A thematic study of doctrines on death and afterlife according to Targum Qohelet

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation examined how the Targum radically transformed Qohelet'spessimistic, secular and cynical views on the human condition by introducing acomposite rabbinical theology throughout the translation with the purpose of refutingthe futility of human existence and the finality of death. The Targum overturned thepersonal observations of Qohelet and in its place proposed a practical guide for theliving according to the principles of rabbinic theological principles. While BibQohprovided few if any solutions for the many pitfalls and challenges of life and lackingany clear references to an eschatology, the Targum on the other hand promoted thepromise of everlasting life as a model for a beatific eschatological future.The dissertation demonstrated how the targumist exploited a specific translationstrategy to introduce rabbinic ideologies to present the targum as an alternativecontext to the ideologies of wisdom literature as presented in Biblical Qohelet.The translation follows the Hebrew original but includes numerous additions andexpansions from other sources of rabbinic literature. However, it is difficult to followthe original Hebrew text in the mass of disjointed additions. In order to analyse andmake sense of the translator's purpose and strategy, it was necessary to find ananalytical tool to organise the many disparate elements of the Targum in order tounderstand its purpose and intent.For this study, the decision was taken to analyse the theological system as a whole inTgQoh, as it became clear that the targumist had created a unitary approach to theafterlife themes as these could not easily be separated from afterlife passages. Idecided to follow the method of Jacob Neusner's concept of finding religiousparadigms as a means to analyse and explain the rabbinic system and its inherentcomplexity. The paradigms therefore became the building blocks for understandingthe cognitive elements of religious experience in the form of a unifying taxonomy.Furthermore, the mass of information concerning an explanatory framework for thepattern of life-death-afterlife–resurrection as a theological system is massive andspread over sources that comprise the entire biblical canon and all the commentarieson it. The aim was to find a suitable method for collating and aggregating the range oftopics and then to explain the system.The use of a paradigmatic approach introduced a structured means for explaining thecomplexity and range of rabbinic beliefs and how these relate to the promise of anafterlife in terms of the Targum and as a means of comparison against the Hebrewversion. The use of paradigms drawn from religious experience and the underlyingtheology enabled the research to connect all the different elements of rabbinicalreligious categories that feature in the targum. These religious commands became theultimate guidelines suggested by the Targum for humankind to follow on a progressivepath towards living righteous lives according to the Torah in the earthly or mortal phaseas the means to achieve the reward of an everlasting life in the world to come.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University