Theses and Dissertations (Biblical and Ancient studies)
https://hdl.handle.net/10500/2787
2024-03-28T12:34:53ZHope in the midst of crisis : reading Daniel 9 in the 21st century Zimbabwean context
https://hdl.handle.net/10500/30831
Hope in the midst of crisis : reading Daniel 9 in the 21st century Zimbabwean context
Musendekwa, Menard
Zimbabwe has witnessed a socio-economic and political crisis since the dawn of the 21st century.
The Zimbabwean nation that was for several decades under British colonial subordination is once again subjected to a native aristocracy. During the first decade of the 21st century, Zimbabwe was classified as a failed state. Western nations criticized the fast-tracked land reform initiative that evicted white commercial farmers. Additionally, they penalised political leaders, sending the nation into a deeper economic crisis that severely hurt the agricultural sector. Over three million people left the country to seek refuge and employment abroad. Citizens from mainstream opposition parties additionally experienced the crises of suffering, poverty, unemployment, victimisation, kidnapping, corruption and poor governance, among others. This study argues that apocalyptic literature, including the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, has the potential to inspire hope in the hearts of its readers and/or listeners to its interpretations. Hence the critical question asked in this thesis is, “Why would the findings of a historical critical reading of Daniel 9 be considered appropriate in bringing hope to a hopeless Zimbabwean 21st century context if read through a contextual lens?” Amidst the current Zimbabwean crisis, the researcher is of the view that a historical critical reading of Daniel 9 reveals that the text was written to people who were experiencing hopelessness. Therefore, the appropriation of the findings of a historical critical reading of Daniel 9 to the hopeless members of the opposition parties of the 21st century Zimbabwean context of crisis may be ideal for generating hope. Despite their differences on history, geography and background among others, this research was able to identify apparent common traits between the context of the production of the book of Daniel, that is, the Second Temple period and the 21st century Zimbabwean context.
2023-06-01T00:00:00ZFunktionen familiarer Strukturen in der Jakobserzahlung : eine literaturwissenschaftliche Analyse
https://hdl.handle.net/10500/29742
Funktionen familiarer Strukturen in der Jakobserzahlung : eine literaturwissenschaftliche Analyse
Dorpinghaus, Barbara
Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Funktion der Familie Jakobs im Buch
Genesis, konkret in der Jakobserzählung. Dazu wird narratologisch untersucht, welche
Bedeutung den familiären Strukturen in der Erzählung gegeben wird und insbesondere
welche Funktion sie für den Fortgang der Ereignisse im vorliegenden Text und in dem im
Erzähltext beschriebenen Handeln Gottes einnehmen. Um den Befund der Arbeit angemessen
zu kommunizieren, wird eine Annäherung sowohl an den Begriff der Familie im
deutschsprachigen Raum als auch an das Buch Genesis mit umfangreichen Wortstudien
gewagt. Dabei zeigt sich, dass die Verwendung von „Familie“ nicht ohne Probleme ist,
aber als sprachlich-kommunikatives Hilfskonstrukt für diese Arbeit verwendet wird. Die
Auswahl der Texte in der Jakobserzählung folgt dem narratologischen Spannungsbogen,
dessen Aspekte für die Forschungsfrage erarbeitet wurden. Als Ergänzung verwendet diese
Arbeit die Soziale Netzwerkanalyse, um sich den Konflikten und Veränderungen im
Zusammenleben zu nähern. Zusätzlich wird die Veränderung der Protagonisten und ihrer
Motive analysiert sowie ein Vergleich von Esaus und Jakobs Familie diskutiert. Es fallen
dabei eine ganze Reihe von Spannungsfeldern auf, etwa in familiären Strukturen wie
Erstgeburtsrecht, Eheschließung und Kinder, aber auch die Thematik der Verheißung im
Kontext von Land, Nachkommen und Segen. Weiterhin sind Gegensätze wie materieller
Reichtum und Flucht, sowie Frieden und Versöhnung in ihrer literarischen Darstellung
im Familienkontext zu beleuchten. Da in der gegenwärtigen wissenschaftlichen Diskussion
vor allem die Brüche in familiären Strukturen betrachtet werden, ergibt die vorliegende
Arbeit einen neuen Horizont.
