Academic literature on the topic 'Old Testament / Hebrew Bible'

AbstractAs the HIV and AIDS pandemic continues to affect most parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, the church has attempted to mitigate its effects. Unfortunately, stigma has emerged as a major challenge. The church has been implicated in stigmatizing people living with HIV and AIDS. Some Christians have used the Bible to justify the exclusion of people living with HIV and AIDS. This article examines HIV and AIDS stigma. It highlights the various forms of stigma, alongside exploring the occurrence of stigma in the Hebrew Bible. The study calls for a re-reading of the Hebrew Bible in the context of HIV and AIDS stigma and discrimination. It argues that the theme of liberation that underpins the Hebrew Bible implies that stigma has no place in human relations. The paper draws attention to the need to bring liberation to the heart of mission in the light of HIV and AIDS in Africa.

The uniform title Bible. O.T. has long caused difficulty in Judaica libraries. The well documented problems caused by this heading are reviewed. Alternative models developed by the Hebraica Team of the Library of Congress (LC) are discussed, as is an LC proposed rule change to Resource Description and Access (RDA) that was partially approved by the Joint Steering Committee. The idea by members of the Association of Jewish Libraries to use the Virtual International Authority File as a technical solution is reviewed briefly. The author endorses a model from LC that uses different uniform titles for the Hebrew Bible and Christian Bible. Separate uniform titles are necessary because the two Bibles represent unique works; the ideational and textual differences of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament are seen in both canonical and translation differences.

The understanding of the role of the old Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, has undergone great changes in the last decennia. From looking upon the Hebrew text as the original and the Greek text as only a translation, it has now been common to view the Greek version as a chapter in a reception history of biblical traditions. By being used by New Testament authors and in the Early Church the Septuagint gained canonical status – alongside the Hebrew Bible. Thus the Old Testament of the Church in reality consists of both versions. The article argues for this also pointing to some of the theological consequences of viewing the connection between the two parts of the Christian Bible from the perspective of reception history.

The Hebrew Torah of the Old Testament, is the first text sacred Known by history. Is the Septuagint translation for the Hebrew text of the oldest and most important translation was adopted by the Bible and the Religious language that borrowed directly to the Christian religion rituals and services. Also it considered later the main base for important translations in the old era , and still even now occupies a role important in the field of monetary, interpretive and historical studies. The original Hebrew contain more than one book, the septuagenarian translation, separated between them and made each book stand on its own. Our research deals with the Historical introduction to the Septuagint translation , The language of the Septuagint translation , The Septuagint Style ,The most important manuscripts of the Septuagint translation.The content and status of the Septuagint to the Jews and Christ, Difference and similarity with the original Hebrew text of the Old Testament in terms of the order , number and names of the books and we Shedding light on the most important translations of the Bible from the beginning of the Septuagint to the present day.

Origen is the exegete and Old Christian writer whose influence on the under­standing of the Bible has always been determinative. Undoubtedly, for ecclesiasti­cal reasons he deemed the Septuagint superior and regarded it as the Christian Old Testament. He thought highly of Hebrew text as well, which he often used for his research. An expression of this belief was among others the Hexapla worked out by Origen, which can be regarded as an exceptional manifestation of esteem towards the Old Testament and its Hebrew version. Origen’s attitude towards the Bible can be characterized by two approaches: on the one hand it is the ecclesiastical approach which gives the first place to the text commonly accepted in the Church namely the Septuagint, but on the other hand he is open to every other text Hebrew or Greek, trying to understand it and take it into account in his commentary.

Is the Massoretic text the Old Testament? The equation of “the Old Testament” with the Massoretic text resulted from, inter alia, the Reformation’s sola scriptura principle and the orthodox view of verbal inspiration, and led to a definition of textual criticism as text restoration. Text-critical research of the past two decades suggests, however, that this equation may be a short circuit. The term “Old Testament" refers to a theological concept, not a text, and “the Old Testament” is something different from “the Hebrew Bible”. Therefore, a great deal of rethinking is called for in Old Testament studies.

The portrayal of the divine character in a literary context shows the God in the narrative as he is perceived by the narrator. The chapters which follow focus on the pericopes within the narrative which are concerned with the portrayal of God as a character in the story. The present study reveals a unique image of the God of Israel as portrayed in the narrative. I have devoted chapters 1,2, and 6 to the three pericopes, labelled within the text as "visions of God" (chs. 1: 4-3: 15; 8: 1- 11: 24; 40-48) because they create the ground work for the divine character's activity revealing the narrator's portrayal of the God in the narrative. These three "visions" are strategically arranged at the opening, middle and closing of the narrative. The first "vision" shows God's encounter with Ezekiel while he is in exile. The second "vision" shows the reason for God's activity in the opening "vision" and the basis for all the activity within the narrative. The third "vision" shows that God's actions have not been in vain but will culminate in a reordering of God's place within the cultus. Ezekiel 37 contributes to the narrator's portrayal of the divine character and for this reason I have included it within my analysis in chapter 5. Likewise, in chapter 3, I have included the "divine oracle" of Ezekiel 16 which reveals the depth of the bond of the covenant and its effect on the God of the narrative. Furthermore, in chapter 4,1 have focused on the "divine oracles" in Ezekiel 20 and 36 because of the narrator's emphasis on the profanation and vindication of the name of God. That the narrator has carefully crafted his portrayal of the divine character is evident, and attested to in the construction of the pericopes. My reading and analysis of the text are a critical attempt to show, at least in portions of the text, that the narrator's portrayal of the divine character is an anomaly.

