Students of Second Temple Judaism have drawn two broad conclusions. First, Judaism of the first century is characterized by diversity. Second, the most pervasive influence on Judaism of this period was Hellenism. The present study seeks to contribute to the continuing discussion of Second Temple Judaism, bearing in mind these two factors. Specifically, the aim is to identify the shared ideas of Judaism. The thesis is concerned with the search for common features of the Jewish religion what may be termed "common denominators" within Second Temple Judaism. This should help to decide the question of how we are to understand the diversity within first-century Judaism in relation to its common shared features. In the search for these shared features two main bodies of evidence are explored: Josephus' Contra Apionem. 2. 190-219, and the letters of Paul; for differing reasons both of these documents may be used profitably. The letters of Paul are valuable since this material is all dated before the destruction of the Second Temple; whereas Contra Apionem. 2. 190-219, is one of the earliest and possibly oldest theological summaries compiled by a contemporary of the NT writers. While there are other summaries on the Jewish religion (Philo's Hypothetica. his Spec. Laws and Josephus' Antiquities 4.196-301) Contra Apionem offers a summary of a different kind because its focus is on basic Jewish principles. The method used is first to consider Ap. 2. 190-219 paragraph by paragraph in conjunction with Philo's Hypothetica and the Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides. Where appropriate appeal is also made to the DSS, the rabbis, and the apocalyptic literature. This follows an assessment of the undisputed letters of Paul. The analysis of this evidence is conducted under the following headings: Jewish autobiography; Jewish elements in Paul's Christian theology; debates with Jewish Christian opponents; Jewish ethics embraced by Gentile converts; a dialogue on the nature of the Jewish religion. Three main conclusions are reached. The first is that there are discernible common features within first-century Judaism. This is supported by an analysis of the Contra Apionem precis and related Jewish material. Second, there is a body of common opinion that may be deemed to belong to the period before AD 70. This will be argued from the letters of Paul by appeal to various criteria. The third point is that there are Jewish ideas that are both common and pre-70. This will be confirmed by appealing in a comparative way to evidence from both the letters of Paul and Contra Apionem. The criterion can be formulated in the following way: ideas may be considered both common and pre-70 whenever those found in Contra Apionem and attested in a wide variety of Jewish evidence (thus common) are also attested in the letters of Paul (and so pre-70).

This study attempted to understand Malachi’s ethics by situating them firmly in a particular historical, religious and socio-economic context. Malachi as the conscience of his people was skilful and creative in adapting the older prophetic traditions to the advantage of their religious, economic and socio-cultural context. The book of Malachi contains a fundamental critique of the sacrificial practices of the time. The prophetic criticism of the cult as seen in the book was conducted on the basis of covenantal principles. The book’s ethical uniqueness is observed somehow most clearly in the preponderance of a negative emphasis the book places on temple rituals and the way the language of the cult dominates his analysis of malpractices. The book shows where the ritual delinquencies are and how to deal with them. Thus for the purpose of enacting a communal ethic, the thesis stressed the theological values and ethical relevance of the enduring message of Yahweh alone as the sovereign of all creation and thus of humble trust and hope in him, of repentance, of commitment to the ideals of fidelity and steadfastness, of judgment, truth and justice, and of covenant renewal and restoration of fortunes which Malachi offers people who yearn for them irrespective of their religious and cultural background and nationality. The study showed how the ethical dimensions of Yahweh (theological dimension); his people as a restored community of faith (social and political aspects) and their land (economic conditions) as seen in the book of Malachi obviously make ethical proposals for faith communities in dealing with every theological, socio-political, and economic issue within the larger human society. Thus the various interpretations of the different oracles in the book of Malachi served as basis for this study to evolve ethical proposals for contemporary Christian application, at least within an ecclesia community. The church must serve as a channel through which the ethical demands of God for a well-ordered community can be mediated within her and larger human society and must find creative ways to translate the biblical imperative in a contemporary theological, social and economic context. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Old Testament Studies / PhD / Unrestricted

"The purpose of this study is to make a critical and detailed analysis of the references in the ancient sources, Philo, Josephus, Pliny and the church fathers, Justin, Hegesippus, Hippolytus and Epiphanius. The main emphasis will be on the less well-known sects. The Sadducees and the Pharisees will be dealt with only as they appear in the references to the lesser sects and for contrast and similarity. The study will attempt to correlate the separate reports and to support or cast doubt on the validity and reliability of the accounts. In order to do this it has been necessary to examine the life and work of each witness as a means of evaluating his credibility and the sources of his information. No attempt has been made to establish a specific thesis of relationship and derivation. That remains for a further study but possible lines for the development of such a thesis have been indicated where the evidence suggests such." -- from the Introduction.

