BIBL 105 EXAM III REVIEW
Focus on and Review all class notes over the books Samuel – Nehemiah
Review the OT Survey Timeline handout (Part 2) that was placed on Blackboard (at
beginning of semester). Note the time line , and many important dates from these books
Samuel :
Authorship possibilities
•Samuel
•Gad (prophet)
•Nathan (prophet)
Know the three primary characters of 1 Samuel
•Samuel
•Saul
•David
Know which book has the reign of Saul, introduces David, which has the reign of David
•1 Samuel
Focus on David’s reign: in Hebron, in Jerusalem
Hebron
•over Judah only
•7 years
Jerusalem
•over all of Israel
•33 years
His success, sin, and family tragedies
•ruler over Judah and then Israel, brings ark to Jerusalem, victories in battle
•adultery with Bathsheba, murder of Uriah
•Amnon (son) rapes Tamar (daughter), Absalon (son) murders Amnon, David forgives
Absalon but he rebels and takes over Jerusalem, Absalon is killed by Joab
Kings
Proposed authorship
•Tradition says Jeremiah
Note the emphasis on spiritual decline in the books
1 Kings
•Glory of Solomon (971)- Rupture of the Kingdom (931)- Troubles of 2 Kingdoms
2 Kings
•Corruption of Kingdoms-Assyrian Captivity of Israel (722)- Corruption of
Judah- Babylonian captivity of Judah (586)
Focus on Solomon’s reign, his wisdom and his failures
•Made a wise choice- received God’s blessing of wisdom, wealth, and influence
•Foolish- taxation of the people, large labor force for building, 700 wives, 300
concubines, began serving their gods
Focus on the division of the kingdom into a divided monarchy
•Kingdom divided under Rehoboam (931 B.C.)
•North Kingdom- Israel (10 tribes)- Jeroboam
•South Kingdom- Judah (2 tribes)- Rehoboam
Rehoboam and Jeroboam: Who made Israel sin? How?
•Jeroboam
oBuilt 2 new religious sites: Dan and Bethel
oMade a new religious calendar
oCreated a new priesthood
Focus on characters in the Ahab and Elijah narratives
Ahab
•Married Jezebel
•Israel’s most wicked king
•Baal-worship caused a great famine in the Land
•His death, Jezebel’s death, family’s death were all predicted by prophet Elijah
Elijah
•Announced a 3½ year drought
•Challenged Ahab to contest on Mt. Carmel
•Chose Elisha to be his successor
•Taken to heaven in a chariot of fire
Note the fall of Samaria and Jerusalem: dates? Fell to which countries?
Samaria
•In 722 BC to Assria
Jerusalem
•In 587 BC to Babylon
What key prophets were involved with these later kings?
•Elijah and Elisha
How many Deportations? When? By whom? To where?
•2
•Judah and Israel to Babylon
Chronicles
Title (Hebrew and Greek, i.e. English translation of)
•Divre Hayyamim- “the word of the days”
•Paraleipomenom- “of things
omitted” Proposed authorship
•We don’t know for sure
•Ezra and/or
Nehemiah? Purpose of
books
•Tells the story of Israel’s history in a parallel account to 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings
Distinction from Samuel and Kings, where the books overlap
Samuel and Kings
•Divided kingdom
•Political history
•Prophetic authorship
•Moral concerns
•Negative View
•Many Wars
Ezra
Esther
Chronicles
•Southern kingdom only
•Religious history
•Priestly authorship
•Spiritual concerns
•Positive view
•Fewer wars
Author, his occupation
•Ezra- a priest of the Babylonian captivity
Purpose of the book
•To give an account of the reestablishment of Jews back in their land after
Babylonian Captivity
The three Returns
•1st
Date: 538-515 BC
Leader: Zerubbabel
Purpose: Rebuilding the temple
•2nd
Date: 458-457 BC
Leader: Ezra
Purpose: Rebuilding the people
•3rd
Date: 444-432 BC
Leader: Nehemiah
Purpose: Rebuilding the wall
Where the book of Esther fits in
Ezra Ezra 1-6, Esther, Ezra 7-10
The prophets who are mentioned: Haggai, Zechariah, and their message
Historical setting
•In between the first and second return in
Ezra Identity of Esther, her relation to
Mordecai
•Jew
•Queen of Persia
•Mordecai’s cousin
Key characters of the book
•Esther
•Mordecai
•Haman
•The King
Purpose of the
book
•To show God’s providential care for His people even in their captivity and dispersion
outside the promised land
Nehemiah
His occupation
•Cup-bearer to the
king His
accomplishment
•Rebuilding of the wall
His contemporary prophet, Malachi
•He and Nehemiah addressed the same issues
