Ezra and Nehemiah

Ezra and Nehemiah talk about many figures who helped in the rebuiliding of Jerusalem and the temple. Among these figures: Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai, Zechariah, and Ezra and Nehemiah themselves. Choose one of these figures (or a figure not on the list), and select a verse from Ezra or Nehemiah that particularly well summarizes the contributions of this figure. Explain why you chose this verse and why this person's contribution is particularly important.

Habakkuk and Daniel

The Septuagint translation contains some extra material not in the Hebrew text of Daniel. Daniel Chapter 14 of the LXX (see link below) has a story about a very brief meeting of Daniel and Habakkuk while Daniel is in the lion's den.

Suppose Habukkuk really did have a chance to visit Daniel very briefly--long enough only to leave him a verse or two as advice. Cite a couple of verses from Habakkuk that might have been particularly good for Daniel to hear while he was in the Lion's den. Explain why these verses would be good for Daniel, or for others in similar difficulties.

http://www.hope.edu/bandstra/BIBLE/BEL/BEL1.HTM

The Book of Job

In addition to addressing the problem of evil, what other wisdom does Job offer? Cite a verse or two you think would be particularly good to include in an anthology of ancient wisdom, and explain why you think this verse (or these verses) is particularly worth including.

Proverbs

Please read the first three chapters of Proverbs and skim the rest of the book. Choose a proverb or two that you think is a particularly good example of Hebrew contributions to human wisdom. Explain why you chose this proverb/these proverbs.

Ecclesiastes

According to Jewish tradition, the three major divisions of the Hebrew Bible are the law, the prophets, and the writings (kituvim). Ecclesiastes is part of the third division, the kituvim. Does this book seem to you different from the books of law and the prophetic books? If so, how? Cite a verse or two that you think particularly well illustrates either how Ecclesiastes differs from the other books we have read, or a verse or two that shows Ecclesiastes to be similar to the books we have read earlier.

Ezekiel

For Thursday's class, please read Chapters 1-12, 33 and 37 of Ezekiel. What do you find here that suggests that Ezekiel's message was a burden? Are there any passages that particularly well reflect hope, beauty, faith in the triumph of justice, or anything else that would have made this burden worth bearing?

Jeremiah

Suppose you are asked to help prepare an anthology of great quotations from the ancient world. There are going to be two Jeremiah quotes, and you get to pick two of them. Of all of Jeremiah's many quotable lines, which two would you choose? Why these particular lines?