There is no consensus on why Ezekiel 20 differs so strongly from the other historical traditions and texts known from the Torah. Are the authors simply purposefully selective in their reuse of earlier ‘historical' material, or do they offer a synopsis of all the material available to them, inadvertently preserving a particular stage in the development of the pentateuchal material? Or, more likely, is the answer somewhere in between? It is these questions that the present study begins to answer. Part One offers an analysis of the general linguistic influences of the priestly, Holiness, and deuteronomic corpora on Ezekiel 20, demonstrating that the impact of all three has been overstated. Part Two, the core of the study, examines in detail four texts of the Torah which share a statistically significant number and type of locutions with Ezekiel 20: Numbers 13-14; Exodus 6.2-8; Exodus 31.12-17; and Leviticus 26. Across these texts, both unilateral and bilateral literary reuse of or by Ezekiel 20 is established, and the ramifications for the composition and rhetoric of both the Torah texts and Ezekiel 20 is explored in detail. Part Three synthesises these findings, confirming that, and describing how, Ezekiel 20 compositionally interacts with the priestly and Holiness writings, offering insight into the extent and nature of a stratified, likely independent P. Three prevailing models of the composition of the Torah are then examined for points of continuity and discontinuity with this picture, with the result that none of them are able to account for all of the data collected herein. In sum, it is no longer sufficient to consider the literary dependencies between Ezekiel 20 and the priestly or Holiness material, let alone Ezekiel and the Torah, as mono-directional.

1 Summary Starověká teologie Samaritánů: specifická funkce interpolací, duplikací a dalších textových změn v Samaritánském pentateuchu Ancient Theology of the Samaritans: Specific Interpolation, Duplication, and Other Text Changes in the Samaritan Pentateuch Klára Verzichová This thesis focuses primarily on the development of the Ten Commandments in the Samaritan Pentateuch, which is relatively neglected in the Czech Republic. The Samaritan Pentateuch belongs to fascinating text witnesses like the Qumran texts, whose discovery has been a major shift in the theories of biblical texts. A specific feature of the Samaritan Ten Command is the addition of the 10th commandment, which is the compilation of several verses from Deuteronomy. Who and when added the 10th commandment is still the subject of speculation. The aim of the dissertation was to concentrate all relevant text witnesses from the Qumran texts, to analyze them, to provide a probable translation (due to fragmentary form of many of them) and then to compare each other with the Samaritan and Masoretic texts. The aim is, therefore, a biography of the Decalogue - the reconstruction of the textual development of the Samaritan Decalogue and its transformation over time. The text of the work also deals with the general introduction of the Samaritan...

Isaac, the least of the patriarchs in the texts of the Old Testament and in the eyes of its readers, offers a surprising number of possibilities for new avenues of interpretation of the Pentateuch and related texts. These are arrived at in this study by first tracing a number of historical-developmental trajectories relevant to the author, namely from philosophy of science, through the main points from the history of Pentateuch studies in South Africa, via an argued choice for historical exegesis over against a-historical methods, and by means of a brief overview of the major insights that had shaped the scholarly study of the Old Testament patriarchs. The central part of the study is exegetical, with the main focus on Genesis 22, which has proven to be a key text. An overview of the historical issues related to this text is offered. Illustrating the limitations of a-historical exegesis, a narrative reading of Genesis 22 is undertaken, followed by a new historical interpretation of the same text, which draws on all of the foregoing. In the light of this new Genesis 22 interpretation, the other Isaac texts in the Old Testament are reviewed, as they would have been understood in post-exilic inner-Judean identity politics, namely between the tradents of the patriarchal traditions. Drawing throughout on an anecdotal view of Old Testament historiography, a theory proposed on the multiplex or composite nature of the personages of the patriarchs, though of Isaac in particular, and on the idea of the post-exilic inner-Judean identity politics, a creative, critical, historical retelling in almost narrative mode is offered of the history of Isaac in the Old Testament as a conclusion to the study. / Thesis (DD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Old Testament Studies / unrestricted

