No description available.

Doctor of Philosophy / Umman-manda (literally “Troops of Manda”) is an Akkadian compound expression used to denote military entities and/or foreign peoples in a diverse number of texts pertaining to separate periods of ancient Near Eastern history. The dissertation initially discusses the various difficulties in ascertaining the etymology of the second component of the term Umman-manda. A very plausible etymology is proposed based on new research on the semantic range of the Sumerian word mandum. The thesis then focuses mainly on the references made to the Umman-manda in the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian sources, where it is used to denote the Cimmerians and Medes respectively. The starting point is that these references are making literary allusions to the Standard Babylonian version of the Cuthaean Legend. New information gained from these literary allusions provides insight into the significance of the term Umman-manda in the first millennium B.C.: it recalls the various attributes of the Umman-manda depicted in the Cuthaean Legend and applies these attributes to contemporary political events. The Cuthaean Legend envisions a powerful enemy that emerges unexpectedly from the distant mountains and establishes hegemony after a sudden burst of military power. This enemy will eventually be destroyed without the intervention of the Mesopotamian king. The thesis studies how the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian sources allude to the Cuthaean Legend and in this way they identify the Cimmerians and the Medes as the Umman-manda.

Doctor of Philosophy / Umman-manda (literally “Troops of Manda”) is an Akkadian compound expression used to denote military entities and/or foreign peoples in a diverse number of texts pertaining to separate periods of ancient Near Eastern history. The dissertation initially discusses the various difficulties in ascertaining the etymology of the second component of the term Umman-manda. A very plausible etymology is proposed based on new research on the semantic range of the Sumerian word mandum. The thesis then focuses mainly on the references made to the Umman-manda in the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian sources, where it is used to denote the Cimmerians and Medes respectively. The starting point is that these references are making literary allusions to the Standard Babylonian version of the Cuthaean Legend. New information gained from these literary allusions provides insight into the significance of the term Umman-manda in the first millennium B.C.: it recalls the various attributes of the Umman-manda depicted in the Cuthaean Legend and applies these attributes to contemporary political events. The Cuthaean Legend envisions a powerful enemy that emerges unexpectedly from the distant mountains and establishes hegemony after a sudden burst of military power. This enemy will eventually be destroyed without the intervention of the Mesopotamian king. The thesis studies how the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian sources allude to the Cuthaean Legend and in this way they identify the Cimmerians and the Medes as the Umman-manda.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 1993. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: My Ph.D. dissertation proposed a four-step procedure for recovering the earliest possible text of the Old Testament: (1) detennining the lexical and grammatical characteristics of the various secondary (non-Hebrew) witnesses; (2) determining the literary and theological characteristics of the same witnesses; (3) retroverting the non-Hebrew witnesses wherever significant variants occur; (4) evaluating the Hebrew and retroverted variants and reconstructing a Hebrew Vorlage presumed to lie behind all of the extant witnesses. The dissertation itselfcompleted the fIrst two of these steps, which a..rnount to a determination of the significant variants (i.e., those that probably point to a Hebrew reading different from M'I) of the secondary wiblesses. It is the goal of this thesis to complete the analysis and produce a critical, eclectic Hebrew text of 1 Samuel 3. Before attempting to retrovert the different secondary witnesses, a number ofproblem areas