1 Cor 8.1-11.1 concerns the subject of idolatry in first-century Christianity and ancient Judaism. Jews and Christians differ over what constitutes idolatry; and even within ancient Judaism and early Christianity, there was no consensus on what it meant. The NT passage concerns three parties, i.e. Paul, the ‘strong’, and the ‘weak’, who differed over idolatrous practices. Scholarly opinions concerning this particular passage differ significantly and one of the most important reasons for this state of affairs is the ambiguity of the definition of idolatry. In this thesis, a set of definitions are set up which are applied to the examination of the various relevant Diaspora Jewish literature, inscriptions and papyri, and finally the NT passage. And this reveals that while there is a package of definitions of idolatry, these definitions do not always operate as a package. Jews adopted different definitions and so carved out spaces for themselves. Some Jews adopted a blanket condemnation of anything related to Gentile religions and idols, e.g. Philo, Josephus, Joseph and Aseneth, and such like. Such Jews operated with strict definitions of idolatry and condemned everything related to idols and their makers. Other Jews operated with different definitions, although they still held the view that there was only one God. They did not condemn other religious traditions but held a concept that allowed the identification of the one true God with other people’s Gods, i.e. other people in fact worshipped the true God but called him by different names. These differences of opinion parallel those of the three parties in the NT passage under investigation. The ‘strong’ believed that there was only one God and that idols were nothing in the world. This view is held by both strict as well as accommodating Jews. But they differed over how this view might be applied. The ‘strong’ in Corinth applied this knowledge to justify their attendance at pagan temples and their consumption of idol-meat, and even possible participation in the pagan religious rituals.

Chapter One introduces the study by setting out an understanding of sacred space using social anthropology and social space using the theoretical work of Henri Lefebvre. The importance of space to human experience is highlighted with a view to application to the life of Jesus, understood in light of the social situation of his day. A specific text, Genesis Ten (the Table of Nations), is the focus of Chapter Two. Re-readings of the text in Jubilees and Josephus’ Antiquities show very different spatialisations and views of cosmic order. They also come out of very different settings in life and show something of the ways that land (in relationship to other nations) could be understood in the Second Temple Period. Chapter Three explores the meaning of the temple as the central sacred space in the first century and also as a strong economic and political centre. There was devotion to the temple, but also opposition to it. Jesus’ action in the temple shows a break with the institution without a clear indication of its restoration. Purity, the topic of Chapter Four, was widely practised in the first century. Conventionally associated with the purity of the land and separation from the gentiles, interpretation of the laws of purity was a concern of groups such as the Sadducees, Pharisees, ‘Qumranites’ and Samaritans. John’s baptism in the Jordan is highly symbolic and is comparable to the sign prophets in Josephus who take up the biblical themes of exodus and entry into the land. Jesus primarily associates uncleanness with demons; he exorcises them and heals (by touching) individuals who would be considered impure. He practices table fellowship with ‘sinners’ and emphasises love of enemies. Jesus’ mission is itinerant (not located) and rejects current notions of purity. An alternative model of governance in the eschaton is offered by Jesus in his calling together of a group of twelve. Chapter Five explores traditional tribal and spatial associations with ‘twelve’ and their importance for Jesus’ symbolic use of ‘the twelve’ which includes the notion of gathering. Finally, Chapter Six draws the study together to set Jesus in relationship to land as a Galilean millenarian prophet.

This thesis is a comparative study of the influence of the Book of Isaiah on the Sibylline Oracles, (some of) the Qumran sectarian writings and Romans. Equal time and energy have been devoted to studying the use of Isaiah by Paul and some of his kinspeople such as the Jewish Sibyls who are responsible for the Jewish material in Sibylline Oracles 3 and 5 and the Qumran sectarians. This enables a comparison between Paul and other Jewish writers in order that better appreciation of the distinctive features of the Apostle's use of Scripture, both hermeneutical and theological, may be achieved. To attain this goal, I have utilized the source-influence approach and the concept of "contextual circles", seeking to appraise from different angles in what way and how much these writers were influenced by the sayings of their predecessor Isaiah. My study has led to the conclusion that the legacy of Isaiah in the Jewish Sibyls, the Qumran sectarians, and especially Paul is profound. Not only in their language have traces of the Isaianic influence readily been found; also in their ideological/theological thinking and beliefs, the Isaianic tradition plays a significant part. These writers, in utilizing the Isaianic material, all expressed a deep concern about the future of Israel. Despite this, however, they developed very different understandings of the implications of the prophet's vision about it. Regarding hermeneutical techniques, Paul shows little sign of difference from his fellow Jewish writers, except that a very distinct dimension of "alreadyness" is exhibited in his exposition/appropriation of the prophet's sayings. Most importantly, both the Third Sibyl and Paul utilized the Isaianic material that concerns the destiny of the nations vis-à-vis Israel's eschatological revival. However, unlike Paul, the Sibyl failed to see that, in God's salvific plan of all humanity, the salvation of Israel is paradoxically tied up with that of the nations into one complex of eschatological event.

