This study presents a textual and grammatical analysis of 52 passages of Isaiah as they are found in Cave IV of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, the King James version, and the Book of Mormon. The objective was to determine the relationship, if any, of those verses in the Book of Mormon with the other textual traditions. Based on the differences between the Book of Mormon text and the King James version, and upon the confirmation of those Book of Mormon differences by the other traditions, it was concluded that The Book of Mormon follows its own tradition.

The purpose of this study is to determine and present as completely as possible the Book of Mormon's contribution to the historicity of the Old Testament's events and characters in order that teachers may have another instrument for the effective direction of learning in Old Testament history. Therefore, it is the purpose of this study to determine and point out to the teacher the areas in which the Book of Mormon complements the Old Testament, and sustans its truthfulness as a historically accurate record.It is the hypothesis of this study that the Book of Mormon has much to contribute to the student of Old Testamenet literature. In an age of higher criticism of the Old Testament as a historically accurate record, many of the great names in this field of study have rejected not only the traditional authorship of many of the Old Testament books, but also have seriously questioned the actuality of events such as the creation story, the flood, the exodus, and the twelve tribes coming into Canaan. Indeed, important characters such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have been treated as artificially created partriarchal prototypes by some critics.

<p>The Old Testament contains a number of depictions of a divine councilor assembly of the gods in the heavens. Several of these scenes form episodic narratives that provide a window into the divine realm and insight into the workings of the heavenly court. The closest cultural and linguistic parallel to the biblical council is found in the Ugaritic texts from Ras Shamra. The parallel members in the Old Testament are seldom considered gods by scholars, in contrast to those in the pantheon in the Ugaritic literature. This thesis calls into question the validity of this distinction and proposes that in these episodic scenes these members are deities under the presidency of YHWH. Power in the heavens is consolidated in the council permitting a view of god that is pluralistic and yet unified. YHWH is its head and he sets its agenda, announces its decisions and commissions its agents.</p> / Master of Theology (Th.M)

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As the title suggests, this research is a study of primogeniture in the Old Testament towards a theological-ethical understanding of patriarchy in ancient Israel. Using the Ancient Near East as a wider context of the Old Testament, the research first analysed the Ancient Near East texts relating to primogeniture, i.e., texts relating to inheritance and succession. In so doing the research reveals that primogeniture was a generally practiced custom of most of the Ancient Near East societies, serving as a cornerstone for their patriarchal culture. The research also demonstrates that there were exceptions to the rule. For example, the Elamites practiced matrilineal and matrilocal customs. Within the general practice of primogeniture among most of the Ancient Near East societies, firstborns were often displaced in favour of younger sons. In some cases, daughters and wives could also inherit and own properties, although succession to the throne by daughters was rare. The central focus of the research is a socio-rhetorical criticism of the primogeniture text of Deuteronomy 21:15-17. Like in the Ancient Near East, this study also discovers that primogeniture was a generally practiced custom as well as a cornerstone of ancient Israel’s patriarchy. However, exceptions to this rule in ancient Israel seemed to be even more notorious than in those of other ancient Near East societies. The custom was often not followed. Daughters could also inherit. Firstborns were displaced by their younger brothers for prime heirship of the family as well as succession to the throne. This violation of primogeniture