Reviewing the Chapter

1. On a map of the Ancient Near East (see p. 26), be prepared to locate the following places: Alexandria, Arabia, Assyria, Babylon, Babylonia, Edom, Egypt, Euphrates River, Haran, Idumea, Israel, Judah, Mesopotamia, Nile River, Nineveh, Persia, Persian Gulf, Phoenicia, Red Sea, Sinai Peninsula, Tigris River, Ur.
2. On a map of Palestine/Israel (see p. 27), be prepared to locate the following places: Bethlehem, Capernaum, Caesarea Philippi, Damascus, Dan, Dead Sea, Decapolis, Galilee, Jericho, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Judea, Nazareth, Qumran, Samaria, Sea of Galilee, Sidon, Tyre.
3. On a map of the Mediterranean Basin (see p. 28), be prepared to locate the following places: Achaia, Asia, Asia Minor, Athens, Cappadocia, Corinth, Crete, Cyprus, Ephesus, Galatia, Greece, Israel, Italy, Judah, Macedonia, Melita (Malta), Patmos, Philippi, Rome, Sicilia, Syrian Antioch, Tarsus, Thessalonica.
4. What were some of the major biblical events in the period of ca. 2200 to ca. 1025 BCE?
5. What were some of the major biblical events in the period of ca. 1025 to ca. 332 BCE?
6. What were some of the major biblical events in the period of ca. 332 BCE to ca. 100 CE?
7. How would you describe the roles of geography, history, and archaeology in the study of the Bible?

Engaging a Central Issue

Respond to the following claim Karen Wenell makes in this chapter (p. 42): “[The biblical texts] are primarily written not to inform us of history but to show history in terms of the relationship between God and humanity.”

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. If the Bible was not written to be “history” in the sense that we might understand that term today, do you think it is fair to evaluate it for its historical content? Does it matter whether or not things happened in the way they are described? Why or why not?
2. What do you think is the value of archaeological data from the ancient world in relation to the biblical texts? Is this value different with respect to the Bible’s two Testaments (OT, NT)?
3. What difference do you think the climate and geographical features of the land (Palestine and surrounding areas of the Mediterranean Basin) made to the authors of the biblical text and to their hearers/readers? Think, for instance, of rain, snow, wind, and such, on the one hand, and seas, mountains, deserts, and such, on the other.