This thesis investigates the period in Judah which took place precisely a century between the death ofHezekiah (687 BCE) and the final fall of Jerusalem (587 BCE) Seldom has a nation experienced so many dramatically sudden reversals of fortune in so relatively short a time. Throughout the first half of the seventh century BCE the Assyrian empire reigned supreme. In the second half, in rapid succession, Judah, as a vassal, experienced periods of independence and of subjection, first to Egypt, then to Babylonia, before finally destroying herself in a futile rebellion against the latter. The aim of the thesis was to set Judah in the global context and investigate the role she played. To this end the Great Powers, namely Assyria, Egypt and Babylonia were surveyed, as well as were the Small Powers, like Judah, Phoenicia and the Transjordanian states, and the relationships probed. The thesis traces the life of the wicked but extraordinarily successful King Manasseh, and his equally reprobate son, Amon, who was brutally murdered by his servants, and was avenged by 'the people of the land'. Josiah is the only monarch who fits the Deuteronomistic requirements of a good king. Religious and national reform generally go hand in hand with politics, and the cultic reform and centralization of the cult characterise his reign. · With the fall of Assyria, the temporary surge into prominence by Egypt and the tragic death of Josiah in 609 BCE, Judah experienced radical political fluctuations and with them alternate subjugation by, and rebellion against, each of the major powers. Inexperienced leadership and a situation of dual kings, followed Josiah's death. The rapidly changing international scene demanded of the rulers of Judah skillful manoeuvring and exceptional adaptability, and frequently confronted them with ominous political situations. Judaean leaders and the puppet King Zedekiah, propped up by false prophets, failed to grasp the shift in the balance of power, and clung to questionable Egyptian aid against the new world power, Babylonia. Highly vulnerable and left in the lurch, Jerusalem faced protracted siege and famine in Jerusalem, destruction ofthe Temple, and deportation ofthe cream ofher people. / Classics and Modern European Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Judaica)

The work deals with the dissemination, duration, transformations and reception of the cult of an important Jesuit Saint, St. Francis Xavier, in the early modern Czech lands. Its goal is to contribute to the better understanding of the reality of the re-catholicization after the Battle of White Montain and the forms of Czech spirituality of the 17th and 18th century. This particular cult was selected because of the fact that St. Francis Xavier was closely related to the main (or most prominent) participant of the re-catholicization, i. e. the Jesuit order, where he in the informal hierarchy of Saints occupied the second place immediately after the founder of the Society St. Ignacius of Loyola. Moreover, St. Francis Xavier belonged among the five new Catholic Saints canonized in 1622 (St. Ignacius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Philipp Neri, and St. Isidore of Madrid), who represented an important constituent of the revived post-Tridentine Catholic spirituality. However, although the existing secondary literature presupposes that the reverence to St. Francis Xavier was widespread in the Czech Baroque, no systematic study of this theme was realized untill now. First chapter deals with the specification of the theme of the work, maps existing knowledge and sources available and...

This dissertation on "Archaeology and the Israelite Cult" covers a period of ca. I 000 years, dating from the time of the Hebrew patriarchs ca.l950 B.C.E. to the end of the monarchy which is given as ca. 950 B.C.E. The archaeological findings are related to five significant and major excavation sites in Palestine which have been found to embrace the time span under consideration and point in many ways to the practice of the Israelite or Canaanite cult. These five sites are:- a) The Bull Site b) Kuntillet Ajrud c) The Fortress- Sanctuary at Arad d) Shechem e) Megiddo The writings of the Israelite cult are scant and commence mainly with the patriarchs. The time of Abraham and his recognition of a monolatrous god. The beginning of the complex Y ahwistic cult introduced by Moses in the Sinai Desert, following Israelite escape from Egypt. The Israelite cultic practices, which are now considered to be syncrestic, are discussed where they relate to biblical texts and archaeological findings of confirmation. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.A. (Biblical Studies)

