Your Upcoming Midterm Exam

As a study aid, I am distributing a review sheet that lists most of the people, places and terms we have studied so far during the semester. They are drawn from your readings and my lectures. This list is by no means exhaustive and I reserve the right to give terms on the exam which do not come from this list. A few of the terms may seem completely unfamiliar because we have not yet covered them in class. You will not be responsible for this material. The death of John Hyrcanus will serve as the chronological limit for the midterm. The material that we cover on Tuesday will not be covered on the exam.

The first section of the exam will consist of ten identifications. Each identification will consist of four parts: a) simple identification b) significant achievement or characteristic c) place d) date- the proper century will suffice (make sure to indicate BCE or CE).

For example:

Maimonides-- philosopher, reconciled Judaism and Aristotelianism, Egypt (Spain would also do), 12th century CE.

Shulhan Arukh -- code, first major codification of Jewish law after Mishneh Torah, Tsefat (Land of Israel, Palestine also acceptable), 16 th C CE.

The first section will be worth 20 pt. Each part of the ID's will then be 1/2 pt each. Students often forget to answer all 4 parts (usually they leave out place since for the most part we only cover Palestine. Make sure to give a full answer- I am essentially giving you a gift here.) Each answer should be no more than one line. The section as a whole should take you no longer than 10 min.

The second section will be a choice of 4 short essays. Each essay should be no longer than 1 or 2 paragraphs (around 3 to 5 sentences). This section is worth 38 pts and should take you no longer than 20 minutes or so.

The last section of the exam will be a longer essay question. The essay will count for 48 pts of the exam and should take you around 45 min. Make sure that you plan accordingly.

Your essay should, first and foremost, demonstrate that you have a solid grasp of the primary sources we have covered thus far. I do not want you to simply reiterate what I have said in class. Don't be concerned with whether or not you know the right answers (in many cases there is none). Concentrate on providing a good answer that stems from a critical reading of the primary sources. Use the secondary materials and class lectures as a way to contextualize your own ideas. Be as specific and clear as possible.

Above all else, make sure that you answer the question. For example, I might ask: 1) Describe the three changes that Herod instituted in his kingdom 2) What was the significance of these changes? [No- we have not covered Herod's reign yet]. An essay which presented a general account of Herod's reign and discussed whether or not he was an inherently good or evil ruler would not sufficiently answer the question. An essay which identified three significant changes initiated by Herod but failed to directly address the significance of these changes would also be insufficient. I realize that this advice seems self-evident, but you would be surprised how common errors such as these can be.

If you have any questions, problems or concerns, please feel free to contact me by email, post a question on the blog, or set up an appointment to meet with me.

All the best. חג שמח
-LRS