Bybelvertalers en Bybelvertalings die afgelope honderd jaar, in besonder vanuit die Fakulteit Teologie van die Universiteit van Pretoria

With the 500 year celebration of the Reformation, it is necessary that Bible translation be reviewed again. The year 2017 is not only the year of Reformation celebration, but also the year of centenary celebration of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria (UP). The article attempts to briefly refer to the roots of Bible translation, which is anchored in the Reformation; but also to look at Bible translation in South Africa over the last hundred years, as well as the contribution made especially by the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria (UP) in this regard.http://www.hts.org.zaam2018Old Testament Studie

Exclusive language : the tool to empower and create identity

This article used some postmodern literary theories of philosophers such as Jean-François Lyotard, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida and Julia Kristeva to scrutinise a selection of texts from the post-exilic period with regard to the exclusive language employed in these texts. Lyotard’s insights relate to and complement Foucault’s concept of ‘counter-memory’. Foucault also focuses on the network of discursive powers that operate behind texts and reproduce them, arguing that it is important to have a look from behind so as to see which voices were silenced by the specific powers behind texts. The author briefly looked at different post-exilic texts within identity-finding contexts, focusing especially on Chronicles and a few Qumran texts, to examine the way in which they used language to create identity and to empower the community in their different contexts. It is generally accepted that both the author(s) of 1 & 2 Chronicles and the Qumran community used texts selectively, with their own nuances, omissions and additions. This study scrutinised the way the author(s) of Chronicles and the Qumran community used documents selectively, focusing on the way in which they used exclusive language. It is clear that all communities used such language in certain circumstances to strengthen a certain group’s identity, to empower them and to legitimise this group’s conduct, behaviour and claims – and thereby exclude other groups. INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS : Based on postmodern literary theories, this article compares the exclusive language used in Chronicles and in the texts of the Qumran community, pointing to the practice of creating identity and empowering through discourse. In conclusion, the article reflects on what is necessary in a South African context, post-1994, to be a truly democratic country.This article is a revision of a paper that I delivered at the OTSSA conference in 2014. The theme of the conference was ‘Studying the Old Testament in South Africa from 1994 to 2014 and beyond’.http://www.ve.org.zaam2016Old Testament Studie

Moving forward with combinatorial interaction testing

Combinatorial interaction testing (CIT) is an efficient and effective method of detecting failures that are caused by the interactions of various system input parameters. In this paper, we discuss CIT, point out some of the difficulties of applying it in practice, and highlight some recent advances that have improved CIT’s applicability to modern systems. We also provide a roadmap for future research and directions; one that we hope will lead to new CIT research and to higher quality testing of industrial systems

1 and 2 Chronicles as a discourse of power

This research is part of the research project ‘Second Temple Literature and Qumran’ directed by Prof. Dr Ananda Geyser-Fouché, Department of Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria.DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT: Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.This article reflected a comparison of 1 and 2 Chronicles with its source documents. It transpires that the history of Israel and Judah is selectively retold by the authors of Chronicles with deliberate omissions and additions reflecting a certain emphasis. While the northern kingdom is negatively portrayed, the southern kingdom is positively evaluated. David is idealised as the perfect king. He is credited with founding the religious cult, which is contradicting the view in Exodus. The Jerusalem temple cult is legitimised and asserted as representing the only accurate religion. Chronicles 1 and 2 secured the temple elite’s position by legitimising their actions, functioning in this community as a discourse of power for as long as the (second) temple existed. Being a discourse of power, it set margins and excluded various groups usually considered part of the people of YHWH. The destruction of the (second) temple led to the disempowerment of this text, opening the way for it to be included in the Hebrew canon. The key insights of this article were that 1 and 2 Chronicles were used as a discourse of power, but the power block was lifted once the second temple was destroyed.http://www.hts.org.zaOld Testament Studie

Discernment ( בין ) in the Old Testament

Discernment is one of the concepts that urge each and everyone to think critically and anew. The concept of a never-ending spiral of thinking is very familiar in the circles of reformed churches. This concept is also known from the wisdom literature in the Old Testament. The realisation that you do not know, means approaching the ability to grasp something of wisdom. In order to find out what the Old Testament is saying about ‘discern’, I did a textual research on the two Hebrew words: בין and בחן . I apply the results of this research to the context of the church (with specific reference to the ‘Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika’ [NH Church]) attempting to find out what the church’s responsibility is with regards to what is really important (i.e. discernment).This article was initially a paper delivered in June at the VTT (Voortgesette Teologiese Toerusting) with the theme: ‘Onderskei oor dit waarop dit werklik aankom’.http://www.hts.org.zaam201