custom was theologically and ethically qualified and politically and ideologically appropriated. The research thus concludes that these theological-ethical qualifications as well as political-ideological appropriation of the violation of primogeniture based on socio-economic and religious-political changes of society indicate that patriarchy according to the Old Testament is not a static divine blueprint for all societies of all generations. Rather, patriarchy in ancient Israel was a dynamic socio-historical and theologicalethical process which was subjected to change, modification, reinterpretation, and re-appropriation according to socio-economic and religious-political developments of a given society. In the name of patriarchy, women had been denied their rights, robbed of their dignity and worth, and regarded as a second class image of God in many societies, then and now. Committed to correcting these wrongs, this research – arguing that patriarchy in the Old Testament is not so much a privilege as it is to a responsibility – challenges the contemporary hierarchical patriarchal ideologies, and contends for gender equality in all walks of life, remembering that we are all created equally in the image of God. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Soos die titel aandui, dek hierdie studie eersgeborenheid in die Ou Testament om 'n teologies-etiese begrip van die patriargie in antieke Israel te bewerkstellig. Teen die Antieke Nabye Ooste (ANO) as wyer konteks van die Ou Testament, analiseer die navorsing ten eerste die ONO-tekste wat betrekking het op eersgeborenheid, met ander woorde tekste wat verwys na vererwing en opvolging. In die proses het die navorsing aan die lig gebring dat eersgeborenheid 'n wydverspreide praktyk in die meeste ANOgemeenskappe was en as hoeksteen vir hul voortbestaan en patriargale stelsels gedien het. Die navorsing het ook aangetoon dat uitsonderings op hierdie reël voorgekom het. So het die Elamiete byvoorbeeld matriliniêre gebruike gehad, asook waar die man by die vrou se familie gaan woon het. In die algemene gebruik van eersgeborenheid onder meeste van die ANO-gemeenskappe, is eersgeborenes dikwels vervang ten gunste van jonger seuns. In sommige gevalle kon dogters en eggenotes ook erflatings ontvang en vaste eiendomme besit, alhoewel troonopvolging deur dogters baie selde voorgekom het. Die sentrale fokus van die navorsing is 'n sosioretoriese kritiek op die eersgeborenheidsteks in Deuteronomium 21:15-17. Soos ten opsigte van die ANO, het die studie ook vasgestel dat eersgeborenheid 'n algemeen aanvaarde praktyk en ook hoeksteen van antieke Israel se patriargie gevorm het. Maar die uitsonderings op hierdie reël in antieke Israel was skynbaar selfs meer opspraakwekkend as in ander ANOgemeenskappe. Die gebruik is dikwels nie nagevolg nie. Dogters kon ook vererf. Eersgeborenes is deur hul jonger broers vir die belangrikste erfporsie van die familie vervang, asook vir troonopvolging. Hierdie verbreking van die eersgeborenheidsgebruik is teologies en eties gekwalifiseer en polities en ideologies toegepas. Die navorsing kom dus tot die gevolgtrekking dat hierdie teologies-etiese kwalifikasies, asook die polities-ideologiese toepassing van die verbreking van eersgeborenheid, gebaseer op sosio-ekonomiese en religieus-politieke veranderinge in die gemeenskap, aandui dat patriargie volgens die Ou testament nie 'n statiese, godgegewe bloudruk vir alle gemeenskappe van alle generasies daarstel nie. Patriargie in antieke Israel was eerder 'n dinamiese sosiohistoriese en telogies-etiese proses, wat onderworpe was aan verandering, aanpassing, herinterpretasie en hertoepassing ingevolge soio-ekonomiese en religieus-politieke ontwikkelinge van 'n gegewe gemeenskap. In die naam van patriargie is vroue in baie gemeenskappe, destyds en vandag nog, ontneem van hul regte, van hul waardigheid en van hul waarde gestroop en beskou as 'n tweede klas beeld van God. Hierdie navorsing is toegewy aan die regstel van hierdie onregte en is van mening dat patriargie in die Ou testament nie sodanig 'n voorreg was nie as 'n verantwoordelikheid en daag daarmee die hedendaagse hiërargiese patriargale ideologieë uit. Dit spreek hom uit ten gunste van geslagsgelykheid in alle gebiede van die lewe, met in ag neming dat ons almal gelyk geskape is in die beeld van God.

