This thesis explores the theme of time in the book of Qohelet. Throughout his work Qohelet depicts the temporal reality as intensely problematic for human attempts to fashion a meaningful existence, even in the present. A tension is established in the book between the temporal realities of the world and human time-experience. This tension becomes especially apparent in relation to the field of human cognition: our ability to understand and respond properly to our temporal conditions is drawn fundamentally into doubt by Qohelet. The lacking correspondence between temporal reality and human experience of time affects every temporal area in our existence. Qohelet does not allow the human being any meaningful access to either past or future because of the reality of oblivion. Unable to appeal to a meaningful human continuity, individual human beings are unable to make sense of their present existence too. In addition to analysing Qohelet’s conception of time, the thesis investigates the consequences which this time-conception has for the author’s own philosophical endeavour. Significantly, Qohelet aims to describe an area of reality which he considers fundamentally inaccessible to the human mind. This results in an ongoing tension between statements of knowledge and statements of ignorance; between wanting to investigate human life in time and being unable to do so. This dichotomy is especially apparent in Qohelet’s discussion of the lost temporal horizons of past and future. Past and future cannot be approached directly, but must either be discussed through an examination of their influence on the present or established negatively, simply by stating their inaccessibility. Qohelet’s three main narrative texts demonstrate this particularly clearly. A final chapter uses the analysis of Qohelet’s time conception to undertake a comparative analysis of Qohelet and early layers of 1 Enoch.

The aim of this study is to prove that neither 1 Peter 3:19 nor 1 Peter 4:6 refers to the Christian doctrine the ‘Descensus Christi ad Inferos’. The meaning of these two verses has long been debated (cf. Dalton 1989:27-28), and is very often seen as a reference to Christ’s descent into Hades (cf. Feinberg 1986:309). This study will be done by means of a parallel study. The first part of this study will involve the doctrine of the ‘Descensus’; looking at its origin and its development. It will be argued in this section that the roots of this doctrine can be found in Jewish-Christianity and not pagan mythology as has been suggested (cf. Bousset 1907:224ff&Beare 1945:145). The discussion of the doctrine is necessary, since we do need to know more about the doctrine to see whether it is the referent in 1 Peter. The second part of the study will then engage in the meaning of 1 Peter 3:19 and 4:6. This section will be very context driven. We will start with an introduction to 1 Peter, discussing all the preliminary questions (i.e. author, date, audience&form). This will be followed by a structural analysis of 1 Peter. Here it will be argued that the letter should be understood in terms of metaphors, with the ‘Diaspora’ as the controlling metaphor (cf. Martin 1992). The verses under discussion, form part of the third metaphor-cluster namely the ‘Sufferers of the Dispersion’, while the name of our subsection is’ The Righteous Sufferer’. By means of the grammatical analysis, and the influence of the pseudepigraphal book 1 Enoch, it will be shown that these verses do not allow themselves to be interpreted as references to the Descent of Christ into Hades. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Ancient Languages / unrestricted

The main aim of this dissertation is to understand the function of the text The Parables of Enoch (PE) in its ancient context. Despite the complicated and composite nature of this text, I have tried to explain the internal logic of this text, especially with an emphasis on understanding the different timelines with which the author of the text works. A critical evaluation of the limits of working with the preserved Ethiopian translations, as well as with the composite nature of the extant form of the text is the essential prerequisite for the interpretation of PE. In the exegetical part, I seek to demonstrate the main thesis that the purpose of PE is to offer a complex symbolic universe through ancient authoritative visions of the ancestor Enoch that serves to legitimize the shared social reality, which is in danger due to the difficult situation of persecution and oppression. I take the theoretical framework for this research over from the sociological constructivism. While the shared social reality is often in crisis, the symbolic universe as a complex level of legitimation intends to explain this discrepancy between the assumed social reality and the reality of the everyday experience. In the case of PE, it is a discrepancy between the experience of oppression and persecution of the addressees...

Angelology emerged under the domination of Jewish groups. Reconstructing a brief history for Jewish groups of the second Temple Period is necessary to ascertain which Jewish group may be aligned with the angelology of 1 Enoch. Moreover, angelology developed within this natural historical context. An exploration of the tradition of angelogy includes angelic origins, their functions in the Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint, possible mythical associations, and speculation about why angels surfaced within Israelite religion. Examining the background, structure and contents of 1 Enoch will ensconce the Enochic writings, within the Second Temple Period. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D.Litt. et Phil.

Angelology emerged under the domination of Jewish groups. Reconstructing a brief history for Jewish groups of the second Temple Period is necessary to ascertain which Jewish group may be aligned with the angelology of 1 Enoch. Moreover, angelology developed within this natural historical context. An exploration of the tradition of angelogy includes angelic origins, their functions in the Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint, possible mythical associations, and speculation about why angels surfaced within Israelite religion. Examining the background, structure and contents of 1 Enoch will ensconce the Enochic writings, within the Second Temple Period. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D.Litt. et Phil.

One of the most lively and enduring debates in New Testament studies is the question of the significance of ‘apocalyptic' thought in Paul. This has recently given birth to a group of scholars, with a common theological genealogy, who share a concern to emphasise the ‘apocalyptic' nature of Paul's gospel. Leading figures of this group are J. Louis Martyn, Martinus de Boer, Beverly Gaventa and Douglas Campbell. The work of this group has not been received without criticism, drawing fire from various quarters. However, what is often lacking (on both sides) is detailed engagement with the texts of the Jewish and Christian apocalypses. This dissertation attempts to evaluate the ‘apocalyptic Paul' movement through an examination of its major theological emphases in the light of the Jewish apocalypses 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch and the Christian book of Revelation. Placing Paul in this literary and historical context confirms his place as an apocalyptic thinker, but raises important questions about how this is construed in these recent approaches. Each chapter will address one of four interrelated themes: epistemology, eschatology, cosmology and soteriology. The study intends to suggest that the ‘apocalyptic Paul' movement is characterised at key points in each area by potentially false dichotomies, strict dualisms which unnecessarily screen out what Paul's apocalyptic thought affirms.