This dissertation is an investigation into how the Hebrew Bible is used in (Rabbinic) Jewish and Christian liturgical settings, and how this impacts biblical scholars. I argue against the neglect of liturgy and ritual in reception studies and make the case that liturgy is one of the major influential forms of biblical reception. I do this by taking Isa. 6:3 as my example. My liturgical material is the qedushah liturgies in Ashkenazi Judaism and the Sanctus in three church traditions; (pre-1969) Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism (the Church of England) and Lutheranism (Martin Luther, and the Church of Sweden). As my focus is lived liturgy I investigate not just worship manuals and prayerbooks but also architecture, music and choreography. With an eye to modern-day uses, I trace the historical developments of liturgical traditions. To do this, I have used methodological frameworks from performance and theatre studies, as well as Clifford Geertz’s concept of “thick description”, from the realm of anthropology. I then analyse the impact this can have on biblical researchers, who often come from religious backgrounds. First I raise the issue of the identity of the seraphim in Isaiah 6, and their transformation in both the qedushot and the Sanctus into angels. I show how some of the tendencies in Jewish and Christian liturgy, and Christian iconography, recur in scholarship, for example the association with cherubim. The idea of an ongoing angelic liturgy, stressed especially in Jewish worship, also finds its way into scholarship. A second theme is the presumed liturgical nature of Isa. 6:3 itself. This common idea may, however, owe more to Jewish and Christian liturgical uses of it than to the text itself. In this context I discuss Christian liturgical uses which stress Trinitarian and Christological understandings of the text. I also bring up a nineteenth-century Swedish liturgical use which deviates from the Sanctus tradition. I use this to probe some of the modern ideas of holiness, and how Protestant liturgy has played a part in shaping the sentiments among scholars. Lastly I discuss the theme of Divine presence. Both the qedushot and the Sanctus are concerned with the presence of God. Jewish liturgy has shown a strong tendency to complicate the notion while in Christian liturgy it is instead concretised, either affirmatively or negatively. Some of these issues translate into scholarly debates, where scholarship often bears clear marks of especially Reformed theology. One shared tendency in both Jewish and Christian worship is to “spiritualise” Isaiah 6, and transpose it to a heavenly court. I argue that these ideas still make themselves felt in research on Isaiah 6.