Thesis (DTh (Old and New Testament))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die rol wat mag en ideologie speel in die konkrete interkulturele gespreksruimte wat tot stand kom as individue vanuit diverse kontekste mekaar ontmoet rondom Bybeltekste. Die interkulturele gespreksruimte word teoreties gefundeer vanuit die gesamentlike uitgangspunte van die Feminisme en 'n Afrika-hermeneutiek. Die kommunale ruimte bied hiervolgens teoreties die ruimte waarbinne individue vanuit diverse kontekste tot hulle reg kan kom in die kollektief. In Hoofstuk 2 van hierdie studie word die hermeneutiese raamwerk waaruit die studie sy vertrekpunte vind, omskryf wanneer die uitgangspunte van beide die Feminisme en 'n Afrika-hermeneutiek bespreek word. Die Feminisme beklemtoon die belang van die kontekstuele stem van die individu en Afrika-hermeneutiek stel die kommunale ruimte voor waarin die stemme tot hulle reg kan kom. Die interkulturele gesprek wat in hierdie studie ondersoek word, vind plaas met 2 Samuel 13:1-22 as gespreksdokument. In Hoofstuk 3 word 'n multidimensionele eksegetiese raamwerk beskryf wat gebruik word ten einde ‘n deurdagte interpretasie van 2 Samuel 13:1-22 te bied. ‘n In-diepte lesing van die teks word gedoen, sowel as ideologies(retories)-kritiese en leserrespons-kritiese analises. Ten slotte word in dié hoofstuk verwys na die interpretasiegeskiedenis van die teks vanuit ‘n dominant Westerse perspektief asook vanuit die Feminisme en ‘n Afrika-hermeneutiese konteks. Met die tweeledige hermeneutiese raamwerk as uitganspunt, en 2 Samuel 13:1-22 as gespreksdokument, word die empiriese komponent van die studie dan in die volgende hoofstukke beskryf. In die empiriese studie word die teoreties-geformuleerde interkulturele ruimte dan ‘n konkrete realiteit as kultureel-diverse vroue mekaar ontmoet in gesprek rondom die Tamar-verhaal van 2 Samuel 13. Die ontwerp van die empiriese studie wat in Hoofstuk 5 bespreek word, word in die vorige hoofstuk, Hoofstuk 4, gefundeer deur aandag te gee aan, onder andere, die omskrywing van sleutelterme soos kultuur, ideologie en mag. Die kwalitatiewe data wat ingewin is tydens die konkrete interkulturele gesprekke, word daarna geanaliseer en bespreek in Hoofstuk 6. Al die data wat ingewin is tydens die studie word as Bylae tot die proefskrif beskikbaar gestel in ‘n aparte meegaande bundel ten einde die lees-envergelyk- proses te vergemaklik. Die gevolgtrekking van die studie, in Hoofstuk 7, bring al die diverse besprekings soos dit in die argument hanteer is, bymekaar en poog om ‘n sinvolle interpretasie te bied van hoe mag en ideologie funksioneer in die interkulturele Bybelleesproses. Die teoretiese interkulturele ruimte wat deur die Feminisme en 'n Afrikahermeneutiek as oogmerk gestel word, word dus in die studie geproblematiseer deur te vra na die funksionering van mag en ideologie in daardie ruimte. Vanuit 'n kwalitatiewe analise van die data wat ingewin is tydens die empiriese komponent van die studie, word dit duidelik dat die interkulturele ruimte ‘n besondere spasie bied waarin individue tot hulle reg kom en waarin verandering gefasiliteer kan word. Dit wil egter verder blyk dat hierdie ruimte nie sonder uitdaging is nie aangesien die interkulturele ruimte nie die invloed van die magsdinamika vryspring nie. Daar is bevind dat die interkulturele gespreksruimte ‘n besondere instrument is wat ingespan kan word ten einde sosiale transformasie te fasiliteer, maar dit moet met groot omsigtigheid hanteer word. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the role of power and ideology in a concrete intercultural conversation space which is established when individuals from diverse contexts meet one another to discuss Biblical texts. The intercultural conversation space is theoretically based on the joint presuppositions of Feminism and an African hermeneutics. The communal space provides a theoretical space in which individuals from diverse contexts are given an opportunity to express themselves in the collective. The hermenetical framework of the study is discussed in chapter 2 where the fundamental presuppositions of both Feminism and African hermeunetics are explored. Feminism emphasises the importance of the contextual voice of the individual, whereas African hermeneutics highlights the communal space where individual voices are given expression. The intercultural conversation in this study is conducted with 2 Samuel 13:1-22 as conversation document. Chapter 3 discusses a multidimensional exegetical framework that is applied in order to offer a reflective interpretation of 2 Samuel 13:1-22. A close reading of the text, as well as ideological (rhetorical) critical and reader response critical analyses, are conducted. A reference to the interpretation history of the text concludes this chapter. The dominant Western perspective is discussed and is supplemented with Feminist and African hermeneutical readings of the text. The empirical component of this study is discussed in the chapters that follow, based on the two-tiered hermeunetical framework and 2 Samuel 13:1-22 as conversation document. The theoretically formulated intercultural space becomes a concrete reality as culturally diverse women meet one another to discuss the story of Tamar as found in 2 Samuel 13. Chapter 5 explains the research design of the empirical study based on key terms such as culture, ideology and power. These are illuminated in Chapter 4. The data that is collected in the concrete intercultural conversation is then analised qualitatively and in Chapter 6. The collected data is presented as a separate Appendix to the dissertation in order to assist the reader in the read and compare process. In the conclusion to this study, as presented in Chapter 7, all the diverse discussions converge and an attempt is offered towards a reflective interpretation of how power and ideology function in the intercultural Bible reading process.