need to be addressed, including developing a methodology for retroverting versional readings that is as scientific as possible, the Hebrew script used in the Vorlagen of the various versions, and the orthography of the Vorlagen and of the reconstructed archetype. The methodology used for retroverting secondary witnesses is informed by the works of Margolis, Tov, and others, and the translation techniques of the versions as. determined in mydissertation playa large role. The methodology must be modified somewhat when analyzing the partial secondary witnesses (the Lucianic and Hexaplaric recensions of LXX). Once the secondary witnesses have been retrov~their data is combined with that of MT, 4QSama, and a few other Hebrew witnesses and evaluated. The problems of multiple literary editions and conjectural emendations are examined, as are the merits ofexternal and internal evidence in making text-critical decisions. After each of the units ofvariation has been evaluated, the possibility that LXX represents an edition of Samuel different from MT is considered on the basis of the evidence from chapter 3. Finally, a critical edition of the chapter, replete with critical apparatuses containing both the original and retroverted readings of the secondary witnesses, presents the fruits of the study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In my Ph.D. proefskrif het ek vier stappe voorgestel wat as prosedure gevolg kan word om die oudste moontlike teks van die au Testament te bepaal.: (1) die vasstelling van die leksikale en grammatikale kenmerke van die onderskeie sekond~re (nie-Hebreeuse) getuies; (2) die vasstelling van die liter~re en teologiese kenmerke van dieselfde getuies; (3) die hervertaling (retrovertion) van die nie-Hebreeuse getuies waar daar betekenisvolle variante voorkom; (4) die evaluering van die Hebreeus en die hervertaa1de variante en die rekonstruksie van 'n Hebreeuse Vorlage wat aanvaar word agter aIle beskikbare getuies te l~. Die proefskrif self het die eerste twee stappe voltooi, wat neergekom het op die vasstelling van die betekenisvolle variante (d.i. die wat waarskynlik heenwys na 'n lesing wat van MT verskil) van die sekondere getuies. Dit is die doel van hierdie tesis om die analise te voltooi en om 'n kritiese, eldektiese teks van die Hebreeuse teks van 1 Samuel 3 daar te stel. Voordat ek egter poog am die verskillende sekond~re getuies te hervertaal, moet 'n aantal probleem areas eers aangespreek word. Dit sluit in die ontwerp van 'n metode om variante lesings uit die vroee vertalings so wetenskaplik moontlik te hervertaal, die Hebreeuse skriftipe wat in die onderskeie Vorlagen gebruik is, en die ortografie van die Vorlagen en van die rekonstrueerde oertipe vas te stel. Die metode wat aangele word om sekond~re getuies te hervertaal steun gedeeltelik op die navorsing van Margolis, Tov en ander. Verder speel die vertaaltegniek van die vroee vertalings wat in my proefskrif bepaal is 'n groot ro!. Die voorgestelde metode moet ietwat aangepas word wanneer die gedeeltelik sekondere getuies (die Lukiaanse en Heksaplariese resensies van die LXX) geanaliseer word. Nadat die sekondere getuies hervertaal is, word hulle data gekombineer met die van MT, 4QSama, en enkele ander Hebreeuse getuies en geevalueer. Die probleme verbonde aan meervondige literere uitgawes en hipotetiese emendasies word ondersoek, SODS ook die meriete van eksterne en interne getuienis wanneer tekskritiese beslissings gevel word. Nadat elkeen van hierdie eenhede van variasie geevalueer is, word die moontlikheid ondersoek dat die LXX 'n uitgawe verteenwoordig van Samuel wat verskil van MT op grond van die getuienis van hoofstuk 3. Laastens word 'n kritiese uitgawe van hierdie hoofstuk, volledig met kritiese apparaat wat beide die oorspronklike en die hervertaalde lesings van die sekondere getuies bevat, as vrugte van hierdie studie aangebied.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 1975. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: no abstract available / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: geen opsomming

