Department Old Testament
University of Pretoria
About Pro Pent
Pro Pent (‘Projek vir Pentateugstudies’/ ‘Project for Pentateuchal Studies’) is an activity of the Old Testament Department of the University of Pretoria and aims at promoting Pentateuch research. Unfortunately Pentateuch research is not exactly the primary concern of South African Old Testament scholarship. Various reasons could be advanced for this misfortune. However, Pro Pent wishes to fill this gap by means of seminars (workshops) and by means of distributing information and knowledge electronically.
Nature
During 2000 Eckart Otto (Munich) was a guest lecturer at the University of Pretoria and Pro Pent is a result from that visit. On several occasions he lectured on Deuteronomy and on the Pentateuch. These lectures were most successful. Consequently we decided to continue with these seminars in 2001. Soon we realised that seminars of this kind needed to be structured, and Pro Pent began to take shape. In a nutshell, Pro Pent aims at stimulating Pentateuch research and at involving all Africans (either afro or euro).
The University of Pretoria hosts the Project for Pentateuch studies, but actually this undertaking is a joint enterprise of the Universities of Munich (Germany) and of Pretoria (South Africa). The faculty of Pretoria has a formal agreement with the faculty of Munich, and Pro Pent should be understood in this context. Evidently we also wish to confirm and to expand our connections with the Old Testament Society of South Africa.
Pro Pent is especially charaterised by its virtual nature. Scholarly reflection and knowledge on the Pentateuch will be disseminated electronically by means of e-mail and the internet. Therefore, electronical communication is not only a challenge for Pro Pent, but also makes this project unique.
Aim
Primo, to confirm and to extend the existing western exegetical tradition (as reflected especially in Old Testament scholarship) in South Africa, and and secundo, to disseminate the mainstream insights of Pentateuch research to the African community (in the widest sense of the word). For many years Biblical scholarship in South Africa was western by nature. This was shaped over a long period of time, influenced by various sources and in due course became the dominant approach to the Old Testament and to the Pentatech. This scholarly tradition is important for South Africa today. Therefore, this scholarly tradition cannot be abolished, it should much rather be cherished and cultivated for the South African academic community as a whole; the unique character of western Biblical scholarship in South Africa needs to be expanded. And this is exactly what Pro Pent wishes to achieve. Evidently everyone should benefit.
Eckart Otto and the University of Munich (Germany)
Pro Pent is a joint project of the University of Pretoria and the University van Munich. Prof Eckart Otto represents the latter. Since 2001 Prof Otto is attached to the University of Pretoria as a honorary professor, and we are especially priviledged to present Pro Pent together with a scholar of Eckart Otto’s status.
Eckart Otto was professor at a number of German universities: Hamburg (1979-1986), Osnabrück (1986-1991), the Johannes Gutenberg University at Mainz (1991-1996) and since 1996 the Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich. He lectured as guest professor at the ‘Recontre Assyriologique Internationale’ in Paris, Heidelberg and Berlyn (1991,1992,1994); the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (1993); the Department of Near Eastern Studies, John Hopkins University in Baltimore (1993); the Department of Near Eastern Cultures and Languages, Indiana University, Bloomington (1993); the Oriental Institute and the Divinity School of Chicago (1995); the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris (1997); the universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Pretoria (1997); the universities of Leipzig and Innsbruck (1998); the Polis Centre of the Carlsberg Foudation and the University of Copenhagen (1999). He is also a member of the Biblical Law Group of the Society of Biblical Literature (since 1993); an Elect Member of the New York Academy of Sciences (since 1994); a founder member of the Society for the Study of Ancient Near Eastern Law (since 1995); he is a corresponding member of the Joachim Jungius Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, Hamberg (1996). Due to his interest in archaeology, he was director of the Deutschen Ev. Institut für Altertumswissenschaft des Heiligen Landes in Jerusalem for a year (1978-1979). Between 1979 and 1985 he gave regular guest lectures at the Abbey Dormition in Jerusalem. Due to his interest in the reception of the Bible in a third world context, he was guest professor for a year at the Martin Luther Seminary in Papua-Nieu-Guinee.