The availability of water and subsequent systems that developed around it played an important role throughout biblical lands and their surroundings. Water’s contribution spanned across all facets of life, times of peace and war, affecting the elite and the poor. The research focuses on the different aspects of water, both in its natural and anthropogenic distribution. The combination of archaeology, anthropology, and geography explores the following questions: What can be learnt from contemporary civilisations? What social implications did water systems have on ancient Palestine’s society? Did the extent of the impact lessen once water was secured? The multidisciplinary approach aids in understanding the effect of water availability the social structures required for the creation, use, and maintenance of the different water systems. Water was, at first, a basic need for survival in rural areas, turning into a magnificent show of power of the ruling elite of ancient Palestine. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.A. (Biblical Archaeology)

The history of European psalm paraphrases begins in late ancient Greek literature. Greek interest in combining poetic content and metre is documented in the paraphrase of Psalm 102 from the 4th century preserved in the Codex visionum and the paraphrase of the whole psalter from the mid-5th century called Metaphrasis psalmorum or "Homeric psalter", both composed in dactylic hexameters. They share some features with early modern paraphrases: use of artistic language, application of christological interpretation, relation to singing, various approaches in terms of the degree of dependence on the biblical text. The Hebrew text of the Psalms shows no signs of the metric arrangement that is characteristic of traditional European poetry. Some Hebrew verses tend to be regularly organized on a tonic basis, but this arrangement is not binding or regular, unlike the standard of traditional European poetry. In the European environment, however, there has been since ancient times a strong conviction that the Hebrew verse is regularly arranged on a quantitative principle, and this belief lasted until the early modern period. Renaissance translations of ancient poetry into vernacular languages use syllabic or accentual-syllabic verse, and the same type of verse is also used in early modern psalm paraphrases when...

The Göttingen Virtual Manuscript Room (VMR); The Göttingen Virtual Manuscript Room (VMR) offers both an online based digital repository for Coptic Biblical manuscripts (ideally, high resolution images of every manuscript page, all metadata etc.) and a digital edition of their texts, finally even a critical edition of every biblical book of the Coptic Old Testament based on all available manuscripts. All text data will also be transferred into XML and linguistically annotated. In this way the VMR offers a full physical description of each manuscript and, at the same time, a full edition of its text and language data. Of course, the VMR can be used for manuscripts and texts other than Coptic too.

