Department of Ancient Studies

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Aphrahat's demonstrations : a conversation with the Jews of Mesopotamia
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-12) Lizorkin, Ilya; Cook, J.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Various opinions on the nature of Aphrahat‟s interactions with the Jews have essentially revolved around either accepting or rejecting the claim that the Persian Sage had contact with (Rabbinic) Jews and/or may have been influenced by them. While some significant research went into determining the precise nature of these relationships, the issue was never settled. This dissertation contributes to this ongoing discussion by posing and attempting to answer two primary research questions: 1) Did Aphrahat encounter actual Jews during his own lifetime or did he Simply project/imagine them into his Demonstrations from reading the New Testament collection? If the first question is answered in the affirmative, the focus of the dissertation becomes the following question: 2) Were the Jews whom Aphrahat encountered Rabbinic/Para-Rabbinic or not? To provide answers to these questions the author uses a textual comparative methodology, juxtaposing texts from both sources and then seeking to analyze them in relation to each other. Every section that deals with such comparison is organized into three sub-sections: 1) agreement, 2) disagreement by omission; and 3) disagreement by confrontation (this pattern is consistently followed throughout the study). The author concludes that the answer to both of these questions can be given in the affirmative. First, Aphrahat did not imagine nor project the Jews in his Demonstrations from his reading of the New Testament, but he (and his community) encountered the Jews on the streets of Ancient Northern Mesopotamia. Second, Aphrahat (and his community, sometimes only via his community) indeed had interactions with Rabbinic (or more accurately Para-Rabbinic) Jews.
A comparison between Plato and Zoroaster : aspects of the philosophy in the Timaeus and the Gathas
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001-12) Viviers, D. S. (Daniele Siobhan); Cook, J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies .
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The analysis of the system of speculative thought of Plato and Zoroaster, as found in Plato's Timaeus and Zoroaster's Gathas, seeks to compare a well-known philosophy, that of Plato, to a lesser known and often misunderstood system of speculative thought within a religion, namely Zoroastrianism. The purpose of such a comparison is to show that the speculative thought found in religion is often comparable to philosophy, as is the case in the doctrines postulated in the Gathas. It serves to illuminate the philosophy within a lesser known religion (Zoroastrianism) by comparing it to a well-known philosophy (that of Plato), and in doing so, to cast new light on both. The comparison of Plato and Zoroaster has been proposed and sometimes executed by other scholars as well. The main problem in these other comparisons, thus far, has been the fact that no historical contact or definite doctrinal influence of Zoroaster on Plato has been or is likely to be established. Though Plato might well have been familiar with Zoroastrian doctrines, this cannot be satisfactorily proven. This study does not depend on historical contact or doctrinal influence (though the possibility of the latter has been discussed), but compares the two doctrines independent of historical factors and is based solely on the striking similarities between these two systems of thought. This study has focussed on some of the basic concepts within the two doctrines, such as creation, the soul, and dualism. In this study I have emphasised the philosophical aspect of Zoroastrianism, though it is classified as a religion, because I believe that much of what has been classified as religion also incorporates speculative thought that can be analysed separately, and as a system of speculative thought it is comparable to other traditions of speculative thought, such as Greek philosophy. This comparison therefore seeks to counteract some of the assumptions about religions, and how they are studied, by focusing on the philosophical basis underlying the doctrines in the Zoroastrian religion. Another aspect to the comparison is a focus on the similarities of doctrine originating in two cultures previously held to be vastly different, namely Persian and Greek. There has previously been a tendency to consider the cultures of the classical and the ancient Near Eastern world as separate and completely distinct from each other, and in doing so, ignoring important historical contact. Although the historical interaction between these two areas has received increased attention, comparative investigations have emphasised the differences between the cultures of these regions, although similarities do abound and the comparison of analogous aspects of the various cultures could prove valuable to the study of the ancient world. Recognition of the larger context within which the various cultures of the ancient world operated can only add to the understanding of the ancient world, and pave the way for reassessing the traditions and world-views of various cultures.
The development of Jewish ideas of angels : Egyptian and Hellenistic connections, ca. 600 BCE to ca. 200 CE
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007-03) Evans, Annette Henrietta Margaretha; Cook, J.; Thom, J. C.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.
