This project seeks to determine, to what extent the culture of early Israel (1250-1000 BC) is
similar to African cultures, more specifically, to that of the Lemba. However, a comparison
between the cultures of early Israel and those of certain African tribes is not the primary
objective in this case. This project is neither an anthropological study nor does it intend to
mainly focus on the Lemba as such -though this may appear to be the case. This endeavour primarily
fits into the ambit of Old Testament Studies. The investigation into the Lemba is meant to be
subsidiary to the point of contingence between their culture and Old Testament customs and
traditions, and how this information affects the interpretation of the Old Testament and its
teaching in Africa. A number of comparisons between the early Israelite religion as reflected in
the Old Testament and the Lemba are drawn. Though the qualitative research (inductive approach) is
employed in the field work, the greatest part of the data on religious perspectives and practices
is mediated by the theory of a phenomenological approach as advocated by Ninian Smart on matters of
experience, mythology, ritual, and ethical/judicial dimensions. Therefore, the approach is also
deductive.
The Lemba is a very specific group with claims about Israelite/Judaic origins. Their early
departure from Israel (according to them ca 586 BC) can mean that there are remnants of a very
ancient type oflsraelite religion, now valuable when juxtaposed to that of early Israel. This study
takes Lemba traditions seriously, but finally does not verify or falsify Lemba claims - but the
outcomes in this thesis may take this debate a step further.
Their claims make them special and extremely interesting to study from the point of view of oral
cultures. Their oral culture is constitutive of their world-view and self-understanding or
identity. It incorporates the role of oral traditions, history and historiography and parallels
are drawn between orality in early Israelite and Lemba religions. The reciprocity between orality
and inscripturation of traditions, yielding valuable information on what may have happened in the
developent of traditions in Israel, are also attended to in this project.
Nevertheless, this project is primarily a search for the understanding and relevance of the Old
Testament in Afiica and is, therefore, a selective and not an exhaustive comparison between the
Lemba and early Israel. And so, taking cognisance of the hermeneutic of contextualisation in
Africa in particular, a teaching module syllabus for Old Testament Studies is developed, of which
the very strands of religion among the Lemba and early Israel are constitutive for teaching Old
Testament Studies in present-day African cultures (and perhaps elsewhere). / Biblical and Ancient Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Biblical Studies)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/17188 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Le Roux, Magdel |
| Contributors | Scheffler, Eben |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (ix, 297 leaves) |
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