Thesis(PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Theories of lexical semantics have undergone an evolutionary development for centuries. Geeraerts (2010) has traced their development from the historical-philological era (circa 1880) until the early 21st century. The current situation finds two basic approaches to lexical studies, with scholars positioned on a continuum from a minimalist position to a maximalist position. The former makes a demarcation between linguistics and pragmatics, relegating word meaning to pragmatics and a separation of word knowledge from world knowledge. The latter argues that there can be no separation made between lexical meaning and contextual meaning (word knowledge and world knowledge). The study is based on insights from the maximalist perspective. Second, it proposes that it is necessary to approach semantical studies with a composite approach taking into consideration frames, conceptual metaphor and metonymy, prototype, Idealized Cognitive Models, grammar and figurative uses of language (including non-verbal expressions and symbolic gestures) in order to have a full understanding of the concept a word or expression symbolizes. Third, all of the occurrences of a word or expression that appear in a corpus are analyzed in order to determine a possible range of polysemy as it is expressed in actual language usage. Finally, the context of the research is Bible Translation. One question asked in the investigation is, what information gleaned from the composite model can be appropriately presented in a specialist bilingual lexicon based on a frame model? The results of the research using the eclectic model provided a very broad understanding of some of the lexemes associated with JOY in biblical Hebrew. It was determined that these lexemes were associated with a concept of JOY that was very similar to the five-stage EVENT STRUCTURE metaphor proposed by Kövecses (2010) for emotions in English. Second, the investigation was able to verify the core features of JOY—volition, desire, determination and satisfaction—and to indicate how different construal operations activated specific features of the meaning potential in each linguistic frame. Third, the differences and similarities of each of the specific lexemes that were studied were determined and described. Fourth, it was demonstrated how the appropriate information needed by translators could be described and suggested for entry into a bilingual (biblical Hebrew-English) lexicon designed specifically for Bible Translators. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Teoriee van leksikale semantiek het deur die eeue ‘n evolusionere proses deurloop. Geeraerts (2010) het hierdie ontwikkeling vanaf die histories-filologiese era (ongeveer 1880) tot vroeg in die 21ste eeu nagespoor. Huidiglik kan leksikale studies in twee kampe verdeel word, en geleerdes bevind hulle tipies op ‘n kontinuum tussen ‘n minimalistiese en maksimalisties posisie. Eersgenoemde maak ‘n duidelike onderskeid tussen linguistiek en pragmatiek en religeer woordbetekenis tot pragmatiek en onderskei kennis van ‘n woord van kennis van die wereld. Laasgenoemde argumenteer dat daar geen onderskeid gemaak kan word tussen leksikale betekenis en kontekstuele betekenis nie (woordkennis en kennis van die wêreld). Hierdie studie berus op insigte van die maksimalistiese perspektief. Tweedens, dit stel voor dat dit nodig is om semantiese studies te benader met ‘n meervoudig saamgestelde benadering. So ‘n benadering neem in ag die raamwerk (“frame”), konseptuele metafoor en metonomie, prototipe, “Idealized Cognitive Models”, grammatika en figuurlike gebruike van taal (insluitend nie-verbale uitdrukkings en simboliese gebare) sodat by ‘n deeglike verstaan van die konsep wat ‘n woord of uitdrukking simboliseer, gekom kan word. Derdens, al die gebruike van ‘n woord of uitdrukking wat in ‘n korpus voorkom, word ontleed om te bepaal of ‘n polisemiese verband gepostuleer kan word tussen die uitdrukkings soos dit gebruik word. Ten slotte, die konteks van hierdie studie is Bybelvertaling. Een vraag wat konsekwent in die ondersoek gevra is, is welke informasie wat verkry is deur die meervoudig saamgestelde benadering kan op ‘n gepaste manier aangebied word in ‘n tweetalige leksikon wat rus op ‘n raamwerkmodel (“frame model”). Die resultate van die navorsing waarin die eklektiese model gebruik is, het tot ’n bree verstaan van die konseptualisering van VREUGDE in Bybelse Hebreeus gelei. Daar is vasgestel dat die emosie VREUGDE in Bybelse Hebreeus ooreenstem met die vyf-fase GEBEURTENIS-STRUKTUUR metafoor wat deur Kovecses (2010) voorgestel is vir emosies in Engels. Tweedens, die ondersoek was in staat om die kern-eienskappe van vreugde te verifieer—wil, begeerte, determinasie and satisfaksie—asook om aan te dui hoe verskillende konstruerende (“construal”) operasies aspekte van die betekenispotensiaal in spesifieke raamwerke aktiveer. Derdens, die verskille en die ooreenkomste van elke spesifieke lekseem wat na vreugde verwys, is vasgestel en beskryf. Vierdens is daar gedemonstreer hoe inligting wat ter sake is vir vertalers, beskryf kan word.

