Nicholas McPherson
February 7, 2016
Week Three Study Questions

Chapter 11

2. Define the Deuteronomist History, and describe its principle themes. - It is generally agreed that the Deuteronomist history originated independently of the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, and the history of the books of Chronicles; most of scholars followed all the way back or most of it to the Babylonian exile, and put it with people rewording of both the Tetrateuch and Jeremiah. The principles of Deuteronomy are that Israel must follow the Law, and gain God’s blessing or ignore it, get cursed, and be forced out of their homeland by Israel’s enemies.
4. In the book of Joshua, how is Joshua presented as the successor of Moses? Compare Deuteronomy 27 with Joshua 8.30-35. - Throughout the book, there appears to be continuity between Moses’ leadership and Joshua’s, with proof that God was developing this succession, and he had chosen the people as leaders. It kind of seems like before his death, God showed Moses into preparing Joshua to be his worthy successor, because Moses had picked Joshua to lead the Israelite army to battle. The reason was to receive the Ten Commandments up the mountain with him. It was also to guard the tent during the meeting of God and Moses. On the night prior to his death, Moses asked nearly begging God to provide a successor to take his place. God led Moses toward Joshua. When comparing Deuteronomy 27 to Joshua 8.30-35, the book of Joshua said that Joshua was obedient and that ‘There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel’. It also says how Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal, and wrote the laws God was telling him into stones. Deuteronomy appears to be a lot more detailed, it is instructing the people of Israel that they must do these actions, like in Joshua.
5. How is the account of the fall of Jericho in Jericho in Joshua 6 inconsistent with other details in the book and with the archeological evidence? - Archaeological evidence proves that at the time the book was written for, Jericho which was not an occupied city. It is not possible for it to be walled. Also it was found that when Jericho did exist, it wasn’t walled even then. Although it says in one verse of Joshua that in all cities, there was nothing left like in Josh 10:40, other verses beg to differ such as in Josh13:7.
6. What is the significance of Scheme in biblical traditions? -
7. How is the book of Joshua’s account of the conquest of the land of Canaan to be interpreted? - The book of Joshua’s account of the conquest of the land of Canaan is to be interpreted as the method in which Israel were able to become settled into the Promised Land. Before they entered the land, Joshua and the Israelites appealed calmly to the Canaanites, stating “God, the Creator of the Universe has promised this land to our forefathers. We are now here to claim our inheritance, and we ask you to leave peacefully.” However, they do not, and God orders Joshua to wipe the Canaanites, in fear that the immoral and idolatrous Canaanites would corrupt the Israelites. Following the battle of Jericho and movement in Ali, God emphasizes the message that it is all for one, and one for all, and therefore many people suffer. When the Israelites finally arrive on Promised Land and settle, life is not calm, and the Bible suggests they only have themselves to blame. In my opinion, Joshua was just obeying the word of God, and therefore had no cruel intentions or blame. I believe the Israelites were given the Promised Land, but their own actions, and collective responsibility lead to consequences.

Chapter 12
1. How does the picture of Israelite relationships with the inhabitants of the land of Canaan in the book of Judges differ from that in the book of Joshua? -
2. How would you define “Israel” in the period of the judges? What elements were included in it? What I was its structure? What was its principle of unity? How was it related to other groups? - It was of repeated apostasy “the Israelites did what was evil in the eyes of the lord and worship the Baals” (judges 2.11), followed by inevitable define punishment, which leads to repentance and finally deliverance. Scholars often divide the judges into two groups, the “major” judges those about whom there are more or less extended narratives and the “minor judges who are treated briefly. The areas of the five “minor” judges, Tola and Jair (10.1-5) are only sketched, but in contrast to the terms of most of the major judges they each “judged Israel” for a precise number of years twenty-three, twenty-two, seven, ten, and eight respectively. The structure was geographical more than ethnic. Most tribes had their own fairly stable territory.
3. What was the role of Yahweh in the period of the judges according to the Deuteronomy Historians? - According to the historians the role of Yahweh in the judges was the cause of problems Israelites had because they has abandoned Yahweh to worship Baal. Faithfulness and loyalty to Yahweh was rewarded with success for the Israelites, and forgetfulness o Yahweh was punished with failure. Yahweh was looked at as a god of the fathers during the period of Judges. In the eyes of Yahweh the Israelites acted wickedly, abandoning him, which angered him. Yahweh seems to be a part of Deuteronomy cycle, where the Israelites turn away from Yahweh an enemy oppresses Israel so that Israel cries for help and Yahweh sends a judge to deliver Israel.

