Legalism and apocalypticism in early Judaism

Thesis (M.A.) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1999.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Early Judaism, between approximately 200 BCE and 70 CE, had developed two significant strains of belief which affected the religious and social conduct of the various sections of the population: legalism and apocalypticism. They had evolved over a long historical period, influenced by political developments and social insecurity within Palestine, and by the destabilizing effects of Hellenization on the traditional values of Judaism. The literature of the period indicates separate groups within the diversified culture of Judaism, in which allegiance was to either Temple-based adherence to the Law or to the dissident apocalyptic tradition, with different eschatological expectations. In contrast, the Qumranic, socially-integrated, sectarians combined within their thought-processes and praxis both an extremely strict legalism and also significant elements of apocalyptic belief. They were able to accommodate both aspects because of a realized eschatology which considered the group to be the sole chosen remnant of Israel, already in the company of the holy angels and predestined for salvation. Within the greater Jewish milieu, legalism and apocalypticism were oppositional forces : within Qumran they were complementary. Rigid legalism, to maintain ritual purity, would hasten the imminent eschaton, with apocalyptic annihilation of evil by God and his angels.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die vroee Judaisme, tussen ongeveer 200 v.C. en 70 n.C., het twee betekenisvolle religieuse verskynsels ontwikkel wat die godsdienstige en sosiale optrede van verskeie seksies van die bevolking beinvloed het, naamlik die legalisme en apokaliptisisme. Hierdie verskynsels het oor 'n lang historiese periode ontwikkel en is beinvloed deur politieke verwikkelinge en sosiale onsekerhede binne Palestina, sowel as deur die destabiliserende effek van die Hellenisme op die tradisionele waardes van die Judaisme. Die literatuur van hierdie tydvak dui op afsonderlike groepe binne die uiteenlopende kulture van die Judaisme, waarin daar getrou gebly is aan 'n tempel-gebaseerde vaskleef aan die Wet, aan die een kant, of aan die afwykende apokaliptiese tradisie, met uiteenlopende eskatologiese verwagtinge, aan die ander kant. In kontrashiermee, het die sosiaal geintegreerde Qumran sekte binne hulle denke en praktyk beide 'n ekstreme streng legalisme, asook betekenisvolle elemente van apokaliptiese geloofsperspektiewe gekombineer. Hulle was in staat om beide aspekte te akkommodeer as gevolg van 'n gerealiseerde eskatologie wat die groep beskou het as die uitsluitlike uitverkore oorblyfsel van Israel, wat alreeds in die teenwoordigheid van heilige engele was en voorbeskik was vir redding. Binne die groter Joodse milieu was legalisme en apokaliptisisme kontrasterende kragte; in Qumran daarenteen funksioneer hulle komplementerend. Strenge legalisme, om, onder andere, die rituele reinheid te handhaaf, sou die ophande eschaton, met die gepaardgaande uitwissing van die bose deur God en sy engele, verhaas.Maste

Purity : blessing or burden?

