This thesis investigates the literary structure and the rhetoric of persuasion of the book of Amos arguing that it was not compiled simply to preserve the prophet's words. Moreover, the present work challenges the common redaction-critical view that regards the book as the result of a lengthy redactional process involving several generations of redactors who continually adapted it to guarantee its relevance for changing times and circumstances. Against this view, it is argued that the book was compiled shortly after the time of Amos, and that it was intended to capture or present the debate between Amos and his original eighth-century Israelite audience. Interpreting the book within a communication-theoretical framework, and employing the methodological tools provided by rhetorical criticism, it is claimed that it has been compiled for a specific persuasive purpose. That is to say, those responsible for the book in its present form presented the debate between Amos and the Israelites in order for it to function as a warning for a pre-exilic Judean audience. To be more specific, when read in the light of the catastrophic events of 722 BCE, the presentation of Amos struggling - and failing - to convince his contemporaries of the imminent divine punishment is a powerful warning admonishing Judean readers/hearers not to repeat the stubborn attitude of their northern brothers and sisters lest they too be severely punished by Yahweh. In the introductory chapter, we outline our definition of rhetorical criticism, its interpretive potential and the interpretive tasks it engenders. This is done partly by contrasting the approach with the tenets, aims and interests that characterise redaction criticism, which then leads to a discussion of the issues of synchrony and diachrony. In addition, the involvement of the reader in the interpretive process is looked at followed by an outline of the methodological steps of the rhetorical-critical enquiry. Chapter two, in turn, discusses the macro structure of the book beginning with a review of recent proposals. An approach is then advocated that takes into account the 'oral world' of the original hearers of the book, and seeks to establish what kind of structural markers would have been recognisable in such an oral setting. In chapter three, the rhetorical situation and the rhetorical problem that caused the production of the book are considered. This is followed by a discussion of its overall rhetorical strategy, which, as we noted earlier, is best described in terms of a presentation of the debating prophet intended to function as a warning to pre-exilic Judean readers. Chapters four to six then look at Amos 1-4 applying the rhetorical-critical notions mentioned above. Finally, our concluding chapter briefly considers the issue of rhetorical effectiveness.

This present research is motivated by observing the diversity of views held in understanding the portrayal of Solomon in 1 Kgs 1-11, its importance in resolving the problem of the composition of DtrH, and especially by a certain doubt about the pervasive Josianic understandings of Solomon. The main concern of the present study is to establish a sound understanding of Solomon as portrayed in I Kgs 1-11 in relation to the theories of the composition of Kings, especially the Josianic redaction theory. This study seeks to understand Solomon in 1 Kgs 1-11 from the perspective of the text's persuasive function in relation to the reader. Chapter one surveys modem researches on Kings in general and the Solomon narrative (1 Kgs 1-11) in particular. It shows that the essential question in studies of Kings and the Solomon account is the understanding of the thematic tensions in relation to their composition. This chapter also argues that a rhetorical approach is methodologically relevant in solving the question. Chapter two defines what rhetorical criticism is, and in relation to the definition, shows how a rhetorical approach will be applied to our study of 1 Kgs 1-11. Rhetorical criticism is a methodology concerned with determining the means of persuasion employed in the communication, through an analysis of the text in its final form. This chapter also establishes four practical steps for discovering the argumentative or persuasive function of the Solomon text: the rhetorical unit, arrangement (dispositio) and style (elocutio), argumentation (inventio), and finally the rhetorical situation and the original reader. Following these steps, chapter three identifies 1 Kgs 1-11 as a rhetorical unit by showing 1 Kgs 1-2 as the true beginning of the narrative through the structural and rhetorical connections between 1 Kgs 1-2 and 3-11. Chapter four examines how 1 Kgs 1-11 as a persuasive narration has been arranged in order to have an impact on the reader's apprehension of the Solomon narrative. It shows the concentric structure of 1 Kgs 1-11 based on the function of repetition, which guides the reader to the picture of Solomon's incapacity in his 'covenant relationship' with Yahweh. Chapter five examines I Kgs 1-11 from the point of view of argumentation or invention, and deals with the understanding or evaluation of the issue in I Kgs 1-11. The narrator in 1 Kgs 1-11 shows the reader Solomon's failure in the relationship with Yahweh based on his ethical and rational, and emotional, appeal. Chapter six defines the rhetorical situation which causes the existence of 1 Kgs 1-11. It shows that Kings would be a fitting response to the rhetorical situation of the Jewish exilic community in Babylon. The community may have held very different views about their past, their identity, or the continuity of the covenant relationship with Yahweh in the exilic or post-exilic period. Our conclusion in this study of 1 Kgs 1-11 is that the subtle portrayal of Solomon in 1 Kgs 1-11 does not display a Josianic standpoint, but an exilic view, persuading the Babylonian exiles to recover their covenant relationship with Yahweh or to find a new understanding of this through the portrayal of Solomon in the light of his inevitable failure in relationship with Yahweh.