Chapter 13
1. How do the Deuteronomy Historians incorporate different and inconsistent traditions into their work, and how does this contribute to their presentation of the period of the early monarchy? - The Deuteronomist Historians incorporate many inconsistent and different traditions in their work, these traditions often contradict one another or even duplicate, for example the killing of Goliath. In an account in the first chapter of Samuel, it is David, who kills Goliath, however in the second chapter; it is Elhanan who kills him. The distinct theological perspectives of the Deuteronomist Historians shape and attribute to the traditions according to God’s actions. Itis God who rewards or prosecutes Israel in relation to their abidance to the laws which Moses portrayed. The collaboration of the Deuteronomist Historians perspectives all contribute to presenting the period of early monarchy as the law being enforced by God and Moses.
2. What factors led to the establishment of the monarchy in ancient Israel? What were the reasons for opposition to it? - The nation suffers from internal problems and internal threats which lead to the Philistines capture the Ark. Eli’s sons are corrupt and worship idols. After the people repent, they defeat the Philistines. Samuel’s sons are corrupt just as Eli’s were so the people asked Samuel to appoint a King. Yahweh does not want to but reluctantly does and Saul is anointed. There are reasons for opposition because it ends in almost the same fashion it began in, Israel’s survival being threatened. The 12 tribes also were culturally different and people worried that would change.
3. How do the delineations of the characters of Samuel, Saul, and David reveal the perspectives of the Deuteronomist Historians? - The descriptions of the characters Samuel, Saul and David reveal the perspectives of the Deuteronomist Historians by using the characters to affect one another, and give responsibility to the use of the divine will for the events that occur to shape each scripture. Samuel is portrayed as an ideal prophet, representing the way God created human beings to be and Saul begins ideally but rapidly decreases in morality when he fails to perform a priestly duty, which suggests the Deuteronomist Historians did not agree with his morals so led him to a life of jealously against David and portrayed him as becoming distracted and lacking God’s ideological ways. David appears to only enter the picture to impact on Saul’s ways. I think these reveal the perspectives of the Deuteronomist Historians because they obviously favor Samuel aside elastic, then become favored to David, and do not agree with Saul’s morals at all, suggest was a failure.
4. What is the theological problem that arose with the establishment of kingship in Israel? - It was thought that Saul was supposed to be King however divine favor left him and it says that God regretted Saul and David was anointed King. By saying God regretted Saul means that God made a mistake which anyone will tell you that it is preached that God is perfect and does not make mistakes.

5. How did ancient Israelite society change during the early monarchy as described in 1 Samuel? - Originally the society was a loose confederation composed of 12 tribes, meant to be for the 12 sons of Jacob, but 3 are not, but over the course of 1st Samuel the association of the 12 tribes became a King-ruling country. Eli’s sons were corrupt which created chaos within the tribes, so the people urged Samuel to ask God to anoint a King and since Samuel’s sons were as corrupt as Eli’s, Saul was anointed. Then later, secretly David was anointed to take Saul’s place.

