Faculty of Theology
Department of Old Testament Studies
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
A volume of papers, Exile and suffering. A selection of papers read at the 50th anniversary meeting of the Old Testament Society of South Africa, was published in 2009. The papers were presented at the 50th anniversary of the Old Testament Society in South Africa. Prof Dirk Human was the co-editor, while Dr Gerda de Villiers and Prof Jurie le Roux were contributors. In her contribution, ‘Sin, suffering, sagacity: Genesis 2–3’, Dr de Villiers deals with the so-called ‘Story of the Fall’, as recounted in Genesis 2–3. She suggests an alternative approach to the traditional Christian approach of “sin”.
In the narrative of Genesis 2–3, knowledge plays a key role. Knowledge is first introduced by the Lord God’s prohibition to the man to eat from the “tree of knowledge” (Gen 2:17), warning him that if he does so, he will certainly die. This cue is taken up by the snake when he addresses the woman in the form of a suggestive question (Gen 3:1) and then points out the positive qualities associated with gaining insight, even becoming like God (Gen 3:5). Unlike God’s threat that the humans drop down dead after they had eaten from the tree, the snake’s words become true and their “eyes open” (Gen 3:7).
In the Ancient Near East, snakes were not seen as evil. On the contrary, although they were feared for being dangerous, they were often revered as chthonic deities. Snakes were also associated with wisdom and knowledge, and due to the fact that they shed their skins, they were thought to possess the capacity to live forever. However, everlasting life was the privilege of the gods, not to be granted to human beings. Seen in this light, the narrative of Genesis 2–3 explains in the first place how death came into the world: the humans were tricked by the snake that actually protected a godly prerogative. At the same time, the snake also helped the humans, albeit in a rather indirect manner. When they ate from the tree, they became equipped with the necessary skills of survival in the world out there: knowledge.
In his contribution ‘Suffering and hope during the exile’, Prof Le Roux deals with Pentateuch perspectives on the Babylonian exile of Israel. Too often it is stated that the critical study of the Pentateuch (the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) severs the link with life and the problems of life. This article endeavours to show the inextricable link between text and theory, between the Pentateuch and the living context in which it originated. Put differently, this article is a “practical application” of the Pentateuch theory that is used in the context of Pro Pent. It focuses on the pain and suffering of the exiles and shows how our theory enables us to understand that suffering, but also the intellectual attempts that were made to reinvent their future. The article articulates the nagging question posed by the exiles: Did Israel have a future? Did the exile imply the end of God’s history with His people? In their spiritual odyssey, the dates 722 (the fall of Israel) and 586 (the fall of Judah) haunted them because they were historical markers accentuating defeat, suffering and loss. Would Judah also fade from the pages of history, as did Israel?
The Zadokite intellectuals had to provide answers and they did that in a brilliant way. They took three events that happened in the early history of Israel, namely, the story of the golden calf, Moses’s intercession and the reissuing of the Ten Commandments, and reinterpreted these incidents in such a way that they could console the exiles with the hope of a new future (cf Dt 9:9–21; 10:1–5). This article intends to contribute to the importance of Pro Pent’s theory of the Pentateuch and its ability to open up living contexts.
During 2009, three articles by Prof Alphonso Groenewald were published. Two of them flowed forth from previous research that focused on the Psalms: ‘Psalm 16, ethics and the larger compositional group Psalms 15–24’ was published in Journal for Semitics 18/2 and ‘Psalm 51 and the criticism of the cult: Does this reflect a divided religious leadership?’ was published in Old Testament Essays 22/1. The article on Psalm 51 links to issues that are also dealt with in the current research focus, namely on the book of Isaiah. The third article that was published focused on Isaiah: ‘Some notes on writing a commentary: Isaiah 1-12’ was published in Verbum et Ecclesia 30/1.
Contact person: Dr JG Venter.
A volume of papers, Exile and suffering. A selection of papers read at the 50th anniversary meeting of the Old Testament Society of South Africa, was published in 2009. The papers were presented at the 50th anniversary of the Old Testament Society in South Africa. Prof Dirk Human was the co-editor, while Dr Gerda de Villiers and Prof Jurie le Roux were contributors. In her contribution, ‘Sin, suffering, sagacity: Genesis 2–3’, Dr de Villiers deals with the so-called ‘Story of the Fall’, as recounted in Genesis 2–3. She suggests an alternative approach to the traditional Christian approach of “sin”.
In the narrative of Genesis 2–3, knowledge plays a key role. Knowledge is first introduced by the Lord God’s prohibition to the man to eat from the “tree of knowledge” (Gen 2:17), warning him that if he does so, he will certainly die. This cue is taken up by the snake when he addresses the woman in the form of a suggestive question (Gen 3:1) and then points out the positive qualities associated with gaining insight, even becoming like God (Gen 3:5). Unlike God’s threat that the humans drop down dead after they had eaten from the tree, the snake’s words become true and their “eyes open” (Gen 3:7).