Prof Otto is acknowleged internationally as an Old Testament scholar. He is regarded everywhere as an expert on the book Deuteronomy and the Pentateuch. He is also a prolific writer and has published more than two hundred and fifty articles and books on the Pentateuch, the Old Testament and other related subjects. As ‘Fachberater’ (expert) he is involved with the RGG (‘Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart’) that is now undergoing its fourth edition. He is also editor of the ‘Zeitschrift für Altorientalische und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte’ (ZAR), co-editor of the series ‘Orientalia Biblica et Christiana’ (OBC) and ‘Studia et Documenta ad Iura Orientis antiqui pertinentia’ (SDIO). Furthermore Otto is responsible for a commentary on the book Leviticus in the well-known series of ‘Herders Theologische Kommentar zum Alten Testament’ as well as one on the book Deuteronomy in the series ‘Alttestamentliche Kommentare’ (ATK). An interesting matter is that Otto is part of a team of scholars who are editing a re-issue of Max Weber’s works (‘Max-Weber-Gesamtausgabe’). Otto is responsible for the section on the sociology of religion. He is a remarkable authority on Max Weber and did some very important work concerning him.
http://www.lrz-muenchen.de/~u2101ae/webserver/webdata/institut.htm
Pro Pent 2001
The first Pro Pent Seminaar took place during the weekend of 31 August to 3 September 2001 at the conference centre of the University of Pretoria at Hammanskraal. This site was previously a Catholic college where priests were trained for many years, but the University purchased it some years ago and transformed it into a conference centre. At this occasion a number of papers were read and Pentateuch research was discussed intensely. A number of scholars from abroad also attended: dr Ellen van Wolde (Tilburg), dr Jan Wagenaar (Utrecht) and prof Eckart Otto (Munich). From Africa there were two visitors: Nupanga Weanzana from Bangui (Central Africa) and Hillary Nyika from Zimbabwe.
Pro Pent 2002
Pro Pent-2002 took place from 30 August to 2 September 2002 at Hammanskraal. The topic was, ‘Ethics of Deuteronomy in the context of the Pentateuch’, and once again some visitors from abroad attended: Proff Eckart Otto, John Van Seters, Aaron Schart and Michael Weigl.
The group of 2002
 |
Second row: Pieter Dorey, Ananda Geyser, Dirk Human, Deon Serfontein, Eckart Otto.
Third row: Jan Vorster, Sakkie Spangenberg, Johan Wildenboer.
Back: Michael Weigl, Jurie Le Roux, Deon Snyman, Fanie Snyman, Johan Wildenboer, Hendrik Bosman, Piet Venter, Nuapanga Weanzana, Fanie Cronje, John van Seters, Aaron Schart, Deon Snyman and Tinus Grobler
Pro Pent 2003
Below follows the information with regard the the Pro Pent seminar this year. If you still wish to attend, please contact Gerda de Villiers at gerdadev@mweb.co.za for more information.
- Date: 23 tot 25 August 2003.
- Topic: The ethics of Deuteronomy and Africa.
- Venue: Hammanskraal. [Route Map]
- Speakers: A number of speakers from abroad will perform: Eckart Otto, Georg Braulik, Hans Ulrich Steymans and Brian Doyle.
- Workshop: The topic contains three important words: Deuteronomy, ethics and Africa. These words serve as a guide to illuminate the many facets of the topic. In order to achieve this, we wish to create a workshop climate in which everyone can participate maximally.
