Ferdinand E. Deist (1944–1997) was a critical scholar and a prolific author, and had an immeasurable influence on Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern scholarship in South Africa during the last quarter of the previous century. Although he never claimed to be working within the new paradigm which dawned in Old Testament studies towards the end of the nineteenth century, it is evident that he was fully at home within this paradigm. The article does not discuss all Deist’s publications in order to vindicate the claim. It only discusses his earliest publications. His treatment of Jonah opened the doors for many of his students to follow in his wake and to acquaint themselves with historical-critical methods of studying the Bible. Willie van Heerden, who is honoured with this essay, is but one of many postgraduate students who benefitted from Deist’s expertise, courage, and wisdom.
费迪南德·e·戴斯特(1944-1997)是一位批判性的学者和多产的作家，在上个世纪的最后25年里，他对南非旧约和古代近东的学术产生了不可估量的影响。尽管他从未声称自己是在19世纪末旧约研究中出现的新范式中工作，但很明显，他完全熟悉这种范式。这篇文章没有讨论所有自然神论的出版物，以证明这一说法是正确的。它只讨论了他最早的出版物。他对约拿的处理为他的许多学生打开了一扇门，让他们跟随他的脚步，熟悉研究圣经的历史批判方法。威利·范·希尔登(Willie van Heerden)因这篇文章而获奖，他只是众多从自然神论的专业知识、勇气和智慧中受益的研究生之一。
{"title":"The Book of Jonah and the Hermeneutics of Ferdinand E. Deist","authors":"I. Spangenberg","doi":"10.25159/2663-6573/9046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/9046","url":null,"abstract":"Ferdinand E. Deist (1944–1997) was a critical scholar and a prolific author, and had an immeasurable influence on Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern scholarship in South Africa during the last quarter of the previous century. Although he never claimed to be working within the new paradigm which dawned in Old Testament studies towards the end of the nineteenth century, it is evident that he was fully at home within this paradigm. The article does not discuss all Deist’s publications in order to vindicate the claim. It only discusses his earliest publications. His treatment of Jonah opened the doors for many of his students to follow in his wake and to acquaint themselves with historical-critical methods of studying the Bible. Willie van Heerden, who is honoured with this essay, is but one of many postgraduate students who benefitted from Deist’s expertise, courage, and wisdom.","PeriodicalId":42047,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Semitics","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41342729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article juxtaposes Abraham Sutzkever’s Yiddish poems written in the Vilna Ghetto between 1941–1943 with the testimony he gave at the Nuremberg Trials on 27 February 1946. A witness, participant, and survivor of the annihilation, Sutzkever became an appropriate representative and unique spokesperson for the murdered Jewish victims. As evidence of a personal and collective tragedy, providing a double record of the destruction of a once-vibrant community through his poetry and his witness statement, Sutzkever imparts the reality of the Holocaust on the first occasion that leaders of a country were indicted before an international court for crimes against humanity. Hence, this article contributes to the understanding of the emotional trauma and fate of Jewish victims during the Holocaust. Emphasising how artistic expression may assist human beings to endure unimaginable hardship, it highlights the continuing importance of personal testimony to endorse memory and warn against recurrence.
{"title":"The Poet as Witness: Abraham Sutzkever in Vilna and at Nuremberg","authors":"H. Frankel","doi":"10.25159/2663-6573/9178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/9178","url":null,"abstract":"This article juxtaposes Abraham Sutzkever’s Yiddish poems written in the Vilna Ghetto between 1941–1943 with the testimony he gave at the Nuremberg Trials on 27 February 1946. A witness, participant, and survivor of the annihilation, Sutzkever became an appropriate representative and unique spokesperson for the murdered Jewish victims. As evidence of a personal and collective tragedy, providing a double record of the destruction of a once-vibrant community through his poetry and his witness statement, Sutzkever imparts the reality of the Holocaust on the first occasion that leaders of a country were indicted before an international court for crimes against humanity. Hence, this article contributes to the understanding of the emotional trauma and fate of Jewish victims during the Holocaust. Emphasising how artistic expression may assist human beings to endure unimaginable hardship, it highlights the continuing importance of personal testimony to endorse memory and warn against recurrence.","PeriodicalId":42047,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Semitics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46003678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In a world where loss of biodiversity is a major challenge, this article explores a dialogue between modern conservation theory and an ancient biblical text. Through the construction of an ecological hermeneutics based on conservation biology and conservation anthropology, and with references to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the article analyses the story of Noah’s ark in Genesis 6–9 as a conservation project. Two questions are in focus. First, how does a conservation perspective contribute to the reading of the biblical text? Second, is the biblical story of Noah’s ark a good paradigm for conservation efforts today? The answer to the first question highlights aspects of the text that often do not receive sufficient attention. The second answer shows some of the complexities of applying this biblical story as an inspiration for modern conservation projects.