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the history of Israel the concept of "purity" had developed as a way in which God's people could honour his holiness and draw nearer to him, as a sanctified nation. By the time of Jesus, in Second Temple Judaism, the purity system had become restrictive. This had been influenced by political and social developments, including an increased desire to withdraw from Hellenistic and other factors which were seen as contaminating the integrity of Judaism. There were diverse perceptions regarding the achievement of the purity of Israel, including militaristic confrontation and expulsion of alien occupation forces, stricter adherence to the Law and, in some cases, total withdrawal from general society (such as at Qumran). It was, however, particularly the Pharisaic imposition of the supplementary oral tradition, supposed to clarify the written Law, which imposed hardship on those who, through illiteracy or inferior social status, were unable to meet all the minute provisions which would ensure ritual purity. The expansion of the Law of Moses by the commentary of the rabbis, which over time became the entrenched oral "tradition of the fathers", was originally intended to promote access to God by clarifying obscure points of the Law, in the pursuit of purity. However, this oral tradition had, in fact, become an instrument of alienation and separation of the ordinary people not only from the Pharisees, who considered themselves as the religious elite, but also from God. The common people, that is, a large section of the population, felt rejected and on the outside of both religious and social acceptance. On the material level they also suffered under a heavy tax burden, from both Temple and State, which aggravated their poverty. It was this situation which Jesus confronted in his mission to change the ideological climate and to reveal the Kingdom of God as being accessible to all who accepted the true Fatherhood of God, in penitence and humility. He denounced the hypocrisy which professed piety but which ignored the plight of those who were suffering. Hark 7 : 1-23 symbolizes the difference between the teaching and practice of Jesus and that of the Pharisees, and provides metaphorically a pattern of Christian engagement which is relevant in the South African situation today. The Christian challenge is to remove those barriers, both ideological and economic, which impede spiritual and material well-being within society. By active engagement, rather than by retreating to the purely ritualistic and individualistic practice of religion, the realization of the Kingdom of Heaven, as inaugurated by Jesus, will be advanced.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die geskiedenis van Israel het die konsep van reinheid ontwikkel as 'n wyse waarin die die volk van God Sy heiligheid kan eer en tot Hom kan nader, as 'n geheiligde volk. Teen die tyd van Jesus, tydens Tweede Tempel Judaïsme, het die reinheid sisteem beperkend geword. Dit is beïnvloed deur politieke en sosiale ontwikkelinge, insluitende 'n toenemende drang om te onttrek van Hellenistiese en ander faktore, wat beskou is as 'n besoedeling van die integriteit van Judaïsme. Daar was diverse persepsies aangaande die uitvoering van die reinheid van Israel, insluitende militaristiese konfrontasie en die uitwerping van vreemde besettingsmagte, strenger onderhouding van die Wet en in sekere gevalle, totale onttreking van die algemene samelewing (soos by Qumran). Tog was dit in besonder die Fariseërs se oplegging van bykomende mondelinge tradisie, veronderstelom die geskrewe Wet te verhelder, wat ontbering veroorsaak het vir die wat as gevolg van ongeletterdheid of minderwaardige sosiale status nie in staat was om aan elke haarfyn bepaling, wat rituele reinheid sou verseker, te voldoen nie. Die uitbreiding van die wet van Moses deur die kommentaar van die rabbies, wat met verloop van tyd die ingegrawe mondelinge "tradisie van die vaders" geword het, was oorsproklik bedoel om toegang tot God te verseker, deur die verheldering van onduidelike aspekte van die wet, in die nastreef van reinheid. Hierdie mondelinge tradisie het egter 'n instrument van vervreemding geword en skeiding gebring tussen gewone mense en die Fariseers, sowel as die wat hulleself beskou het as die religieuse elite. Dit het egter ook skeiding gebring tussen mense en God. Die gewone mense, dit is die meerderheid van die bevolking, het verwerp gevoel en aan die buitekring van beide religieuse en sosiale aanvaarding. Op materiële vlak het hulle ook gelyonder die juk van swaar belasting, van beide die Tempel en die Staat, wat hulle toestand van armoede vererger het. Dit was hierdie situasie wat Jesus gekonfronteer het in sy strewe om die ideologiese klimaat te verander en om die Koninkryk van God te openbaar as toeganklik vir almal wat die ware Vaderskap van God aanvaar, in berou en in nederigheid. Hy het die skynheiligheid verwerp wat aanspraak maak op vroomheid, maar die toestand van die lydendes ignoreer. Markus 7:1-23 simboliseer die verskil tussen die onderrig en die praktyk van Jesus en dié van die Fariseërs en voorsien metafories 'n patroon van Christelike verbintenis, wat relevant is binne die eietydse Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Die uitdaging aan die Christendom is om die skeidslyne te verwyder, beide ideologies en ekonomies, wat geestelike en materieële welsyn binne die gemeenskap belemmer. Deur aktiewe betrokkenheid, eerder as om bloot te onttrek tot die suiwer ritualistiese en individualistiese beoefening van religie, sal die realisering van die Koninkryk van die Hemel soos ingehuldig deur Jesus, bevorder word

Legalism and apocalypticism in early Judaism

Thesis (M.A.) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1999.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Early Judaism, between approximately 200 BCE and 70 CE, had developed two significant strains of belief which affected the religious and social conduct of the various sections of the population: legalism and apocalypticism. They had evolved over a long historical period, influenced by political developments and social insecurity within Palestine, and by the destabilizing effects of Hellenization on the traditional values of Judaism. The literature of the period indicates separate groups within the diversified culture of Judaism, in which allegiance was to either Temple-based adherence to the Law or to the dissident apocalyptic tradition, with different eschatological expectations. In contrast, the Qumranic, socially-integrated, sectarians combined within their thought-processes and praxis both an extremely strict legalism and also significant elements of apocalyptic belief. They were able to accommodate both aspects because of a realized eschatology which considered the group to be the sole chosen remnant of Israel, already in the company of the holy angels and predestined for salvation. Within the greater Jewish milieu, legalism and apocalypticism were oppositional forces : within Qumran they were complementary. Rigid legalism, to maintain ritual purity, would hasten the imminent eschaton, with apocalyptic annihilation of evil by God and his angels.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende die vroee Judaisme, tussen ongeveer 200 v.C. en 70 n.C., het twee betekenisvolle religieuse verskynsels ontwikkel wat die godsdienstige en sosiale optrede van verskeie seksies van die bevolking beinvloed het, naamlik die legalisme en apokaliptisisme. Hierdie verskynsels het oor 'n lang historiese periode ontwikkel en is beinvloed deur politieke verwikkelinge en sosiale onsekerhede binne Palestina, sowel as deur die destabiliserende effek van die Hellenisme op die tradisionele waardes van die Judaisme. Die literatuur van hierdie tydvak dui op afsonderlike groepe binne die uiteenlopende kulture van die Judaisme, waarin daar getrou gebly is aan 'n tempel-gebaseerde vaskleef aan die Wet, aan die een kant, of aan die afwykende apokaliptiese tradisie, met uiteenlopende eskatologiese verwagtinge, aan die ander kant. In kontrashiermee, het die sosiaal geintegreerde Qumran sekte binne hulle denke en praktyk beide 'n ekstreme streng legalisme, asook betekenisvolle elemente van apokaliptiese geloofsperspektiewe gekombineer. Hulle was in staat om beide aspekte te akkommodeer as gevolg van 'n gerealiseerde eskatologie wat die groep beskou het as die uitsluitlike uitverkore oorblyfsel van Israel, wat alreeds in die teenwoordigheid van heilige engele was en voorbeskik was vir redding. Binne die groter Joodse milieu was legalisme en apokaliptisisme kontrasterende kragte; in Qumran daarenteen funksioneer hulle komplementerend. Strenge legalisme, om, onder andere, die rituele reinheid te handhaaf, sou die ophande eschaton, met die gepaardgaande uitwissing van die bose deur God en sy engele, verhaas.Maste

