Arabian Nights
What does the genius threaten to do to the fisherman? Why? What choice does he give him?
The genius threatens to kill the fisherman because he made a vow to kill whoever freed him. He lets him chooses how he will die.
What happens on Sinbad's Second Voyage?
He ties himself to the leg of a giant bird called a Roc. He also encounters a valley filled with diamonds.
What do "Mene", "Tekel", and "Parsin (Peres)" mean?
Mene: God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.
Tekel: You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting
Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
Who was Cyrus the Great?
What is an anecdote?
An anecdote is a story that tells a lesson
What is the role of a "vizir"?
A vizir is a high-ranking advisor, the "right-hand man" of the Sultan
How did the Odyssey influence the Seven Voyages of Sinbad?
Both of them fight a cyclops and encounter an island full of small, seemingly friendly inhabitants that later cause them harm.
Daniel is loyal, faithful, devoted, and brave. Sinbad is clever, brave, adventurous, and resourceful.
What was the name of the following two Persian Empires after the first one fell?
The Parthian and Sassanian Empires
What is a thesis?
A thesis is a statement that tells the message or lesson of an anecdote.
How does Aladdin get the Grand-Vizir's son to break up with the princess?
He kidnaps them both and forces the Grand-Vizir's son to sleep outside
What is one way the story tries to make Sinbad's actions seem okay?
Any of the following: portraying him as generous, making him seem clever, letting the audience believe he has no other way of surviving
Who was Esther?
A Jewish woman who thwarted a plot to destroy the Jews, married the Persian King Xerxes, and became a Queen who protected her people
Which Persian based Islamic Empire oversaw the translation of Arabian Nights?
The Abbasid Caliphate
What is a paraphrase?
A paraphrase is when an anecdote is rewritten in your own words.
How does the Magician's brother attempt to take revenge on Aladdin?
He murders a holy woman named Fatima, impersonates her, and tries to get the princess ask Aladdin to put a Roc egg in his palace
What do the land and the sea represent in the Seven Voyages of Sinbad?
The land represents peace, order, and stability while the sea represents danger, chaos, and risk.
What happened in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah?
The Jewish people are allowed to return to their homeland so that they can rebuild their temple and their city. This doesn't work though since they need Jesus to renew their hearts.
What is Zoroastrianism?
Zoroastrianism is the religion of Ancient Persia. Its followers (mostly) believed in one god, Ahura Mazda. Its followers believed that after death good people were rewarded and bad people were punished. They were nice to the Jews.
What is a narrative?
A narrative is a story about a character or historical figure that models a virtue or demonstrates a lesson.
What is a "frame narrative"?
A frame narrative is a story that contains another story within it.
How does Sinbad change over the course of his voyages?
He becomes more cautious, clever, wise, and mature. He begins to choose stability over risk as he ages.
Who were the 3 Wise Men? Why did they come to see Jesus?
They were Zoroastrian Priests who were looking for a savior that would come and refresh the world based on the prophecy that Daniel gave the Zoroastrians.
What is the Church of the East?
The Church of the East was founded by St. Thomas who spread the gospel to Zoroastrians in Persia. It was influential for about a thousand years, spreading the gospel all the way to China.
What is an appeal?
An appeal is when the author asks the audience to live out the virtue from the anecdote.