{"title":"Noah’s Ark as Conservation? An Ecological Reading of Genesis 6–9","authors":"Tina Dykesteen Nilsen","doi":"10.25159/2663-6573/9090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/9090","url":null,"abstract":"In a world where loss of biodiversity is a major challenge, this article explores a dialogue between modern conservation theory and an ancient biblical text. Through the construction of an ecological hermeneutics based on conservation biology and conservation anthropology, and with references to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the article analyses the story of Noah’s ark in Genesis 6–9 as a conservation project. Two questions are in focus. First, how does a conservation perspective contribute to the reading of the biblical text? Second, is the biblical story of Noah’s ark a good paradigm for conservation efforts today? The answer to the first question highlights aspects of the text that often do not receive sufficient attention. The second answer shows some of the complexities of applying this biblical story as an inspiration for modern conservation projects.","PeriodicalId":42047,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Semitics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49115715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Article Title: “Creation as a Cosmic Temple: Reading Genesis 1:1–2:4a in Light of Willie van Heerden’s Ecological Insights”","authors":"W. Boshoff","doi":"10.25159/2663-6573/9569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/9569","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42047,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Semitics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46781162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jeremiah 14:1–10 is about a great drought. In this article, the response of the Judeans, a lament (14:2–6 and 7–9), is analysed and discussed. Verse 10, contra to what is expected, contains a negative response by Yahweh to their lament. Read in the broader context of Chapter 14, the passage forms part of Yahweh’s rejection of his people because of their transgressions and disloyalty. The article has a twofold aim, namely addressing theological and ecological interests. The article discusses the theological concerns raised by the drought as well as the theological and psychological benefits of the practice of lament. Reading 14:1–10 from an ecological interest, the issue of the importance of water, and its conservation, is considered.
{"title":"Reading Jeremiah 14:1–10 Theologically and Ecologically Minded","authors":"W. Wessels","doi":"10.25159/2663-6573/8962","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/8962","url":null,"abstract":"Jeremiah 14:1–10 is about a great drought. In this article, the response of the Judeans, a lament (14:2–6 and 7–9), is analysed and discussed. Verse 10, contra to what is expected, contains a negative response by Yahweh to their lament. Read in the broader context of Chapter 14, the passage forms part of Yahweh’s rejection of his people because of their transgressions and disloyalty. The article has a twofold aim, namely addressing theological and ecological interests. The article discusses the theological concerns raised by the drought as well as the theological and psychological benefits of the practice of lament. Reading 14:1–10 from an ecological interest, the issue of the importance of water, and its conservation, is considered.","PeriodicalId":42047,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Semitics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46353842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
With Proverbs 29:14 as a textual case, the article discusses how three African Old Testament scholars—Philippe Dinzolele Nzambi, Lechion Peter Kimilike, and Dorothy BEA Akoto-Abutiate—allow examples from the African proverbial heritage to serve as interpretive resources in their interpretation of texts and motifs from the book of Proverbs.
{"title":"“If a King Judges the Poor with Fairness, His Throne is Established Forever”: Approaching Proverbs 29:14 with African Interpretive Resources","authors":"K. Holter","doi":"10.25159/2663-6573/9076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/9076","url":null,"abstract":"With Proverbs 29:14 as a textual case, the article discusses how three African Old Testament scholars—Philippe Dinzolele Nzambi, Lechion Peter Kimilike, and Dorothy BEA Akoto-Abutiate—allow examples from the African proverbial heritage to serve as interpretive resources in their interpretation of texts and motifs from the book of Proverbs.","PeriodicalId":42047,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Semitics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48873742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article is based on Willie van Heerden’s insight into the ecological retrieval of the dominion mandate of Genesis 1:26–27. According to Van Heerden, human dominion has a meaning only when it is read in relationship with the crisis context of the text and particularly the symmetrical structure of Genesis 1:1–2:4a as a whole. In this sense, one discovers that creation does not culminate with human supremacy or dominion, but with celebration (Sabbath). Creation is a kind of sanctuary, a cosmic temple in which every block counts. The created order is sacred and thus all members of creation are associated with God. Hence, whatever human dominion might mean, it has to treat creation with respect as a sacred arena.
