Check out your grade at www.mygradebook.com and see how you did for the semester. Even though someone made a 98 on the exam, I gave a 5 point curve (so that 98 became a 103 and if you made an 80 it became an 85… you’re welcome).

[EDIT: By the way, some of you were right on the bubble between a B and an A or a C and a B.  If you attended class, stayed awake and seemed interested, I gave you a bump.  So, if you see that you have a 89.56 which is labeled as a B in mygradebook.com, you might actually have an A].

Thank you all for a tremendous few months. I don’t know about you, but I honestly wish this was a year long class because it felt that we had just reached a pinnacle moment and could have kept on going.

All good things must end, right?

Whatever you do and wherever you go from this point on, make sure to keep reading, keep thinking, keep questioning, keep learning and keep your optimism.

My wife and I went to see our baby on an ultrasound today. We’re due in October and I’m more than excited. As future leaders of this world, I ask you to make the world a better place for my baby…

You can keep up with me on FaceBook if you’d like (username “samharrelson”) or by the contact info over on the right.

Have a happy and safe summer and I hope to see you in the Fall (especially after you’ve switched to the Religious Studies major!).

Do Good Work-

Sam

Looks like our Exam for J Class (8:00-9:15am) is Wednesday May 9 at 8:00am and the Exam for M Class (1:15-2:30pm) is tomorrow Monday May 7 at 2pm.

This is from the website…

SPRING SEMESTER 2007 – Day Program Exam Schedule

Let me know if you hear anything different!!

I have to leave to go out of state a few hours earlier than I expected and there’s no way I’m going to be able get a podcast recorded, mixed and uploaded for you before I leave. I’ll try to put one together when I get home Sunday morning, but I don’t want you to wait that long to start studying.

So, here’s some exam tips to help you…

10 Matching questions will ask you to connect a person, place or date with relevant information about them. Easy. (10 points total)

10 True or False questions. Easy (10 points total)

40 Multiple Choice questions. Beyond Easy. (40 points total)

10 “Short Answer” questions will be about major topics or themes. I’ll expect to see a couple of sentences explaining what the situation or person is notable for and where it is generally located in the OT. Some examples from your study guide in this area are Role of the Judges, Qarqar, 587BCE, Nature of God according to J and P, Solomon’s Mistakes, Syro-Ephraimitic War and Hezekiah’s Reforms. (20 points total)

1 “Long Answer” question will ask you to write a well developed paragraph or to (or three) on a specific issue. That issue will be the development of the understanding of God during and after the Exile and into the Second Temple Period compared to the understanding of God before the Exile (before 587BCE). What are some of the changes or differences that occurred because of the Fall of Jerusalem and who helped develop those changes? Were they all in one group? Etc… (20 points total)

So, that adds up to 100 points. The short answer questions are two points apiece and the long answer question is worth 20 points. The other questions are 1 point apiece.

With all of that information, your notes, your book and this website, there’s no reason you shouldn’t ace the exam!

I’ll be back on Sunday. I’ll put a short podcast up then, but start studying now!

It just turned 5:00pm by my watch.  However, the GWU email and MyWeb servers are down (just in time for exams and final papers).

SO, if you can’t send over to me and don’t have another email address (Yahoo or GMail, etc), no worries.  I’ll post again when I find out the servers are back up and you can send over then.  I won’t count it against you.

Tomorrow is reading day and I expect you all to stay inside your dorm rooms or library cubicles and do nothing but study tomorrow.  That’s what you have planned as well, right?

More soon…

ot-final-exam-review-spring-07.doc

Basically, every question on the exam (multiple choice, short answer and one long answer) will come from the topics listed on the study guide.  So, if you have a good understanding of the topics, people, places and ideas listed on the study guide, you’ll do great.

You’re on your own with this one.  I’ve done as much as I can to explain the things listed on the study guide.  Between your notes, Tullock and this website, you have all the tools you need to find information on these items.

Good luck with your studies!

Our library has a great resource that will definitely help you if you need sources or even ideas on where to start with your Analytical Paper called the “New Interpreter’s Bible.”  It’s the first resource I go to when I need info on a topic for a paper or research.  Plus, it includes a good bibliography of other sources to consult for a topic.

There’s also a new version of the “New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible” currently being released as well.  However, they’ve only released volume 1 covering subjects that star with the letters A-C.  So, if you have a paper subject that starts with A, B, or C and are having trouble finding sources, let me know and I’ll let you borrow my personal copy of Volume 1.

The New Interp. Dictionary basically gives a brief overview of a topic and a good bibliography of articles and relevant books.  For example, the entry on “Ben-Hadad” (the king of Aram/Syria at the same time as Omri and Ahab of Israel) is about two pages of really concise and helpful info.

So, take a look at our library’s copy of the New Interpreter’s Bible in the reference section or let me know if you’d like to borrow my copy.

More soon-

SBH

Here are 10 possible questions that you might see on the quiz tomorrow:

1. What was Athaliah?

2. What role did Ahaz play in the eventual downfall of the Northern Kingdom?

3. What was Isaiah’s relationship to Hezekiah?

4. What was Isaiah’s advice to Ahaz in the Syro-Ephraimitic war? Did he make the right call?

5. How did Hezekiah prepare for a possible invasion by the Assyrians during Sennacherib’s reign?

6. What did Micah see as the evils of Israelite society?

7. How does Micah 6:1-8 (my favorite verses in the entire Bible) reflect the procedures of an ancient court of law?

8. How was Isaiah’s attitude toward Jerusalem different or similar than that of Micah?

9. What physical archaeological evidence has been found to confirm Hezekiah’s reform?

10. Did Sennacherib invade Judah once or twice?

The extra credit might have something to do with either Nehushtan or Hezekiah’s illness

Good luck.  Podcast coming around 5pm.

You should have it by now!

If you have any questions, give me a call or an email or see me after class. Start getting your resources together and really thinking about what you’re going to pursue for your paper.

Don’t wait until the night before the last day of class!

Here’s Peter Griffin’s take on the Exodus to tide you over until Tuesday…