This dissertation focuses on how the theme of the image of God (Gen 1 :26-27) is seen and developed in the Pentateuch. The image of God in man (Gen 1 :26-27) has been interpreted in various ways. Predominant opinions have changed over time from the Early Jewish interpretation to the present period. Today there is a wider range of opinion regarding the image of God than ever. This dissertation follows a biblical-theological approach from a Reformed tradition of Genesis 1 :26-27, thus starting with an examination of 1 :26-27 in the context of Genesis 1 where the key words, pronouns and the Ancient Near Eastern concept of the image of God are examined. Genesis 1 :26-27 is examined in the context of Genesis 2-11 and we discover that the image of God in Genesis 1:26-27 is both moral and relational in perspective: it involves moral likeness to God and a relationship between God and man like that between parent and child. The theme of the image of God is traced in both narrative and legal material of the law; certain features of the law suggest that defining God-likeness is at least one goal of the law. Some laws are based on moral God-likeness and others are not based on inherent morality. but on the relational aspect of sonship. The theme image of God is also seen in the New Testament, where Christ is the perfect expression of the image of God. He is the Son of God and morally, he is like the Father. Through his death on the cross, believers are individually adopted in God's family and they become his children. They are to be morally like him. Through sanctification, the Church is being renewed into the image of God. Believers are called to be like Christ. They are to imitate Christ's moral-likeness and submission to the Father. / Thesis (M.A. (Old Testament))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

For many pre-modern and modern critics, the emergence of Ezra among the post-exilic Jerusalem community marks a significant event in the beginning stages of Judaism. Ezra’s promulgation of a “law of Moses,” bolstered by the theory of Persian imperial authorization, is often viewed as the moment at which the final form of the Pentateuch is published. The accounts contained in Ezra 7-10 and Nehemiah 8-10, however, continue to present historical and literary problems for the exegete. Compounding the difficulties for a reconstruction of Ezra’s activities, recent scholarship has raised questions concerning the viability of state-sanctioned support for the Pentateuch and revived skepticism on the historicity of Ezra and the reliability of the biblical witness. Still, the Ezra Memoir (EM) remains an important source that is shaped by the political, religious, and social worldview of post-exilic Yehud. This study incorporates two scholarly debates: on the one hand, the identification of EM and its supplemental layers; and on the other hand, the development of the Pentateuch up to this period. After the parameters of EM are identified in Ezra 7-10 and Nehemiah 8-10, this study supports EM’s use of Deuteronomic and Priestly literature but adds that EM also demonstrates significant literary connections to pentateuchal strands that are neither Deuteronomic nor Priestly. These strands are distinguished by the narrative and historical claims that are preserved in the classical pentateuchal documents. This study concludes that EM is a product of the Second Temple that anticipates the final form of the Pentateuch by collecting and integrating multiple presentations of the wilderness generation into a super-narrative that projects Ezra and the returnees as a second exodus and Sinai generation that supersedes their predecessors.