The theme of holiness is prominent in the book of Ezekiel. This fact should not be surprising, given that Ezekiel is said to be a priest. However, a number of passages in the book express ideas about holiness chat relate specifically to Ezekiel's exilic setting. The present thesis examines how the concept of holiness is used in these oracles to provide an explanation ~of Israel's disaster and to prophesy the nation's restoration. Chapter 1 discusses the methodology of the thesis with reference to previous scholarly study of che book of Ezekiel. As in other areas of OT study, recent research has seen a polarization into diachronic and synchronic approaches. The present work generally adopts a synchronic approach, and particular emphasis is placed on rhetorical criticism as a means of discerning coherent blocks of text. This has the added benefit of highlighting those literary features that are particularly important for the interpretation of the passages being studied. The next four chapters present the main argument of the thesis. Chapter 2 examines Ezek. 20:5-26 for its literary structure and thence deduces the main themes of the passage. The point is that Yahweh's election of the people involves a promise of land, but that this promise could not yet be fulfilled because of the people's being defiled. However, Yahweh refrains from destroying his people completely in order to preserve the holiness of his own name. Chapter 3 turns to the theme of the "mythic mountain", whereby mountain imagery is employed to signify the land. Three concepts underlie Ezekiel's use of this metaphor: this mythic mountain represents the land of Israel; this land is seen as Yahweh's sanctuary; and the land is the place of Israel's inheritance. The mountain thus symbolizes the hope of the ideal future in which Yahweh, the people and the land are brought together. Chapter 4 examines the allegorical portrayal of the city of Jerusalem as a prostitute in Ezek. 16 and 23 . These chapters 'are similar in many ways, but differ in one important respect: while Ezek. 23 focuses on the sins of the people of the city, Ezek. 16 adopts the perspective of Jerusalem as placeYahweh's sanctuary. The sins of prostitution and adultery in these chapters represent idolatry and the illicit political alliances which Jerusalem forges with the peoples of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. These chapters thus show how such "prostitution" opposes Yahweh's plans for holiness just as literal prostitution jeopardizes a marriage. At the same time, the dual focus on people and land as being married to Yahweh demonsrrates again the ti:iparrire nature of the relationship in the prophet's thinking. The contrasting themes of scattering and gathering, which are presented in a number of passages in Ezekiel, are then discussed in Chapter 5. These themes occur in a set pattern which demonstrates a significant degree of authorial (or redactional) skill. Thus it is reasonable co regard the ideas found in these several passages as a single point of view. It emerges that scattering and gathering depict the exile and restoration as affecting all parties in the tripartite relationship. Moreover, these themes constitute two parts of Yahweh's plan to achieve the state of holiness. The final result of these developments represents not only a return of the people to the land, but also a fulfilment of the original intention behind Yahweh's election of the people: the sanctification of the people, the land and Yahweh's name. Chapter 6 draws some conclusions from the preceding discussion. To Ezekiel, holiness is used in a broad sense. All forms of sin lead to the loss of the people's holiness, just as holiness brings about blessing on every aspect of life. Holiness is not merely seen as a cultic concern, but is an outworking of the motives and desires of the people. It is Yahweh's pursuit of holiness which causes the people to be "scattered" into exile. In the same way, however, the holiness of Yahweh's name provides the assurance of a transformation of the people and their future 'gathering" to their land. The theme of holiness is prominent in the book of Ezekiel. This fact should not be surprising, given that Ezekiel is said to be a priest. However, a number of passages in the book express ideas about holiness chat relate specifically to Ezekiel's exilic setting. The present thesis examines how the concept of holiness is used in these oracles to provide an explanation J of Israel's disaster and to prophesy the nation's restoranon. Chapter 1 discusses the methodology of the thesis with reference to previous scholarly study of the book of Ezekiel. As in other areas of OT study, recent research has seen a polarization into diachronic and synchronic approaches. The present work generally adopts a synchronic approach, and particular emphasis is placed on rhetorical criticism as a means of discerning coherent blocks of text. This has the added benefit of highlighting those literary features that are particularly important for the interpretation of the passages being studied. The next four chapters present the main argument of the thesis. Chapter 2 examines Ezek. 20 :5-26 for its literary structure and thence deduces the main themes of the passage. The point is that Yahweh's election of the people involves a promise of land, but that this promise could not yet be fulfilled because of the people's being defiled. However, Yahweh refrains from destroying his people completely in order to preserve the holiness of his own name. Chapter 3 turns to the theme of the "mythic mountain", whereby mountain imagery is employed to signify the land. Three concepts underlie Ezekiel 's use of this metaphor: this mythic mountain represents the land of Israel; this land is seen as Yahweh's sanctuary; and the land is the place of Israel's inheritance. The mountain thus symbolizes the hope of the ideal future in which Yahweh, the people and the land are brought together. Chapter 4 examit:!.es the allegorical portrayal of the city of Jerusalem as a prostitute in Ezek. 16 and 23 . These chapters are similar in many ways, but differ in one important respect: while Ezek. 23 focuses on the sins of the people of the city, Ezek. 16 adopts the perspective of J erusalern as placeYahweh's sanctuary. The sins of prostitution and adultery in these chapters represent idolatry and the illicit politic::tl alliances which Jerusalem forges with the peoples of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. These chapters thus show how such "prostitution" opposes Yahweh's plans for holiness just as literal prostitution jeopardizes a marriage. At the same time, the dual focus on people and land as being married to Y dhweh demonstrates ag::iin the tripartite nature of the relationship in the prophet's thinking. The contrasting themes of scattering and gathering, which are presented in a number of passages in Ezeki el, are then discussed in Chapter 5. These themes occur in a set pattern which demonstrates a significant degree of authorial (or redactional) skill. Thus it is reasonable to regard the ideas found in these several passages as a single point of view. It emerges that scattering and gathering depict the exile and restoration as affecting all parties in the tripartite relationship. Moreover, these themes constitute two parts of Yahweh's plan to achieve the state of holiness. The final result of these developments represents not only a return of the people to the land, but also a fulfilment of the original intention behind Yahweh's election of the people: the sanctification of the people, the land and Yahweh's name. Chapter 6 draws some conclusions from the preceding discussion. To Ezekiel, holiness is used in a broad sense. All forms of sin lead to the loss of the people 's holiness, just as holiness brings about blessing on every aspect of life. Holiness is not merely seen as a culcic concern, but is an outworking of the motives and desires of the people. It is Yahweh's pursuit of holiness which causes the people to be "scattered" into exile. In the same way, however, the holiness of Yahweh's name provides the assurance of a transformation of the people and their future ''gathering" to their land.

