Browsing by Author "Potgieter, Nanine"

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    The tragic mask of death : a comparative study of murder in classical tragedies and the New Testament
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-11-24) Potgieter, Nanine; Nagel, Peter; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study into the murders of the New Testament has not taken into consideration the ancient methods of civic punishment. This study aims to reach a better understanding of the methods and motives behind these murders in both the New Testament and the ancient Greek and Latin tragedies. The murders in question are the beheading of John the Baptist, the crucifixion of Jesus, the stoning of Stephen, the killing of Agamemnon, and the poisoning of Creon’s daughter. The murders in the ancient tragedies were intended to be for entertainment, whereas the murders in the New Testament were seen as religious punishments. It was thought that there must be a deeper understanding of the murders and that there must be a driving force behind them. Therefore, each murder was separately analysed to distinguish the motive and ulterior motive behind each murder. It was discovered that there were various motives behind every murder, but the ulterior motive was superior to the motives. This means that each murder in both the New Testament and the classical tragedies was committed due to petty reasons and therefore, can be seen as petty murders.