Quiz 4 Study Guide 1. What is the oldest known tale in written form in western civilization? Noah and the flood2. This tale in its modern form consists of several parts, including one section in which a group of angry gods decide to destroy all human life on earth. What makes them angry enough to wipe humanity out? The uproar of mankind in untolerable3. What is this section of the tale called? 4. We have discussed in class another story from the Ancient Near Eastern world that this section is very much like. What is this other, more familiar story? The epic of gilgamesh5. These similar stories, in addition to several other known versions from the Ancient Near East comprise a genre or literary form, most scholars agree. By what name or designation is this genre or literary form known? Epic6. In stories of this type, how does the hero or protagonist escape the divine punishment of the rest of humanity? They get warned by a God7. How does the hero or protagonist learn what to do and how to do it? A god tells them what to do8. In virtually all versions of this type of story, no matter how old they are or where they come from in the ANE, the protagonist or hero learns it is safe to return home in a similar fashion. How does he know he is finally safe? A Mountain grounded the boat they let a dove go and saw if they came back or not made sacrifices to the gods9. One of Mr. Vehse's heroes, the historian of religions Jonathan Z. Smith, describes a process that transforms the core or staple of one's diet into something considerably more elaborate and complex. What does mere "food-stuff" become as a result of this process? Stem from an animal need for nourishment say something about the relations we perceive about savagery and civilization10. To what animal need does this process respond and correspond? Nourishment, 11. An oddly similar process unfolds in the Epic of Gilgamesh, according to Mr. Vehse. To what "animal need" does this process respond? Nourishment12. What character from the epic, according to Mr. Vehse, symbolizes this process most centrally in the epic? Gilgamesh, Enkidu What does Mr. Vehse call or how does he describe the cultural process this character represents? He lives in the wild13. How is it that this character from the myth or story symbolizes it? He is a trapper that lives in the hills14. In what noteworthy part of the Epic of Gilgamesh does this character's strangely important symbolic role most obviously come to light? The harlet’s curse15. What does Mr. Vehse consider sex, as an element or feature of the Epic of Gilgamesh? Culture depends on natural forms 16. To what does Mr. Vehse compare the cultural process of "cuisine," as described by Jonathan Z. Smith, and the role of sex in the Epic of Gilgamesh? Tradition and custom17. To what animal need does Mr. Vehse relate this relatively modern phenomenon? Nature denatured for human purposes reproduction the function of the natural animal from savagery to civilization18. If Mr. Vehse is basically correct, what kind of thing is smoking? Artificial for of breathing19. What does it express? 20. A pleasant autumn drive from Morgantown east on I-68 would take one through a colorful landscape over the state border into Maryland where, unexpectedly, to the discerning eye there would appear a scene from the Ancient Near East? What would an observant person see? Someone constructing noah’s ark21. The Hebrew Bible remains to this day, of course, for Christians and Jews alike a deeply religious document. However, its importance extends also into the secular culture of the West. What does Mr. Vehse call the books Christians refer to as the Old Testament and Jews refer to as the "Tanakh?" Window to ANE22. Ambitious ancient Near Eastern monarchs set out from the early days of western civilization to create empires. To achieve conquest, they relied on conquering armies to defeat neighbors and stitch together empires of city-states. What did they not have that modern imperial military powers rely on for the permanence and stability of their conquests? Enough men23. For what were the soldiers and warriors of the Mesopotamian city-states needed once their tasks of fighting and conquest was complete? Get back to the town to get land the harvest24. How did ancient Near Eastern, especially Mesopotamian emperors guarantee the future stability of their military conquests? They used suzerainty treaties25. Roughly how many sections or parts made these up? 3 Historical Introduction w/ claims Stipulations Curses and Blessings26. Where in the Hebrew books of the Bible can we find something in the form of this Ancient Near Eastern political document? The book of Joshua Exodus27. By what name do we commonly know the biblical verses associated with this genre or artistic/literary form? The conquest narrative28. What do we call a bit of good advice formulated in the form of a brief saying or what Mr. Vehse calls a pithy wisdom statement? 29. What famous early American was known for thinking these pithy wisdom statements up? Benjamin Franklin30. In ancient Egypt, teachers at the Pharaoh's court established schools to train future officials and upstanding citizens of the Empire. What did they leave behind that lets us know the content of their lessons? textbooks31. Whose textbook, known as "The Teachings of…" or "The Instruction of…" have we discussed in class? Amenepope32. Where has a text, strikingly similar to it, been identified among the building blocks of western civilization? proverbs33. How many chapters does this ancient Egyptian book of teachings have, corresponding to the number of wisdom sayings in the biblical text? 3034. Mr. Vehse claims the humanities are about the living present, not the dead past. If so, how does the now vanished civilization and culture of Ancient Near East influence us today? 35. One story in the Hebrew Bible of the Israelites' acquisition of the Promised Land suggests they took it by force. By what designation, generally, do we know this story type? 36. Where in the biblical text is it to be found? 37. Whom, according to this narrative, did the Israelites supposedly defeat and replace, conquering thereby the land promised to them by God? 38. What is, perhaps, the most famous episode from this story of an epic quest? 39. What do archaeologists and historians now generally agree with respect to this episode? 40. The film, Who Were the Israelites? mentions another