The importance of theories
The importance of Pentateuch theories is emphasised time and again. Progress is impossible without a theory. In fact, theories are all that we have. We only understand the words, the concepts and the theology of a text by means of and with the aid of a theory. Without a theory we cannot work. Interesting perspectives on the Pentateuch may be obtained by an immanent or close reading of the text only – which is of course important – but Pro Pent aims at reading and understanding the Pentateuch within the historical critical framework of the past two hundred years. Because the Pentateuch text does not speak on its own, it is significant to read the text from a specific theoretical perspective. Put in a different way: we need to take Pentateuch research over the past two centuries seriously in our study. This history of research on the Pentateuch contains many valuable insights into the text, perspectives on Israel’s history of religion and wisdom on the study of the Old Testament, therefore Pro Pent wishes to take posession of and appropriate these insights anew.
 |
Tea time for Pro Pent 2002
This Pro Pent coin also has another side: the ethical relevance of these theories must be taken into account. To study Pentateuch theories for their own sake, or to discern the different layers of a tradition within a text become sensless activities. Something is lacking: the ethical consequences (also for South Africa) of a particular theory. In due course we shall have to explain more clearly what we mean with the word ‘ethical’. ‘Ethical’ is a word with many implications, therefore ‘theology’ has been suggested. Nevertheless, the ethical (or theological) implications (also for today) of every Pentateuch theory have to be considered thoroughly. Therefore Pro Pent guards against losing itself in theories, but wishes to take the ethical consequences of a theory also into account.
Against this background we decided to use Eckart Otto’s theory as a preliminary working theory. Otto’s theory is valuable in the sense that it integrates Pentateuch theory with ethics, the historical context with the ethical questions of its time. Every redactional phase in the origin and development of the Pentateuch is related to a particular ethical question or problem. An example is the way in which Israel confronted neo-Assyrian influence during the seventh century BCE. Assyrian custom demanded veneration to Ashur, the god of their empire. All the defeated nations were obliged to honour and worship Ashur. Over against this Assyrian policy Israel developed a counter-plot. This revolt was executed brilliantly: Assyrian ideas and terminology were adopted and adapted in such a way that Yahweh received all the honour. Within this resistance Israel discovered her own identity and realised the uniqueness of her God. And within this act of resistance lies the origin of Deuteronomy and the Pentateuch. Consequently a number of ‘ethical’ questions arise: questions pertaining to the relationship between religion and community, the nature of the revolt, the nature of Israel’s belief in Yahweh, the attitude of the church towards the government, and many more.
 |
Another example is the comparison between the Hexateuch redaction (HexRed) and the Pentateuch redaction (PentRed). Both redactions reflect the major ethical-theological problems of the post-exilic community. The Hexateuch redaction (HexRed) that comprises the books Genesis to Joshua gives land and landownership a central place. As the descendants of the exiles returned after 538 BCE, tension increased considerably with regard to landownership. Different people claimed to have rights on different properties, and this led to a major crisis. The Hexateuch redaction (HexRed) regarded the ‘land’ as the most important gift of salvation from Yahweh. The master work of the Hexateuch redaction (HexRed) (that comprises Genesis 1 to Joshua 24 ) focused primarily on Israel taking posession of the land. Many Africans today agree wholeheartedly, however, this is but one side of the coin.
The Pentateuch redaction (PentRed) was yet to come. The Pentateuch redaction (PentRed) is the voice of the people in the diaspora. What about those to whom the land was not all-important, or those who were no part of the land at all? They are told that the Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy) is the best of all Yahweh’s gifts of salvation. The Torah is placed over against the emphasis on the land of the Hexateuch redaction (HexRed). The real gift that Israel had to cherish, was the Torah. Consequently the Pentateuch was detached from the book Joshua and the laws (like the Book of the Covenant, the Holiness code and Deuteronomy) began to play a very central role. These were to become Israel’s prime focus, in these laws she had to delight and meditate day and night (Ps 1:2). Once again the resulting ‘ethical consequences’ are important. For the recent debate in Africa on landownership, the tension between the Hexateuch redaction (HexRed) and the Pentateuch redaction (PentRed) is extremely important.
Jurie le Roux
