Sacred Times: The Book of Jubilees at Qumran

Given the evidence that Jubilees was so influential at Qumran, this paper seeks to answer the following questions: How did the book of Jubilees understand sacred times in general and the Sabbath in particular? How did its sacred time theology affect the theology of the Qumran community? This paper will not contribute any novel or unique ideas regarding either Jubilees or the Qumran community, as such. It will, however, endeavor to bring the various facets of scholarship on the subjects together, making the relationship between the two more concrete

Angels and Sub-Divine Supernatural Beings: Their Characteristics, Function, and Relationship to God and Humanity in Deuteronomy-Kings

This research analyzes selected passages in Deuteronomy-Kings in order to determine the characteristics and roles of supernatural sub-divine beings within these books. Then this data is compared with the angelology of the Second Temple period in order to identify the similarities and the extent of the differences between them. Deuteronomy contains references to supernatural sub-divine beings, such as “demons” and “holy one(s)”. While Deuteronomy affirms the existence of sub-divine beings, it forbids the Israelites to worship them. In the books of Joshua and Judges, there is awareness of supernatural beings and their roles as warriors, messengers, and tormentors. However, in Joshua 5:13-15 and Exodus 3:2-6, appearances of the Prince of the Host (of YHWH) should be interpreted as theophanies (cf. Daniel 8:10-11). Some “angel of the LORD” passages, such as Judges 6, can also be classified as theophanies. The books of Samuel contain many references to supernatural sub-divine beings, including angels, cherubim, and spirits, providing a fuller picture of the supernatural world. The angelic messengers and evil spirits found in the books of Samuel bear strong similarities to those in the New Testament. The books of Kings present a full pre-exilic picture of the supernatural world and humanity’s awareness of it. The “divine council” motif, the ministering angel, and chariots and horses of fire are found in these books. These books also portray a lying spirit and cherubim. Exilic and post-exilic angelology have many interesting, pronounced features. Some beings are named, further roles (i.e. vision-interpreter) are assigned, and the Accuser/Satan’s role in the cosmos becomes clearer. However, the differences between exilic/post-exilic and pre-exilic angelology have been overstated. Many of the New Testament and intertestamental conceptions about the supernatural world have roots in the pre-exilic period. Angels function in similar ways, as messengers, punishers, and ministers; spirits can cause havoc, and the concept of a spiritual battle (worshipping YHWH instead of demons) is present. The building blocks for the Second Temple period concepts about angels and other sub-divine beings have their basis in Deuteronomy- Kings, and one does not need to search for foreign (i.e. Mesopotamian, Persian, or Greek) origins of these ideas

Data for Decisions: A Survey on Biblical Language Training and the Future of Pastoral Education

Data for Decisions. A Survey on Biblical Language Training and the Future of Pastoral Education (Abstract) Presented by J. Amanda McGuire-Moushon and Angelika Kaiser (PhD candidates). In 2010, David J. A. Clines asked the question “Teaching Biblical Languages: Time for a Rethink?”.[1] In his essay he outlined various areas in which teachers of Biblical languages should start to reassess their understanding of teaching and learning biblical languages, including premises, method(s), and desired outcomes. Asking Cline’s question in the context of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary has direct implications for developing a profile for the future Seventh-day Adventist pastor. Furthermore, in light of the advent of Biblical Language Software (BLS)[2] in the last years, Rahel Halabe (2008) suggests ancient language curriculum developers, “before resorting to [information technologies’] tempting array of tools, should first contemplate the reasons, the objectives, and the ways in which every ancient language should be taught.”[3] The Biblical Languages Pedagogy Committee (BLPC) of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary (SDATS) was formed in fall 2014 in order to do exactly that: reflecting on biblical language training in the SDATS in order to better meet to the educational needs of its students in the area of biblical language training. As of spring 2016, the BLPC was not aware of any qualitative or quantitative research that has been carried out in order to get a better understanding of the function of biblical Languages within the ministry of Seminary graduates. Such an understanding, however, is crucial, if the specific Adventist theological education wants to satisfy its claims that Scripture should be the sole foundation of faith and practice for minister and member. For that reason, a survey was conducted in spring 2016 that aimed at gathering first-hand data from Seminary alumni (starting with 1970) on how they evaluate their own Biblical language competence, usage, and its relevance for their church-related service. As part of the research, the graduates’ Seminary experience was surveyed. The majority of questions were related to a) prior language learning, b) Hebrew, c) Greek, d) language learning and the Seminary, e) after graduation, f) future, and g) Biblical languages in theological education and pastoral ministry. The intention was to learn from the survey results and make suggestions and decisions that improve the overall experience and efficiency of biblical language teaching at the Seminary. The data generated from the survey is still being carefully analyzed by the BLPC and informs discussions as well as suggestions regarding biblical language instruction. The presentation at the AHSRA-Conference aims at giving an overview of the survey results, as well as proposing conclusions that can be drawn from them. Short abstract for final printed program Opening the Hebrew Bible for sermon preparation? Doing Greek word studies in order to answer a question of a church member? What do Adventist pastors do with the Biblical Hebrew and Greek they learned at the Seminary? And how did they experience their language training in the first place? A 2016-survey among Seminary alumni (beginning with the class of 1970) asked specific questions regarding prior language knowledge, the Seminary experience as well as the current and future usage of the Biblical languages. The results were nothing less than surprising… and will have concrete implications for the language instruction of future Adventist pastors and teachers at the SDATS. [1] David J. A. Clines, “Teaching the Biblical Languages: Time for a Rethink?,“ in Foster Biblical Scholarship: Essays in Honor of Kent Harold Richards (ed. Frank Ritchel Ames and Charles William Miller; Society of Biblical Literature, Biblical Scholarship in North America, 24; Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010), pp. 161-168. [2] Leading Bible software is offered by Logos, Accordance, Bible Works, et al. [3] Rahel Halabe, Ancient Languages are Still Around, But Do We Really Know How to Teach Them? , SBL Forum, n.p. [cited Feb 2008]. Online:http://sbl-site.org/Article.aspx?ArticleID=756 [accessed 9/19/2017, 3.39pm EST]