Thesis (DPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.
Digitized at 600 dpi grayscale to pdf format (OCR), using a Bizhub 250 Konica Minolta Scanner.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is no scarcity of publications on the subject of anger in the Hebrew Bible. Most of these concern themselves with the theological significance of the wrath of God. In particular, its function as chastisement for sin is repeatedly accentuated while other conceptual elements as conveyed by Classical Hebrew words and expressions for anger are usually overlooked. In the majority of cases, lexicographical studies of anger terminology contend themselves with the accepted 'literal' meaning of words. The result is an impoverished appreciation of the concepts that governed the mind of the ancient Israelites and determined their use of language with respect to the conceptualisation of anger. This situation provided a good incentive for a study on anger concepts in the Hebrew Bible. The cognitive theory of language proved to be an ideal tool for analyzing Classical Hebrew lexemes and expressions relating to the concept of anger. Several figurative sayings were identified that relate directly to culturally defined concomitants of this emotion. They can be summarised in an idealised cognitive model that include the following conceptual metonymies for anger: body heat, quickened breathing, frowning, glaring, gnashing of teeth, internal pressure, redness in the face/neck, agitation, internal agitation, slaver at the mouth, lifting the hand, clapping the hands, stamping the feet and violent, frustrated behaviour. Over and above these metonymies, a number of conceptual metaphors have been identified that added a great deal of conceptual content to the idealised cognitive model of anger in the Hebrew Bible. The ANGER IS HEAT metaphor seems to have its basis in the experience of bodily heat. Environmental phenomena, such as the hot desert wind, earthquake, clouds, storms and floods also proved to be prolific source domains for metaphoric transfer. Other conceptual domains employed by the ancient Israelites to image anger are: burdens, winepresses, poison, opponents, dangerous animals, transgression, presence and bounded spaces. The data analysed in this study pointed to a clearly defined conceptual model for anger that can best be viewed as a prototype scenario with several stages. The phases follow on each other in temporal order. Anger typically follows on the occurrence of an intended offending event. Although the ideal is to control anger, this rarely happens. In the majority of cases, anger results in some violent act of retribution. In conclusion, several suggestions have been made with regard to the study of concepts, such as anger, in the Hebrew Bible. Firstly, the fact that most theological dictionaries and Hebrew lexicons to date have been dominated by the Autonomic View of language and its interest to identify the detachable 'meaning' of Classical Hebrew terms needs to be acknowledged. In order to fully appreciate the idealised cognitive model of the ancient Israelites with regard to a specific concept, a thorough diachronic study of related words and expressions needs to be undertaken in view of their humoral theories and beliefs regarding magic and spirits. Finally, some recommendations relating to the etymology of certain Classical Hebrew terms for anger were made.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die oorgrote meerderheid ondersoeke oor die emosie van woede in die Hebreeuse Bybel het as sentrale idee die teologiese implikasies van die toorn van God. Die funksie daarvan as straf vir menslike sonde word dikwels beklemtoon, terwyl nagelaat word om ook aandag te gee aan konseptuele elemente soos dit neerslag vind in die taal wat gebruik word om die emosie te beskryf. Leksikografiese studies fokus meesal op die 'letterlike' betekenis van woorde en verwaarloos so die konseptuele inhoud van uitdrukkings wat aangewend word om woede te beskryf. Dit is die agtergrond vir die besluit om 'n deeglike ondersoek te doen na konseptualisasie van woede soos dit bestaan het in die gedagtewereld van die ou Israeliete. Die kognitiewe teorie van taal bied die mees gepaste metodologie vir 'n bestudering van sodanige konsepte in die Hebreeuse Bybel. Met behulp van hierdie metodologiese raamwerk is verskeie konseptuele metonimiee geidentifiseer wat neerslag vind in 'n ideale kognitiewe model van toorn soos dit beskryf word in die Hebreeuse Bybel. Die konseptuele metonimiee vir woede sluit direk aan by verskeie liggaamlike ervarings en wyses van uitdrukking wat geassosieer word met hierdie emosie. Die volgende elemente, wat gebruik is as basis vir die metaforiese taalgebruik in die verband, is geidentifiseer: liggaamlike hitte, vinnige asemhaling, 'n frons, glurende oe, tandekners, interne druk, rooiheid in die gesig/nek, agitasie, skuim by die mond, oplig van die hand, handeklap, voete stamp en gefrustreerde gedrag. Bo en behalwe hierdie metonimiee, is daar ook verskeie konseptuele metafore onderskei wat baie help om 'n meer volledige kognitiewe model van toorn daar te stel. Die TOORN IS HITTE metafoor het waarskynlik sy oorsprong in die ervaring van liggaamshitte deur die persoon wat die emosie ervaar. 'n Hele aantal metafore blyk gemotiveer te wees deur meteorologiese en omgewingsfaktore, soos die warm woestynwind, aardbewings, wolke, storms en winde. Ander bronne vir metaforiese oordrag met betrekking tot woede is: swaar laste, wynperse, gif, opponente, gevaarlike diere, oortreding, teenwoordigheid en begrensde ruimtes. Die data wat so versamel is, dui op 'n goed-gedefinieerde konseptuele voorstelling vir woede in die Hebreeuse Bybel. Hierdie model kan gesien word as 'n prototipiese gebeurtenis waarvan die elemente kronologies op mekaar volg. In 'n tipiese geval word die emosie ontlok deur 'n doelbewuste benadeling van die subjek wat die emosie beleef. Die ideaal is dat die persoon sy woede in toom hou. Meesal is dit egter nie die geval nie en loop dit uit op gewelddadige, vergeldende optrede. Ten slotte is sekere suggesties gemaak rakende die etimologie van sekere terme vir woede in die Hebreeuse Bybel. Daar is ook aanbeveel dat in toekomstige studies van sodanige konsepte in die Hebreeuse Bybel in ag moet neem dat die oorgrote meerderheid van beskikbare teologiese woordeboeke en Hebreeuse leksika ten onregte hulself ten doel stel om die 'letterlike' betekenisse van sodanige emosie-woorde na te gaan, met verwaarlosing van die konseptuele wereld wat die uitdrukkings onderle. Derhalwe is ook 'n deeglike diakroniese studie van die konseptuele aard van dergelike woorde en uitdrukkings, met inagneming van ou Israelitiese humorale opvattings betreffende die bonatuurlike, van wesenlike belang.