The book of Habakkuk is traditionally divided into five sections: the prophet's two laments, Yahweh's two responses and a concluding psalm. The first three of these sections are found in ch. I and are typically interpreted according to a question-and-answer format. That is, the prophet complains, Yahweh answers, and the prophet complains again. Many scholars suspect that this dialogue continues into the first half of ch. 2, saying it contains Yahweh's second answer, and some scholars go so far as to say the dialogue persists into ch. 3, saying it contains the prophet's final response. Even though the majority of scholars agree that at least the first half of Habakkuk represents a dialogue between the prophet and Yahweh, there is very little consensus regarding the identity of a vision which Yahweh briefly mentions in ch. 2. This vision appears to be a matter of great importance for the prophet, and thus it seems reasonable to presume that properly identifying its content is crucial to the interpretation of the book. Hence, it is surprising that many commentators, rather than acknowledging the inconsistencies in scholarly opinion, give quick treatments of the vision, only offering their versions of the vision's content. Three of the most popular options are Hab. 2: 4 (or 2: 4-5), Hab. 2: 6-20, and Hab. 3: 3- 15. Each of these possibilities makes good sense in the context of the book, but each one also generally follows from the presumption that the record of the vision must fit into the dialogue framework. The following thesis will determine if this is a reasonable presumption to make and, on the basis of that finding, will propose a fourth possibility for identifying the vision. That is, when Yahweh commands the prophet to "Write (the) vision" (Hab. 2: 2), he is referring to the oracle recorded in Hab. 1: 5-11.

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The thesis argued for here is that a social-scientific, poetics, and comparative analysis reveals that all the religious phenomena listed in Deuteronomy 1 8.10-11 are bound together in a conceptual unity. The religious practitioners and practices enumerated properly portray various elements characteristic of ANE religious beliefs in conflict with an emerging, world-constructing, and ideologically explicit Yahwistic vision of reality. Furthermore, Deuteronomy presents the Yahwistic prophet, the nābi’ as the preeminent symbol of Yahwistic reality, which seeks to replace all other notions of reality in the Israelite community. This study makes contributions to an interdisciplinary approach to biblical interpretation by using a combination of social-scientific criticism, poetics literary analysis, and comparative analysis of ANE religions and ethnographic field studies. Special significance is given to Meir Sternberg's poetics analysis, Peter Berger's theory of world-construction, Michael Carrither's theory of intersubjectivity, and Douglas Davies' theory of clusters of belief This study also makes contributions to the understanding of the unique role of the Yahwistic prophet as preeminent cultural symbol in Israelite society.

