Things to Consider:

• Version of Creation
• Relationship of God to Human
• Time Line of Composition
• Oral Tradition=>Priestly Revision
• Types of Knowledge
• Power of Dreams
• Serpent and Garden/ Figure of Satan 
• Relationships b/w Men and Women,  Jews and Egyptians
• Justice vs. Mercy
• Connections to Gilgamesh

** Homework Questions** (See Job Q's )

European Background:
180:

• How do the arts of the ancient Hebrews differ from those of the Ancient Greeks and Romans?

• What themes and issues influence Hebraic narrative?

• God says that if they eat the fruit, on that day they will die.  Is this true?  Explain.
• Why is nakedness (or knowledge thereof) evil?
• Why does Cain kill Abel? (See potentially useful discussion from Deut. 12:27 )

Noah (See News Story ):

• Why is there a Flood?
• Why does Noah survive (Why does God choose him to build an ark?)

• What birds does Noah release?

• What does the Rainbow signify?  What does God promise?

• Why does God create different languages?
• Does their desire to build a tower resemble Gilgamesh's desire to write his name on bricks?  Explain.

European Background:
179:

• When did the written history of the Hebrews begin?
• Who was the first leader of the Hebrews?

• What is narrative?
• What is the predominant concern in Greco-Roman narrative?
• What issues are seen in narrative of the Middle Ages?

• Where does the idea of the serpent as Satan originate?

• Who would harm Cain (Why is the mark necessary)?

• What is the relationship between God and Satan?
• Whose idea is it to make Job suffer?  What is the reason for doing so?
• Why doesn't Job give offerings for his daughters' sins?

• Whom does Job curse?
• How does Job describe the grave?

• Explain:  "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:  but I will maintain mine own ways before him" (232).
• How does Job describe his past  in Ch. 29?

• How does God respond to Job?

• What compensation does Job receive for his suffering?

Joseph (see genealogy ) :

• How does this story compare to the story of Cain and Abel?

• Are Jacob and Israel the same person?  Explain. 
• Why do Joseph's brothers hate him?
• Explain Joseph's dreams on this page and on the top of 221.

• Why do his brothers throw Joseph in a well?
• Why do Reuben and Jacob rent their clothes?  What does that mean?

• Why is Joseph imprisoned?
• Explain the Baker's and Butler's dreams.

• Explain the Pharoah's dreams.
• How does Joseph come to marry Asenath?

• Why does Joseph put their money back in his brothers' sacks?

• Why is it an "abomination" for Egyptians to eat with Hebrews? 

• Why does Joseph "frame" Benjamin?

• Explain:  "So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God" (227).