Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 246-247. / Ph.D.

Text in Hebrew with English Summary / This research describes nominal patterns with prefixes m and t as appearing in Parma A in comparison with other traditions viz. Kaufinan, Paris and Y emenite manuscripts. This research has 3 aims: 1. To describe all relevant evidence in Parma A 2. To compare evidence with data in other traditions, including the Bible and Mishnaic Hebrew and Aramaic sources 3. To elaborate on those unique forms in manuscripts which represent genuine Mishnaic Hebrew / Classics and Modern European Languages / D. Litt et Phil. (Semitic Languages)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study represents an investigation of a set of BH connectives (רוּבֲעַבּ, ןַעַמְל, and ןֶפּ) as well as other grammatical constructions relevant to the lexical items. This investigation seeks to establish the datatypes which are relevant for distinguishing the meanings and/or senses that the BH connectives רוּבֲעַבּ, ןַעַמְל, and ןֶפּ may display. A literature overview of BH linguistics and existing BH lexica demonstrate that although current resources provide some useful information, there still lacks an adequate framework for describing the lexical items. On the one hand, linguistic descriptions of the connectives in BH linguistics fail to define the word class(es) and scope of the target lexemes, as well as the relations they indicate. None of the studies have structurally described the paradigmatic relation between the different types of purpose constructions. On the other hand, BH lexica show a variety of data types that are assumed to contribute towards both defining and distinguishing the meanings/senses of the lexical items we are concerned with; however, this information only partly helps in this endeavor. To describe more adequately the meaning and polysemic relationships of the lexemes, we relied on cognitive semantics (e.g., conceptual view of meaning, prototype theory, and semantic potential). We were also concerned with purpose/result constructions across languages in order to establish criteria for describing purpose constructions. On the basis of these investigations, we established a model for a semantic description of the target lexemes in addition to some criteria for distinguishing between purpose, result, cause, and reason constructions so that the different relations the target lexemes indicate might be identified. We also established some typological parameters of purpose constructions – such as verbal forms in the matrix, participant encoding, and the positioning patterns of purpose clauses. The value and validity of these criteria were then tested in an empirical investigation. The investigation established that ןַעַמְל, רוּבֲעַבּ, and ןֶפּ have a semantic potential that prompts the conceptualization of multiple relationships (e.g., ןַעַמְל: purpose, result, and reason) with varying scopes, among different levels. We were able to distinguish between the different relationships that the lexemes ןַעַמְל, רוּבֲעַבּ, and ןֶפּ display by relying on the notions of purpose, result, cause, and reason, as defined in cognitive linguistic circles. We also identified the prototypical and less prototypical meanings of the lexemes. This study establishes the value of the model employed, but also reveals that our theoretical model has some limitations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie verteenwoordig ‘n ondersoek van ‘n stel Bybels-Hebreeuse verbindingswoorde (רוּבֲעַבּ, ןַעַמְל en ןֶפּ) sowel as die grammatikale konstruksies wat relevant is vir die beter verstaan van hierdie leksikale items. Hierdie ondersoek poog in besonder om datatipes vas te stel wat ter sake is vir betekenisonderskeidings wat רוּבֲעַבּ, ןַעַמְל en ןֶפּ vertoon. 'n Literatuur-oorsig van bestaande Bybels-Hebreeuse bronne (bv. grammatikas en lexika) demonstreer dat, alhoewel hierdie bronne nuttige inligting verskaf, hulle nie ‘n toereikende raamwerk bied vir ‘n noukeurige beskrywing van die leksikale items nie. Die grammatikale studies, aan die een kant, versuim om die items se woordklas(se) te definieer. Weinig aandag word ook gewy aan die reikwydte en/of ter sake sintagmaties en paradigmatiese verbande van die ter sake konstruksies. Die leksika, aan die ander kant, wys wel op 'n verskeidenheid van datatipes wat veronderstel is om by te dra tot beide die definisies en betekenisonderskeidings. Hierdie inligting is egter dikwels nie genoegsaam nie. Om ‘n meer toereikende beskrywing van hulle betekenis te maak, asook om die polisemiese struktuur van die lekseme te bepaal, het ons gebruik gemaak van insigte van die kognitiewe semantiek (bv. prototipe-teorie, en die konsep ‘semantiese potensiaal’). Ons het ook doelkonstruksies in ander tale bestudeer. Kriteria is geïdentifiseer om te onderskei tussen konstruksies waarin doel, gevolg, oorsaak en rede gerealiseer word. Ons het ‘n paar taaltipologiese parameters van doelkonstruksies vasgestel, bv. die werkswoordsvorm wat in die matriks gebruik word, die manier waarop deelnemers gekodeer word, en die posisie van die doelkonstruksie tov die matriks. Die waarde en geldigheid van hierdie kriteria is daarna in ‘n empiriese ondersoek getoets. In hierdie studie is vasgetel dat ןַעַמְל, רוּבֲעַבּ en ןֶפּ ‘n semantiese potensiaal het wat die konseptualisering van veelvoudige verhoudings aktiveer (bv. ןַעַמְל: doel, gevolg, en die rede), wat beide op verskillende vlakke mag wees asook met verskillende reikwydtes. Ons het ook die prototipiese en minder prototipiese betekenis van die lekseme geïdentifiseer. Hierdie studie illustreer die waarde van die werksmodel wat gebruik, maar het ook aangetoon dat die model enkele leemtes het.