Thesis (DPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Philo is a writer who lived in Alexandria in 30 BC – 50 AD. Traditionally scholars classified Philo as philosopher, exegete and apologist. With these classifications in mind, Philo’s works is read and interpreted. In this study a methodology of postmodernism (which is inherently a cultural historical understanding of reality) will be used, and it will become clear that this classification of the scholars is not satisfactory. The question that arises, is: How must Philo be read and understood in the context of a postmodern methodology? By means of a study of the logos-concept it is suggested that Philo must be understood as a threshold person, who stands on the cutting edges of the cultures in Alexandria; he therefore creates a new universe of symbols. In this new universe of symbols it is possible for the different cultures to communicate effectively, because they now have a joint vocabulary. Philo is not a postmodernist, but he makes use of techniques which occurs in post modern philosophy to create this new universe of symbols. Through the use of these techniques it becomes possible for the reader to take into account the different philosophical dimensions that are part of Philo’s thoughts. This helps the reader to understand the contradiction in Philo’s thought in connection with the logos-concept. It also helps the reader to place the logos-concept of Philo in its proper cultural historical background. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Filo is ’n skrywer wat in Aleksandrië gewoon het in die tydperk 30 vC – 50 nC. Tradisioneel het geleerdes Filo getipeer as filosoof, eksegeet en apologeet. Aan die hand van hierdie tiperings is Filo se werke dan gelees en geïnterpreteer. In hierdie studie word daar met ’n postmoderne metodologiese vertrekpunt gewerk (wat ten diepste gebaseer word op ’n kultuur historiese verstaan van die werklikheid) en word dit duidelik dat hierdie tiperings nie bevredigend is nie. Die vraag wat nou ontstaan, is: Hoe moet Filo dan gelees en verstaan word binne die raamwerk van ’n postmoderne metodologie? Aan die hand van ’n studie van die logos-begrip word daar voorgestel dat Filo gelees en verstaan moet word as ’n deurdrumpel-persoon, wat op die snypunt van al die verskillende kulture in Aleksandrië staan en daarom ’n nuwe simbole universum skep. Binne hierdie nuwe simbole universum kan verskillende kulture effektief met mekaar kommunikeer, aangesien hulle nou oor ’n gedeelde woordeskat beskik. Filo self was nie ’n postmodernis nie, maar hy maak wel van tegnieke gebruik wat ook voorkom in die postmoderne filosofie om hierdie nuwe simbole universum te skep. Deur middel van hierdie tegnieke is dit vir die leser moontlik om die verskillende filosofiese nuanses wat op Filo se denke ten opsigte van die logos ingewerk het, te verreken en om hierdie oënskynlike teenstrydighede in sy denke rakende die logos-begrip te verstaan teen die kultuur-historiese agtergrond waarbinne hy hom in Aleksandrië bevind.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 1999. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis an exploration is made into whether or not hieroglyphs reflect ideas of the ancient Egyptians themselves. By examining "living creature" hieroglyphs one may contemplate why the ancient Egyptian chose a particular manner of depiction. The manner of depiction can then be examined insofar as what ideas they may reflect. In this way study into other groups of signs such as those of the environment may be used to further illuminate the lives and our understanding of the ancient Egyptian(s). This thesis begins with an examination of both the problem inherent in such a task and an overview of some of the "processes" involved. By understanding that a reconstructed reality, that of the hieroglyph, reflects both real and perceived characteristics represented in glyphic form, one may seek out the mental impressions considered relevant to the people themselves. Next the role literacy played and still plays is discussed. This discussion includes a brief historical overview of both the history of decipherment and the "language" of the ancient Egyptians. The importance of "writing", artistic in nature in Egypt in regards to hieroglyphs, is then discussed as it relates to its use as symbol. Hieroglyphs are then discussed in their role as art, communication, and language emphasizing the multitudinous role(s) which