Pendant plus de deux mille ans, les historiens ont colporté une légende : les Juifs ont été expulsés d'Egypte car ils étaient porteurs de la lèpre. L'étude de la maladie de Hansen (nom actuel de la lèpre) et les différentes recherches, historiques (sur les textes des historiens de l'Antiquité) et archéologiques permettent de contester certains écrits et de prouver que cette légende, qui s'est perpétuée jusqu'au milieu du XXème siècle, était fausse.Cependant, la Bible hébraïque consacre deux chapitres du Lévitique à une affection qui peut toucher les hommes, les vêtements et les maisons, et le terme employé en hébreu est toujours traduit (malgré de nombreuses contestations) par "lèpre". Une lecture de ce texte, enrichie des explications des principaux commentateurs et complétée par l'étude des textes fondamentaux législatifs que sont la Mishnah, le Midrash halakhique et le Talmud (de Jérusalem et de Babylone), permet de mieux mesurer l'importance accordée à cette affection sur le plan rituel.L'étude des personnages que la Bible présente comme frappés par la lèpre et de ceux désignés par la littérature talmudique et midrashique permet de mieux comprendre les différentes explications que donnent les Rabbins de l'Antiquité sur les causes de la lèpre, considérée souvent comme la punition divine de la médisance et jamais comme une maladie.L'impureté causée à la lèpre nécessitera, en cas de "guérison", une purification dont le processus rituel est bien précisé, qu'il s'agisse de l'homme, d'un vêtement ou d'une maison.Une interrogation demeure : pourquoi avoir accordé autant d'importance à une affection aussi bénigne et passagère et infligé à son porteur la sanction terrible qu'est l'exclusion de la communauté. / During almost two thousand years, the historians hawked about a tale : the Jews were evicted from Egypt because they were affected by leprosy. The study of the Hansen's disease (present name of the leprosy) and the different researches, historical (on the texts of Antiquity's historians) and archaeological allow to object to some of written works and to proof that tale, who was carried on until half of 20th century, was wrong.However, the Hebraic Bible dedicate two chapters of the Leviticus to a disorder who can affect the human beings, the clothes and the houses, and the word used in Hebrew is always translated (against many contesting) by "leprosy". A reading of this text, improved by the explanations of the main commentators and completed by the study of the essential legislative texts as Mishnah, halakhic Midrash and (Jérusalem and Babylonian) Talmud, allow to know better the significance given to that disorder on the ritual subject.The study of characters that the Bible describe as affected by leprosy and of those elected by the talmudic and midrashic literature allow to understand the different explanations given by the Antiquity's Rabbis on the leprosy's origin, often deemed as the divine punishment of gossip and never as a disease.The impurity caused by leprosy will require, in case of "recovery", a purification witch process is quite clear, for human beings, clothes or houses.A question persist : why to give so much importance to a disorder so mild and temporary and impose to the carrier the terrible punishment, the expulsion of the community.

"The Response of African Religion to Poverty with specific reference to the Umzimkhulu Municipality" is a particular effort of the wider world that researches the ways and means for combating the scourge of poverty in society aiming at securing a better future for the future generations. In as much as African traditional religion is part of the culture, tradition and custom of its tenants, and as such aims at the wellbeing of its tenants, it is able to offer a response to poverty. It teaches about the importance of the values of community, meaningful and life-affirming relationships and the value of ubuntu. All these clamour for extended sharing and extended participation which are essential if society will continue to exist. African traditional religion maintains an ethic that says: `Real poverty results from the blockage of the vital links'. Celebrating economic achievements in food must be preceded by the celebration of people. `Batho pele': is the contemporary Democratic South Africa's slogan that suggests putting people in the center of life. It does not only call us to serve the poor, but also to allow them to champion the courses of the kind of service they desire. African traditional religion teaches that, together with the other institutions that govern the lives of people, religion and politics should have among other things a concern about production and distribution of the resources, hence the claim: `Food is also politics'. In their dealing with the problem of poverty, religion, politics and other social institutions ought to dedicate a special place to instilling positive attitudes towards the concept of work among their tenants. In this way the slogan `Batho pele' or people first, does not merely mean waiting to be served, but it also means that every body to the best of their ability ought to be doing something towards the production of the items of service. The inclusiveness of African religion in terms of what it calls `community' cautions society about the importance of the other beings in its consideration of poverty alleviation. Our economic wellbeing depends mostly on our attitude towards the other non-personal neighbours, prominent among which is our common abode, the earth, the land. / Religious Studies & Arabic / D.Th. (Religious Studies)

"The Response of African Religion to Poverty with specific reference to the Umzimkhulu Municipality" is a particular effort of the wider world that researches the ways and means for combating the scourge of poverty in society aiming at securing a better future for the future generations. In as much as African traditional religion is part of the culture, tradition and custom of its tenants, and as such aims at the wellbeing of its tenants, it is able to offer a response to poverty. It teaches about the importance of the values of community, meaningful and life-affirming relationships and the value of ubuntu. All these clamour for extended sharing and extended participation which are essential if society will continue to exist. African traditional religion maintains an ethic that says: `Real poverty results from the blockage of the vital links'. Celebrating economic achievements in food must be preceded by the celebration of people. `Batho pele': is the contemporary Democratic South Africa's slogan that suggests putting people in the center of life. It does not only call us to serve the poor, but also to allow them to champion the courses of the kind of service they desire. African traditional religion teaches that, together with the other institutions that govern the lives of people, religion and politics should have among other things a concern about production and distribution of the resources, hence the claim: `Food is also politics'. In their dealing with the problem of poverty, religion, politics and other social institutions ought to dedicate a special place to instilling positive attitudes towards the concept of work among their tenants. In this way the slogan `Batho pele' or people first, does not merely mean waiting to be served, but it also means that every body to the best of their ability ought to be doing something towards the production of the items of service. The inclusiveness of African religion in terms of what it calls `community' cautions society about the importance of the other beings in its consideration of poverty alleviation. Our economic wellbeing depends mostly on our attitude towards the other non-personal neighbours, prominent among which is our common abode, the earth, the land. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D.Th. (Religious Studies)