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The book of Ezekiel, like much of the Hebrew Bible, depicts Yahweh as a king. However, Ezekiel’s presentation of Yahweh’s kingship has been largely ignored by modern scholarship, and, when it has been addressed, has been categorized as a grand metaphor for Yahweh’s divine superiority. In contrast, this study argues that Yahweh’s kingship is a genuine political force, not merely a cipher for the exalted status of Israel’s deity. To answer the objection that ‘Yahweh is king’ is a metaphor, Chapter 2 shows that the approach to metaphors so commonly applied in Biblical Studies is deficient. A new approach is thus warranted and provided, enabling utterances such as ‘Yahweh is king’ to function within a spectrum literality. To show that Ezekiel’s presentation of Yahweh’s kingship merits consideration as a literal claim, Chapters 3-7 offer a close reading of the five texts that overtly hail Yahweh as king: Ezekiel 1-5, 8-11, 20, 34, 40-48. The political ramifications of Yahweh’s kingship are shown to be of such importance that Yahweh’s kingship is best understood as a claim for Yahweh himself to govern his people as a political, not merely religious, king. Chapter 8 briskly traces several key themes throughout the book confirming that Ezekiel presents Yahweh’s kingship in order to establish divine rule over all human affairs. And Chapter 9, as a conclusion, ties together the previous chapters while also demonstrating the value of the thesis both for scholarship on the book of Ezekiel and for the broader question of the kingship of God.

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.

The Or ha-Sekhel of Abraham ben Asher (Venice, 1567) is of great importance in the history of the study of midrash because it is the first book in which Genesis Rabba was accompanied by commentaries, one spuriously attributed to Rashi and the other written by Abraham ben Asher himself. The composition of a commentary on a midrash was something of a novelty in the mid-16th-century; immediate precedents are hard to identify. Yet, several such commentaries and a large number of prints of Midrash Rabba were published at this time, suggesting that the status of this ‘anthology of midrashim’ was undergoing a period of transition. The need for a correct text and the explanation of obscure vocabulary was foremost in the minds of interpreters such as Issachar Berman of Poland. However, the increasing importance of midrash in the sermons of the Iberian immigrants to the Ottoman Empire also inspired the composition of more discursive commentaries. The homiletic nature of Abraham ben Asher’s expositions suggests that they should be seen in this context. His incorporation of an earlier commentary falsely attributed to Rashi into the Or ha-Sekhel might be understood as an effort to ground his innovative presentation of Genesis Rabba as a text requiring thorough study and the guidance of learned commentators in the work of Rashi himself. Understanding the way Abraham ben Asher has compiled these texts in the Or ha-Sekhel sheds new light on the pervasive interest in midrash in the 16th-century and the outpouring of commentaries on Midrash Rabba at this time.

