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EXAMINATION ON BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE

  1. In order to enroll in the courses for the Licentiate in Sacred Scripture every student must show an adequate knowledge of basic information concerning the Bible. This knowledge is tested through an examination.
  2. The preparation of this examination is the sole responsibility of the student.
  3. This examination is held during the regular examination sessions: in October, February and June.
  4. The material for the examination is found in the points listed after these norms. The examination is corrected by professors of the Biblical Faculty who are appointed by the Dean of the Faculty.
  5. The examination may be taken only twice, and must be passed before a student is allowed to enroll in courses in the exegetical-theological section or in seminars. If the first attempt is not successful it must be taken again in the next examination session. If necessary the Dean may give permission for the examination to be taken a third time, with consideration given to the results of the two previous attempts.
  6. This written examination lasts 90 minutes and consists in a questionnaire of about twenty questions.
  7. The examination may be written in French, English, Italian, Spanish or German.

MATERIAL FOR THE EXAMINATION

1. Biblical archaeology and geography

1.1 Locate on a map the main regions of the Ancient Near East (ANE): Egypt, Cyprus, Hatti, Mesopotamia, Assyria, Babylon, Elam, Syria, Phoenicia, Palestine, Sinai. Locate on a map the following cities: Tyre, Sidon, Ugarit (Ras Shamra), Damascus, Haran, Niniveh, Asshur, Babylon.

1.2 Locate and give a brief description of the following peoples: Sumerians, Assyrians, Hittites, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the Sea People, the Philistines. Give some information which is found in the Bible on these people.

1.3 Locate on a map the main regions of the Promised Land: Galilee, Samaria, Judea, the plain of Yezreel, Mount Carmel, Lake of Gennesereth, Jordan Valley, Dead Sea, Negeb (Arabia), the land of the Philistines.

1.4 Locate on a map the main cities mentioned in the Old Testament: Jerusalem, Samaria, Shechem, Bethel, Jericho, Hebron, Beersheba. Give some information found in the Bible concerning these cities.

1.5 Locate on a map the main places mentioned in the New Testament: Jerusalem, Bethania, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Capharnaum, Caesarea Maritima and Caesarea Philippi. Locate the following on a map of Jerusalem in New Testament times: the Temple, Mount of Olives, Calvary. Give some information found in the Bible concerning these places.

1.6 The voyages of Saint Paul: locate on a map the main places connected with Saint Paul: Tarsus, Antioch, Galatia, Ephesus, Athens, Philippi, Thessalonika, Corinth, Malta, Rome.

2. Introduction to the Old Testament

2.1 Theory of the J E D P sources. Principal criteria for identifying them and the hypothesis of the historical setting of each source (when and in what circumstances each one was written).

2.2. Literary genres. What is a literary genre? What is the Sitz im Leben of a literary genre? What are the main literary genres of the Psalms?

2.3 Main sections and themes of the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles.

2.4 The three large law codes of the Pentateuch (the covenant code, the law of holiness, the deuteronomic code). Where are these codes found in the Pentateuch (books and chapters)? What are the main characteristics of each? What are the essential differences among them?

2.5 Pre-exilic Prophets: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah. General knowledge of the historical circumstances of their preaching (when and where? To whom did they preach?). The main sections and themes of the books attributed to these prophets.

2.6 The exilic and post-exilic Prophets: Ezekiel, Isaiah 40—66, Joel, Zechariah. General knowledge of the historical circumstances of their preaching (see 2.5 above). The main ideas contained in the books attributed to these prophets.

2.7 Apocalyptic literature in the Old Testament. The Apocalypse of Isaiah (Isa 22—24) and Daniel. Main characteristics of these works.

2.8 Wisdom literature. Which books are they? What are the main questions and interests of these books?

2.9 The deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament. Which are they? Why are they called «deuterocanonical»? What are the main ideas in them? Why are they important for the study of the Old and New Testaments?

3. Old Testament History

3.1 The problems of using the Old Testament as a source for the study of the history of Israel. Is the Old Testament a book of «history» or of «historiography» in the modern sense of the word? Why or why not?

3.2 Traditional chronology of the Patriarchal Era, of the stay in Egypt and of the exodus, of the installation in Canaan (or the «conquest») and of the beginning of the monarchy (Saul and David).

3.3 The more important kings mentioned in the Old Testament: David, Solomon, Jeroboam I, Jeroboam II, Hezekiah, Josiah. What are the most important facts of their reigns? With which kings are the prophets Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Jeremiah associated? With which king is the deuteronomistic reform associated? Why?

3.4 What are the most important political and religious differences between the kingdom of the North and that of the South?

3.5 Explain the importance of the following persons for the history of Israel: Tiglath-Pileser III, (Pûlu; see 2 Kings 15:17), Sennacherib, Neco, Nabuchadnezzar II, Cyrus, Alexander the Great.