they served. The importance is thus reiterated that hieroglyphs served as a communication of ideas to both the literate and the "illiterate" in at least a menial manner. After providing a "background" context of both the world and time of hieroglyphs and their subsequent "understanding" and interpretation, there is an analysis of the hieroglyphs for living creatures including the following Gardiner groupings: (1) mammals, (2) birds, (3) amphibians and reptiles, (4) fish, (5) invertebrates and lesser animals. The signs are examined in regards to their function and variations followed by some observations and comments related to the "structure" and perspective of the sign itself. Summary observations and comments are then made about each group. The thesis is then brought full circle by examining the implications of what hieroglyphs can tell us about the ancient Egyptians, via the perceptive and communicative role which they played. By understanding hieroglyphs as "fingerprints" of/from the mind of the people and subsequently their culture, this framework may provide a new mechanism into understanding the Egyptian via their own visualization and perceptive nature. A case is then proposed that this new "mechanism", if it is indeed considered feasible, can be applied to not only the physical world consisting of nature such as the environment, but also to groups which depict manmade objects. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis is die moontlikheid ondersoek dat hierogliewe iets van die ideewereld van die antieke Egiptenare reflekteer. In die bestudering van "lewende wese" hierogliewe kom vrae op soos waarom die antieke Egiptenare juis 'n spesifieke vorm van voorsteIIing verkies het. Die vorm van voorsteIIing kan dan bestudeer word vir die idees wat dit moontlik mag reflekteer. Ander groepe/velde van tekens, soos die van die breër omgewing, kan gebruik word om verdere lig te werp op die lewe van die antieke Egiptenaar(e) en ons verstaan daarvan. Die tesis begin met 'n bestudering van die inherente probleme in die aanpak van so 'n taak en 'n oorsig oor sommige van die "prosesse" daarby betrokke. By die verstaan van die hieroglief as 'n gekonstrueerde realiteit, wat weklike sowel as afgeleide eienskappe reflekteer, ontdek die ondersoeker daarvan iets van die persoonlike/kulturele indrukke wat deur hierdie groep mense as relevant ervaar is. In die volgende afdeling kom die rol van geletterdheid aan die beurt. Hierdie bespreking sluit 'n bondige historiese oorsig oor die geskiedenis van ontsyfering asook die taal van die Egiptenare in. Die belang van die "skryfkuns" en veral die kunsaard daarvan in die Egiptiese hierogliewe word vervolgens bespreek. Dit is veraI waar soos dit in verhouding staan met die gebruik daarvan as simbool. Die veelsydige rol(le) en belang van hierogliewe in die kuns, kommunikasie en taal word dan ondersoek en bespreek. Die klem word daarop gelê dat hierogliewe as die kommunikasie van idees aan beide die geletterde en "ongeletterde" dien. Nadat 'n agtergrondkonteks van die wereld en tyd van die hierogliewe en die daaruitvloeiende "verstaan" en interpretasie daarvan gegee is, word 'n analise van die "lewende wese" hierogliewe gedoen. Dit sluit die volgende groeperinge van Gardiner in: (1) soogdiere, (2) voels, (3) amfibiee en reptiele, (4) visse, (5) invertebrata en kleiner diere. Hierdie hierogliewe word ondersoek in terme van hulle funksie en variasies, gevolg deur waarnemings en opmerkings aangaande die "struktuur" en die perspektief van die teken. Opsommende observasies en enkele opmerkings oor elke groep volg daarna. Die tesis word afgerond met 'n ondersoek na die implikasies van wat ons kan wys word uit die hierogliewe aangaande die antieke Egiptenare, via die perspektiwiese en kommunikatiewe rol wat dit vervuI. Deur hierogliewe te verstaan as die "vingerafdrukke" van die begrip van hierdie mense kan hierdie raamwerk 'n nuwe meganisme in die verstaan van die Egiptenaar via die visualisasie en waarneembare aard daarvan, vorm. 'n Voorstel word gemaak dat hierdie nuwe "meganisme", indien dit uitvoerbaar is, toegepas kan word, nie net op die hierogliewe van die fisiese wereld bestaande uit die natuur en die omgewing nie, maar ook op hierogliewe wat mensgemaakte voorwerpe voorstel.