In the Ancient Near East, snakes were not seen as evil. On the contrary, although they were feared for being dangerous, they were often revered as chthonic deities. Snakes were also associated with wisdom and knowledge, and due to the fact that they shed their skins, they were thought to possess the capacity to live forever. However, everlasting life was the privilege of the gods, not to be granted to human beings. Seen in this light, the narrative of Genesis 2–3 explains in the first place how death came into the world: the humans were tricked by the snake that actually protected a godly prerogative. At the same time, the snake also helped the humans, albeit in a rather indirect manner. When they ate from the tree, they became equipped with the necessary skills of survival in the world out there: knowledge.
In his contribution ‘Suffering and hope during the exile’, Prof Le Roux deals with Pentateuch perspectives on the Babylonian exile of Israel. Too often it is stated that the critical study of the Pentateuch (the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) severs the link with life and the problems of life. This article endeavours to show the inextricable link between text and theory, between the Pentateuch and the living context in which it originated. Put differently, this article is a “practical application” of the Pentateuch theory that is used in the context of Pro Pent. It focuses on the pain and suffering of the exiles and shows how our theory enables us to understand that suffering, but also the intellectual attempts that were made to reinvent their future. The article articulates the nagging question posed by the exiles: Did Israel have a future? Did the exile imply the end of God’s history with His people? In their spiritual odyssey, the dates 722 (the fall of Israel) and 586 (the fall of Judah) haunted them because they were historical markers accentuating defeat, suffering and loss. Would Judah also fade from the pages of history, as did Israel?
The Zadokite intellectuals had to provide answers and they did that in a brilliant way. They took three events that happened in the early history of Israel, namely, the story of the golden calf, Moses’s intercession and the reissuing of the Ten Commandments, and reinterpreted these incidents in such a way that they could console the exiles with the hope of a new future (cf Dt 9:9–21; 10:1–5). This article intends to contribute to the importance of Pro Pent’s theory of the Pentateuch and its ability to open up living contexts.
During 2009, three articles by Prof Alphonso Groenewald were published. Two of them flowed forth from previous research that focused on the Psalms: ‘Psalm 16, ethics and the larger compositional group Psalms 15–24’ was published in Journal for Semitics 18/2 and ‘Psalm 51 and the criticism of the cult: Does this reflect a divided religious leadership?’ was published in Old Testament Essays 22/1. The article on Psalm 51 links to issues that are also dealt with in the current research focus, namely on the book of Isaiah. The third article that was published focused on Isaiah: ‘Some notes on writing a commentary: Isaiah 1-12’ was published in Verbum et Ecclesia 30/1.
Contact person: Prof DJ Human.
A volume of papers, Exile and suffering. A selection of papers read at the 50th anniversary meeting of the Old Testament Society of South Africa, was published in 2009. The papers were presented at the 50th anniversary of the Old Testament Society in South Africa. Prof Dirk Human was the co-editor, while Dr Gerda de Villiers and Prof Jurie le Roux were contributors. In her contribution, ‘Sin, suffering, sagacity: Genesis 2–3’, Dr de Villiers deals with the so-called ‘Story of the Fall’, as recounted in Genesis 2–3. She suggests an alternative approach to the traditional Christian approach of “sin”.
In the narrative of Genesis 2–3, knowledge plays a key role. Knowledge is first introduced by the Lord God’s prohibition to the man to eat from the “tree of knowledge” (Gen 2:17), warning him that if he does so, he will certainly die. This cue is taken up by the snake when he addresses the woman in the form of a suggestive question (Gen 3:1) and then points out the positive qualities associated with gaining insight, even becoming like God (Gen 3:5). Unlike God’s threat that the humans drop down dead after they had eaten from the tree, the snake’s words become true and their “eyes open” (Gen 3:7).
In the Ancient Near East, snakes were not seen as evil. On the contrary, although they were feared for being dangerous, they were often revered as chthonic deities. Snakes were also associated with wisdom and knowledge, and due to the fact that they shed their skins, they were thought to possess the capacity to live forever. However, everlasting life was the privilege of the gods, not to be granted to human beings. Seen in this light, the narrative of Genesis 2–3 explains in the first place how death came into the world: the humans were tricked by the snake that actually protected a godly prerogative. At the same time, the snake also helped the humans, albeit in a rather indirect manner. When they ate from the tree, they became equipped with the necessary skills of survival in the world out there: knowledge.