Chapter 14
1. What is the cumulative portrait we get of David in 2 Samuel? - The cumulative portrait we interpret of David during the second chapter of Samuel is that he is a poor role model and appears to sin by having an adulterous affair, he seems incapable and absent minded towards the end of his life, is deceived by his son and forced into exile. However, David appears to be a very complex character, as he is also portrayed as a hero, following Moses in becoming the most important person in the Hebrew Bible. He was also the greatest military leader, defeating the Philistines and establishing the monarchy of Israel. David is and still was often described as "cunning, opportunistic, loyal, and passionate -- and the greatest King in Israel's history.”
2. What are the themes of the Succession Narrative? What are its attitudes toward kinship? Are the similar to or different form the attitudes of other parts of 2 Samuel? - The theme of the Succession Narrative is that it tells of how Solomon evolved to become David’s, his father’s, successor. The Succession Narrative tells of the happenings that occurred such as Bathsheba giving birth to Solomon, and the passing of his older brothers, Ammon and Absalom, which led to how Solomon assumed the throne. Attitudes towards kingship changed when it became essential and no longer desired. Israel required a resilient army to protect them from the Philistines, and the only way it could be established was through kingship. These attitudes are different from the attitudes of other parts of the second chapter of Samuel because previously Israelites did not desire a kingship as they felt God was the only leader, and the person that they should worship and give their divine attention to.
3. During the reigns of David and Solomon, Israel was the most important state in the Levant, a political prominence unequalled untick the time of Heroid the Great. What circumstances permitted the formation of the “Davidic Empire”? What was the extent and nature of its control? - The formation of the “Davidic Empire” was permitted under the circumstance that small nation-states had begun to rise due to both Tyre and Israel becoming advantageous from a power vacuum in the Levant, Assyria being engaged in its own territory sustaining imperatives and Egypt becoming weak from internal conflicts. This enabled Israel, during the reign of David, to dominate other nations. It could not however take control of Tyre because both countries shared a commercial interest.
4. Give reasons why David benefitted from the transfer of the ark of the covenant of Jerusalem? - The transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem benefited David because it increased his superiority as a monarch and assimilated his kingdom. It is clear that Yahweh was present with David when he came to Jerusalem, and renewed it as both the City of God and the City of David by bringing a past representation on tribal unity to the City.

Chapter 15
1. Discuss the way sin which region ad politics were intertwined in the physical and ideological description of Solomonic Jerusalem? - Solomon’s reign continued the era of peace and prosperity from which David began. David’s peace there was no military activity occurring during Solomon’s reign until the end, when Israel was losing control over previously weak states. The peace allowed for trade between the Kingdoms. Tyre provided raw materials and technical expertise for Solomon’s building projects. Solomon and Hiram, king of Tyre, exploited the profitable Red Sea trade route, where Hiram provided nautical expertise and Solomon provided the financing as well as the port of Ezion-geber in his own territory.
2. What were the strength and weaknesses of Solomon’s Reign? - The strengths of Solomon's rule was that he continued to build on what had been started by Saul and David including building a strong military and presiding over a period of peace that resulted in economic and political prosperity. He is credited with being a pious and wise leader whose crowning achievement is the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem thus centralizing worship and political authority in Jerusalem. However, he gets mixed reviews from the Deuteronomist Historians. He lived a life of excess consumption and he strayed from one of the primary principals of Moses teaching which exclusive worship of Yahweh was. It is believed that he allowed his foreign wives to worship their foreign gods which led him to worship foreign gods, and Yahweh was not pleased.
3. Describe the “royal ideology” and how it differed from the older, premonachic views of the Israelite confederation. - The Royal Ideology was cluster of concepts that both derived from and supported and shaped the institution of the monarchy. The king was chosen by God with whom he had a special relationship described as son ship. Son ship describes a special relationship of obligation between deity and monarch such as was used to describe relationship of suzerain to vassal. The king becomes son of God by adoption. Also there was the Davidic Covenant in which God committed himself to the Davidic dynasty. The combination of son ship and covenant was a revolutionary change from premonarchical Israel where Israel itself was God's son and its relationship with God was direct. In the Royal Ideology, the king was now the mediator between God and people. Now the prosperity of the nation was linked to the king's rule rather than the conduct of the people as in the Ten Commandments.