{"title":"Creation as a Cosmic Temple: Reading Genesis 1:1–2:4a in Light of Willie van Heerden’s Ecological Insights","authors":"Kivatsi J. Kavusa","doi":"10.25159/2663-6573/8761","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/8761","url":null,"abstract":"This article is based on Willie van Heerden’s insight into the ecological retrieval of the dominion mandate of Genesis 1:26–27. According to Van Heerden, human dominion has a meaning only when it is read in relationship with the crisis context of the text and particularly the symmetrical structure of Genesis 1:1–2:4a as a whole. In this sense, one discovers that creation does not culminate with human supremacy or dominion, but with celebration (Sabbath). Creation is a kind of sanctuary, a cosmic temple in which every block counts. The created order is sacred and thus all members of creation are associated with God. Hence, whatever human dominion might mean, it has to treat creation with respect as a sacred arena.","PeriodicalId":42047,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Semitics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47934075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Modern insights in philosophy, anthropology, psychology, communication studies, religion studies and art history (to name but a few), exemplify the so-called material turn in the study of religion, of how matter “matters,” even ultimately. Contributions in the recently founded journal, Material Religion: The Journal of Objects, Art and Belief, highlight these insights. Humans animate material “things” (e.g., land, nature, temples, shrines) with meaning, and they in turn become “agents” to mediate the meaningful world they stand for. Humans and matter become co-constitutive in this dynamic. Our senses and sensibilities play a crucial role in this “world making” endeavour, when interacting with the material world around us. Ecological hermeneutics concurs, regarding Earth as a “subject” in her own right. This study found that an ancient poem, Psalm 65, resonates with these modern insights. The psalm expresses a skilful interconnectedness in its composition, but moreover, it interconnects temple(-goers; vv. 2–5), the orderly cosmos (vv. 6–9) and the fertile land (vv. 10–14) in unified and thankful song towards their creator and sustainer. The sensual experience of the “goodness” in the temple in Zion, the awe-inspiring cosmos, and the “goodness” of the fertile land, realises this “world of bliss.”
{"title":"Matter Nature “Matters” Ultimately: A Material Ecological Reflection on Psalm 65","authors":"H. Viviers","doi":"10.25159/2663-6573/9001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/9001","url":null,"abstract":"Modern insights in philosophy, anthropology, psychology, communication studies, religion studies and art history (to name but a few), exemplify the so-called material turn in the study of religion, of how matter “matters,” even ultimately. Contributions in the recently founded journal, Material Religion: The Journal of Objects, Art and Belief, highlight these insights. Humans animate material “things” (e.g., land, nature, temples, shrines) with meaning, and they in turn become “agents” to mediate the meaningful world they stand for. Humans and matter become co-constitutive in this dynamic. Our senses and sensibilities play a crucial role in this “world making” endeavour, when interacting with the material world around us. Ecological hermeneutics concurs, regarding Earth as a “subject” in her own right. This study found that an ancient poem, Psalm 65, resonates with these modern insights. The psalm expresses a skilful interconnectedness in its composition, but moreover, it interconnects temple(-goers; vv. 2–5), the orderly cosmos (vv. 6–9) and the fertile land (vv. 10–14) in unified and thankful song towards their creator and sustainer. The sensual experience of the “goodness” in the temple in Zion, the awe-inspiring cosmos, and the “goodness” of the fertile land, realises this “world of bliss.”","PeriodicalId":42047,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Semitics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46120111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gender discrimination is not a new phenomenon. It has been prevalent in many civilisations through the ages, including those in the ancient Near East. Prejudice against women thus found its way into legal codes, such as the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, which introduced the idea of “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” according to which the killer of a woman was only obliged to pay half a gold mina as punishment to her father or husband, while the punishment for the murder of a nobleman was death. Gender discrimination was also displayed in the moral codes of the Hebrew Bible, including the Deuteronomic Code, the Covenant Code, and the Holiness Code. This article will examine how the Covenant Code relates to gender discrimination. The code, which is presented in Exodus 20–23, is an ancient legislative framework of impressive breadth. Scholars agree that the Covenant Code is an excellent barometer to reveal how women were treated in ancient Israel. While the aim of the article is not to make an in-depth exegetical study of the Covenant Code, it will examine the influence that other cultures in the ancient Near East had on Israel. Appreciating the power that pagan cultures exerted over Israel does not however excuse the negative treatment of women reflected in the Covenant Code. Nevertheless, this investigation will demonstrate how significant this influence was in allowing the negative treatment of women in Israel to persist, especially against the backdrop of Yahweh’s covenant, which stipulated that women were to be treated with dignity and respect.