This dissertation sets out to test the hypothesis that Egyptian and Hellenistic connections to Jewish beliefs about the functioning of angels facilitated the reception of Christianity. The method of investigation involved a close reading, combined with a History of Religions methodology, of certain texts with marked angelological content. The presence of certain motifs, especially “throne” and “sun/fire”, which were identified as characteristic of angelic functioning, were compared across the entire spectrum of texts. In this way the diachronic development of major angelological motifs became apparent, and the synchronic connections between the respective cultural contexts became noticeable. The course the research followed is reflected in the list of Contents. Ancient Egyptian myth and ritual associated with solar worship, together with Divine Council imagery, provides a pattern of mediation between heaven and earth via two crucial religious concepts which underly Jewish beliefs about the functioning of angels: 1) the concept of a supreme God as the king of the Gods as reflected in Divine Council imagery, and 2) the unique Egyptian institution of the king as the divine son of god (also related to the supremacy of the sun god). The blending of these two concepts can be seen in Ezekiel 1 and 10, where the throne of God is the source of angelic mediation between heaven and earth. An important stimulus to change was the vexed issue of theodicy, which in the traumatic history of the Israelites / Jews, forced new ways of thinking about angels, who in some contexts were implicated in evil and suffering on earth. In the hellenistic period, attainment to the throne of God in heaven becomes the goal of heavenly ascent, reflected in various ways in all three cultural contexts, and specifically by means of merkabah mysticism in the Jewish context; the basic concern is deification of human beings. It was this seminal cultural mixture which mediated Christianity as an outcome of Jewish angelology. The characteristic ambiguity of Jewish descriptions of angelic appearances, as reflected in the Hebrew Bible and in the Book of Revelation, functioned purposefully in this regard. Analysis of the distribution of angelological motifs amongst the Christian texts reflects Jewish angelological traditions, both in terms of merkabah mysticism in the Letter to the Hebrews, and in angelomorphic appearances of Jesus in the Book of Revelation.
Egyptian Christianity : an historical examination of the belief systems prevalent in Alexandria c.100 B.C.E. - 400 C.E. and their role in the shaping of early Christianity
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004-03) Fogarty, Margaret Elizabeth; Cook, J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis sets out to examine, as far as possible within the constraints of a limited study, the nature of the Christianity professed in the first centuries of the Common Era, by means of an historical examination of Egyptian Christianity. The thesis contends that the believers in Christ's teachings, in the first century, were predominantly Jewish, that "Christianity" did not exist as a developed separate religion until its first formal systematizations commenced in the second century, through the prolific writings of the Alexandrians, Clement and Origen. It is noted that the name "Christianity" itself was coined for the first time in the second century by Ignatius of Antioch; and that until the fourth century it is more accurate to speak of many Christianities in view of regional-cultural and interpretative differences where the religion took root. The study examines the main religions of the world in which the new religion began to establish itself, and against which it had to contend for its very survival. Many elements of these religions influenced the rituals and formulation of the new religion and are traced through ancient Egyptian religion, the Isis and Serapis cults, Judaism, Gnosticism and Hermeticism. Alexandria, as the intellectual matrix of the Graeco-Roman world, was the key centre in which the new religion was formally developed. The thesis argues, therefore, that despite the obscurity of earliest Christianity in view of the dearth of extant sources, the emergent religion was significantly Egyptian in formulation, legacy and influence in the world of Late Antiquity. It is argued, in conclusion, that the politics of the West in making Christianity the official religion of the empire, thus centring it henceforth in Rome, effectively effaced the Egyptian roots. In line with current major research into the earliest centuries of Christianity, the thesis contends that while Jerusalem was the spring of the new religion Alexandria, and Egypt as a whole, formed a vital tributary of the river of Christianity which was to flow through the whole world. It is argued that without the Egyptian branch, Christianity would have been a different phenomenon to what it later became. The legacy of Egyptian Christianity is not only of singular importance in the development of Christianity but, attracting as it does the continued interest of current researchers in the historical, papyrological and archaeological fields, it holds also considerable significance for the study of the history of religions in general, and Christianity in particular.
