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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What kind of place is Tubariyeh?

2. When Menahem wants to marry Jael, daughter of Rabbi Asher, what does the rabbi do?

3. Isidore Gottesman and other Jews prepare to go to Safed to do what?

4. While the Gottesmanns and other Jews sing sustaining songs at Safed, what does Rabbi Itzik do?

5. In Beirut, what happens to Faraj ibn Ahmed Tabari's brother-in-law, who is a constitution reformer?

Short Essay Questions

1. In 1948, what does Isidore Gottesmann plan to do after the British leave Palestine?

2. What does Tabari say about the constitution reformers when he meets with his superior?

3. Why does a priest, Father Vilspronck, come to Tell Makor in the last chapter?

4. How does Volkmar, the Count of Gretz, end up as governor of Makor?

5. In "The Law," why does Menahem become Christian?

6. In "The Law," who is Menahem, and why is he not accepted into the Jewish faith?

7. While Europe is destroying itself during the Inquisition, what is happening in Safed?

8. Explain what the rabbis determine in "The Law" about what really bonds the Jewish people.

9. Why does Makor fall so easily into Abd Umar's hands?

10. Why does Dr. Abulafia flee Spain during the Inquisition?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

During various points in the history of the region, Makor and nearby cities become places of refuge for those who are being persecuted and oppressed. Select a time when Makor or one of its nearby cities became a sanctuary for refugees. How is it that the refugees ended up here? How did their lives improve? What new hardships did they encounter? How did they overcome these new challenges?

Essay Topic 2

Explain how the existence of different gods, including Baal and Yahweh, leads to problems and ultimately wars among peoples in Makor through various eras. Personalize this conflict through the stories of the engineer Hoopoe and the prophet Gomer. How are people they know and love hurt by the conflicts that arise between different religions based on different gods?

Essay Topic 3

James Michener makes abundant use of symbolism throughout his novel. Cite three specific instances in the book where symbolism plays a key role in the story. In each case, answer the following:

1. What symbol is referenced?

2. What does the symbol represent?

3. How does symbolism enhance the story?

4. How is a symbol used to make a stronger point?

(see the answer keys)

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