Title page for ETD etd-09252008-075909
Van der Merwe, David Stefanus URN
Die Simson-narratief : 'n vergelykende liter�re analise (Afrikaans)
MA (Ancient Languages and Cultures)
literary cultural communality
deuteronomistic historic writing
Tydens die laaste helfte van die twintigste eeu het die Bybelwetenskaplike w�reld die heilige boek van die Christendom as 'n grondige liter�re boek herontdek. Een van die belangrikste struikelblokke wat geopper word deur mense met religieuse besware teen 'n liter�re benadering van die Bybel, is dat letterkunde met fiksie vergelyk word. Genoemde beswaar is gegrond op 'n wanbegrip van letterkunde. 'n Liter�re teks word nie deur die historisiteit of fiktiwiteit van die materiaal geraak nie. Hierdie studie kom onder meer tot die gevolgtrekking dat die Bybelskrywers nie persoonlikheidslose outomate was nie, maar vaardige vakmanne wat skeppende werk van hoogstaande gehalte voortgebring het. Dit word egter erken dat alle geskrewe materiaal (insluitend bybelse) nie aan 'n wetenskaplike oorweging van �letterkunde� voldoen nie. 'n Liter�re benadering misken ook nie die Godgesentreerdheid en bonatuurlike ori�ntasie van die Bybel nie. Hierdie studie voer aan dat die outeur van die Simson-narratief (die basis van die navorsing) liter�re elemente en motiewe van die letterkunde van die Antieke Mediterreense w�reld aangewend het ter ondersteuning van die teologiese program van Rigters 2:6-3:6. Met verwysing na die Ou-Testament, sou dit 'n denkfout wees om aan te neem dat die pre-
Hellenistiese Israeliete in isolasie met die nasies van die Antieke Mediterreense w�reld geleef het. Voortspruitend hieruit vergelyk hierdie studie die Deuteronomistiese geskiedskrywing in die algemeen en in die besonder die Simson-narratief met bekende tekste van Mesopotami�, Siri�-
Palestina (Oegarit), Anatoli�, Egipte en die Ege�ese gebied. Genoemde vergelyking wend die gebruiklike middele aan wat letterkundiges vir liter�re analise gebruik. Hierdie navorsing sluit met die volgende waarnemings: �	Dat die outeur van die Simson-narratief deur die pre-Israelitiese letterkunde asook di� van sy eie tyd be�nvloed was. �	Dat kennis en erkenning van die letterkunde van die Simson-narratief bydra tot die betekenis asook genieting van een van die mees paradoksale verhale in die letterkunde. � University of Pretoria 2007
In the last quarter of the twentieth century the world of biblical scholarship has rediscovered the sacred book of Christianity as a thoroughly literary book. One of the major obstacles raised by people who have religious objections to viewing the Bible as literature, is that literature is equated to fiction. This is the result of a misconception about literature. A literary text is unaffected by the historicity or fictionality of the material. This study concludes that the authors of the Bible were not impersonal automatons but skilled craftsmen who delivered highly creative writings. However, it is acknowledged that not all written matter (including biblical) complies with a scientific consideration of what constitutes �literature�. Further to this, a literary approach does not disregard the God-centeredness and supernatural orientation of the Bible. This study argues that the author of the Samson narrative (the premise of this research) applied literary elements and motifs of the literature of the Ancient Mediterranean in support of the theological programme of Judges 2:6-3:6. With regard to the Old Testament, it would be considered a fallacy to think that the pre-Hellenistic Israelites lived in isolation from the nations of the Ancient Mediterranean. The study compares the Deuteronomistic historic writing in general and the Samson narrative in particular with familiar texts from Mesopotamia, Syria-Palestine (Ugarit), Anatolia, Egypt and the Aegean. The said comparison applies the familiar tools of literary analysis that literary critics and students of literature use. Subsequent to this, this research concludes with the following observations: �	That the author of the Samson narrative was influenced by pre-Israelite literature as well as that of his age with regard to literary devises. �	That an understanding and acknowledgment of the literature of the Samson narrative contribute to the meaning and enjoyment of one of the most paradoxical stories in literature. . � University of Pretoria 2007E1095/ag