The purpose of the present study is an application of rhetorical analysis to the interpretation of Jeremiah 21-24. Chapter 1 reviews previous studies of the book of Jeremiah in modern scholarship. This thesis claims that there is a need for text-centered and holistic approaches to the interpretation of the book. Chapter 2 proposes that rhetorical analysis will be fruitful as a new hermeneutical method in Jeremiah research. It explains the application of classical rhetorical theory in modern biblical studies. The thesis claims that the application of rhetorical theory helps explain the structure of Jeremiah 21-24, and also the prophetic techniques of persuasion which are used. Chapters 3-7 are the heart of the thesis. Jeremiah 21-24 are divided according to the principle of rhetorical arrangement into five units: Prologue, Proposition, Confirmation, Refutation, and Epilogue. These divisions will be treated in turn in chapters 3-7, which conduct a detailed analysis of Jeremiah 21-24 through a close reading of the text. The argument of Jeremiah 21-24 is that God's salvation plan requires the exile of Judah; the experience of exile will help the people's future understanding of the covenant. The thesis demonstrates that Jeremiah's rhetorical techniques of persuasion are an effective method of communication to address the argument to the audience of Jeremiah 21-24. The rhetorical techniques build up a persuasive argument that the traditional institutions of Israel (the Davidic dynasty, Jerusalem, the land) must be destroyed before there can be a new beginning. God's future plan is for a community that knows him because he has given them a heart to do so. This thesis concludes that Jeremiah 21-24 is a coherent persuasive discourse, which aims to convince its audience that the experience of exile is a necessary condition for the renewed covenant. The contribution of this thesis is in its application of rhetorical theory to Jeremiah 21-24. This theory applies both to the arrangement of the text as a whole, and to the language used in it.

This study investigates the symbolism of the hatta't offering in the priestly literature of the Pentateuch, especially Leviticus. It starts by discussing the relationship between the occasions for bringing hatta't and its basic function, with special reference to J. Milgram's thesis that the hatta't purifies only sancta and not persons. The examination of the relevant texts shows that his view is one-sided. The hatta't deals with both hatta't (sin) and uncleanness; when sancta are purified, so is the offerer (chapters 1-2). A deeper dimension of 'purification' is set out in Lev 17:11 (chapter 4) and is manifested in contagion of the hatta't, viz. setting substitutionary death over against death caused by sin and uncleanness (chapter 5). Exegesis of Lev 10:16-20 (chapters 2-3), a crux interpretum, forms the basis of inquiry into the various types of hatta't ritual, opening up the possibility that behind the variety of atonement ceremonies in Leviticus there is a coherent system. The episode in that section shows the inadequacy of the eighth-day service in the face of Nadab and Abihu's sin and adumbrates the ritual in Lev 16 (chapter 3). Then from Lev 10:17 and other texts it is inferred that the concept of kipper includes 'purification' and 'bearing guilt' (chapter 4). It is argued that the modes of blood manipulation in the hatta't depend on the nature of the occasion, whereas the modes of disposal of the hatta't-flesh hinge on whether the agent of atonement is also its beneficiary (chapter 5). These conclusions provide a rationale for the Azazel-goat ritual (Lev 16). By purifying sancta Aaron bears guilt. Then that guilt is removed from the sanctuary by the Azazel goat when Aaron confesses the sins of all the Israelites over it and sends it away to Azazel (chapter 6).