{"title":"Women Treated as Property: The Influence of the Ancient Near East on the Covenant Code","authors":"C. Pietersen","doi":"10.25159/2663-6573/8476","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/8476","url":null,"abstract":"Gender discrimination is not a new phenomenon. It has been prevalent in many civilisations through the ages, including those in the ancient Near East. Prejudice against women thus found its way into legal codes, such as the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, which introduced the idea of “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” according to which the killer of a woman was only obliged to pay half a gold mina as punishment to her father or husband, while the punishment for the murder of a nobleman was death. Gender discrimination was also displayed in the moral codes of the Hebrew Bible, including the Deuteronomic Code, the Covenant Code, and the Holiness Code. This article will examine how the Covenant Code relates to gender discrimination. The code, which is presented in Exodus 20–23, is an ancient legislative framework of impressive breadth. Scholars agree that the Covenant Code is an excellent barometer to reveal how women were treated in ancient Israel. While the aim of the article is not to make an in-depth exegetical study of the Covenant Code, it will examine the influence that other cultures in the ancient Near East had on Israel. Appreciating the power that pagan cultures exerted over Israel does not however excuse the negative treatment of women reflected in the Covenant Code. Nevertheless, this investigation will demonstrate how significant this influence was in allowing the negative treatment of women in Israel to persist, especially against the backdrop of Yahweh’s covenant, which stipulated that women were to be treated with dignity and respect.","PeriodicalId":42047,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Semitics","volume":"30 1","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49337463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The pervasive ambiguity in Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice (SOSS) presents a major problem: When are the activities described in this text performed by angels and when by humans? This article builds on previous research on Songs One, Seven, Twelve, Thirteen, and knowledge in SOSS that hypothesized that as the liturgy proceeds through the thirteen songs of 4QSOSS a gradual transition takes place in the human participants. In Song Six the seven chief princes initially bless God and then proceed to bless “all councils in the sanctuary, and those who have knowledge of eternal things,” “those whose way is perfect,” “all who wait for Him … for a return of His gracious compassion.” The following song, significantly the middle of the liturgy, describes angelic messenger activity arising from the throne of God, based on Ezekiel’s merkebah chapters. After Song Seven, a dramatic change takes place. In Song Eight those who do the blessing are no longer “chief” princes, but “deputy” princes. The hypothesis of this article is that these deputy princes are the “people of discernment” introduced in Song One, who, having persevered in joint exaltation of God with the “holiest of holy ones,” are enabled to become “god-like” messengers of God, to convey God’s compassion to those “who wait for Him.”
{"title":"The Princes in 4QSongs of the Sabbath Sacrifice, Songs Six and Eight: Are They Angelic or Human?","authors":"A. Evans","doi":"10.25159/2663-6573/8443","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/8443","url":null,"abstract":"The pervasive ambiguity in Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice (SOSS) presents a major problem: When are the activities described in this text performed by angels and when by humans? This article builds on previous research on Songs One, Seven, Twelve, Thirteen, and knowledge in SOSS that hypothesized that as the liturgy proceeds through the thirteen songs of 4QSOSS a gradual transition takes place in the human participants. In Song Six the seven chief princes initially bless God and then proceed to bless “all councils in the sanctuary, and those who have knowledge of eternal things,” “those whose way is perfect,” “all who wait for Him … for a return of His gracious compassion.” The following song, significantly the middle of the liturgy, describes angelic messenger activity arising from the throne of God, based on Ezekiel’s merkebah chapters. After Song Seven, a dramatic change takes place. In Song Eight those who do the blessing are no longer “chief” princes, but “deputy” princes. The hypothesis of this article is that these deputy princes are the “people of discernment” introduced in Song One, who, having persevered in joint exaltation of God with the “holiest of holy ones,” are enabled to become “god-like” messengers of God, to convey God’s compassion to those “who wait for Him.”","PeriodicalId":42047,"journal":{"name":"Journal for Semitics","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41562896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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