Some things that I've learned in my Old Testament Survey Class (I guess you could say I'm studying for my final exam!)

The God of Abundance

• Jesus quotes the book of Deuteronomy the most of any book in the Old Testament
• Jesus is the 2nd Adam - like the Israelites, He fled to Egypt, crossed the Jordan river, endured 40 days (vs.years) of struggle and temptation.
• HE is the God of abundance!

Topography and Climate 

• In the Ancient days, Israel was the center location - surrounded by Asia, Africa and Europe.
• Water is a sign of fertility.
• Tigris and Euphrates - two important rivers (Tigris is the Top or northern river)
• Assyria defeated the north. It's capital is Ninevah.
• Babylonia defeated the south. It's capital is Babylon.
• In general, traveling East is a bad choice - it symbolizes leaving the sanctuary. (Example: Genesis 13:11 - Lot leaves Abraham, and well, we know his life wasn't that easy after that...)
• Israel isn't that big: 250 miles long, 80 miles wide
• When it comes to topography, high pressure = good (no, rain); low pressure = hurricanes and tornadoes).

Agriculture

• The main industry of ancient times was agriculture, therefore most of Old Testament scriptures comment or refer to weather patterns and seasons.
• When it came to agriculture - there were two main seasons: plowing and planting (Proverbs 20:4)
• Israel's location was dependent on the weather - which we know is controlled by God, therefore bringing dependence on God.
•  There are 3 main things harvested: grain, grapes and olives (Deuteronmy 7:13)

Festivals

•  There are three main festivals: 
• Passover/Unleavened Bread/First fruits - done before the harvesting grain(start grain)
• Lord's supper - fulfilled
• Festival of Weeks - celebrating the end of harvest (end grain)
• Fulfilled at Pentecost with the giving of the Spirit
• Festival of Tabernacles (Booths) - wine is ready for consumption (enjoy grain)
•  Not yet fulfilled - eschatological feast - time of final "in-gathering"
• Each happen once a year and last a week!
• They also rest for the New Moon (once a month) and Sabbath (once a week)
• "The river" in the Old Testament, refers to the Euphrates (southern river)

Archaeology

•  Tell/tel - Hebrew: "ruin", Arabic: "mound"
• Stratigraphic - layers in the ground
• Layer method (studying layer by layer - time and money) vs. Trench method (dig a trench and take a sample of each layer - better method) 
• Archaeology can corroborate general historicity and reliability of Biblical record
• It cannot prove theology of the Bible
• It can illustrate Biblical context 
• Whenever the ancients finished something, they celebrated with a party
• Even in heaven, we will be approximating - we will never have all of God's knowledge.