Deck 8: Judaism

Question 1

According to the Book of Genesis, _____ are revelations or appearances of God that are sometimes friendly in nature but fierce and frightening at other times.

A) Sadducees
B) Pharisees
C) diasporas
D) theophanies

Answer 1

theophanies

Question 2

Zionism is

A) the practice of seeking archeological evidence to discover the truth of biblical stories.
B) a movement that has encouraged the creation and support of the nation of Israel.
C) the practice followed by males of not cutting the beard or the hair in front of the ears.
D) the Jewish culture that came up in eastern Europe after 1000 CE.

Answer 2

a movement that has encouraged the creation and support of the nation of Israel.

Question 3

The Hebrew Bible is

A) a purposeless circular movement of events.
B) something over which human beings have no control.
C) unreal and illusory.
D) the Israelites' view of their God's relationship with them in the midst of historical events.

Answer 3

the Israelites' view of their God's relationship with them in the midst of historical events.

Question 4

According to the Book of Exodus, which disaster was the last to strike the Egyptians?

A) the plague of frogs
B) the hail
C) the darkness
D) the death of the first-born sons of the Egyptians

Question 5

A central Jewish belief is that

A) God is an impersonal force.
B) God is master of the universe as its creator and judge.
C) God is the pattern of nature.
D) God created the world but does not interfere in it.

Question 6

The Torah is

A) the name for the books of Psalms and Proverbs.
B) the sacred core of the Hebrew Bible.
C) another name for the Writings (Ketuvim).
D) the historical book of the Bible.

Question 7

Which of the following is a section of the Hebrew Bible that includes stories of the creation of the world, Adam and Eve, Noah, and the Hebrew patriarchs and matriarchs?

A) the Teaching
B) the Prophets
C) the Zealots
D) the Writings

Question 8

The Talmud is

A) the earliest part of the Kabbalah.
B) the Hebrew name of the prayer shawl.
C) the writings of medieval thinkers.
D) an encyclopedic commentary on the Hebrew scriptures.

Question 9

_____ is a movement that began in the nineteenth century that questioned and modernized Judaism.

A) Reform
B) Reconstructionism
C) Purim
D) Tanakh

Question 10

Orthodoxy, a branch of Judaism, is committed to retaining traditional practices and beliefs that include

A) synagogue services being conducted completely in German.
B) basic manual labor on the Sabbath that requires minimal exertion.
C) the requirement of a quorum of ten Jewish males for a service.
D) females wearing a skullcap to keep their heads covered.

Question 11

Which of the following is a branch of Judaism that began in Germany out of a desire ofsome Jews to leave ghetto life completely and enter the mainstream of European culture?

A) Reform Judaism
B) Conservative Judaism
C) Orthodox Judaism
D) Reconstructionist Judaism

Question 12

In Judaism, _____ is the coming-of-age ceremony that marks the time when a young man is considered a legal adult within the Jewish community.

A) Hanukkah
B) bar mitzvah
C) Seder
D) bat mitzvah

Question 13

Which division of modern Judaism stresses careful keeping of dietary laws and separatesocial roles for men and women?

A) Conservative Judaism
B) Reform Judaism
C) Orthodox Judaism
D) Reconstructionist Judaism

Question 14

Which book is part of the Torah, or Pentateuch?

A) the Book of Leviticus
B) the Book of Isaiah
C) the Song of Songs
D) the Book of Jonah

Question 15

The Reform movement

A) questioned traditional Judaism.
B) rejected Zionism.
C) reverted traditional practices that were in danger of being lost.
D) popularized Yiddish culture.

Question 16

The three sections of the Hebrew Bible are

A) the Teaching, the Prophets, and Proverbs.
B) Psalms, Chronicles, and Proverbs.
C) History, the Prophets, and Psalms.
D) the Teaching, the Prophets, and the Writings.

Question 17

The Sadducees were

A) a Jewish semi-monastic community.
B) members of priestly families, living primarily in Jerusalem.
C) very patriotic Jews who were violently anti-Roman.
D) interested in studying and commenting on Jewish law.

Question 18

The Jewish Sabbath is kept from

A) sunset Friday to sunset Saturday.
B) sunrise Saturday to sunrise Sunday.
C) sunrise Saturday to sundown Sunday.
D) sunrise Sunday to sunrise Monday.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is most likely true of the Essenes?

A) They were opposed to foreign influences.
B) They refused to accept the solar calendar used in temples.
C) They derived their living from temple worship.
D) They rejected animal sacrifice and avoided meat.

Question 20

_____, containing the lyrics of 150 hymns, is often called the hymnbook of the SecondTemple.

A) The Book of Leviticus
B) The Book of Psalms
C) The Book of Isaiah
D) The Book of the Twelve

Question 21

Jewish dietary laws forbid eating

A) pork.
B) lamb.
C) beef.
D) fish.

Question 22

During the Seleucid period, which of the following practices of the Jewish culture mostlikely conflicted with the sophisticated Greek-speaking culture called Hellenism?

A) dietary restrictions that forbade eating chicken and eggs
B) prohibitions against work on the Sabbath
C) interest in advances in science, medicine, and literature
D) forbidding of circumcision of the first-born male child

Question 23

The Jewish New Year occurs at which time of the year?

A) autumn
B) winter
C) spring
D) summer

Question 24

The festival of Passover occurs at which time of the year?

A) autumn
B) winter
C) spring
D) summer

Question 25

During which Jewish festival do families gather on eight evenings, light candles on a specialmenorah, and give their children presents?

A) Hanukkah
B) Rosh Hashanah
C) Pesach
D) Purim

Question 26

The Hebrew verb for "to be" is etymologically associated with the name of

A) God.
B) Moses.
C) Genesis.
D) the Mishnah.

