The thesis mainly studies social-historical co(n)texts to understand the polemic in Revelation against the so-called ‘Jews’ and a self-professed prophetess named ‘Jezebel’ (Rev 2-3). The enquiry centres on two areas: (1) the underlying issues to the polemic against the abovenamed contenders, and (2) a reading of a polemical technique in the text against prophetess ‘Jezebel’ through a specific web of associations involving two ‘Jezebels’ and a great harlot. Preliminary studies provide the framework for the main enquiry. ‘Historical anchorage’ is attained in the echoes/allusions of the beast from the sea-abyss to emperor Titus (Ch. 2) and the ‘Satanic trio’ and their cult (Rev 13) to the Flavian dynasty and cult (Ch. 3). A real crisis for Christians is seen late in Domitian’s time involving pressure from the Flavian provincial temple, widespread false accusations of άθεότηζ άσέβεια or maiestas and pressures from Domitian’s rigorous exaction of the Jewish tax. These matters are seen to implicate both Jewish and Gentile Christians (Ch. 4). The figure of the beasts, the social pressure from the imperial cult, and the vulnerability of Christians reflected in these preliminary studies contribute to a fuller understanding of the anti-Judaistic polemic. There are reasons to think that the anti-Judaistic polemic in Rev 2:9-10 and 3:9 is not aimed at the Jewish community per se, but acts to discourage Christians from feigning affiliation with the synagogue to escape social pressure from the imperial cult. There is a growing importance of the imperial cult towards the end of the first century C.E. in Asia Minor, and a judaizing tendency among some Christians there late first century and beyond. Importantly, Rev 14:9- 11 reflects the author’s major concern about (1) participation in the imperial cult and (2) Christian ‘judaizing’ behaviour (the mark of beast as tefillin worn by outsiders to Rabbinic Judaism). Under the author’s creative hand, the beast from the land/false prophet becomes the ‘Satanic’ source of pressure to these two aspects (cf. 13:11-17; Ch. 5). The second major part demonstrates a polemical technique in the text that binds the prophetess ‘Jezebel’ with an OT Queen and the Great Harlot (Rev 17-18). Social meals with drinking parties in guilds/associations and the imperial cult could have been a common context for allurements to sexual immorality and eating idol-food that ‘Jezebel’ advocates. I construct a picture of the prophetess ‘Jezebel’, who perhaps doubles as a patroness of a trade guild incorporating members from the Thyatiran church. Pagan ‘mysteries’ could have been a part of her activities (Ch. 6). I also examine the Great Harlot within the Graeco-Roman context giving attention to her depiction as tyrannical and sexually immoral queens and assimilated goddesses, such as Isis, Cybele, Aphrodite and Roma (Ch. 7). The OT Queen Jezebel is also studied within her social-historical context. She is seen to take on the image of the ‘woman at the window’ (2 Kgs 9:30), reflective of goddess Astarte or her temple servant. Her role as the ‘הבׂבג’ (great lady; 2 Kgs 10:13) and queen mother also fits that of another goddess, Asherah, whose prophets she hosts (Ch. 8). The destruction of Queen Jezebel and that of the Great Harlot contain a polemic against pagan deities they both embody. The prophetess veering into pagan grounds of idolatry is bound tightly with them and is indirectly castigated for her syncretistic practices (Ch. 9). Overall, the author’s polemic in Revelation acts to deter Christians from veering into the grounds of ‘Satan’—the imperial cult and the synagogue (as the author puts it)—and against behaviours, such as sexual license and eating food offered to idols, that would allow Christians to easily enter contexts involving pagan worship.

This diploma thesis is concerning the ethical aspect of Saint Luke's Gospel. The focus is on Jesus, who is shown as an example of ethical life and the basis of his moral teaching. These teachings are penance, correct property usage, loving fellowman, disciples, prayer and reversing the fate in connection to the welfare of poor people. This thesis also looks at God's kingdom and the ethical ramification which it yields. The moral teaching of Jesus is the subject matter of Evangelism and therefore Luke shows Jesus as a preacher on a Great Journey. The second part of this work is dedicated to the analysis of The Sermon on the Plain and parables about the Good Samaritan which graphically illustrate moral command and its practical application in life. The selected texts have been analyzed in the framework of individual versus in relationship to the whole teaching in which they are placed (in context to the whole work). This diploma thesis is based upon descriptive methods and analysis of text.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T19:20:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernando Figueiredo de Sousa.pdf: 733635 bytes, checksum: 85ab8a5ec8f155d7406fe37c93f05c6a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-13 / This paper seeks to study the text of Lk 6, 20-26, of the beatitudes and of the woes, seeing in this passage an example of the recuperation, analysis and recreation of Jesus words. In this resides one of the particularities of this text in the context of the New Testament, which places it, however, in the heart of a fundamental direction of the beginnings of Christianity, namely, the tradition that goes back to Jesus by the conservation and transmission of his teachings. The author of this paper proposes the study of this text in three aspects. The first is the study of the text in of itself, as a communicative unity. The second aspect is the verification of the literature that influenced the Lucan author in the construction of this text, especially the Q source, and its comparison with words of the beatitudes attributed to the poor present in the Gospel of Thomas and the letter of James. In the third aspect, the author s intention is to analyze the importance of the writer of the Lucan text, his interference and the use of the blessed are and the woe to for the community. He considers that one of the accomplishments of the beatitudes is the approximation to the table as the instauration of the Kingdom of God, that is, the rich who share their wealth with the beggars. In this way, it is possible to verify an important connection between sharing with the beggars and belonging to the community, as a key element to becoming part of the Kingdom of God, the central element Jesus life and preaching, proposed by the beatitudes according to Luke / A presente pesquisa se aproxima do texto de Lc 6,20-26, das bem-aventuranças e dos ais, vendo nessa passagem um exercício de recuperação, análise e recriação de palavras de Jesus. Aí está uma das particularidades deste escrito dentro do Novo Testamento, que o coloca no seio de uma vertente fundamental dos inícios do cristianismo, isto é, a tradição que se vincula a Jesus pela conservação e transmissão de seus ensinamentos. O autor desta pesquisa propõe o estudo deste texto percorrendo três aspectos. O primeiro é o estudo do texto em si, como uma unidade comunicativa. O segundo consiste em verificar a literatura que influenciou o autor lucano na construção deste texto, especialmente a fonte Q, e a comparação desta com termos das bem-aventuranças atribuídas aos indigentes presentes no evangelho segundo Tomé e na carta de Tiago. No terceiro a proposta do autor é analisar a importância do redator do texto lucano, a sua interferência e o uso das bem-aventuranças e dos ais para o seio de sua comunidade. Considera que uma das realizações das bem-aventuranças é a aproximação da mesa como símbolo da instauração do Reino de Deus, isto é, a partilha dos bens dos ricos com os mendigos. Assim se verifica uma grande conexão entre o partilhar com os mendigos e a pertença à comunidade, constituindo um elemento-chave para fazer parte do Reino de Deus, elemento central da vida e pregação de Jesus proposto pelas bem-aventuranças segundo Lucas