In his contribution ‘Suffering and hope during the exile’, Prof Le Roux deals with Pentateuch perspectives on the Babylonian exile of Israel. Too often it is stated that the critical study of the Pentateuch (the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) severs the link with life and the problems of life. This article endeavours to show the inextricable link between text and theory, between the Pentateuch and the living context in which it originated. Put differently, this article is a “practical application” of the Pentateuch theory that is used in the context of Pro Pent. It focuses on the pain and suffering of the exiles and shows how our theory enables us to understand that suffering, but also the intellectual attempts that were made to reinvent their future. The article articulates the nagging question posed by the exiles: Did Israel have a future? Did the exile imply the end of God’s history with His people? In their spiritual odyssey, the dates 722 (the fall of Israel) and 586 (the fall of Judah) haunted them because they were historical markers accentuating defeat, suffering and loss. Would Judah also fade from the pages of history, as did Israel?
The Zadokite intellectuals had to provide answers and they did that in a brilliant way. They took three events that happened in the early history of Israel, namely, the story of the golden calf, Moses’s intercession and the reissuing of the Ten Commandments, and reinterpreted these incidents in such a way that they could console the exiles with the hope of a new future (cf Dt 9:9–21; 10:1–5). This article intends to contribute to the importance of Pro Pent’s theory of the Pentateuch and its ability to open up living contexts.
During 2009, three articles by Prof Alphonso Groenewald were published. Two of them flowed forth from previous research that focused on the Psalms: ‘Psalm 16, ethics and the larger compositional group Psalms 15–24’ was published in Journal for Semitics 18/2 and ‘Psalm 51 and the criticism of the cult: Does this reflect a divided religious leadership?’ was published in Old Testament Essays 22/1. The article on Psalm 51 links to issues that are also dealt with in the current research focus, namely on the book of Isaiah. The third article that was published focused on Isaiah: ‘Some notes on writing a commentary: Isaiah 1-12’ was published in Verbum et Ecclesia 30/1.
Contact person: Dr A Groenewald.
A volume of papers, Exile and suffering. A selection of papers read at the 50th anniversary meeting of the Old Testament Society of South Africa, was published in 2009. The papers were presented at the 50th anniversary of the Old Testament Society in South Africa. Prof Dirk Human was the co-editor, while Dr Gerda de Villiers and Prof Jurie le Roux were contributors. In her contribution, ‘Sin, suffering, sagacity: Genesis 2–3’, Dr de Villiers deals with the so-called ‘Story of the Fall’, as recounted in Genesis 2–3. She suggests an alternative approach to the traditional Christian approach of “sin”.
In the narrative of Genesis 2–3, knowledge plays a key role. Knowledge is first introduced by the Lord God’s prohibition to the man to eat from the “tree of knowledge” (Gen 2:17), warning him that if he does so, he will certainly die. This cue is taken up by the snake when he addresses the woman in the form of a suggestive question (Gen 3:1) and then points out the positive qualities associated with gaining insight, even becoming like God (Gen 3:5). Unlike God’s threat that the humans drop down dead after they had eaten from the tree, the snake’s words become true and their “eyes open” (Gen 3:7).
In the Ancient Near East, snakes were not seen as evil. On the contrary, although they were feared for being dangerous, they were often revered as chthonic deities. Snakes were also associated with wisdom and knowledge, and due to the fact that they shed their skins, they were thought to possess the capacity to live forever. However, everlasting life was the privilege of the gods, not to be granted to human beings. Seen in this light, the narrative of Genesis 2–3 explains in the first place how death came into the world: the humans were tricked by the snake that actually protected a godly prerogative. At the same time, the snake also helped the humans, albeit in a rather indirect manner. When they ate from the tree, they became equipped with the necessary skills of survival in the world out there: knowledge.
In his contribution ‘Suffering and hope during the exile’, Prof Le Roux deals with Pentateuch perspectives on the Babylonian exile of Israel. Too often it is stated that the critical study of the Pentateuch (the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) severs the link with life and the problems of life. This article endeavours to show the inextricable link between text and theory, between the Pentateuch and the living context in which it originated. Put differently, this article is a “practical application” of the Pentateuch theory that is used in the context of Pro Pent. It focuses on the pain and suffering of the exiles and shows how our theory enables us to understand that suffering, but also the intellectual attempts that were made to reinvent their future. The article articulates the nagging question posed by the exiles: Did Israel have a future? Did the exile imply the end of God’s history with His people? In their spiritual odyssey, the dates 722 (the fall of Israel) and 586 (the fall of Judah) haunted them because they were historical markers accentuating defeat, suffering and loss. Would Judah also fade from the pages of history, as did Israel?