There is a longstanding scholarly debate on the nature of prophecy in ancient Israel. Until now, no study has based itself on the semantics of the Hebrew lexeme nābîʾ (‘prophet’). In this investigation, I discuss the nature and function of prophecy in the corpus of the Hebrew book of Jeremiah. I analyse all occurrences of nābîʾ in Jeremiah and perform a close reading of three primary texts, Jeremiah 1.4–19, 23.9–40 and 27.1–28.17. The result is a detailed explanation of how prophecy works, and what it meant to call someone a nābîʾ in ancient Israel. Chapter one introduces the work and surveys the main trends in the research literature on prophecy. First I describe scholarly constructs and definitions of the phenomenon of prophecy. I then survey contemporary debates over the meaning of nābîʾ and the problem of ‘false’ prophecy. I also describe the methods, structure, corpus and aims of the investigation. In part one, I take all the occurrences of the lexeme nābîʾ in Jeremiah and analyse its relations to other words (syntagmatics and paradigmatics). For nābîʾ, the conceptual fields of communication and worship are significant. There is also a close semantic relation between nābîʾ and kōhēn (‘priest’). Part two analyses prophecy in the literary context of three key texts. Chapter three is a close reading of Jeremiah 1.4–19. Chapter four is a close reading of Jeremiah 23.9–40. Chapter five is a close reading of Jeremiah 27.1–28.17. In my analysis I situate these passages in the wider context of an ancient cultural worldview on divine communication. This brings to light the importance of legitimacy and authority as themes in prophecy. Chapter six concludes the work. I combine the results of the semantic analysis and close readings with conclusions for six main areas of study: (1) the function and nature of prophecy; (2) dreams and visions; (3) being sent; (4) prophets, priests and cult; (5) salvation and doom; and (6) legitimacy and authority. These conclusions explain the conceptual categories related to nābîʾ in the corpus. I then situate these findings in two current debates, one on the definition of nābîʾ and one on cultic prophecy. This thesis contributes to critical scholarship on prophecy in the ancient world, on the book of Jeremiah, and on prophets in ancient Israel. It is the first major study to analyse nābîʾ based on its semantic associations. It adds to a growing consensus which understands prophecy as a form of divination. Contrary to some trends in Jeremiah scholarship, this work demonstrates the importance of a close reading of the Masoretic (Hebrew) text. This study uses a method of a general nature which can be applied to other texts. Thus there are significant implications for further research on prophecy and prophetic literature.

