JCE Bible Knowledge study plan

Map the five books of the Torah by parashah, listing each parashah's central narrative or legal content from memory

Outline the patriarchal narratives of Genesis with covenant promises, genealogies, and travel itineraries noted chapter by chapter

Build a one-page timeline of Exodus through Deuteronomy keyed to the wilderness itinerary and major law collections

Identify and define the major legal corpora (Covenant Code, Holiness Code, Deuteronomic code) with their locations and distinctive features

Compare the three patriarchal covenant accounts (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and list the distinguishing promises and conditions

Trace the Exodus plagues, Passover institution, and Sinai revelation in sequence without notes

Explain the structure and purpose of Leviticus, distinguishing sacrificial types, purity laws, and the Day of Atonement

Summarize the Deuteronomistic farewell speeches of Moses and the covenant-renewal framework

Sequence the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) with the major judge, king, and prophet figures for each book

Outline the conquest and settlement narratives in Joshua and the cyclical pattern of Judges

Chart the united and divided monarchy, naming kings of Israel and Judah with their prophetic contemporaries

Summarize the Latter Prophets' historical settings and central messages in one line each

Match each prophetic book to its historical period, audience, and principal theological charge

Distinguish pre-exilic, exilic, and post-exilic prophets and explain the criteria used for dating

Build a chronology from the Exodus through the return from Babylon, noting the anchor dates and their sources

Explain the problems of reconciling biblical regnal numbers with external chronological data

Classify the Ketuvim by genre (wisdom, poetry, liturgical scrolls, historiography) and list each book's genre

Summarize the structure and argument of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes in a few lines each

Identify the five megillot and their liturgical reading occasions

Read one Rashi comment and one Ibn Ezra comment on the same verse and articulate how each reads the text

Explain the distinct exegetical approaches of Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and Ramban, giving one example from each

Define the core terms of classical Jewish commentary (peshat, derash, remez, sod) and apply them to sample verses

Articulate the major theological themes of the Hebrew Bible: covenant, election, justice, repentance, and theodicy

Trace how a single ethical theme (e.g., treatment of the stranger) develops across Torah, Prophets, and Writings

Locate on a blank map the major regions, rivers, and cities of the biblical world and label them accurately

Explain the significance of key archaeological finds (e.g., the Tel Dan stele, the Mesha stele, the Siloam inscription) for biblical history

Describe the geography of the land of Israel by north-south and east-west divisions and its effect on settlement patterns

Reconstruct the chronology of the First Temple period using both biblical and archaeological evidence

Explain the development of the Masoretic text, the role of the Masorah, and the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for textual criticism

Summarize the criteria for canonicity and the differences between the Jewish and other canons

Review weak areas from weeks 1-7 by re-testing missed items and re-reading the relevant outlines

Complete two timed full-length practice exams and analyze error patterns by domain