Bei vielen Aspekten lassen sich keine explizite narratologische Beschreibung von Funktionen
von Familie in der Jakobserzählung finden. Die Jakobserzählung beschreibt primär
die Familie Jakobs, weswegen eine mögliche literarische Perspektive auf Familien im Allgemeinen
in einem weiteren Schritt untersucht werden muss. Als Hauptthema und damit
Funktion der Jakobsfamilie konnte der Segen und die Verheißungen herausgearbeitet werden,
die mit allen anderen Aspekten literarisch eng verwoben sind. Sie ergeben sich aus
der Verheißung Gottes, die bereits Abraham gegeben wurde, dann an Isaak und hier auch
mehrmals an Jakob ergangen ist. Thematisch geht es um die Verheißung von Land, einer
Vielzahl von Nachkommen und dass diese große Familie zum Segen für andere Völker
wird. Daraus ergibt sich der Segen bzw. das Segenstragen als Funktion von Familie.; In this thesis, we propose a novel narrative approach to examine the function of family
in the Old Testament in particular in the story of Jacob. To adequately communicate
the findings of the work, both the concept of family in the German-speaking world and
the Book of Genesis are approached using extensive word studies. In doing so, it becomes
apparent that the use the term “family” is not without problems, but is used as an auxiliary
linguistic-communicative construct for this work. The selection of texts in the Jacob
narrative highlights the narratological tensions, for example within family and relations,
God’s actions and the blessing of Abraham. In addition, this thesis uses social network
analysis to approach the conflicts and changes of familial coexistence. Also, their motives
are analyzed and a comparison of Esau’s and Jacob’s family is discussed. Several areas
of tension become apparent, for example in family structures such as birthright, marriage,
and children, but also the theme of promise in the context of land, descendants, and
blessing. Furthermore, contrasts such as material wealth and flight, as well as peace and
reconciliation are examined in their literary representation in the family context. Since
the current theological discourse focuses above all on the rifts in family structures, the
present work offers new perspectives on the matter.
In many aspects, no explicit narratological description of functions of family in the
Jacob narrative can be found. The Jacob narrative primarily describes Jacob’s family.
Consequently, a possible literary perspective on families in general is examined in a further
step. The examination shows that the main theme, and thus the function of Jacob’s family,
is the blessing which is literarely interwoven with all other aspects. which was already given
to Abraham, then to Isaac and here also several times to Jacob. Thematically, concerns
about the promise of land, a multitude of descendants and that this great family will
become a blessing for other peoples. This results in the blessing or the bearing of the
blessing as a function of family.
2022-02-01T00:00:00ZHistorical groupings in second temple Judaism : a comparative analysis on religious, social and political impact of Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes
https://hdl.handle.net/10500/29741
Historical groupings in second temple Judaism : a comparative analysis on religious, social and political impact of Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes
Bvumbi, Azwihangwisi Elgin
The Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes are three groups within the history of Second
Temple Judaism that carry importance which cannot be ignored. They carry religious,
social and political characteristics that are intertwined with the life of the
intertestamental times as powerful determinators even prior to the emergence of
Christianity. It is within this important context that the three groups are comparatively
assessed, analysed and evaluated from religious, social and political perspectives. In
the same vein, the comparative analysis will form a firm foundation for the three
religious, social and political groups It is the comparative dimensions and their impact,
wherein the causes of success or failure, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the
three groups, will emerge. This emergence will reveal the fundamental reasons for the
survival or death of the groups during the changing times.
The traditional perspective is that the Sadducees and Essenes and all other groups/sects
disappeared after 70 CE, leaving the Pharisees as the only surviving group. Scholars
such as Shaye J.D. Cohen, Mathew J. Grey and Pieter J.J. Botha differ from that
perspective. This thesis aims to navigate a narrow space which shows the strength of
the Pharisees compared to that of the Sadducees and Essenes but does not necessarily
agree that the Pharisees are the only ones in any form who survived the destruction of
the Second Temple in 70 CE. It shows the comparative dynamics before 70 CE which
through religious, social and political strategies and tactics laid a solid foundation that
gave the Pharisees an ideological advantage with the masses of the people, but it does
not make the blanket statement that other groups automatically died due to the Temple
destruction; rather, it simply shows that the Pharisees strategies and tactics gave them advantages over their contenders such as the Sadducees and Essenes.