Essene sectarianism as a Judaic alternative to Pharisaism and Sadduceanism
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003-03) Botha, P. D. (Pieter Daniël); Cook, J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Essenism is, according to the data being discussed in this thesis, closely associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls material and had alienated itself from Second Temple Judaism as manifested through both Pharisaism and Sadduceanism. The problem that presents itself is the fact that Essenism is sometimes seen, with Pharisaism and Sadduceanism, as one of the three major trends within Second Temple Judaism, albeit schismatic in origin and nature. With Sadduceanism deriving its authority from the Temple and written Torah, and with Pharisaism its authority from both the written Torah as well as the oral tradition of the Sages, this thesis attempts to determine the criteria to be applied to cults of the Second Temple period in order for them to be classified as being Judaic. This is done in order to be able to establish what, in their own minds, set the Essenes apart from the other two prominent groups. That their motivation for exclusiveness must have been very strong becomes clear through the fact that, in their writings, the Essenes did not see themselves as just another group within Judaism, but as the only true and legitimate group. The ultimate aims of this thesis therefore are, firstly to find out exactly what constituted mainstream Second Temple Judaism according to certain historical and religious factors as well as Judaic ha/achic interpretation. Secondly, the thesis attempts to ascertain if Essenism met the determined criteria to be regarded as part of mainstream Judaism, and if not, if it can be regarded as sectarian Judaism, or as a separate religion altogether. In view of all the abovementioned criteria discussed, the probable conclusion would be that the sectarians from Qumran never thought of themselves as anything other than Jews within the ha/achic tradition, even though it may have been a ha/acha that may in certain respects have radically deviated from that of their fellow Jews. They can therefore rightly be regarded as part of the Judaic tradition of the Second Temple period.
Hellenism and the formation of Coptic identity : 332BCE - 200CE : a Coptic trajectory through a Hellenistic context
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1999-11) Evans, Annette Margeretha Henrietta; Cook, J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Conflicting perceptions of the Copts exist for a variety of reasons. This dissertation seeks to examine some of the traces of their own process of interpreting and mediating the past. Hellenism facilitated this process, as did the Egyptian pharaonic cultural background. Both these influences left their mark on Coptic Christianity as evidenced for example in the Coptic language, and in the iconography of Madonna and child. In addition, examples of the presaging of Christianity in Egyptian iconography are presented. Recent discoveries, for example the Nag Hammadi Codices, have been taken into account in researching Coptic identity. Clement of Alexandria was another major force in the formation of Coptic identity. The vastly diversified area of Gnosticism is a complicating factor in understanding Coptic Christianity. Due to Clement's work in reconciling Greek philosophy with Christianity some authors associated him with Gnosticism, in spite of his making a clear but nuanced distinction between Gnosticism in general and Christianity. Several researchers have noted a similarity between the prologue of the Gospel of John and the type of Gnosticism that Clement was said to be associated with. This dissertation attempts to demonstrate that ancient Egyptian cosmology facilitated the Coptic understanding of the Incarnation of the Logos, but was misunderstood at the Council of Chalcedon. The Coptic trajectory through a Hellenistic context was found to be like that of a boomerang, in that the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt represents, in the words of the current Coptic Patriarch, "a return to the apostolic father-type of leading of the church". He stresses that they aim at renewal by expressing ancient doctrine, theology and traditions in a contemporary form that is understandable to their youth.
The impact of a change in political constitution on early Palestinian Judaism during the period 175-161 B.C.E.