This thesis investigates the period in Judah which took place precisely a century between the death ofHezekiah (687 BCE) and the final fall of Jerusalem (587 BCE) Seldom has a nation experienced so many dramatically sudden reversals of fortune in so relatively short a time. Throughout the first half of the seventh century BCE the Assyrian empire reigned supreme. In the second half, in rapid succession, Judah, as a vassal, experienced periods of independence and of subjection, first to Egypt, then to Babylonia, before finally destroying herself in a futile rebellion against the latter. The aim of the thesis was to set Judah in the global context and investigate the role she played. To this end the Great Powers, namely Assyria, Egypt and Babylonia were surveyed, as well as were the Small Powers, like Judah, Phoenicia and the Transjordanian states, and the relationships probed. The thesis traces the life of the wicked but extraordinarily successful King Manasseh, and his equally reprobate son, Amon, who was brutally murdered by his servants, and was avenged by 'the people of the land'. Josiah is the only monarch who fits the Deuteronomistic requirements of a good king. Religious and national reform generally go hand in hand with politics, and the cultic reform and centralization of the cult characterise his reign. · With the fall of Assyria, the temporary surge into prominence by Egypt and the tragic death of Josiah in 609 BCE, Judah experienced radical political fluctuations and with them alternate subjugation by, and rebellion against, each of the major powers. Inexperienced leadership and a situation of dual kings, followed Josiah's death. The rapidly changing international scene demanded of the rulers of Judah skillful manoeuvring and exceptional adaptability, and frequently confronted them with ominous political situations. Judaean leaders and the puppet King Zedekiah, propped up by false prophets, failed to grasp the shift in the balance of power, and clung to questionable Egyptian aid against the new world power, Babylonia. Highly vulnerable and left in the lurch, Jerusalem faced protracted siege and famine in Jerusalem, destruction ofthe Temple, and deportation ofthe cream ofher people. / Classics and Modern European Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Judaica)

Juche ideology, created by founder Kim Il-Sung, governs all aspects of North Korean society. This thesis attempts to answer the questions of why and how Juche ideology and the cult of personality surrounding Kim Il-Sung were successfully implemented in North Korea. It is a historical analysis of the formation of the North Korean state that considers developments from the late 19th century to the late 20th century, with particular attention paid to the 1950s-1970s and to Kim’s own writings and speeches. The thesis argues that Juche was successfully implemented and institutionalized in North Korea due to several factors, including the rise of Korean nationalism, the personal history of Kim Il-Sung, the Korean War and resulting domestic strife, and the influence of the international socialist movement. It provides a historical explanation of Juche and its importance within North Korea, which in turn is necessary for understanding North Korea as a whole.

This paper traces burials from Iron Age I Canaan that reflect an influence of Philistine culture. This influence can be measured by the presence of Philistine bichrome pottery or other evidence related to this ancient biblical people. A major road block to the clearest possible understanding of Philistine burials is that no cemeteries have been found at any of the earliest settlements of the biblical Philistines, the Pentapolis. The Old Testament lists these cities as Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza (e.g. Joshua 13:3). Though extensive excavation has been conducted at most of these sites, they have yet to yield a necropolis. Excavations are still being done at Tell es-Safi/Gath and Ashkelon, so hopefully the future will supply researchers with data to help clarify this rather vague area of Philistine studies. Recognizing these limitations, the paper presents a "symbiotic model," which identifies some of the areas of shared culture from the Canaanite context. Examples of this symbiosis are seen as the amalgamated result of people groups living in close proximity to each other and influencing the customs and practices of their neighbors. A Mycenaean origin of the Philistines is an underlying supposition of the research laid out in this paper. Because of this origin, and the other influences upon the early Philistine settlers in Canaan, a certain amount of cultural comparison becomes necessary to be able to understand the developing Philistine culture of Iron I. The paper includes a map of tombs and burials bearing Philistine influence and a map identifying different types of tombs and their locations. The variety of tomb types is an important facet of Philistine custom. The strong Egyptian influence upon Canaan and the surrounding area at that time in history is inescapable. Evidence of this influence will be explored. The inclusion of a chapter on the anthropoid clay coffins, and the Philistines' relationship to them, struggles with the scholarly interpretations. Finally, a chapter on literary implications strives to shed light on possible Philistine burial practices from the perspective of the Old Testament and other applicable literatures of the ancient Near East. / Old Testament / D. Th.