This thesis differs from the traditional view that only the Pharisees survived the
destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, and it differs from Shaye J.D. Cohen’s assertion
that the Pharisees’ characteristics cannot be identified post 70 CE. However, that the
difference between the Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes was downplayed with the
post–70 CE demise of Jewish sectarianism and variant views within the body of a larger
rabbinic group were acknowledged and respected. Moreover, the thesis is also on the
cutting edging edge, beyond the vigorous debate as to whether the Essenes and
Sadducees (and all other groups or sects) perished around 70 CE or the Pharisees survived the destruction of the Second Temple intact. It is navigating within Second
Temple Judaism, bringing to the surface the strengths that advantaged the Pharisees—
whatever form Pharisaism may have taken—after 70 CE. It is a comparison which is
advancing the importance of aligning with the ordinary masses of the people through
the doctrine of oral and written law within the religious, social and political discourse
of Second Temple Judaism and not beyond.
2021-01-01T00:00:00ZAnat's influence or non-influence in the religious milieu of Ancient Israel
https://hdl.handle.net/10500/29343
Anat's influence or non-influence in the religious milieu of Ancient Israel
Du Plessis, Annemarie
The motivation and purpose of this research revolved around the goddess Anat and the possible influence or effect that she might have had on the religion of the ancient Israelites.
This led, to the ancient city of Ugarit, on the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea in what is now, Syria. The excavations that were begun in 1928, after the chance discovery of a funeral vault by a farmer, who was plowing his land when his plow struck a stone from a vault. The excavations has delivered a most remarkable treasure trove of history, unknown languages and religious mythologies that has astounded both archaeologists as well as biblical scholars during the past century.
Unravelling the culture, art, customs, and cults from Late Bronze Age Ugarit has been a fascinating adventure to the student who discovered how interwoven all the kingdoms of that time was with their correspondence, and trade. The discovery of the mythological texts of the Baal Cycle and Anat and Aqhat led to the study of authors like Oden and Albright.
The discovery of the goddess Anat in the Ugaritic mythology led to question the influence, if any, this war goddess might have had on the religion of ancient Israel. The study of Anat, as war goddess led to comparisons between the Ugaritic mythologies and the Hebrew Bible. The many times the other gods and goddesses were mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, for instance the god Baal and Asherah, led the student to wonder about the war goddess Anat. The Hebrew Bible was the product of a nation called Israel, which led to the investigation of ancient Israel: her oregen, her culture and especially her religion.
Who and what was ancient Israel? Where did they come from and how did their religion originate? Investigation into ancient Israel as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible and the study of the archaeology of the Levant led to the realization that there was a discrepancy between the two. Archaeology was the one thing that could enlighten the puzzle of the origin of ancient Israel. The student joined a team of excavators at Hazor in upper Israel to broaden her knowledge of archaeology. Excavating at Hazor in Upper Galilee taught the value of pottery in its revelation of a time and a place and a people in history.
After examining the archaeological results from excavations such as Jericho (by Kathleen Kenyon 1960) and the city of Ai and realising that much of the historicity of the book of Joshua was disputed, the research continued to the religion of ancient Israel. The discovery was made that there were two religions; the one archaeologically discovered about the people of Israel and their daily lives and the other the religion of Israel as portrayed in the Hebrew bible.
Archaeologists, such as Amihai Mazar, Israel Finkelstein and William Dever helped to unravel the mystery of ancient Israel and her religion. In biblical research, authors such as van de Mieroop, Albertz and others were studied concerning the settlement of the Israelites in the land of the Canaanites. This brought about a Canaanite cultural and religious influence on the religion of Israel. The prophets condemned the Canaanites and their religious cultic activities, but archaeology brought to light that the ancient Israelites’ way of worship was very much like that of the Canaanites.
The question then arose: why was there such a discrepancy between the way the ancient Israelites really worshipped and the biblical narrative? This led to the identification a group of historians, the Deuteronomists, and their direct influence on the biblical narratives.
In returning to the goddess Anat, as she is portrayed in the Ugaritic mythologies in the Baal Cycle, the search of her was extended to her possible presence in the Hebrew Bible and in extra biblical proofs. She was found in personal names and public place names in the biblical account as well as in a temple at Beth-Shean in Israel where she was worshipped as a deity.
2021-12-01T00:00:00Z