Building upon recent insights of classical research re family life in antiquity, this investigation combines the study of the family as social reality and as metaphor in order to explore the relationships between Paul and the Thessalonians and the Thessalonians' relationships to one another. An in-depth investigation of 1 Thessalonians - Paul's earliest extant letter - is justified since it is here that we find a heavy preponderance of fictive-kinship terms. Chapter 1 reviews the most recent literature where we note that Paul's familial metaphors are briefly considered within the broader social context of Pauline Christianity. Some scholars assume (e.g. Meeks et al.) that the terms 'brother/sister' indicate that Paul's earliest communities are non-hierarchical in structure. Others (e.g. Castelli) argue that Paul's paternal role is solely understood in hierarchical terms and take little account of the composite nature of such a role. A full survey of parent-child and brotherly relations in antiquity, and the implications this might have for Paul, is called for. The theoretical base under-girding this study, that of 'metaphor theory', is ten set out. Using the insights of linguists (e.g. Lakoff and Johnson) a basic working definition for metaphor is established. It is highly likely that Paul is drawing on a familiar source field (the family in antiquity) to describe Christian relations as a family. Other aspects of metaphors such as extension and coherence are discussed in relation to Paul and their usefulness to this investigation. An in-depth study of aspects of family life (i.e. parent-child and brotherly relations) in the ancient world is carried out in chapters 2, 3 and 4. A broad range of sources literary and non-literary (Jewish and non-Jewish) are studied to determine the normal social expectations of household members. In chapter 2 and 3 parent-child obligations are the focus whilst chapter 4 deals with brotherly responsibilities. A number of stock meanings for both relationships are identified. For example, fathers are superior to their children, exercise authority over them, and are to be an example for them to follow. Parents are expected to love their offspring but whereas a mother's role is to nurture her children, a father is supposed to instruct them. Children reciprocate by loving, obeying, honouring and caring for their parents.

This thesis presents an interdisciplinary study in certain aspects of biblical hermeneutics from the point of view of speech act theory. After an introduction indicating the possible scope of such a study in relation to well established hermeneutical issues within theological and biblical studies, the thesis falls into two parts. In part one, the philosophical claims of speech act theory are examined. A particular focus is the question of criteria for demarcating speech acts and for appropriating the theory for the case of written texts. A distinction between 'strong' and 'weak' speech acts is proposed, and it is argued that the notion of construal so central to speech act theory is also best viewed across a spectrum of strengths. These criteria suggest responses to certain prominent objections to the hermeneutical relevance of speech act theory. They also point away from any form of 'speech act criticism' and towards an eclectic approach to relevant biblical texts. Consideration is therefore given to determining which texts merit such a study. Part two of the thesis begins by reviewing major attempts to utilise speech act theory in this way, focusing in particular on the work of Donald Evans, and modifying his approach in order to articulate some central elements of a 'hermeneutic of self-involvement'. The burden of part two is then to explore this hermeneutic with reference to three particular speech acts which occur in the New Testament, those of confession, of forgiveness, and of teaching. These chapters attempt to demonstrate in practice what it means to appropriate speech act theory for the task of biblical interpretation, showing in the process that the perspective involved is a multi-disciplinary one. Some of the implications of the development of such a hermeneutic are sketched out by way of conclusion.

