Who were the Israelites' main enemies during the time of the Judges and early kings?
Hint: Goliath was a Philistine champion.
What are the twelve tribes of Israel named after?
What people group did God bring out of slavery in Egypt through Moses?
What people lived in the land of Canaan before Israel entered under Joshua?
What empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC?
What empire destroyed Jerusalem and carried Judah into exile?
What empire allowed many Jews to return from exile and rebuild the Temple?
What group descended from Abraham's grandson Esau?
What group served as priests and temple workers among Israel?
What mixed people group did many Jews in Jesus's day avoid, though Jesus ministered to them?
The Pharisees were known for strict devotion to the law, including traditions built up around it. What was the basic role the Pharisees held in Jewish society during Jesus's ministry?
Hint: The Pharisees taught in synagogues and were widely respected for their zeal for the law.
Unlike the Pharisees, the Sadducees held significant influence over the temple and its priesthood. What group in Jerusalem did the Sadducees primarily represent?
Hint: The Sadducees controlled much of the temple leadership in Jerusalem.
Tax collectors in first-century Judea worked for the Roman government, collecting money from their own Jewish neighbors. Why were tax collectors so widely despised by other Jews?
Hint: Zacchaeus, a tax collector, admits to cheating people in Luke 19:8.
The Pharisees and Sadducees disagreed sharply on several major beliefs. Which of these was a key theological difference between the two groups?
Hint: Acts 23:8 explains this specific disagreement plainly.
Jesus's willingness to speak with the Samaritan woman at the well surprised His own disciples. What made this interaction so unusual for the time?
Hint: John 4:9 notes plainly that 'Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.'
In the Gospels, Pharisees frequently confront Jesus about His interpretation of the law, while Sadducees are more often shown opposing His teaching on the resurrection. What does this pattern suggest about each group's priorities?
Hint: Compare debates about Sabbath law (Pharisees) with the question about a woman with seven husbands (Sadducees, Matthew 22:23-28).
Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector who both went to the temple to pray. What point was Jesus making by contrasting these two particular figures?
Hint: Luke 18:9-14 tells us Jesus aimed this parable at those 'who trusted in themselves that they were righteous.'
Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to a Jewish audience that generally viewed Samaritans with suspicion. Why did Jesus choose a Samaritan, of all people, as the story's hero?
Hint: Luke 10:29 shows the question that prompted this parable: 'Who is my neighbor?'