Browsing by Author "Robinson, A. G."

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    Deuteronomy 21:1-9 a programmatic anomaly? : a thematic and programmatic analysis of Deuteronomy 21:1-9 within the context of the Deuteronomist’s agenda
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-02-18) Robinson, A. G.; Jonker, Louis C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Deuteronomy 21:1-9 falls within the Deuteronomic legal corpus and, more broadly, within the Deuteronomistic History. Its final form, as recognized by several scholars, betrays an origin of earlier antiquity than the immediate context of Deuteronomy suggests. Further to this, the nature of the ritual, frequently called the “’egla ritual”, appears at first reading, to disobey some of the basic tenets of the laws of Deuteronomy and this bears some investigation. At the heart of the book of Deuteronomy is “the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there” (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, 2001, Deut 12:5). This centralized place of worship is the place where all cultic activity is to occur. The importance of this “place” is highlighted by the fact that the notion is unique to the Deuteronomistic History (Deut to 2 Kings) and is presented to the exclusion of any local sanctuary for worship. The allowing of secular slaughter of animals for food in Deuteronomy 12:15 further highlights this cultic centralization motif, by making the local slaughter of animals non-cultic. The appearance of the “’egla ritual”, in which there is the killing of an animal in a local context for what appear to be cultic purposes, seems to disobey this fundamental prescription of the Deuteronomistic work reinforced throughout the Deuteronomistic History in the evaluation of the kings. Further to this oddity, there is the matter of the clumsiness of the inclusion of the priests in verse 5, which seem to serve no cultic purpose; the need for both judges and elders in the act of measurement in verse 2; and the hand-washing accompanied by what appears to be an oath formula. This local rite, then, seems to stick out from the centralizing YHWHistic landscape of Deuteronomy as somewhat anomalous and begs the question, “does it belong?” To answer this question, more clearly formulated in the title of this study, the specific aims or agendas of the Deuteronomist are ascertained and defined in order to discover how these agendas agree with the ritual. These are defined as, firstly, the divesting of the monarchy of sovereign power; secondly, the centralization of the Cult; and thirdly, the reassignment of the jurisdiction of the judiciary from the monarch to the cult. A detailed exegesis follows, after which the “’egla ritual” is specifically examined with regard to the agendas of the Deuteronomist. It is concluded that the “’egla ritual”, having undergone a lengthy process of development, appears as thoroughly Deuteronomistic in its final form. Its chief impact however, since it is neither cultic, nor entirely judicial, since it fails to deal with the guilt of the unknown perpetrator of the killing, is of a socially formative nature. This too would appear to be congruent with the apparent purpose of the Deuteronomist in presenting legislation for a new social, political and geographical context. The “’egla ritual” is thus not a programmatic anomaly since it accords with the chief agendas of the Deuteronomist.