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2002-03) Molyneaux, M. E.; Cook, J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study looks at a watershed period in the history of Judaism. In 175 B.C.E. a group of Jews sought to break Judaea out of the isolation in which it had stood since the Persian period. They wished to develop closer ties with their neighbours in Coele-Syria and Phoenicia and the Greek world in general. Since the Persian period the people of Judaea had been governed by high priests according to the 'ancestral laws' i.e. the Torah and its interpretation by Ezra. This 'ancestral law' had been confirmed as binding on all Jews by Antiochus III in his decree of 198 B.C.E. In order to move beyond the restrictions placed on contact between Jews and other peoples, it would be necessary to have the political status of Judaea changed. A change of political status could only be brought about by the king or one of his successors. In 175 B.C.E. a group of Jews requested Antiochus IV to permit them to transform Judaea from an ethnos into a polis. He agreed and the transformation was begun. It is these events of 175 B.C.E. that form the base of this study. The writer uses the model of Cultural Anthropology to form a framework in which these and subsequent events can be analysed. In this way we can get a better understanding of how events progressed. How a political reform ended in a religious suppression and persecution and finally a successful revolt against the Seleucid kingdom. The Torah and its interpretation stood at the center of Jewish life. Each group interpreted the law in their own way and understood events in relation to this interpretation. Therefore no analysis of this period can be undertaken without taking the law and its various interpretations into account. The law is the thread that holds all facets of this work together.
Josephus' reasons for the Jewish War
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2001-12) Benson, Derrick; Cook, J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis I will examine and discuss the reasons given for the Jewish War of AD 66 - 70. Reasons put forward by modern scholars specializing in the study of the works of Flavius Josephus are examined and discussed. However, the bulk of my study centres on the reasons that Flavius Josephus supplies for the war as found in his major work Bellum Judaicum. One is lead to the conclusion that he firmly believes that reasons on the human and transcendent planes contributed to the catastrophic events that lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The worldview of this Jewish priest, general and accomplished historiographer was strongly influenced by the religious tenets of the Torah and the past history of the Jewish nation. He cannot countenance the wicked and evil deeds committed shamefacedly by his people against the clear standards that God had given to the nation, and believes that retribution by God will follow. He cannot forget occasions on the past when God intervened in the affairs of his nation by using a pagan world power to accomplish the purposes of God. He sees a similar recurrence of the events that lead to the destruction of the Jerusalem and the Temple in 587/6 BC being manifested in the Jewish War of AD 66 - 70.
Die logos-leer van Filo van Aleksandrie : 'n kultuur-historiese ondersoek
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2004-12) Van Schalkwyk, C. H. J., 1971-; Cook, J.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Philo is a writer who lived in Alexandria in 30 BC – 50 AD. Traditionally scholars classified Philo as philosopher, exegete and apologist. With these classifications in mind, Philo’s works is read and interpreted. In this study a methodology of postmodernism (which is inherently a cultural historical understanding of reality) will be used, and it will become clear that this classification of the scholars is not satisfactory. The question that arises, is: How must Philo be read and understood in the context of a postmodern methodology? By means of a study of the logos-concept it is suggested that Philo must be understood as a threshold person, who stands on the cutting edges of the cultures in Alexandria; he therefore creates a new universe of symbols. In this new universe of symbols it is possible for the different cultures to communicate effectively, because they now have a joint vocabulary. Philo is not a postmodernist, but he makes use of techniques which occurs in post modern philosophy to create this new universe of symbols. Through the use of these techniques it becomes possible for the reader to take into account the different philosophical dimensions that are part of Philo’s thoughts. This helps the reader to understand the contradiction in Philo’s thought in connection with the logos-concept. It also helps the reader to place the logos-concept of Philo in its proper cultural historical background.
Towards establishing the historical context of Septuagint Proverbs
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1999-11) Krige, Paul Friedrich Detlev; Cook, J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Ancient Studies.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis addresses the problem of the unanswered questions on the historical context of the Septuagint version of the book of Proverbs. In other words, it seeks to increase our knowledge on where, when and by whom the Greek translation of Proverbs was made. Our knowledge on Septuagint Proverbs is very limited in this respect, with little consensus amongst scholars on these specific questions. Previous research on Septuagint Proverbs has shown that the translation represents one of the most freely translated units in the LXX corpus. Not only does the Greek version contain several pluses, but the choices made by the translator(s) - on a lexical, semantical and syntactical level - also indicate that the translator adopted a very paraphrastic translation technique. Understanding his translation technique is of crucial importance to us in our efforts to form a comprehensive 'picture' of the translator and the worldview he represents. Through an analysis of his translation technique, I intend to illustrate that the translator was someone who had a marked respect for the Jewish law and the covenant that existed between the God of Israel and his people. Indeed, there is a greater emphasis in the Greek version on these themes than in the Hebrew.

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