Thesis (DTh (Old and New Testament))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the concept of ‘wisdom’ in the Old Testament Wisdom Literature. This dissertation argues that the concept of ‘wisdom’ is both the search for order and the maintenance of mystery. The coexistence of order and mystery is suggested as a coherent theme of Wisdom Literature, and the various relationships between the two themes are explained as the particular voices in Wisdom Literature. Proverbs 16, Job 28, Ecclesiastes 3, and Sirach 24 exhibit the coexistent relationship between the two themes. While Proverbs 16 reveals an order prevailing coexistence, Ecclesiastes 3 exhibits a mystery prevailing coexistence. While Job 28 shows a dialogical coexistence, Sirach 24 illustrates a mysterious integrated coexistence between order and mystery. This coexistence of order and mystery is investigated by means of socio-rhetorical criticism. The voices of various textures such as inner texture, intertexture, social and cultural texture, and ideological and theological texture in Wisdom Literature reveal the coexistence and various types of coexistent relationships between the search for order and the maintenance of mystery. Inner texture analysis the literal and rhetorical nature of each text, revealing the themes such as the potential and the limitation of human beings and the fear of the Lord. Intertexture elaborates the themes as the search for order and the maintenance of mystery. Social and cultural texture explains the social and cultural setting of the theme, depending on the social topics such as the manipulationist and thaumaturgical response and the cultural categories such as dominant culture and contraculture. Based on this social cultural milieu, the sages or the authors of Wisdom Literature formulate a creation theology comprising of the search for order and the maintenance of mystery, criticising various ideologies such as royal ideology and the doctrine of retribution, and dominant cultures such as Hellenism and Judaism in each period. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie dissertasie is om die konsep ‘Wysheid’ in die Ou Testamentiese Wysheidsliteratuur te ondersoek. Hierdie dissertasie voer aan dat die begrip ‘Wysheid’ sowel die soeke is na orde as na die behoud van misterie. Die saambestaan van orde en misterie word voorgehou as ‘n tema wat alle Wysheidsliteratuur saamvat. Die verhoudings tussen die twee temas word verduidelik as die verskillende stemme van elke vorm van Wysheidsliteratuur. Spreuke 16, Job 28, Prediker 3 en Sirach 24 toon die samehangende verhouding tussen die twee temas. Terwyl Spreuke 16 ‘n vervlegtheid toon waarin orde oorheersend is, toon Prediker ‘n saambestaan waarin misterie oorheersend is. Waar Job 28 ‘n samehang van dialoog toon, toon Sirach 24 ‘n misterie-geïntegreerde saambestaan van orde en misterie. Hierdie vervlegtheid van orde en misterie word ondersoek deur middel van sosio-retoriese kritiek. Die stemme van verskillende teksture soos binne-tekstuur, intertekstuur, sosiale en kulturele tekstuur asook ideologiese en teologiese teksture in die Wysheidsliteratuur wys op die saambestaan van verskillende tipes verhoudings tussen die soeke na orde en die behoud van misterie. Binnetekstuur ontleed die letterlike en retoriese aard van elke teks, en toon temas soos die potensiaal en die beperktheid van die mens asook die vrees van God. Intertekstuur brei die temas uit as die soeke na orde en die behoud van misterie. Sosiale en kulturele tekstuur van die tema word toegelig deur die sosiale en kulturele tekstuur, afhangende van die sosiale temas soos die manipulerende en thaumaturgiese response en van die kulturele kategorieë soos dominante- en kontrakulture. Gebaseer op hierdie sosiale en kulturele milieu druk die outeurs van die Wysheidsliteratuur die skeppingsteologie uit as die soeke na orde en behoud van misterie en kritiseer verskeie ideologieë soos die ideologie van konings, die vergeldingsleer, asook Hellenisme en Judaïsme in elke periode.