Thesis (DTh)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
ENGLISH SUMMARY: This study is based primarily on the presupposition that the conventional definition or description of a biblical heroine does not take into account certain ‘hidden’ women in the Old Testament who could be distinguished due to their wisdom. By using the Yoruba woman as a contextual interpretive lens, the study investigates two female characters in the Old Testament each of whom is named in only one verse of Scriptures – “the First Deborah” in Genesis 35:8 and Sheerah in 1 Chronicles 7:24. The investigation takes its point of departure from the figure of Woman Wisdom of the book of Proverbs, which commentators have characterized as a metaphor for the Israelite heroine – a consummate image of the true Israelite female icon. It is indeed remarkable that Woman Wisdom has been associated with various female figures in the Old Testament such as Ruth, Abigail, the Wise Woman of Tekoa and the Wise Woman of Abel, etc. However, this study calls for a broader definition of wisdom based on the investigation of certain women in Old Testament narratives (e.g. Deborah and Sheerah) who have received only fleeting mention and recognition but whose lives reflect a possible connection to wisdom on a deeper level. It is shown that classical (arguably masculine) ways of reading the text tend to sideline or altogether overlook certain female characters, which are regarded as marginal such as Deborah and Sheerah. However, there are narrative gaps in the units where such women are found that could be filled by a reading of the text that is sensitive to details. It is argued that a more careful examination of the minute details in the texts could break down the metanarratives in a way that shows that they have hermeneutical significance. Therefore, attention to the narrative details unveils new dimensions of meaning and implications between the two texts (women) under investigation that have not been related in previous studies. Of significance is the fact that classical readings of the two verses that mention “the First Deborah” and Sheerah (Gen 35:8 and 1 Chron 7:24) regard them as intrusive in their respective contexts. However, a multiplex reading of each of the two verses in this study has shown that, rather than being intrusive, both have been strategically constructed to underscore the importance of the two women, and that the verses actually fit into their present pericope. The references to both Deborah and Sheerah are rooted in strong Old Testament traditions namely Bethel and Ephraimite, respectively, both of which play visible roles within the pericopes. What’s more, both verses are found within significant contexts – one in the middle of a section that closes the Jacob Cycle and introduces the Joseph Cycle, the other in the midst of a theologically driven genealogy that begins with Adam. Again, based on the multifaceted character of Woman Wisdom, in particular, as a teacher, a nourisher and a builder, it is argued that this metaphor of an Israelite heroine is embodied in both “the First Deborah” and Sheerah. Whereas Deborah was a wet nurse who must have nourished and nurtured the offspring of Rebekah, her mistress, Sheerah has been identified as the only female builder throughout Scriptures. The identification of the role of a wet nurse as a nurturer and nourisher as well as the role of a daughter as a builder with Woman Wisdom points to two silent heroines, one in the private domain and the other in the public sphere, who have remained unrecognized and uncelebrated in Old Testament scholarship. Furthermore, the roles of Deborah and Sheerah, respectively as wet nurse and builder, indicate that women participated in various spectrums of societal life especially in the Second Temple period when it is assumed that the texts reached their final forms. Not only did they perform roles that were associated with women, they equally participated in roles that were regarded as traditionally masculine. In this regard, a study of the women in the book of Chronicles offers a fresh glimpse into the roles and positions of women in the Second Temple period as well as into the Chronicler’s purpose and emphasis, in particular, regarding his concept of laer"f.yI-lk'. On a theological level, the achievements of the two women demonstrate God’s penchant for supporting the weak and the marginalized and for affirming those who are regarded as less likely to succeed. The mention of the First Deborah in the Old Testament proves that in God’s script, there are no little people. In the case of Sheerah, the point that there is a lare f" y. -I lk ' that includes outstanding female achievers indicates that, theologically speaking, there is no barrier against what women can do.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vertrekpunt van hierdie studie is die veronderstelling dat konvensionele beskrywende definisies van Bybelse heldinne sekere 'versteekte' vroue in die Ou Testament, wat uitstaan danksy hulle wysheid, verontagsaam. Met die Yoruba-vrou as kontekstuele interpretatiewe lens word twee vroulike karakters in die Ou Testament bestudeer wat elk in slegs een vers genoem word – “die Eerste Debora” in Genesis 35:8 en Seëra in 1 Kronieke 7:24. Die vertrekpunt is die figuur van Vrou Wysheid uit die boek Spreuke, wat deur kommentators gekenmerk is as 'n metafoor vir die Israelitiese heldin – 'n volkome beeld van die ware Israelitiese vroulike ikoon. Dit is merkwaardig dat Vrou Wysheid met verskeie vroulike figure in die Ou Testament vereenselwig word, soos Rut, Abigail, die Wyse Vrou van Tekoa en die Wyse Vrou van Abel, ens. Hierdie studie betrek egter 'n breër definisie van wysheid, gebaseer op 'n ondersoek na sekere vroue in Ou Testament-narratiewe (byvoorbeeld Debora en Seëra) wat slegs kursoriese erkenning geniet maar wie se lewens dui op 'n moontlike konneksie met wysheid op 'n dieper vlak. Daar word aangedui dat klassieke (aanvegbaar manlike) wyses om die teks te lees, neig om sekere vroulike karakters soos Debora en Seëra, oor die hoof te sien, en hulle sodoende te relegeer tot marginale figure. Die narratiewe gapings in die eenhede waar hierdie vroue figureer, kan oorbrug word deur 'n lees van die teks wat sensitief is ten opsigte van detail. Die argument word gestel dat nader ondersoek na die fyn besonderhede in die tekste die metanarratiewe kan dekonstrueer op 'n wyse wat hulle hermeneutiese betekenis belig. Sulke aandag aan die narratiewe detail ontbloot nuwe dimensies van betekenis en implikasies tussen die twee relevante tekste (vroue) wat nog nie in vorige navorsing weergegee is nie. Dit is betekenisvol dat huidige navorsing van die twee verse wat na “die Eerste Debora” en Seëra verwys (Gen 35:8 en 1 Kron 7:24) beide as toevoegings beskryf in hulle verskeie kontekste. 'n Meerdimensionele lees van elk van die twee verse in hierdie studie toon egter dat veel anders as toevoegings, beide verse die vroue as strategiese konstrukte stel om hulle belangrikheid aan te dui binne die perikope. Die verwysings na beide Debora en Seëra is geanker in vaste Ou-Testamentiese tradisies, naamlik die Bet-El en Efraimitiese tradisies respektiewelik, wat beide figureer binne die perikope. Wat meer is, beide verse word aangetref binne beduidende kontekste – een in die middel van 'n gedeelte wat die Jakob-siklus afsluit en die Josef-siklus inlei, die ander midde in 'n teologies-gedrewe genealogie wat vertrek vanaf Adam. Weer eens, ooreenkomstig die veelsydige karakter van Vrou Wysheid, spesifiek in die rolle van onderrigter, voeder en bouer; word geargumenteer dat hierdie metafoor vir 'n Israelitiese heldin beliggaam word in “die Eerste Debora” en Seëra. Debora was 'n soogmoeder wat die nageslag van haar meesteres, Rebekah, gevoed en opgevoed het; daarenteen word Sheerah geïdentifiseer as die enigste vroulike bouer in die Bybel. Die identifikasie van Vrou Wysheid deur die rol van 'n soogmoeder as voeder en opvoeder, sowel as dié van 'n dogter as 'n bouer, wys op twee stille heldinne, een in die private domein en die ander in die openbare sfeer, wat geen erkenning of verering in Ou- Testamentiese besinning geniet nie. Verder dui die rolle van Debora en Seëra, respektiewelik as soogmoeder en as bouer, daarop dat vroue aktief was in verskeie sektore van die sosiale lewe, veral tydens die Tweede Tempel-periode waartydens aanvaar word die tekste in hul finale weergawes geformuleer is. Vroue was dus aktief nie alleen in rolle wat met hulle geassosieer is nie, maar ook in rolle wat tradisioneel aan mans toegeskryf is. 'n Studie van die vroue in die Kronieke-boek bied vars insae in die rolle en posisies van vroue tydens die Tweede Tempel-periode, asook in die Kronis se doel en beklemtoning, veral betreffende die konsep van laer"f.yI-lk'. Op teologiese vlak illustreer die prestasies van die twee vroue God se voorliefde vir ondersteuning aan die swakkes en gemarginaliseerdes, en vir bemagtiging van dié wat beskou word as minder waarskynlike presteerders. Die verwysing na “die Eerste Debora” in die Ou Testament bewys dat in God se teks, daar geen klein mensies bestaan nie. In die geval van Seëra, bewys die feit dat daar 'n lare f" y. -I lk ' is wat besondere vroue insluit, dat daar teologies-gesproke, nie perke is aan die potensiaal van vroue nie.

