a phylactery around the forehead&#10;B) Circumcision&#10;C) A Star of David tattoo&#10;D) Not cutting the beard hair

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was the physical sign of the...

Question 12

People from which tribe of Israel worked as assistants to the priests who performed Temple sacrifices?&#10;A) Levi&#10;B) Benjamin&#10;C) Reuben&#10;D) Gad

Accepted Answer

The answer of People from which tribe of Israel worked...

Deck 4: The Jewish World of Jesus and His Followers