Discovery of new targets for antimalarial chemotherapy

The understanding of the biology and the biochemistry of malaria parasites has considerably increased over the past two decades with the discovery of many potential targets for new antimalarial drugs. The decrypted genomes of several Plasmodium species and the new post-genomic tools further enriched our “reservoir” of targets and increased our ability to validate potential drug targets or to study the entire parasite metabolism. This review discusses targets involved in calcium metabolism, protein prenylation and apicoplast functions that have emerged by different approaches

Vital role for Plasmodium berghei Kinesin8B in axoneme assembly during male gamete formation and mosquito transmission

Sexual development is an essential phase in the Plasmodium life cycle, where male gametogenesis is an unusual and extraordinarily rapid process. It produces 8 haploid motile microgametes, from a microgametocyte within 15 minutes. Its unique achievement lies in linking the assembly of 8 axonemes in the cytoplasm to the three rounds of intranuclear genome replication, forming motile microgametes, which are expelled in a process called exflagellation. Surprisingly little is known about the actors involved in these processes. We are interested in kinesins, molecular motors that could play potential roles in male gametogenesis. We have undertaken a functional characterization in Plasmodium berghei of kinesin‐8B (PbKIN8B) expressed specifically in male gametocytes and gametes. By generating Pbkin8B‐gfp parasites, we show that PbKIN8B is specifically expressed during male gametogenesis and is associated with the axoneme. We created a ΔPbkin8B knockout cell line and analysed the consequences of the absence of PbKIN8B on male gametogenesis. We show that the ability to produce sexually differentiated gametocytes is not affected in ΔPbkin8B parasites and that the 3 rounds of genome replication occur normally. Nevertheless, the development to free motile microgametes is halted and the life cycle is interrupted in vivo. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that intranuclear mitoses are unaffected whereas cytoplasmic microtubules, although assembled in doublets and elongated, fail to assemble in the normal axonemal ‘9+2' structure and become motile. Absence of a functional axoneme prevented microgamete assembly and release from the microgametocyte, severely reducing infection of the mosquito vector. This is the first functional study of a kinesin involved in male gametogenesis. These results reveal a previously unknown role for PbKIN8B in male gametogenesis, providing new insights into Plasmodium flagellar formation

Antibodies Raised against Bcvir15, an Extrachromosomal Double-Stranded RNA-Encoded Protein from Babesia canis, Inhibit the In Vitro Growth of the Parasite

As part of a search for homologous members of the Plasmodium falciparum Pf60 multigene family in the intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite Babesia canis, we report here the characterization of a cDNA of 1,115 bp, which was designated Bcvir for its potential viral origin. The Bcvir cDNA contained two overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) (ORF1 from nucleotide [nt] 61 to 486 and ORF2 from nt 417 to 919), where Bcvir15, the deduced ORF1 peptide (M(1) to I(141)), is the main expressed product. The Bcvir cDNA was derived from an extrachromosomal dsRNA element of 1.2 kbp that was always found associated with a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of 2.8 kbp by hybridization, and no copy of this cDNA sequence was found in B. canis genomic DNA. Biochemical characterization of Bcvir15, by using polyclonal rabbit sera directed against recombinant proteins, indicated that it is a soluble protein which remained associated with the cytoplasm of the B. canis merozoite. Interestingly, purified immunoglobulins from the anti-glutathione S-transferase-Bcvir15 (at a concentration of 160 μg/ml) induced 50% inhibition of the in vitro growth of B. canis, and the inhibitory effect was associated with morphological damage of the parasite. Our data suggest that the extrachromosomal dsRNA-encoded Bcvir15 protein might interfere with the intracellular growth of the parasite rather than with the process of invasion of the host cell by the merozoite. Epitope mapping of Bcvir15 identified three epitopes that might be essential for the function of the protein