The subject of demons and demonology has fascinated scholars and non-scholars, ancient and modern alike; it is not surprising that much work has been done on the topic by biblical scholars too. Chapter 1 places the present study within the existing scholarship showing that the early works on ‘OT demonology’ were influenced by comparative religion, anthropology, and an increasing interest in Mesopotamian and Canaanite parallels as well as a concern to seek and find vestiges of ancient religious beliefs in the Old Testament. The consensus of early 20th century scholars regarding what constitutes a ‘demon’ in the Old Testament has not been challenged by modern scholarship. Chapter 2 shows that biblical scholars still commonly turn to the ancient Near Eastern religions and cultures to explain difficult passages in the Hebrew Bible, to find parallels or the ‘original’ of difficult terms and concepts. Since it is generally accepted without challenge that azazel, lilith, deber, qeteb and reshef are the personal names of ‘demons’ appearing in the Hebrew Bible, the necessity arises to return to the texts in order to examine each term in its context. The present study seeks to answer the question whether these five terms are names of ‘demons’ in the Hebrew texts as we have them today. To accomplish its goal the present study will provide an exegesis based on Close Reading of all the relevant biblical passages in which the terms azazel (chapter 3), lilith (chapter 4), deber (chapter 5), qeteb (chapter 6), and reshef (chapter 7) appear. Attention is paid to the linguistic, semantic, and structural levels of the texts. The emphasis is on a close examination of the immediate context in order to determine the function (and if possible the meaning) of each term. The reading focuses on determining how the various signals within the text can guide towards meaning, noting how the (implied) poet/author uses the various poetical/rhetorical devices, especially personification, but also parallelism, similes, irony, and mythological elements. The present study shows that contrary to former and current scholarship there is nothing in the texts to support the view that azazel, lilith, deber, qeteb and reshef are the names of ‘demons’. Azazel appears as the personification of the forces of chaos that threaten the order of creation; his role is to stand in contrast to Yahweh. The context requires that lilith is regarded as a bird, a night bird being the most plausible explanation of the term. Deber, qeteb and reshef are personifications of destructive forces and appear as agents of Yahweh, members of his ’Angels of Evil’ who bring punishment (death) on the people of Israel for disobedience. There is no evidence to suggest that there are mythological figures behind azazel, lilith or the personifications of deber and qeteb. In case of reshef there is a possible connection to the Semitic deity Reshef. However, the mythological motifs are used merely as a poetic device.

Despite the dynamic portrayal of clothes in the Hebrew Bible scholars continue to interpret them as flat and inert objects. They are often overlooked or reduced to background details in the biblical texts. However, this thesis will demonstrate that the biblical writers’ depictions of clothes are not incidental and should not be reduced to such depictions. This thesis employs a multidisciplinary approach to develop and challenge existing approaches to the clothing imagery in the Hebrew Bible. It will fall into two main parts. In the first part, I draw insights from material-cultural theories to reconfigure ways of thinking about clothing as material objects, and reassessing the relationships between people and objects. Having challenged some of the broader conceptions of clothing, I will turn to interrogate the material and visual evidence for clothing and textiles from ancient Syro- Palestinian and ancient West Asian cultures to construct a perspective of the social and material impact of clothing in the culture in which the biblical texts were constructed and formed. In the second part, I will examine the biblical writers’ depiction of clothing through two case studies: Joseph’s ketonet passim (Genesis 37) and Elijah’s adderet (1 Kings 19 and 2 Kings 2). These analyses will draw from the insights made in the first part of this thesis to reassess and challenge the conventional scholarly interpretations of clothing in these texts. In this thesis, I argue that clothes are employed in powerful ways as material objects which construct and develop the social, religious and material dimensions of the text. They are also intimately entangled in relationships with the characters portrayed by the biblical writers and can even be considered as extensions of the people with whom they are engaged. Clothes manifest their own agency and power, which can transform other persons and objects through their performance and movement in a biblical text.