Thesis (M.A.)--Stellenbosch University, 1955. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: no abstract available / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: geen opsomming

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Final sentences are a neglected area of research in Biblical Hebrew. Apart from an investigation by Mitchell (1879) in the previous century, and a more recent article by Muraoka (1997), this is certainly an area of Biblical Hebrew grammar in need of research. Biblical Hebrew grammars propound a variety of ways final constructions can supposedly be expressed. The main thesis of this study is that the diversity of final constructions in Biblical Hebrew is not merely different syntactic realizations of the same semantic meaning, but that each syntactic construction carries definite semantic nuances. Traditional grammars, because they are sentence-based, present some shortcomings in the description of final sentences. I will briefly expose some of the linguistic presuppositions of traditional grammars, and their inherent limitations with respect to the study of final constructions. Recent developments in general linguistics, especially the variety of approaches subsumed under the broad classification textlinguistics, create new opportunities to address Biblical Hebrew grammar. I will explore this relatively recent developments to the study of language, in order to determine whether insights from studies conducted in terms of this paradigm can be used to describe final constructions more adequately. A number of theses are presented in Chapters 2 and 3, which are evaluated in Chapters 4 to 6. The findings are presented in a summary of at the end of each chapter. The final results of this investigation are summarized in Chapter 7. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Finaalsinne het tot dusver min aandag geniet in Bybelse Hebreeuse navorsing. Afgesien van 'n ondersoek deur Mitchell (1879) in die vorige eeu, en 'n onlangse artikel deur Muraoka (1997), is hierdie 'n navorsingsgebied wat vra om nadere ondersoek. Volgens Bybelse Hebreeuse grammatikas kan finaalsinne op verskeie wyses uitgedruk word. Die hooftese van hierdie studie is dat die verskeidenheid van finaalkonstruksies in Bybelse Hebreeus nie bloot verskillende sintaktiese opsies is om dieselfde semantiese betekenis te realiseer nie, maar dat elke onderskeie sintaktiese konstruksie 'n besondere semantiese nuanse weergee. Omdat hulle eng op die beskrywing van die sin gebaseer is, hou traditionele grammatikas tekortkominge in vir die beskrywing van finaalsinne. In hierdie studie wys ek kortliks op die linguistiese voorveronderstellings van die tradisionele benadering, en op die inherente tekortkominge van so 'n benadering ten opsigte van die ondersoek van finaalsinne. Onlangse ontwikkelinge in die algemene linguistiek, veral die verskeidenheid benaderings saamgevat onder die begrip tekslinguistiek, bied nuwe moontlikhede vir die beskrywing van Bybelse Hebreeus. Ek sal hierdie nuwe benadering tot taalstudie ondersoek om vas te stel of dit aangewend kan word om finaalsinne beter te beskryf. Verskeie tesisse word in Hoofstukke 2 en 3 geformuleer en dan in Hoofstukke 4 tot 6 geëvalueer. Die resultate word aan die einde van elke hoofstuk saamgevat. Die uiteindelike konklusies van hierdie studie word in Hoofstuk 7 saamgevat.

This thesis charts divine assembly scenes in ancient Mesopotamian narrative poetry and the early Greek hexameter corpus, and aims to contribute to a cross-cultural comparison in terms of literary systems. The recurrent scene of the divine gathering is shown to underpin the construction of small- and large-scale compositions in both the Sumero-Akkadian and early Greek traditions. Parts 1 and 2 treat each corpus in turn, reflecting a methodological concern to assess the comparanda within their own context first. Part 1 (Chapters 1-4) examines Sumerian narrative poems, and the Akkadian narratives Atra-hsīs, Anzû, Enûma eliš, Erra and Išum and the Epic of Gilgameš. Part 2 (Chapters 5-8) considers Homer's Iliad, the Odyssey, the Homeric Hymns and Hesiod's Theogony. The comparative approaches in Part 3 are developed in two chapters (9-10). Chapter 9 offers a detailed comparison of this typical scene's poetic morphology and compositional purpose. Relevant techniques and effects, a function of the aural reception of literature, are shown to overlap to a considerable degree. Although the Greeks are unlikely to have taken over the feature from the Near East, it is suggested that the Greek divine assembly is not to be detached form a Near Eastern context. Because the shared elements are profoundly embedded in the Greek orally-derived poetic tradition, it is possible to envisage a long-term process of oral contact and communication fostered by common structures. Chapter 10 turns to a comparison of the literary pantheon: a focus on the organisation of divine prerogatives and the chief god figures illuminates culture-specific differences which can be related to historical socio-political conditions. Thus, this thesis seeks to enhance our understanding of the representation of the gods in Mesopotamian poetry and early Greek epic, and develops a systemic approach to questions of transmission and cultural appreciation.