My motivation and purpose of this research particularly evolve around the question on the origin of Yahweh and the development of Yahwism, as well as the role of marginal groups in the maintaining of a pre-exilic Yahweh-alone monotheism, and the subsequent conversion by Judahites – who previously practised a syncretistic religion – to a post-exilic Yahweh monotheism. In accordance with the Kenite hypothesis, the Yahwist tradition originated in the South amongst the Midianites and Kenites. A Moses-type figure acquired knowledge about Yahweh from these tribes who venerated Yahweh before the Israelites did. According to the Chronicler's genealogy, marginal southern groups were all related. The Kenites and Rechabites had the opportunity, due to their nomadic lifestyle and particular trade – as coppersmiths – to spread their religious beliefs. Although the majority of Israelites practised syncretism, these marginal groups – particularly the Rechabites – sustained their Yahwistic faith throughout the Monarchical Period, actively involved in a Yahweh-alone movement. Jeremiah set the Rechabites – who followed a puritanical lifestyle – as an example for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. My hypothesis is that the Israelite God Yahweh was originally a Midianite/Kenite deity and that marginal groups related to the Kenites, such as the Rechabites, played a signi¬fi¬cant and dominant role in the preserving of a pre-exilic Yahweh-alone movement, as well as in the establishment of a post-exilic Yahweh monotheism. My approach to this research was with the premise that the Yahwist tradition originated in the South whence it spread to Judah and the North. According to a recurring biblical tradition, Yahweh emanated from the South. Evidence from certain Egyptian documents endorses Yahweh's presence in the South. It was also my aim to establish the interdependence – or not – of different disciplines relevant to the Hebrew Bible. In my research it became clear that archaeology and biblical scholarship – particularly historiography – cannot operate effectively without the acceptance of their mutual dependence. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Ancient Languages / unrestricted

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[pt] A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo principal estudar o modo como se relacionam, no profeta Malaquias, a crise do sacerdócio, descrita de modo particular em 2,1-9, e a perspectiva escatológica apresentada em 2,17 - 3,5. A pesquisa considera que, embora em 2,1-9 prevaleça o discurso de juízo sobre os sacerdotes faltosos, no v. 4 é delineada uma perspectiva salvífica. Tal perspectiva é desenvolvida em 2,17 - 3,5, onde o tema da purificação do sacerdócio e do restabelecimento do culto domina a maior parte do texto (cf. 3,2-4). Para o estudo das unidades textuais seguiu-se o Método Histórico Crítico nas suas etapas essenciais, conjugando-o, de modo particular no comentário aos textos, com a análise sincrônica, considerando-se cada uma das perícopes na sua forma final e canônica. Com relação a 2,17 - 3,5 procurou-se identificar os elementos que permitem caracterizar este texto como escatológico e delinear suas perspectivas principais. O estudo conjunto das perícopes demonstrou que, em Malaquias, o juízo previsto em 2,1-9 é revertido a partir da perspectiva escatológica apresentada em 2,17 - 3,5. Uma vez que os sacerdotes são os ministros do culto e este é a manifestação da dimensão propriamente religiosa da relação de Deus com seu povo, YHWH mesmo agirá, em primeiro lugar por meio de seu mensageiro, purificando os sacerdotes e restabelecendo o culto na sua integridade e, depois, atuando como testemunha contra os que não o temem. / [en] The aim of this research is to study how the prophet Malachi relates the priesthood crisis, described in particular in 2:1-9, with the eschatological perspective presented in 2:17 - 3:5. The research considers that while in 2:1-9 the judgmental discourse on the faulty priests prevails, in v. 4 is outlined a salvific perspective. This perspective is developed in 2:17 - 3:5, where the theme of priesthood purification and the reestablishment of worship dominates most of the text (cf. 3:2-4). For the study of the textual units, was followed the Critical Historical Method in its essential stages, combining it, particularly in the commentary on the texts, with the synchronic analysis, considering each of the pericopes in its final and canonical form. With respect to 2:17 - 3:5 it was tried to identify the elements that allow characterizing this text as eschatological and delineating its main perspectives. The joint study of the pericopes has shown that in Malachi the judgment predicted in 2:1-9 is reversed from the eschatological perspective presented in 2:17 – 3:5. Since the priests are the ministers of worship and this is the manifestation of the properly religious dimension of God s relationship with his people, YHWH himself will firstly act through his messenger, purifying the same priests and restoring the integrity of the worship, and so he will act as a witness against those who do not fear him.