The concept of ‘glory’ is one of the most significant themes in the Hebrew Bible, lying at the heart of God’s self-disclosure in biblical revelation. Yet, while the concept has received theological treatment, and while various relevant Hebrew roots have individually benefited from linguistic survey, the group of lexemes surrounding this concept is as yet untouched by a comprehensive semantic study. Through indepth semantic study this thesis offers a clearer understanding of the interrelations and differences between the Classical Hebrew lexemes centring around the concept of ‘glory’. The first chapter opens with a critical examination of both structuralist and cognitivist approaches to semantic research, focussing particularly on their historical use and current applicability to the study of ancient languages. It outlines the superior claims of cognitive semantics accurately to model patterns of language usage, addressing the challenges inherent in the application of such an approach to ancient language. The proposed methodology is characterised as cognitive in nature, focussed on both lexical interrelations (relational) and the internal composition of lexemes (decompositional), exhaustive in relating lexemes to each other point by point, and based on the entirety of the Classical Hebrew corpus. Finally, this chapter discusses issues relating to the limited, diachronic and fragmentary nature of the Classical Hebrew corpus. The second chapter delineates the boundaries of the semantic domain of כבוד . It opens with a methodological discussion introducing parallel terms and word pairs as valuable tools in the objective identification of semantically related terms. Proposing the theory that members of a semantic domain will regularly co-occur, it systematically analyses firstly the extant word associations of כבוד itself and secondly of those lexemes recurring in association with it, accepting or rejecting each as a member of its semantic domain on the basis of word associations. This process results in the identification of eleven lexemes as members of the semantic domain of The concept of ‘glory’ is one of the most significant themes in the Hebrew Bible, lying at the heart of God’s self-disclosure in biblical revelation. Yet, while the concept has received theological treatment, and while various relevant Hebrew roots have individually benefited from linguistic survey, the group of lexemes surrounding this concept is as yet untouched by a comprehensive semantic study. Through indepth semantic study this thesis offers a clearer understanding of the interrelations and differences between the Classical Hebrew lexemes centring around the concept of ‘glory’. The first chapter opens with a critical examination of both structuralist and cognitivist approaches to semantic research, focussing particularly on their historical use and current applicability to the study of ancient languages. It outlines the superior claims of cognitive semantics accurately to model patterns of language usage, addressing the challenges inherent in the application of such an approach to ancient language. The proposed methodology is characterised as cognitive in nature, focussed on both lexical interrelations (relational) and the internal composition of lexemes (decompositional), exhaustive in relating lexemes to each other point by point, and based on the entirety of the Classical Hebrew corpus. Finally, this chapter discusses issues relating to the limited, diachronic and fragmentary nature of the Classical Hebrew corpus. The second chapter delineates the boundaries of the semantic domain of כבוד . It opens with a methodological discussion introducing parallel terms and word pairs as valuable tools in the objective identification of semantically related terms. Proposing the theory that members of a semantic domain will regularly co-occur, it systematically analyses firstly the extant word associations of כבוד itself and secondly of those lexemes recurring in association with it, accepting or rejecting each as a member of its semantic domain on the basis of word associations. This process results in the identification of eleven lexemes as members of the semantic domain of The concept of ‘glory’ is one of the most significant themes in the Hebrew Bible, lying at the heart of God’s self-disclosure in biblical revelation. Yet, while the concept has received theological treatment, and while various relevant Hebrew roots have individually benefited from linguistic survey, the group of lexemes surrounding this concept is as yet untouched by a comprehensive semantic study. Through indepth semantic study this thesis offers a clearer understanding of the interrelations and differences between the Classical Hebrew lexemes centring around the concept of ‘glory’. The first chapter opens with a critical examination of both structuralist and cognitivist approaches to semantic research, focussing particularly on their historical use and current applicability to the study of ancient languages. It outlines the superior claims of cognitive semantics accurately to model patterns of language usage, addressing the challenges inherent in the application of such an approach to ancient language. The proposed methodology is characterised as cognitive in nature, focussed on both lexical interrelations (relational) and the internal composition of lexemes (decompositional), exhaustive in relating lexemes to each other point by point, and based on the entirety of the Classical Hebrew corpus. Finally, this chapter discusses issues relating to the limited, diachronic and fragmentary nature of the Classical Hebrew corpus. The second chapter delineates the boundaries of the semantic domain of כבוד . It opens with a methodological discussion introducing parallel terms and word pairs as valuable tools in the objective identification of semantically related terms. Proposing the theory that members of a semantic domain will regularly co-occur, it systematically analyses firstly the extant word associations of כבוד itself and secondly of those lexemes recurring in association with it, accepting or rejecting each as a member of its semantic domain on the basis of word associations. This process results in the identification of eleven lexemes as members of the semantic domain of כבוד.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / This dissertation examines the roles Edom played in the Hebrew Bible. The oracles against the nations included in the prophetic books anticipate the complete destruction of the Edomites by Yahweh and connect that destruction to the divine plan for the restoration of Israel. The goal of the dissertation is to determine how Edom became cast in this role. The approach of this study is first to review the archaeological data that have been used to recreate Edom's history. Early research was biased by a desire to fit the results to the Hebrew Bible. Evaluation of the data shows the close development of these two nations. It also reveals an Edomite presence in the Negev late in the monarchy and during the restoration after exile. The place of Edom in the biblical "histories" is analyzed. I then show how the oracles against Edom transform motifs introduced in the histories, such as the theophany from Sier. Edom was held responsible for participating in the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in 587 B. C. E. This event created a theological crisis since Edom was spared and Israel was destroyed. This crisis was dealt with in the oracles against Edom by anticipating that Edom will be eliminated. I conclude that Edom is remembered by Israel as unique amongst the nations. The postexilic period produces oracles against Edom to assist the community to deal with the difficulties of restoration. As the oracles move toward the apocalyptic, the divine plan includes the destruction of Edom. / 2031-01-01

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