In this study, the question is addressed regarding how Jewish identity took shape in the fourth century AD. This is accomplished through a comprehensive analysis of the interplay among diverse...Show moreIn this study, the question is addressed regarding how Jewish identity took shape in the fourth century AD. This is accomplished through a comprehensive analysis of the interplay among diverse groups within the Roman Empire: the Jewish factions themselves, the Christian factions, and the imperial power centre.Show less
Spot en satire zijn niet weg te denken uit de grote maatschappelijke debatten van vandaag de dag. Sterker nog, met de opkomst van de sociale media is er altijd wel de gelegenheid een spottende noot...Show moreSpot en satire zijn niet weg te denken uit de grote maatschappelijke debatten van vandaag de dag. Sterker nog, met de opkomst van de sociale media is er altijd wel de gelegenheid een spottende noot toe te voegen. Dit heeft een rol die groter is dan enkel stemmingmakerij: spot kan een sterk regulerende functie hebben en is bij uitstek een uitingsvorm van sociale controle. Als een bepaalde visie of eigenschap belachelijk wordt gemaakt, draagt men die visie of eigenschap niet graag uit in de publieke sfeer en worden er sociaal-culturele grenzen gecreëerd. Dit geldt ook voor de wereld van het oude Israël. Deze scriptie schept duidelijkheid over de rol van spot bij een centraal thema in de Hebreeuwse Bijbel, namelijk de strijd tussen Ba‘al en YHWH. Grote delen van het Oude Testament hebben te maken met de verhoudingen tussen de God van Israël en deze Ba‘al, die een belangrijke concurrent blijft tot het einde van de monarchie. Waar veel onderzoek is gedaan naar de toedracht, ontwikkeling en historiciteit van deze religieuze strijd, is er relatief minder aandacht besteed aan de rol van spot in de afwijzing van Ba‘al door de Yahwistische elite. Deze scriptie benadert literaire elementen uit de Hebreeuwse Bijbel niet enkel als historiografische documenten, maar vooral als literaire composities die gebruikt worden als een wapen in deze culturele strijd. Zo wordt de volgende vraag beantwoord: Op welke manieren wordt er in de Hebreeuwse Bijbel gebruik gemaakt van literaire spot met Ba‘al, en welke rol speelt die spot binnen de religieuze strijd tussen YHWH en Ba‘al?Show less
This thesis explores the reasons behind the current Moroccan policy of investing in its Jewish heritage. Additionally, this work discusses whether this policy of revival is purely top-down or...Show moreThis thesis explores the reasons behind the current Moroccan policy of investing in its Jewish heritage. Additionally, this work discusses whether this policy of revival is purely top-down or geared towards and supported by the general population.Show less
This study focuses on the eighteenth century archaeological fish remains found at an urban site located at the Valkenburgerstraat in Amsterdam. The location of the Valkenburgerstraat 130-146 site...Show moreThis study focuses on the eighteenth century archaeological fish remains found at an urban site located at the Valkenburgerstraat in Amsterdam. The location of the Valkenburgerstraat 130-146 site within the old Amsterdam Jewish quarter, together with the elaborate Jewish history of Amsterdam, cause a Jewish occupation of the site to have been very likely. Because of this presumed Jewish background it is to be expected that the strict Jewish dietary laws (also called kashrut) may be visible within the faunal assemblage found at the site. In addition to the prohibition of consuming non-cloven hoofed ruminants and a number of other mammal and bird species, according to kashrut the consumption of fish without fins and/or scales is also forbidden as these animals are considered to be ‘unclean’ or in Hebrew terms treif. Additionally, a number of supplementary criteria apply for the designation of treif fish. Most important may be the fact that the fish’s scales need to be removable without damaging its skin. An example of treif fish which meets the above mentioned criteria, and which is perhaps one of the most frequently consumed species of fish in the Lows Countries, is European eel. The exclusion of fish like European eel at the Valkenburgerstraat may indicate that it were indeed Jews who occupied the site. Unfortunately, it appeared that similar research on Jewish fish consumption had been done only sporadically. Therefore, in order to compare the Valkenburgerstraat’s fish record with other North-Western European sites, the contents of four cesspits located at the predominantly Jewish Waterlooplein area together with four complexes located within the Medieval Jewish quarter of Cologne which included a Medieval Synagogue’s cesspits, were added to this study. The result of this comparative study indicates that treif fish has been consumed in very low percentages at most of these sites, including the Valkenburgerstraat. Because these percentages are considered to be negligible low and most probably the result of a sporadic unorthodox consumption or misunderstanding, together with the fact that European eel appears to have been consumed in far greater quantities at non-Jewish Amsterdam sites, one can conclude that when relying on the data presented by the fish record the Valkenburgerstraat has likely been occupied by Jews. However, in order to confirm the above statement, the results of the analysis of the remaining faunal assemblage and pottery remains found at the Valkenburgerstraat are awaited carefully.Show less
This research deals with discovering how Herod the Great put the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple Complex to use within the political situation of the Roman Empire and the relation of the Empire...Show moreThis research deals with discovering how Herod the Great put the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple Complex to use within the political situation of the Roman Empire and the relation of the Empire with the Jewish People. As client king for the Roman Empire in Judea it was his job to prepare the Judean people for future incorporation in the Roman Empire, for which he used the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. To prove this was indeed the case I will investigate how Herod used the Hellenistic architectural style – favoured by the Romans – within the Temple Mount Complex while still adhering to the Jewish rules and regulations concerning their Temple. To be able to do so I will be looking at a number of different case studies from various time periods and from approximately the same region as the Jewish Temple and comparing them to Herod’s Temple. These case studies are the Ba’al Temple in Palmyra, Herod’s Caesarea Maritima, Gerasa and the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Each of these shall be discussed in some detail, as well as giving a detailed description of the Temple Complex itself. At this point the main similarities to the Temple Mount Complex shall be chosen from the case studies and put next to the information already gleaned from the Complex itself. This will show how Herod managed to maintain balance between the position of Judea and the future position it would hold within the Roman Empire.Show less