The present thesis offers a reading of the book of Exodus as a literary artifact. This is accomplished through the investigation of its main literary characters Yhwh, Moses and Israel. The text is understood to be part of a communicative situation between author and reader. This hermeneutical claim and the nature of Exodus itself entail certain consequences with regard to the method of enquiry. The method applied is a modified form of rhetorical criticism, which is understood to provide an interpretive perspective on the text. The particular focus is on the functional aspects of the text which direct the reading process and thus guide the reader. Given the difficulties in determining the circumstances of the origin of Exodus and the paucity of secured knowledge about early Israelite history, the `implied reader' is introduced as a key-term. It is assumed that this implied reader informed the inventio and dispositio of the book. Because of the book's central themes - identity and relationship -a careful investigation of the characters is a worthy avenue to pursue. Three characters have been chosen on account of their continuous involvement in the plot. The introduction of each character into the plot receives special attention. The developing portrayal of each character is closely linked to its paradigmatic qualities and to its influence on the reader. First, the portrait of God is discussed, especially in relation to the contributions of the narrative, poetic and legal parts of Exodus. The very important but often neglected legal characterisation of Yhwh in Exodus is a topic of special interest. Although the legal collections say much about their recipients, they also reveal deep insights into the law-giver's nature and concerns. Yhwh is identified as the king who justly claims obedience and service. A further focus is the possibility of the relationship between Israel and their king, Yhwh. Second, with regard to Moses there is a significant difference between his first appearance in Exod 2-5 and his later development. This remarkable tension in the Mosaic portrayal reveals interesting insights into the implied reader's preconceptions. Here we trace closely the argumentative strategy of the author in his attempts to convince this reader. Furthermore, it is necessary to discuss the paradigmatic qualities of the character Moses. Third, reader-identification is at the heart of the construction of Israel. Here the historical gulf between the Israel of the narrative and the one of the implied reader is bridged. The complexity of Israel is a central aspect of Exodus' rhetoric, urging its readers to comply with the ideal which the author sought to communicate in his book. The results of this study provide insights into the specific poetics of Exodus and its management of the reading process. Because of the proposed unity of form and content, it is possible to specify the message of the entire book by taking into account its intriguing mixture of different genres. An abstraction from modern reading-conventions in the encounter of ancient Hebrew texts is shown, and the possibility of reading the text on its own terms is explored.

This thesis aims to give an account of Amos' specific contribution to the Old Testament's theology of land. It seeks to explore the theme of land as a key aspect of the background to Amos' prophecy, and also of the book's overall theology of the relationship between YHWH, Israel, and the world. In Amos, the language about land is extensive, including terms and ideas such as Zion, Carmel, YHWH's bringing of Israel into the land, references to various sanctuaries and places, harvest and famine, other geographical indications, the relationship between the northern kingdom and Judah, and references to the land of other nations. The topic of land, however, has often been studied incidentally to other themes, but less often as a theological topic in its own right. This thesis shows how deeply embedded the topic of land is in Amos, and argues this by showing its relation to other theological themes, including Zion, the covenant-election tradition, Israel, creation, salvation, Sabbath, justice, and eschatology. That is, the study of land in Amos has wider dimensions. The study is therefore set in a wide context in the Old Testament, and raises questions about the relation of Amos to other important theological traditions about land. The study is essentially theological analysis. The argument will follow an essentially synchronic reading. It will also employ textual, literary and historical criticism, and the thesis analyzes carefully the text of Amos 7-9 for its literary coherence and inner relationships. It attempts to demonstrate what theological assumptions are made about the land in each section in Amos 7-9, and the relationship of Amos' land-theology to other Old Testament theological traditions. While the findings are set in the context of the book as a whole, the study focuses on this one section of the book, chapters 7-9, in order to explore the topic in close detail.

The Song of Moses is acknowledged to be one of the most difficult texts to interpret within the book of Deuteronomy. Substantial effort has been put in to determine the Song's origin in terms of its dating and reason for composition. But more scholars are now seeing the need to relate the Song to its immediate context. However, the recent contributions to this topic show the need for a closer examination of the Song's narrative function, not only in Deuteronomy but also in its larger context in Genesis-Kings. Understanding the Song's function in this large corpus necessitates the way in which it relates to Deuteronomic themes such as the YHWHIsrael relationship, Torah, worship, and kingship. This thesis examines the theological and hermeneutical function of the Song in Deuteronomy and GenesisKings in their final forms. As a prophetic criticism of Israel, it focuses its audiences' attention on the central command of the Torah, the moral issue of covenant-keeping, and Israel's vocation as witness to the nations, resulting in a theology of history for all nations. With reference to Deuteronomy, the Song expresses the heart of the book. With reference to Genesis-Kings, it gives us a sense of beginning and closure to the history of the people of YHWH in terms of Israel's primeval past and future hope respectively.