JCE Bible Knowledge study guide
JCE Bible Knowledge · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
JCE Bible Knowledge is a Jewish Certificate of Education subject examination testing command of the Hebrew Bible - Tanakh - as studied in traditional and modern Jewish educational settings. It suits secondary-school pupils preparing for certificate examinations, adult-education learners returning to text study, and teachers or communal educators who want an external benchmark for their Tanakh knowledge. The JCE Bible Knowledge study guide has 8 sections and about 2,442 words.
01Tanakh: Torah (Pentateuch)
The Torah domain tests your grip on the five-book structure, the annual parashah cycle, the legal collections embedded in the narrative, and the distinctive themes of each book. Expect identification questions ('in which book and portion?'), content questions on the Decalogue and Shema, and classification questions about the 613 commandments.
329 words, about 2 min02Tanakh: Nevi'im (Prophets)
Nevi'im (Prophets) tests the eight-book prophetic corpus, the distinction between Former and Latter Prophets, the historical settings of each prophet, and the use of prophetic texts in the haftarah cycle. Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel (one book in Jewish reckoning), Kings (one book).
296 words, about 1 min03Tanakh: Ketuvim (Writings)
Ketuvim (Writings) tests the eleven-book third division: its varied genres, liturgical uses, and the different ordering traditions. Poetic books (Sifrei Emet): Psalms (150 chapters, five books), Proverbs, Job.
283 words, about 1 min04Biblical History and Chronology
Biblical History and Chronology tests your ability to place events, use biblical synchronisms, and handle the difference between traditional and critical dates. 1 Kings 6:1: 480 years from the Exodus to Solomon's fourth year.
306 words, about 2 min05Biblical Geography and Archaeology
Biblical Geography and Archaeology tests the physical setting of the narratives: the north–south zones, key sites, water systems, roads, and the main archaeological discoveries used in discussion. Four north–south strips: coastal plain (Philistines), Shephelah (low hills: Elah Valley, Lachish, Azekah), central hill country (Jerusalem, Hebron, Shechem, Samaria), and the Jordan Rift Valley (Sea of Galilee, Jordan, Dead Sea).
306 words, about 2 min06Classical Jewish Commentary (Mikraot Gedolot, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Ramban)
Classical Jewish Commentary tests your knowledge of the standard commentators printed in Mikraot Gedolot, their methods, and their disagreements. Mikraot Gedolot ('Great Scriptures') is a printed rabbinic Bible, first developed in Venice (Bomberg, 1524–25), surrounding the text with Targum Onkelos and medieval commentaries.
310 words, about 2 min07Themes, Ethics, and Theology of the Hebrew Bible
Themes, Ethics, and Theology tests your ability to read the Hebrew Bible's ideas in context: monotheism, covenant, justice, holiness, chosenness, repentance, and the problem of suffering. Monotheism: the Shema (Deut 6:4), 'the Lord is one'; polemic against idolatry throughout.
288 words, about 1 min08Textual Transmission, Masorah, and Canon
Textual Transmission, Masorah, and Canon tests how the Hebrew text reached us, what the Masorah records, and how the canon was defined. The MT is the Tiberian tradition of vocalization and accentuation, associated with the Ben Asher family (10th century).
324 words, about 2 min