The Kyrgyz are a Mongolian, Turkic ethno-linguistic people group. The political and social changes of the post-soviet times have led to a great religious openness among the Kyrgyz. Within one decade the nunber of Kyrgyz Christians has grown from few dozens to over 3000. The intention of this work was to analyze the conversion process of the Kyrgyz converts to Christianity and to apply the results to further missiological activity. The religious background of the Kyrgyz, which is heavily influenced by Folk Islam, was presented in the first chapter of the paper. In the second chapter, interviews collected from Kyrgyz Christians were evaluated. The third chapter summarizes the most important findings of the work and makes them applicable for missionary work. The precise knowledge of the religious background of the Kyrgyz and intercultural communication that it is based upon it can essentially dismantle barriers for the acceptance of the gospel. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

The question leading this study is whether or not the contents of Hezekiah‘s storehouses and treasuries (2 Ki 20:13, 2 Chr 32:25-28 and Is 39:2) defy or reflect the reality of the Judaean domestic economy in the late 8th – early 7th century BCE. I have adopted a multidisciplinary and holistic approach, considering the literary, political, economic, religious, and socio-cultural dimensions of Hezekiah‘s reign. The study concludes that revenue from agriculture could not have been Hezekiah‘s only source of income. Local goods and taxes were insufficient in volume and value to account for the extent of Hezekiah‘s wealth. While the religious reforms and cult centralisation introduced by Hezekiah would have generated considerable income, alternative sources must have been available to the king. Tolls, taxes, and customs imposed on the international trade traversing the Levant contributed significantly. Examination of the available archaeological evidence reflects a prosperous economy, one that favoured a powerful minority. / Biblical and Ancient studies / M. A. (Biblical Archaeology)

Text in German with German and English summaries / In times of global crisis, eschatological questions gain relevance. The Old Testament concept of HàWH:J moWJ has primary bearing on Christian eschatological expectations. This study examines the discourse of the Day of Yahweh of Amos and Isaiah in the context of their message. Concept and origin of this discourse are controversial. A review of research shows that the current understandings do not adequately answer questions about the origin of this discourse. Both the definitions of “Day of Yahweh” passages and the certitude that HàWH:J moWJ is a technical term seem problematic. Analysis of Amos 5:18-20 shows that, contrary to commonly accepted understanding, a nontechnical understanding of the phrase HàWH:J moWJ is sufficient for interpreting the passage. Linguistically similar phrases in Isaiah also merely relate Yahweh’s historical intervention, and do not refer to an established concept. Only later did a tradition complex arise from this prophetic proclamation. / In Zeiten globaler Krisen gewinnen eschatologische Fragestellungen an Aktualität. Zentrale Bedeutung für die christliche Zukunftserwartung hat der Tag des Herrn, dessen alttestamentlicher Wurzelgrund der HàWH:J moWJ ist. Die Studie untersucht die Rede vom Tag Jahwes bei den Schriftpropheten Amos und Jesaja im Kontext ihrer Verkündigung. Konzept und Herkunft dieser Rede sind umstritten. Ein Forschungsüberblick zeigt, dass die gängigen Erklärungsmodelle die Frage nach der Herkunft dieser Rede nicht ausreichend beantworten. Als problematisch erscheinen die Definitionen von Tag Jahwes-Belegen und die Sicherheit, mit der man die Wendung HàWH:J moWJ als Terminus technicus bezeichnet. Die Untersuchung zu Am 5,18-20 erweist, dass, entgegen dem Common sense der Forschung, ein formales Verständnis der Wendung HàWH:J moWJ zur Interpretation der Rede ausreicht. Ähnliche sprachliche Wendungen bei Jesaja paraphrasieren ebenfalls nur das geschichtliche Eingreifen Jahwes und verweisen nicht auf eine Auseinandersetzung mit einem bestehenden Konzept. Ein Traditionskomplex namens Tag Jahwes erwuchs erst später aus dieser prophetischen Verkündigung. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. Th. (Old Testament)

The 'Romanization' of the African provinces of Mauretania Tingitana and Mauretania Caesariensis was in fact a two-way process of exchange between Roman and African elements which resulted in a uniquely Romano-African civilization. The imperial cult highlights issues common to all Romanization processes, such as ruler-subject interaction and the role of local initiative in bringing about change, as well as unique issues such as the impact of politics on emperor-worship. The success of the imperial cult was hampered by the fact that only a select few - notably the wealthy local elite - derived direct benefit from the process, and by the fact that, because the pre-Roman Mauretaniae had no established ruler-cults, the imperial cult failed to assimilate with local tradition. As a result, the cult was unable either to make a decisive impact on the Romanization of the Mauretanians, or to achieve any real religious unity among them. / History / M.A. (Ancient History)