3.6 The fall of Samaria, the fall of Jerusalem and the exile in Babylon: the date and main information concerning these events; a brief chronology of these events, names of the main historical persons who were involved, the biblical books (historical and prophetic) which speak of these events.

3.7 The reform of Ezra and Nehemiah. The origin and general evolution of the Maccabean revolt.

4. Introduction to the New Testament

4.1 General questions

  • The principal literary genres of the New Testament.
  • Dating of the writings of the New Testament (cf. Jerusalem Bible)
  • Meaning of the following adjectives in relation to the writings of the New Testament: «anonymous», «apocryphal», «authentic», «pseudepigraphic». Give examples of each.
  • What is a «canonical» work? Give the name of one non-canonical work in ancient Christian literature?
  • What is meant by «high christology» and «low christology»?
  • What are the main theological characteristics of the christology, ecclesiology, eschatology and moral theology of the principal New Testament writings?

4.2 Gospels and Acts

  • What does the «synoptic question» mean? What are the main solutions which have been proposed? What is meant by the «theory of the two sources»?
  • What is the generally accepted origin and what are the various stages of redaction of each of the Synoptic Gospels?
  • What is the cultural and ecclesial situation mirrored in each of the Synoptic Gospels?
  • List some of the main characteristics (literary and theological) of the Synoptics?
  • Division, author and dating of the Fourth Gospel. What is its relationship to the other gospels? What are its main theological characteristics?
  • What are the purpose and the message of the Acts of the Apostles?

4.3 Pauline Literature

  • What are the «deutero-Pauline» letters? What does this mean?
  • List some of the main theological concepts of the following letters of St. Paul: 1 Thess, 1 Cor, 2 Cor, Gal, Rom, Phil.
  • The letters to the Colossians and to the Ephesians. What are the similarities and the differences with respect to the other Pauline letters?
  • The Pastoral Letters. What is special about them in relation to the preceding letters? What are their main ecclesial and theological concepts?
  • How is the «heart of the Gospel» according to St. Paul generally presented?

4.4 The other writings of the New Testament

  • List the «Catholic» letters. Explain this term. What is their background and what are their main theological concerns?
  • What does the word «apocalypse» mean and designate?
  • Dating and ecclesial situation of the Apocalypse of John.

5. New Testament History

  • When was Palestine invaded by the Romans?
  • Discuss the presence of the Roman procurators in the New Testament writings.
  • Give some general information on: Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, Herod Agrippa I. Who were they and what was their importance for the New Testament?
  • Flavius Josephus: what is the importance of his writings for the study of the New Testament?
  • What were the main religious groups in first-century Judaism and what were their main characteristics?
  • Biographical information on St. Paul. What is the approximate dating of his various missionary voyages?
  • The first Jewish war: Give some general information. Date of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple which Herod had rebuilt.
  • Give some information on the history of Massada.
  • Discuss the Christian persecutions of the first century A.D.

6. Hermeneutics

6.1 General knowledge of the dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum.

6.2 General knowledge of the document of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church (Rome 1993).

N.B.: In preparing for this examination the following introductory works, or similar ones, may be consulted:
  • R.E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Doubleday 1997).
  • Dictionnaire encyclopédique de la Bible (Turnhout: Brepols, 1987)
  • R. Fabris, Introduzione generale alla Bibbia (Logos - Corso di studi biblici 1; Leumann [TO]: Elle Di Ci, 1994)
  • D.N. Freedman (ed.), The Anchor Bible Dictionary (6 volumes) (New York: Doubleday, 1992)
  • S. Giujarro Oporto— M. Salvador García (ed.), Comentario al Antiguo Testamento (2 vol.) (La Casa de la Biblia— Madrid: Atenas, PPC— Salamanca: Sígueme— Estella [Navarra]: Verbo Divino, 1997)
  • W.G. Kümmel, Einleitung in das Neue Testament. 21 Aufl. (Heidelberg: Quelle & Meyer, 1983)
  • B.M. Metzger— M.D. Coogan, The Oxford Companion to the Bible (New York - Oxford: Oxford U.P., 1993)
  • E. Zenger (Hrsg.), Einleitung in das Alte Testament (Studienbücher Theologie 1,1; Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer Verlag, 1995, 21996, 31998)

Annotated translations of the Bible:

  • La Bibbia Piemme (Casale Monferrato [AL]: Edizioni Piemme, 1995)
  • Biblia del Peregrino. Edición de Estudio I-III (Bilbao: Ega— Mensajero— Estella [Navarra]: Verbo Divino, 1996-1997)
  • La Bible de Jérusalem (Paris: Le Cerf, 1955, 21975, 31998) [cf. also the translations in various languages]

Dates of exam (2023-2024):

  • October 04, 2023
  • February 9, 2024
  • June 18, 2024

Deadline for registration to the exam (fee: € 60):

  • Spring session:  May 20
  • Winter session:  January 15
  • Autumn session: September 20