INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT PERIOD

October 7, 2010

Learning ObjectivesPrior to fall break, students should be able to… Describe the main social, cultural, religious,

and intellectual features of first century Palestine as the milieu of Jesus’ life and ministry and the writings of the New Testament

Recognize and describe the main characteristics of the biblical genre of Gospel

(These will not be on the mid-term, but will be on the final)

Second Temple (after Herod; 20-19 BCE)

The wailing wall and Temple mount today

Wailing wall today

Tefillin/Phylacteries

Masada (the Essenes)

Questions for Analyzing Mark1. What are the titles that are ascribed to Jesus in Mark?2. Who are the other characters in the Gospel, and how does Jesus react to them?3. What parables does Mark recount?4. What miracles does Mark recount?5. What are the main events of Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee? (1:14-8:21)6. What are the main events of Jesus’ public ministry in Jerusalem? (11:1-13:37)7. What does Jesus say about the “eschaton” in ch. 13? (What is Mark’s eschatology?)8. What is the difference between the two endings in Mark’s Gospel? (ch. 16)