This dissertation presents a Whiteheadian interpretation of the notions of mind, immanence and process as they are addressed in the Zohar. According to many scholars, this kabbalistic creation story as portrayed in the Zohar is a reaction to the earlier rabbinic concept of God qua creator, which emphasized divine transcendence over divine immanence. The medieval Jewish philosophers, particularly Maimonides influenced by Aristotle, placed particular emphasis on divine transcendence, seeing a radical separation between Creator and creation. With this in mind, these scholars claim that one of the goals of the Zohar’s creation story was to emphasize God’s immanence within creation. Similar to the Zohar, the process metaphysics of Alfred North Whitehead and his followers was reacting to the substance metaphysics that had dominated Western philosophy as far back as ancient Greek thought. Whitehead adopts a very similar narrative to that of the Zohar. First there is mind containing all the eternal objects which serve as potential for the creation (God’s primordial nature). Mind becomes immanent in all actual occasions through prehension (God’s consequent nature). Finally God becomes “the lure” (to use Whitehead’s phrase) in the ongoing process of nature (God as superject). In this narrative, God is not the static being, the unmoved mover as discussed by Aristotle, but rather, is portrayed as a dynamic becoming, a God of process. Due to these significant similarities between Whitehead’s process philosophy and the Zohar with regard to the immanence of God and the process of creation, it is worthwhile to attempt a process interpretation of the kabbalistic creation story. The first part of this dissertation is entitled Philosophical Foundations, focusing on the intellectual framework of this study of the Zohar. The second part is entitled Creating a Narrative, looking at the text of the Zohar through the lens of Whitehead’s metaphysics. Finally, the conclusion looks at the narrative and discusses whether the goals of the dissertation have been achieved. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:27:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Jilvaneide dos Santos.pdf: 810439 bytes, checksum: cf4d45023b8ccddb9ff658710fa0325a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-10-28 / Freedom is part of the very essence of God. Thus, due to this attribute, He is interested in everybody s freedom. This study aims to show how the people who were previously oppressed, once freed, they want to celebrate freedom with singing and dancing, in recognition of the greatness of their God who was the only hero in the fight against of the oppressive power. This study also highlights the importance of the female figure in the update of the saving action of God as expressed in the celebrative dimension of these songs. Therefore, it is an exegetical analysis that used the synchronic method but did not neglect the diachronic contribution of renowned scholars of the Exodus. The research process emphasized the beauty of literature as a means of facilitating the understanding of historical and theological dimensions of the text. The commentary style was used, verse by verse / A liberdade faz parte da essência de Deus e, por causa disso, Ele se interessa pela liberdade de todos. Esta dissertação quer mostrar como o povo dos anteriormente oprimidos, uma vez libertados, quer celebrar esta liberdade com canto e dança, no reconhecimento da magnificência do Seu Deus, o qual foi o único herói na luta contra o poder opressor. O estudo destaca também a relevância da figura feminina na atualização da ação salvífica de Deus expressa na dimensão celebrativa destes cantos. Portanto, trata-se de uma análise exegética que se utilizou do método sincrônico, mas que não negligenciou a contribuição diacrônica de renomados estudiosos do Êxodo. Tal processo de pesquisa valorizou a beleza literária como uma forma de facilitar a compreensão das dimensões histórico-teológicas do texto. Adotou-se o estilo comentário, versículo por versículo

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:27:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Joao Claudio Rufino Rodrigues Silva.pdf: 647186 bytes, checksum: 4a4ff7a402978e975fb5323362ba6ef9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-26 / This dissertation aims to present an exegetical study of a legislative text on Pentateuch: Dt 17,14-20, the law of the king . It follows the style of commentary. The research advances with the biblical tradition in question. In each one of the three chapters there are two kinds of investigations: first, a linguistic and literary study which includes translation, morphological analysis; second, a theological and historical commentary which utilizes researches about de cultural ambient, theological and literary motifs present in the Pentateuch and in the deuteronomistic work. In all this paper is shown the the Ancient Near East influence in the law of the king and in what it is different from its context. Israel has the permission to establish one king over himself. But to do it they need to follow some prescriptions. Either the king must to do it for there three prohibitions to him. He cannot multiply horses, women and healthy. Even more, he must to copy the law, read it practice it every day. And doing this his heart will not lift up upon his brothers / A presente dissertação tem como objetivo apresentar um estudo exegético de um texto legislativo do Pentateuco: Dt 17,14-20, a lei do rei . Seguindo o estilo comentário, a pesquisa avança junto à tradição bíblica em questão a partir da leitura sincrônica. Em cada um dos capítulos, são realizadas pelo menos dois tipos de investigação, a saber: em primeiro lugar, um estudo estilístico-literário, que compreende a tradução, as variantes textuais e a análise morfológico-sintática; em segundo, um comentário histórico-teológico, que se serve de pesquisas referentes ao ambiente cultural, os temas ou motifs literário-teológicos presentes no Pentateuco, sobretudo no Deuteronômio, e na Obra Histórica Deuteronomista. Ao longo do estudo será possível constatar que a legislação de Israel sobre um rei é inovadora em alguns aspectos dentro do ambiente no qual ela foi escrita, o Antigo Oriente Próximo, e, ao mesmo tempo, influenciada por ele. Israel tem a permissão de querer estabelecer sobre si um rei. Para isso precisa seguir algumas prescrições. Ademais, o rei deve obedecer algumas normas. A dissertação mostrará que até mesmo a figura do rei está submetida a lei do SENHOR Deus. Sérias restrições são feitas a sua atuação, ele não pode multiplicar cavalos, mulheres e nem prata e ouro. Mais ainda, o monarca deve fazer uma cópia da Torá para si, le-la todos os dias, pratica-la. O que fará com que ele tema ao SENHOR e não exalte o seu coração acima dos seus irmãos