The Relationship between sense of coherence and emotional intelligence : the case of South African marine officers

The study of people's capacity to remain healthy when exposed to constant stressors has long been the focus of research. Stress resistance research has focussed on the adaptive worth of successful coping strategies, certain personality characteristics as well as social support. Two concepts which have gained eminence as contributing to an individual's ability to deal effectively with life's stressors are: (1) Sense of coherence; and (2) Emotional intelligence. The aim of this study was to determine the possible relationship between sense of coherence and emotional intelligence. A once-off cross-sectional survey design was used. The sample population consisted of 54 South African marine officers serving in the merchant navy. The SOC-29 and the BarOn Emotional Intelligence Inventory (BarOn EQ-i) were used as measuring instruments. · Sense of coherence was positively related to emotional intelligence. The results showed that there is a correlation of large effect between total sense of coherence and total emotional intelligence (r = 0,73) in marine officers. The results also showed that there are correlations of large effect between the subscales of the SOC-29 and the BarOn EQiIndustrial and Organisational PsychologyM.A. (Industrial Psychology

Neuropsychological evaluation of blast-related concussion: Illustrating the challenges and complexities through OEF/OIF case studies

Background/objective: Soldiers of Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF) sustain blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) with alarming regularity. This study discusses factors in addition to concussion, such as co-morbid psychological difficulty (e.g. post-traumatic stress) and symptom validity concerns that may complicate neuropsychological evaluation in the late stage of concussive injury. Case report: The study presents the complexities that accompany neuropsychological evaluation of blast concussion through discussion of three case reports of OEF/OIF personnel. Discussion: The authors emphasize uniform assessment of blast concussion, the importance of determining concussion severity according to acute-injury characteristics and elaborate upon non-concussion-related factors that may impact course of cognitive limitation. The authors conclude with a discussion of the need for future research examining the impact of blast concussion (particularly recurrent concussion) and neuropsychological performance

Evaluation Context Impacts Neuropsychological Performance of OEF/OIF Veterans with Reported Combat-Related Concussion

Although soldiers of Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF) encounter combat-related concussion at an unprecedented rate, relatively few studies have examined how evaluation context, insufficient effort, and concussion history impact neuropsychological performances in the years following injury. The current study explores these issues in a sample of 119 U.S. veterans (OEF/OIF forensic concussion, n = 24; non-OEF/OIF forensic concussion, n = 20; OEF/OIF research concussion, n = 38; OEF/OIF research without concussion, n = 37). The OEF/OIF forensic concussion group exhibited significantly higher rates of insufficient effort relative to the OEF/OIF research concussion group, but a comparable rate of insufficient effort relative to the non-OEF/OIF forensic concussion group. After controlling for effort, the research concussion and the research non-concussion groups demonstrated comparable neuropsychological performance. Results highlight the importance of effort assessment among OEF/OIF and other veterans with concussion history, particularly in forensic contexts