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study looks at a watershed period in the history of Judaism. In 175 B.C.E. a group of Jews sought to break Judaea out of the isolation in which it had stood since the Persian period. They wished to develop closer ties with their neighbours in Coele-Syria and Phoenicia and the Greek world in general. Since the Persian period the people of Judaea had been governed by high priests according to the 'ancestral laws' i.e. the Torah and its interpretation by Ezra. This 'ancestral law' had been confirmed as binding on all Jews by Antiochus III in his decree of 198 B.C.E. In order to move beyond the restrictions placed on contact between Jews and other peoples, it would be necessary to have the political status of Judaea changed. A change of political status could only be brought about by the king or one of his successors. In 175 B.C.E. a group of Jews requested Antiochus IV to permit them to transform Judaea from an ethnos into a polis. He agreed and the transformation was begun. It is these events of 175 B.C.E. that form the base of this study. The writer uses the model of Cultural Anthropology to form a framework in which these and subsequent events can be analysed. In this way we can get a better understanding of how events progressed. How a political reform ended in a religious suppression and persecution and finally a successful revolt against the Seleucid kingdom. The Torah and its interpretation stood at the center of Jewish life. Each group interpreted the law in their own way and understood events in relation to this interpretation. Therefore no analysis of this period can be undertaken without taking the law and its various interpretations into account. The law is the thread that holds all facets of this work together. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie handeloor 'n tydperk van waterskeiding in die geskiedenis van die Judaïsme. In 175 ve. wou 'n groep Jode in Palestina wegbreek uit die isolasie waarin hulle hulleself bevind het sedert die oorname deur die Persiese ryk. Hulle wou graag nouer bande met hulle buurstate en die Griekse wêreld aanknoop. Sedert die Persiese tydperk is die mense van Juda deur hëepriesters regeer, volgens die 'voorvaderlike wette', dws die Torah en sy vertolking volgens Esra. Alle Jode was gebind deur hierdie 'voorvaderlike wette' deur Antiogus III se dekreet van 198 ve. Indien die mense die beperkings teen kontak met ander volke sou wou ophef, sou dit nodig wees om die politieke status van Juda te verander. Net die koning of een van sy opvolgers kon die politieke status van Juda verander. In 175 ve. word Antiogus IV deur 'n groep Jode gevra om verlof om Jerusalem in 'n Griekse polis te omskep. Hy het ingestem en die omskepping het begin. Hierdie gebeurtenisse van 175 ve. vorm die basis van hierdie studie. Die skrywer gebruik die kutuur-antropologiese teoretiese model as raamwerk vir die ontleding van hierdie en opvolgende gebeurtenisse. Hierdie model stelons in staat om die ontwikkelinge in Juda beter te verstaan en meer spesifiek 'n antwoord op die volgende vraag te kry: "Hoekom het politieke hervorming tot godsdienstige verdrukking en vervolging aanleiding gegee en in die finale instansie tot 'n suksesvolle opstand teen die Seleukied koninkryk gelei?" Die Torah en sy vertolking het die sentrum van die Joodse lewe gevorm. Elke groep in Juda het die 'wet' op sy eie manier vertolk en ontwikkelinge in verband daarmee probeer verstaan. Daarom is dit nie moontlik om hierdie tydperk te bestudeer sonder 'n erkenning van die waarde van die 'wet' en sy verskillende vertolkings nie. Die 'wet' is die goue draad wat hierdie studie byeen hou.

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present study seeks to examine the abolition of intermarriage according to Ezra 10 by asking the question as to what were the compelling reasons for such a social crisis, and to demonstrate its possible implications to ethnic identity in the postexilic Judean community. In order to accomplish this purpose, the researcher has chosen to use an integrated method which allows him to bring different exegetical approaches into dialogue, bearing in mind that the canonical narratives are an outcome of a long process of redaction of both oral and written traditions done by different editors from different socio-historical contexts. It is through this method that this research highlights the following outcomes: first, from a canonical point of view, the final editors understood the exilic experience as an objective outcome of the intermarriage phenomenon which led the Israelites into a complete loss of their group identity, namely – being a Yahwistic community, and it was, therefore, the responsibility of the returnees to avoid, at any cost, letting history repeat itself. Second, the phenomenon of intermarriage in the Hebrew Bible has to be approached from a diachronic perspective. Unlike the patriarchal and deuteronomistic traditions in which intermarriage was about morality and apostasy respectively, in the context of the postexilic community this topic was all about purity – a strong zeal for temple and worship, as particularly witnessed in the priestly tradition. Third, from the fact that these canonical narratives took shape in socio-historical settings where, in addition to the religious factor, there were also other reasons such as political and socio-economic, which contributed significantly not only to the dismissal of those intermarriages, but also to the negotiation of a group identity of the Second Temple addressee. In other words, in response to those socio-historical circumstances, the returnees were compelled to divorce and dismiss their foreign wives and, at the same time, they were shaping their group identity, which came to be known as Judaism. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie poog om die verbod op ondertrouery soos uitgebeeld in Esra 10 te ondersoek deur te vra wat die dwingende redes vir so 'n sosiale krisis was, en om die moontlike implikasies vir etniese identiteit in die posteksiliese Judese gemeenskap te demonstreer. Ten einde hierdie doel te bereik, het die navorser gekies om 'n geïntegreerde metode waarin verskillende eksegetiese benaderings in gesprek gebring word, te gebruik, terwyl in gedagte hou word dat die kanonieke verhale die uitkoms was van 'n lang proses van redaksie van beide mondelinge en geskrewe tradisies, deur verskillende redakteurs uit verskillende sosio-historiese kontekste. Dit is deur middel van hierdie metode dat die navorsing die volgende uitkomste beklemtoon: eerstens, vanuit 'n kanonieke oogpunt, het die finale redakteurs die ballingskapservaring as 'n objektiewe uitkoms van die ondertrouery verstaan wat die Israeliete tot 'n volledige verlies van hul groepsidentiteit as Jahwistiese gemeenskap gelei het, en dit was dus die verantwoordelikheid van die teruggekeerdes om ten alle koste te vermy dat die geskiedenis homself herhaal. Tweedens, die verskynsel van ondertrouery in die Hebreeuse Bybel moet ook vanuit 'n diachroniese perspektief benader word. In teenstelling met die patriargale en deuteronomistiese tradisies waarin ondertrouery oor die boeg van onderskeidelik moraliteit en godsdienstige afvalligheid verstaan is, handel dit in die konteks van die posteksiliese gemeenskap eerder oor reinheid – 'n sterk ywer vir tempel en die erediens soos veral met die priesterlike tradisie geassosieer. Derdens, vanweë die feit dat hierdie kanoniese verhale vorm aangeneem het in sosio-historiese omstandighede waarin, benewens die godsdienstige faktor, daar ook ander faktore, soos die politieke en sosio-ekonomiese, ‘n belangrike rol gespeel het, het hierdie verhale aansienlik bygedra nie net tot die verbod op ondertrouery nie, maar ook tot die onderhandeling van die groepsidentiteit van die Tweede Tempel gemeenskap. Met ander woorde, in reaksie op die sosio-historiese omstandighede, was die teruggekeerdes verplig om te skei en hul vreemde vroue te ontslaan, terwyl hul terselfdertyd bygedra het tot die vorming van ‘n groepsidentiteit wat bekendstaan as Judaïsme.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:19:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silas Cardoso2.pdf: 1303036 bytes, checksum: 6bfbab99f1aee463f9c257e694559274 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-25 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The research aims the Torah as an aniconic cultic object in the postexilic, revealing its ritualistic face in the Ancient Israel worship. It is proposed that the centralization of Torah in the Second Temple Period will be an ideological and macrostructural construction i.e., an invented tradition of the post-exilic priesthood that aims to unify the nation that rebuild itself. For that analysis, three cuts related to the question are persecuted: (1) the cult materiality in its continuities and ruptures with the pre-exilic Israelite religion, from the material culture and biblical analysis of four central cultic objects presented in the Deuteronomistic History, bamah, massebah, Asherah and Ark; (2) the redactional practices that defend the Torah centralization that inspires in the other cults of Ancient Israel, especially observed in the exegetical analysis of Ps 19, one of the major Torah Psalms of the Hebrew salter; (3) the canonical texts editing that was legitimator retroprojected visions of the posterior and centralized vision of Torah, from the creation of a text materiality typology, from the exegetical analysis of the texts. With that environment we propose a model of four instances of construction of post-exilic aniconism, centralized on Torah and reaching the different layers from judahite religion. / A pesquisa trabalha a Torá como objeto de culto anicônico no pósexílio, apresentando sua face ritualística no culto do Israel Antigo. É proposto que a centralização da Torá no período do Segundo Templo seria uma construção ideológica macroestrutural i.e., uma tradição inventada do grupo sacerdotal pós-exílico em vista de unificar a nação que se reconstruía e reconfigurava. Para tal análise, observam- se três recortes distintos ligados à questão: (1) a materialidade do culto em suas continuidades e rupturas com a religião israelita pré-exílica, a partir da análise da cultura material e da análise da literatura bíblica de quatro objetos cúlticos centrais da OHD, bamah, massebah, Asherá e arca; (2) as práticas redacionais que advogavam a centralização da Torá com inspiração nos demais cultos e concepções do divino no Antigo Israel, especialmente observada na análise exegética do Sl 19, como um dos principais Salmos da Torá que teriam sido produzidos no período para promulgar a nova prática; e (3) a editoração dos diversos textos canônicos que teriam sido retroprojeções legitimadores da visão posterior centralizadora da Torá, através da criação de uma tipologia da materialidade dos textos e da Torá advinda da análise exegética de diversos textos. Com tal panorama, sob pesquisa exegética de orientação histórico-crítica, é proposto um modelo de quatro instâncias de construção do aniconismo pós-exílico, centralizado na Torá e atingindo as diferentes camadas da religião judaíta.