The study of place in Deuteronomy is often centred around issues related to the chosen place. In recent years, scholars in a variety of disciplines have developed an interest in the nature of place and in place’s influence on individuals and society. Their research suggests that within Deuteronomic studies, the traditional conversations about the chosen place do not adequately address the full complexity of Deuteronomy’s place. This study investigates place as conveyed in Deuteronomy using a philosophical and sociological understanding of place. The interdisciplinary approach highlights the multiple factors that contribute to the intricate structure of place. The first half of the study begins with analysing the creation narratives that underscore the importance of Israel’s participation in placemaking and also the use of memory to create the ethical motivator for dwelling together in place. The second half of the study focuses on the law code and the internal placial structure built on a mutual relationship between the chosen place and rest of the land. The analysis reveals that Deuteronomy understands place as something bigger and more intricate than the chosen place. The centralising programme in Deuteronomy challenges a tribal and localised perspective of place and also a politicised and centralised perspective of place that diverts responsibility from the majority of the people. Deuteronomy diminished the importance of an elite class of society, including the king who is not given a significant physical or social place to bolster his authority. Israel possesses the land as caretakers of the gift God has given to all the people, and they dwell in the land with the chosen place at the centre of society and with the rigorous demands to maintain purity throughout the land. Deuteronomy makes all the people liable for one another and for the non-human creation in their care.

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A number of studies explore temporal vocabulary in the Old Testament generally and Ecclesiastes particularly, yet few attempt a holistic approach of reading Ecclesiastes through its presentation of time. Scholars have long recognized the work’s tensions, but the link that holds the tensions together in a unified reading has received less attention. This unifying idea is the presentation of time. Time is not a singular concept, however, and this project undertakes a sustained engagement with the broad presentation of time both to examine Ecclesiastes’ inquiry after what is good for human beings and its often-identified tensions. As such, this study fills a considerable gap in current Ecclesiastes scholarship. Part One, consisting of chapters two and three, examines terms for time, including ʽEt, yom, dor, ʽolam, shanah, zekher/zikhron, through a close examination of these words in their contexts. It becomes clear that time in Ecclesiastes is a mixture of reflections on the main character’s present, the past, and the passing of time over the course of generations. The project argues in Part Two that approaching time with an awareness of how Ecclesiastes creates, compares, and contrasts time horizons aids the reader to comprehend the contradictions and tensions. Chapter four demonstrates the presence of identifiable and quantifiable horizons in what is widely regarded as the introduction of Ecclesiastes, 1:1-2:26. These horizons, identified as nature’s time, generation time, lifespan time and event time, are juxtaposed in order to point toward the benefit of short-duration thinking for life under the sun. Chapter five examines Ecclesiastes 3:1-12:14 according to the categories of nature’s time, generation time, and lifespan time to ascertain characteristics common to these horizons. Consistently, Ecclesiastes presents these horizons of time as impenetrable and inaccessible to human endeavour. Chapter six examines the same material but from the perspective of what occurs in defined situations, which are designated event time. Ecclesiastes presents event time as partially controllable thereby suggesting proper and improper uses within this horizon. The chapter concludes with a discussion of wisdom and event time, demonstrating that wisdom in Ecclesiastes is not focused on success over one’s whole life (lifespan time), but focuses upon capturing the potential of the present moment to provide rest, companionship, and enjoyment in the short-term. The exploration of time as temporal horizons suggests an opportunity to observe similar phenomena in other works associated with wisdom and in other non-narrative works within the Hebrew Bible.

The Gospel of John records a cosmic lawsuit between God and the world with Jesus at the centre. Jesus, tried and condemned by worldly opponents, is retried before readers. John presents witnesses for Jesus, challenging readers to weigh their testimony and decide in Jesus' favour, that he is the Messiah. Among the witnesses, John presents several women. Since women in first-century Palestine were in most cases barred from giving juridical testimony, it might seem that John is undermining his purpose. Old Testament, pseudepigraphal, rabbinic, and apocryphal writings demonstrate that the exclusion of women from testifying was based on technical grounds and no inherent incompetence, although many felt that women were unreliable to witness. Further, women's exclusion was not comprehensive, and they could give juridical evidence in certain situations. Women also had a longstanding history of competence and leadership in religious testimony: prophecies, prayers, songs, confessions, oaths, and vows. The women whom John presents are Jesus' mother, the Samaritan, Martha and Mary, the women at the cross, Mary Magdalene, the mother of the blind man, and Annas' doorkeeper (the story of the adulterous woman is a later addition to John's Gospel). These women offer convincing, tentative, or no testimony, depending upon the situation. In no case does any one of these women offer a testimony that breaches the laws and customs governing women's capacities as witnesses. Thus, John's readers would be able to evaluate the testimony of the women no differently than that of the men. Narratologically, the women function as individuals, and John does not have any interest in or treat them as a gender class. Historically, because the women's testimonies fall within the legal, religious, and social bounds of Jesus' culture, John gains credibility as an historian, albeit one whose Gospel has a persuasive purpose and rhetorical cast.