The Zadokite intellectuals had to provide answers and they did that in a brilliant way. They took three events that happened in the early history of Israel, namely, the story of the golden calf, Moses’s intercession and the reissuing of the Ten Commandments, and reinterpreted these incidents in such a way that they could console the exiles with the hope of a new future (cf Dt 9:9–21; 10:1–5). This article intends to contribute to the importance of Pro Pent’s theory of the Pentateuch and its ability to open up living contexts.
During 2009, three articles by Prof Alphonso Groenewald were published. Two of them flowed forth from previous research that focused on the Psalms: ‘Psalm 16, ethics and the larger compositional group Psalms 15–24’ was published in Journal for Semitics 18/2 and ‘Psalm 51 and the criticism of the cult: Does this reflect a divided religious leadership?’ was published in Old Testament Essays 22/1. The article on Psalm 51 links to issues that are also dealt with in the current research focus, namely on the book of Isaiah. The third article that was published focused on Isaiah: ‘Some notes on writing a commentary: Isaiah 1-12’ was published in Verbum et Ecclesia 30/1.
Contact person: Prof JH le Roux.
A volume of papers, Exile and suffering. A selection of papers read at the 50th anniversary meeting of the Old Testament Society of South Africa, was published in 2009. The papers were presented at the 50th anniversary of the Old Testament Society in South Africa. Prof Dirk Human was the co-editor, while Dr Gerda de Villiers and Prof Jurie le Roux were contributors. In her contribution, ‘Sin, suffering, sagacity: Genesis 2–3’, Dr de Villiers deals with the so-called ‘Story of the Fall’, as recounted in Genesis 2–3. She suggests an alternative approach to the traditional Christian approach of “sin”.
In the narrative of Genesis 2–3, knowledge plays a key role. Knowledge is first introduced by the Lord God’s prohibition to the man to eat from the “tree of knowledge” (Gen 2:17), warning him that if he does so, he will certainly die. This cue is taken up by the snake when he addresses the woman in the form of a suggestive question (Gen 3:1) and then points out the positive qualities associated with gaining insight, even becoming like God (Gen 3:5). Unlike God’s threat that the humans drop down dead after they had eaten from the tree, the snake’s words become true and their “eyes open” (Gen 3:7).
In the Ancient Near East, snakes were not seen as evil. On the contrary, although they were feared for being dangerous, they were often revered as chthonic deities. Snakes were also associated with wisdom and knowledge, and due to the fact that they shed their skins, they were thought to possess the capacity to live forever. However, everlasting life was the privilege of the gods, not to be granted to human beings. Seen in this light, the narrative of Genesis 2–3 explains in the first place how death came into the world: the humans were tricked by the snake that actually protected a godly prerogative. At the same time, the snake also helped the humans, albeit in a rather indirect manner. When they ate from the tree, they became equipped with the necessary skills of survival in the world out there: knowledge.
In his contribution ‘Suffering and hope during the exile’, Prof Le Roux deals with Pentateuch perspectives on the Babylonian exile of Israel. Too often it is stated that the critical study of the Pentateuch (the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) severs the link with life and the problems of life. This article endeavours to show the inextricable link between text and theory, between the Pentateuch and the living context in which it originated. Put differently, this article is a “practical application” of the Pentateuch theory that is used in the context of Pro Pent. It focuses on the pain and suffering of the exiles and shows how our theory enables us to understand that suffering, but also the intellectual attempts that were made to reinvent their future. The article articulates the nagging question posed by the exiles: Did Israel have a future? Did the exile imply the end of God’s history with His people? In their spiritual odyssey, the dates 722 (the fall of Israel) and 586 (the fall of Judah) haunted them because they were historical markers accentuating defeat, suffering and loss. Would Judah also fade from the pages of history, as did Israel?
The Zadokite intellectuals had to provide answers and they did that in a brilliant way. They took three events that happened in the early history of Israel, namely, the story of the golden calf, Moses’s intercession and the reissuing of the Ten Commandments, and reinterpreted these incidents in such a way that they could console the exiles with the hope of a new future (cf Dt 9:9–21; 10:1–5). This article intends to contribute to the importance of Pro Pent’s theory of the Pentateuch and its ability to open up living contexts.
During 2009, three articles by Prof Alphonso Groenewald were published. Two of them flowed forth from previous research that focused on the Psalms: ‘Psalm 16, ethics and the larger compositional group Psalms 15–24’ was published in Journal for Semitics 18/2 and ‘Psalm 51 and the criticism of the cult: Does this reflect a divided religious leadership?’ was published in Old Testament Essays 22/1. The article on Psalm 51 links to issues that are also dealt with in the current research focus, namely on the book of Isaiah. The third article that was published focused on Isaiah: ‘Some notes on writing a commentary: Isaiah 1-12’ was published in Verbum et Ecclesia 30/1.
Contact person: Dr G De Villiers.
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