It is almost inconceivable that Jacob begins condemning his first three sons in the blessing at his death bed. Many scholars have long endeavored to solve the problem from the social and political circumstance in the late period of redaction. It is a more reasonable attempt to find the solution in the stream of the story in Genesis, the repeated blessing stories in Genesis. As is widely known, Genesis is the book of blessing. Blessing is the base of the inter-relationship in the Old Testament. The Old Testament emphasizes God as the final source or agent of blessing and curse. On the other hand, the Old Testament illustrates the belief that the spoken words themselves have the active power to produce the desired effect without any external agent as well. The blessing stories in Genesis ordinarily contain curse together. Yet, the excluded sons are not the cursed sons. The curse contains the hope of the blessing at the same time. Genesis emphasizes that the Godâs promise for Abraham continues in the line of blessing of the descendants of Abraham without ceasing. However, when God chooses one to succeed the blessing to the next generation, it does not automatically mean a rejection or curse of the other sons. A similar paradigm repeatedly appears in the blessings of Genesis. One son inherits the promise and all the brothers share the benefits. Joseph inherits the fatherâs blessing and the other brothers will participate in the blessing together. They are blessed as a unit. The Jacobâs curse on the first three sons plays an important role: the instrument of discipline and precaution, various courses for ultimate blessing, and the role of arbitrator of the potential rivalry and conflict among brothers.

In the Canon of Scriptures, the phenomenon of miracles/wonders falls into three great Epochs. In the Old Testament there are two Epochs where decisive turning-points marked its course with an intensification of miracles/wonders. First, there are the wonders in the so-called plague narratives and during the âwildernessâ in the Exodus tradition. Then, in the ministry of Elijah and Elisha (1 and 2 Kings), came the second Epoch. Both of them (Elijah and Elisha) did miraculous deeds. The third Epoch heralds the ministry of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. This study shows that there are similarities between wonders in the first and the third Epoch, and there are similarities between wonders in the second and the third Epoch, and even in all three. The researcher uses a narrative model which is a combination of existing narrative models, to point out the significance of the similarities between wonders in the three Epochs. Selected aspects used in the model, such as structures, settings, themes and motifs, highlight the fact that there must be a coherent Theological relationship between the three Epochs. Miracles in all three Epochs point to events (forwards and backwards) in the future and in the past, helping the reader to understand that the same God is at work, present, future and past. In all three Epochs the miracle stories give hope to people finding themselves in some kind of oppression. Their hope ultimately lies in Godâs presence, shown in his miraculous acts through his agents, Moses and Elijah and his Son, Jesus. The thesis addresses the lack of a detailed examination on the theme of corresponding miracles in the miracle narratives surrounding the figures of Moses, Elijah and Jesus. In order to achieve the goal of a comprehensive narratological study, the model used by the researcher consists of two divisions: A. Preliminary reading and B. Closer investigation. The preliminary reading helps the researcher to get a grip on the narrative as a whole, but also to identify certain aesthetical elements such as structure, settings, themes and motifs, which the authors of the three different Epochs used to craft their miracle stories. The aesthetical âtoolsâ of structure, settings, themes and motifs form the backbone of the study. They point right to the fact that there are similar aspects in miracle stories in the three Epochs. Hence, they show that, in the field of Biblical studies, a thematic approach opens up new possibilities to discuss the coherence between Old Testament and New Testament studies: The theme of âwondersâ is one possibility. Hopefully, this dissertation will contribute to a debate (once more) which J.P. Gabler started way back in 1787 and which has been almost forgotten.

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This study is a materialist literary analysis of Deuteronomistic History. with particular reference to the Elijah-cycle which culminates in the Naboth Episode its appropriation by the oppressed in their situation and experience of oppression in contemporary societies. The materialist literary criticism which is adopted in theses requires an approach to the Bible which views it as a text and at the same time a social activity. that the contemporary oppressed must inquire into the social class of the writers of the Deuteronomistic history in order misappropriate the Naboth isode

Tradi tionally, in Isaianic studies, the aim of many commentators SInce the time of Duhm has been to try to rediscover the words of the eighth century prophet of Jerusalem. Descriptive words such as "a u then tic" and "secondary" betray the misconception tha t material which does not reach back to the time of the prophet is somehow less authentic and authoritative. The present study follows more recent trends in looking at the Book of Isaiah as a literary whole and in arguing that each section must be understood and interpreted not only in the light of its immediate context but also in the light of its place and function within the entire book. Six chapters (Isaiah 28-33) are analysed in two ways. Firstly the vocabulary is examined to establish linguistic and thematic similarities with other parts of the book and with the rest of the OT; secondly the many subsections within the six chapters are looked at contextually to determine how they relate to each other and consequently reveal a consistent and unified message. The way in which the material is arranged in chs 28-33 to highlight various themes may be seen as a microcosm of what is happening throughout the en tire book. One of the techniques used to actualize and unify composite traditions may be the concept of wisdom which seeks to instruct the reader in the way of righteousness. This analysis of chs 28-33 complements a similar one carried out by Sweeney [1988] on chs 1-4. The conclusions, too, are similar in that both studies emphasize that any section of Isaianic material, large or small, only makes sense ,*hen looked at in the light of the entire book.