The shepherd metaphor is used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to kings or leaders of the Israelite community. It belongs to the larger group of pastoral metaphors which are used to convey ideas about governance and politics. This is especially apparent in how the Hebrew prophets have utilized pastoral imagery in their rhetoric about politics. Specifically, the imagery occurs in Micah 2:12-13; 5:1- 5; 7:14-20; Isaiah 40:9-11; 44:24-45:7; 56:9-12; 63:7-14; Jeremiah 3:15-20; 10:19- 21; 22:18-23; 23:1-8; 25:30-38; 31:10-14; Ezekiel 34 and Zechariah chs. 10, 11, 13. This study is an analysis of these passages. It investigates the political processes depicted in the text and describes the political ideas that they express. In order to show that pastoral metaphors are powerful rhetorical devices for revealing political ideas, Chapter 1 provides a survey of metaphorical theories that are relevant to the exegesis of the shepherd texts. Particularly useful is Janet Soskice’ notion of ‘metaphorical modeling’ which leads to the overarching metaphorical assumption in the use of pastoral metaphors, that ‘Political governance is shepherding.’ New meanings are created by mapping out the structures of shepherding onto the domain of governance. Secondly, the chapter also examines the sociological background of pastoral metaphors in their wider Mesopotamian context to show that the shepherd metaphor is a political metaphor. Lastly, it explores ideas in political theology that might enhance the exegesis of the text from the perspective of politics. Particularly, the study draws upon the conceptions in political theology proposed by Oliver O’Donovan, Walter Brueggeman and Dale Launderville, who all base their theories on the notion of the ‘authority’ of God. O’Donovan suggests four organizing concepts for doing political theology, namely, salvation, judgment, possession, and praise. On the other hand, Brueggeman intimates a reading that uses the ‘politics of Yahweh vs. politics of Pharaoh’ as a paradigm. As for Launderville, he explores the idea of authority through the notion of legitimation by the gods and by the people. Each of the subsequent chapters (2-6) will offer a detailed exegetical analysis of the prophetic books containing shepherd texts. These close readings result in variety of political implications based on the interactions of three main players, Yahweh who is the owner of the flock and sometimes also portrayed as the Great Shepherd, the human shepherd, and the flock. The web of relationship and interaction of these three players affirms the centrality of the ‘authority of God’ in the politics of the shepherd texts. Moreover, five aspects of politics arise and consistently thread their way across the five chapters. Primary among these is [1] the different manifestations of the dynamics of relations of power between different entities such as: Yahweh, the Great Shepherd and the supreme king of the flock, the human shepherd-rulers who are considered as vicegerents and are under the jurisdiction of the Great Shepherd, and the flock who are subordinate to both the Great Shepherd and the human shepherd-rulers. Consequent to this notion are the following ideas: [2] the need for the human-shepherd to be attentive to divine sanction; [3] the human-shepherd as the chief redistributor of material and symbolic goods in the community; [4] the shepherd-leader, whether referring to Yahweh or to the human shepherds, as the centralizing symbol in the community; and [5] justice as a central aspect of governance within the shepherding-governance framework.

There is no consensus on why Ezekiel 20 differs so strongly from the other historical traditions and texts known from the Torah. Are the authors simply purposefully selective in their reuse of earlier ‘historical' material, or do they offer a synopsis of all the material available to them, inadvertently preserving a particular stage in the development of the pentateuchal material? Or, more likely, is the answer somewhere in between? It is these questions that the present study begins to answer. Part One offers an analysis of the general linguistic influences of the priestly, Holiness, and deuteronomic corpora on Ezekiel 20, demonstrating that the impact of all three has been overstated. Part Two, the core of the study, examines in detail four texts of the Torah which share a statistically significant number and type of locutions with Ezekiel 20: Numbers 13-14; Exodus 6.2-8; Exodus 31.12-17; and Leviticus 26. Across these texts, both unilateral and bilateral literary reuse of or by Ezekiel 20 is established, and the ramifications for the composition and rhetoric of both the Torah texts and Ezekiel 20 is explored in detail. Part Three synthesises these findings, confirming that, and describing how, Ezekiel 20 compositionally interacts with the priestly and Holiness writings, offering insight into the extent and nature of a stratified, likely independent P. Three prevailing models of the composition of the Torah are then examined for points of continuity and discontinuity with this picture, with the result that none of them are able to account for all of the data collected herein. In sum, it is no longer sufficient to consider the literary dependencies between Ezekiel 20 and the priestly or Holiness material, let alone Ezekiel and the Torah, as mono-directional.