Question 27

According to the Hebrew Bible, the southern kingdom was destroyed in 586 BCE by

A) Assyria.
B) Persia.
C) Babylonia.
D) Egypt.

Question 28

The common language of the Sephardic Jews was

A) Ladino.
B) Yiddish.
C) Farsi.
D) Basque.

Question 29

The Yiddish language is a medieval form of _____ mixed with Hebrew words and writtenin Hebrew characters.

A) Greek
B) German
C) Ethiopian
D) Spanish

Question 30

The first two kings of the Israelite kingdom were

A) Solomon and Hezekiah.
B) Nathan and Solomon.
C) Saul and David.
D) Ezra and Nehemiah.

Question 31

Identify a true statement about Jewish dietary practices.

A) Chicken and eggs were forbidden as these get easily contaminated.
B) All blood was drained before any animal meat was cooked and eaten.
C) Only traditional Jews ate meat and dairy products at the same meal.
D) Meat that was first offered at the altar could be eaten by priests.

Question 32

According to dietary laws kept by traditional Jews, which items may not be eaten at the same meal?

A) meat and dairy
B) fruits and nuts
C) fish and wine
D) bread and olive oil

Question 33

According to some traditionalists, the prohibition against work on the Sabbath includes

A) walking outside of the house.
B) the use of the telephone.
C) the reading of books.
D) talking with friends.

Question 34

Another name for the Torah is

A) Nevi'im.
B) Tanakh.
C) Pentateuch.
D) Ketuvim.

Question 35

According to the Book of Genesis, Adam lived to be how old?

A) 99 years old
B) 122 years old
C) 545 years old
D) 930 years old

Question 36

"Canaan" refers to

A) an early name for the region of Israel.
B) the name of the sacred book of the Babylonians.
C) a son of Noah.
D) an Egyptian goddess.

Question 37

The last section of the Book of Genesis focuses on which Hebrew ancestor?

A) Moses
B) Joseph
C) Jacob
D) Seth

Question 38

The term _____ refers to those Jews who at one time lived in or came from central Europe.

A) Talmud
B) Sephardic
C) Ashkenazim
D) Zealot

Question 39

Which of the following is a Jewish festival that is marked with the giving of food and money, a reading of the Book of Esther, and a festive meal?

A) Sukkot
B) Hanukkah
C) Seder
D) Purim

Question 40

Identify a true statement about the Jewish Sabbath.

A) The Jewish Sabbath involves inviting friends over to share the main Sabbath meal.
B) The Talmud advocates that no alcohol be consumed during meals on the Sabbath.
C) The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday at sunrise and lasts until Sunday just after sunset.
D) The Talmud recommends that the father of the household welcome the Sabbath.

Question 41

Which of the following was a major effect of the end of the Second Temple?

A) It marked the beginning of the power of the priesthood.
B) It moved Judaism toward a central focus on scripture and scriptural interpretation.
C) It resulted in the blending of the Jewish culture and the Greek culture.
D) It forced the religion of Judaism to develop in the direction of temple ritual.

Question 42

Explain why it is said that Jewish history goes back two thousand years or far longer depending on one's point of view.

Question 43

List three reasons why the Hebrew Bible is important to Judaism, independent of its contributions to the historical record.

Question 44

Describe four identifying characteristics of God as described in the story of Eden.

Question 45

Describe the role of Eve in the story of the Garden of Eden. In what ways might a Westerner view her role both positively and negatively? What kind of influence has this story had on Western culture?

Question 46

Briefly describe three theophanies recounted in the Book of Genesis and the Book of Exodus.

Question 47

Summarize key points in the debate over whether Judaism was always monotheistic.

Question 48

Based on biblical accounts, list three contributions of the legendary King David to Hebrew history.

Question 49

Define the term prophet according to the Hebrew tradition. Recount briefly the tale of one of the prophets.

Question 50

Describe how Babylonian captivity affected Hebrew thought.

Question 51

List the four factions that emerged in response to foreign influences on Hebrew ways at the time of the Second Temple. Describe in detail the thinking of one of the factions.

Question 52

Describe the end of the Second Temple. What did the event mean in the history of Judaism?

Question 53

How did the Hebrew Scriptures achieve their final form? What is the role of the Talmud in conjunction with the scriptures?

Question 54

In what ways did the rise of Islam influence Jewish life?

Question 55

Identify and summarize the importance of the Kabbalah. Why do you think it took on special importance during the Middle Ages in Europe?

Question 56

What impacts did Christians have on European Jews?

Question 57

Describe the two directions in which Judaism moved in response to Renaissance ideas.

Question 58

What was the Nazi rationale for the extermination effort that came to be known as the Holocaust? What was its ultimate price?

Question 59

Summarize the three steps through which the state of Israel came into being.

Question 60

Summarize four of the central beliefs of Judaism.

Question 61

Summarize the main practices and obligations of Jews relating to the Sabbath.

Question 62

What is Yom Kippur, and how is it observed? (Other feast days may be substituted.)

Question 63

What is the Seder, and how is it significant? List three practices associated with the Seder and explain their meaning.

Question 64

What are the biblical roots of kosher practice? List three practices that must be observed in a home that follows the kosher dietary laws.

Question 65

Describe the characteristics that distinguish Sephardic Judaism from Ashkenazic Judaism.

Question 66

List five practices or beliefs that distinguish Orthodox Judaism from other divisions of Judaism.

Question 67

Explain why Jewish contributions to the visual arts (painting, sculpture) are quite limited.

Question 68

Describe the ways in which Jewish thought may have influenced philosophy, literature, or music.

Question 69

Assume that you have been asked to create a tour to the three most significant sites in Hebrew/Jewish history. Which sites would you choose and why?