The scapegoat sacrifice in Leviticus 16 and the Nefo'o ritual of the Bafut of Cameroon

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The dissertation aims to establish to what extent the Old Testament could be interpreted froman African perspective, using the scapegoat sacrifice in Leviticus 16 and the Nefo'o ritual ofthe Bafut of Cameroon as relevant examples. Because sacrificial practice was a normaloccurrence in the religions of the Israelites (Old Testament) and those of other nations - andAfrican society in particular - questions are raised that require urgent answers, namely: Is itpossible to identify any elements of sacrifice from the African background, and specificallythe Nefo'o ritual of the Bafut of Cameroon, which may facilitate the theological interpretationand understanding of the Old Testament.The approach employed is a qualitative methodology with the sub-category of participantobservation. We also used a socio-rhetorical interpretation approach to the Old Testamenttext of Leviticus 16. When the above-mentioned two rituals are compared, they portrayaspects of both similarities and dissimilarities. The work has been divided into the followingseven chapters:Chapter one introduces the topic through the identification and the development of theproblem. Some concepts and keywords from the title are discussed in the contexts of theBafut of Cameroon and ancient Israel.Chapter two provides the background to the Nefo'o ritual of the Bafut of Cameroon, tracingboth the origins of the Bafut people and the Nefo'o ritual. The Bukari people, the aboriginesof the tribe and the seat of the Nefo'o shrine are highlighted.Chapter three presents a survey of sacrifices in West Africa, the ancient Near East and Israel.Special attention is reserved to the sacrificial systems of the ancient Israelites.Chapter four gives a brief introduction to the Pentateuch with special treatment of the moderntrends in the study of the pentateuchal sources and the theologies of the authors. This is tosituate the book of Leviticus in the Pentateuch with which we are concerned.Chapter five presents an introduction to the book of Leviticus and examines its significanceamong the other pentateuchal books. Attention is given to certain recurrent theologicalthemes in the book and its implication for Leviticus chapter 16.Chapter six provides a socio-rhetorical interpretation of the text of Leviticus 16, with specialattention to the establishment of the Day of Atonement and the scapegoat sacrifice. Specificattention was paid to the significance of atonement in Lev. 16. Chapter seven compares the scapegoat sacrifice of Leviticus 16 and the Nefo'o ritual of theBafut of Cameroon. This is followed by a theological interpretation of the Nefo'o ritual and asummary of the results and conclusions.African theologians - whose own cultures possess a great deal of ritual practices - have notgiven enough attention to a contextual interpretation of the Scriptures of the Old Testament.The biblical faith has to exist among African Traditional Religions and other culturalpractices. Some contextual interpretation of the Scriptures of the Old Testament is beingsuggested. Such aspects as the Nefo'o shrine, which is situated in the midst of the Bafutcommunity, could be seen to explain the Tent of Meeting among the Israelites. Other aspectsinclude the priest, the community, the ancestors and the release of the live goat into thewoods, bearing the sins of the people. Thus the Nefo'o ritual can be used as an analogy toexplain the biblical understanding of atonement in an African context.Leviticus 16 is not only the centre of the book of Leviticus but also the centre of thePentateuch (Torah). Atonement can also be seen to be the theological heart of the OldTestament and of the whole Bible. Thus it is crucial to communicate this in an Africanenvironment using all the hermenuetical tools available.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University