Crucifixion at Qumran

When the last texts of Qumran cave 4 were published, another text that refers to crucifixion came to the fore, namely 4Q524 14:1–6, part of which is verbatim the same as 11QTª 64:6–13. Both texts add to the Pentateuchal text by giving the reason why persons were hanged. Therefore I will compare these two texts with each other, but also with their Pentateuchal parallels Deuteronomy 21:18–23, 22:1–2 and 22:11. I will attempt to explain the differences against the social text, by studying the crucifixion and/or hanging practices of neighbouring cultures (social text) and by reading these two texts against the fragmented text of 4QpNahum 3–4 I:7–8, which is a Qumran text that deals with execution.http://www.hts.org.zaam201

A love triangle between God, Sophia, and the righteous interwoven in the retelling of the Pentateuchal stories in Wisdom 10

In the Wisdom of Solomon, with special reference to chapters 6 to 10, wisdom is personified as a woman. This image is quite often found, especially in the wisdom literature. In the Wisdom of Solomon, Sophia is portrayed as a person who can speak, act, and feel, but most of all someone who can be loved and desired. She is portrayed as someone that is loved alternately by God and by the righteous. In Wisdom 10 Sophia is interwoven in the retelling of the Pentateuchal stories. She is the reason the righteous forefathers made the correct decisions, she protected and preserved them and gave them power, while the unrighteous are portrayed as leaving her and consequently making the wrong decisions. It is also interesting to notice the development in the concept of both wisdom and retribution from the traditional perspectives.This article is a reworked version of a part of a PhD (Semitic Languages) thesis, which was completed under the supervision of Prof. G.T.M. Prinsloo in the Department of Ancient and Modern Languages and Cultures at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, with the title “The Ideological Necessity for the Transformation of the Lady Metaphors in Judaic Wisdom Literature.” (http://hdl.handle.net/2263/80209)https://upjournals.co.za/index.php/JSEMam2022Old Testament Studie

Jots and tittles have meaning : the critical exegetical and theological contribution of Andries Breytenbach as Bible translator

The article is a reworked version of a paper presented at a commemoration ceremony by the Department of Old Testament Studies, University of Pretoria and the South African Bible Society in honour of two emeritus professors of the Department of Old Testament Studies for their contributions to Bible translation. This contribution focuses on Prof. Dr Andries P.B. Breytenbach’s role, especially in the translation of the Old Testament into isiNdebele. This article is published as part of the tribute towards an alumnus of the Faculty of Theology, Professor James Alfred Loader, who retires in 2013 as Old Testament scholar from the University of Vienna.The article is a reworked version of a paper presented at a commemoration ceremony in honour of the retired Reformed exegetes of the Department of Old Testament Studies of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Pretoria who have contributed immensely to translation projects of the South African Bible Society. In this article, the author focuses on the theological and exegetical relevance of Professor A.P.B. Breytenbach. The article shows Breytenbach’s critical presuppositions in hermeneutics, especially his contribution towards the understanding of diversity in the message of the Old Testament and the ‘second naiveté’ which constitutes a critical lens through which the Old Testament should be interpreted by the Christian faith community.http://www.hts.org.zaam2013mn201

Heaven and hell

Any conversation on ‘heaven and hell’ is nothing else but a conversation about ‘life after death’. To understand the concept of heaven, earth and hell as described in the biblical context and surrounding cultures, it is important to understand their concept of the cosmos and creation. Different perspectives of the universe lead to different ideas about life after death. Apocalyptic thoughts brought new perspectives to the understanding of life after death. All these different views can only be understood within the context in which they developed. Due to scientific results, the perception of the cosmos changed, urging us today to interpret ancient models metaphorically.http://www.hts.org.zaam201

The debate on the sectarian movement in the Dead Sea Scrolls continues

This article reviews the debate concerning the sectarian movement in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The consensus that the movement described in the Damascus Document and Community Rule originated in a dispute over the high priesthood in the mid-second century BCE has broken down in the last two decades since the unveiling of more texts, especially those from Cave 4. The scope of this debate and the ensuing developments are vast; therefore, the article only briefly discusses the main arguments and the more contemporary discourses, focusing on the five main aspects with their associated topics. These aspects are the Righteous Teacher, the Wicked Priest, the possible schism, the socio-historical context, and the sectarian movement.https://unisapressjournals.co.za/index.php/JSEMhj2023Old Testament Studie