Research Articles (Ancient Languages)

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Español como lengua extranjera a nivel universitario en Sudáfrica : particularidades y desafíos
Perea, Luis A. Lancho (North American Academy of the Spanish Language, 2025-09)
SPANISH : El presente artículo ofrece un análisis crítico de la historia de la enseñanza del español a nivel universitario en Sudáfrica, considerando el contexto político y el papel de los actores clave. En su primera parte, expone de manera cronológica la creación, y en algunos casos el cierre, de las distintas secciones de español en cada universidad. En este recorrido, examina el dinamismo de sus profesores, reflexiona sobre las decisiones de las autoridades universitarias, describe la actitud de los estudiantes y detalla el papel fundamental que han desempeñado, y siguen desempeñando, las embajadas de países hispanohablantes y la Asociación de Hispanistas del Sur de África. La segunda parte aborda algunas particularidades y desafíos, como los efectos y preocupaciones derivados de las políticas lingüísticas, el predominio del inglés y sus implicaciones, el tratamiento del componente literario en el marco curricular vigente, así como las motivaciones y los retos que enfrentan los estudiantes en el aprendizaje del español. Con el objetivo de presentar información relevante y fidedigna, se ha contactado y entrevistado a profesores de cada una de las secciones de español analizadas. Asimismo, se le ha enviado el texto correspondiente a su institución para su revisión, comentarios y sugerencias. Para recoger la voz de los estudiantes, se ha aplicado una encuesta a 81 estudiantes de las cuatro universidades que imparten español, obteniéndose respuestas que han sido objeto de análisis.
The expression of grief in the Apollo and Hyacinthus episode in Ovid's metamorphoses and in fanfiction
Maharaj, Shreya (University of Stellenbosch, 2025-06-11)
Ovid’s Metamorphoses expresses Apollo’s grief for Hyacinthus as understood by ancient Romans. A fanfiction work, The making of flowers, a tragedy by Kekune, reimagines this grief for a modern audience. This paper analyses how this is accomplished in the fanfiction. It examines the contrasting expressions of ancient and modern grief by analysing the use of Jenkins’ fanfiction writing strategies of recontextualisation, altering the timeline of the canon, and refocalisation. Examining such strategies illustrates how the fanfiction creates a better understanding of Apollo’s grief for modern readers, by providing reasons for the characters’ conduct, their psychological motivations, and the emotional context for their grief.
Survivor agency in the post-genocide memorialization process in Rwanda
Wolfe, Stephanie; Ndizeye, Omar; De Beer, Anna-Marie (Routledge, 2025-04)
Survivor agency within the memorialization process of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda has often been marginalized in academic discourse. Since the end of the genocide, much of the research has focused on the Rwandan government’s influence in shaping genocide memorials and their narratives, sometimes reducing the complexity of memorialization to questions of state power and control. Consequently, the contributions of individual survivors, their organizations, local community members, artists, intellectuals, and both local and international organizations have been insufficiently acknowledged. This article aligns with scholars who centre survivors as key contributors to memorialization, emphasizing their significant involvement in creating and shaping memorial sites, particularly at the local level. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and survivor testimonies, we explore how survivors’ early initiatives and ongoing participation have shaped Rwanda’s memorial landscape. By foregrounding survivor agency, we demonstrate that memorialization is a multifaceted process encompassing state-driven efforts, institutional and non-state actors, and grassroots survivor contributions, enriching the discourse on transitional justice and collective memory.
Syncretism and Jewish influence in the Greek Magical Papyri : a comparative analysis
Khumalo, Sihe (Department of Ancient Studies, Stellenbosch University, 2025-12)
This article examines the presence of Jewish elements in selected texts from the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM), including the Prayer of Jacob, Charm of Pibechis, Eighth book of Moses, and A love spell of attraction. Through textual and comparative analysis, it argues that Jewish divine names, biblical figures, and ritual registers operate not as markers of Jewish authorship or confessional identity, but as adaptable sources of ritual authority within a broader syncretic repertoire. Hebrew-associated names such as Iaō, Sabaōth, and Adōnai are shown to circulate alongside Egyptian, Greco-Roman, and early Christian elements in efficacy-driven ritual collections shaped by performance, technical competence, and persuasive power. By situating these texts against both Greco-Egyptian magical traditions and materially attested Jewish magical corpora, the study demonstrates that syncretism in the PGM reflects pragmatic strategies of ritual authentication rather than the fusion of coherent belief systems. The article, therefore, contributes to ongoing debates on syncretism, authority, and religious interaction in Late Antiquity by foregrounding practice, transmission, and ritual expertise over rigid notions of religious identity.
Iconographical study and semiotic analysis of Princess Khnumet's Diadem from the 12th Dynasty, Middle Kingdom
Meyer, Marlene (Unisa Press, 2025-12)
This study identifies unique aspects present in Princess Khnumet’s diadem through a hybrid approach incorporating Van Straten’s four-phase iconographic methodology and semiotics. Van Straten’s first phase identifies the materials, colours, and techniques that are present in Khnumet’s diadem. The second phase deals with the iconographic significance of the colours and motifs on the jewellery piece. The third phase discusses the use of iconographical themes to identify a theme that represented Khnumet’s diadem in its entirety. The fourth phase makes use of the historical, cultural, and social background of the Twelfth Dynasty, Middle Kingdom, to determine the influences that may have affected the design of the jewellery piece. Lastly, the discussion identifies how certain aspects were repeatedly present in Khnumet’s diadem, from which one can deduce how certain themes were predominantly selected. This study thus illustrates that the individual motifs are interconnected to the broader iconographical theme within a jewellery piece.
Lessons from the field : experts weigh in on years of conducting fieldwork in post-atrocity zones
Fox, Nicole; Davey, Christopher P.; Hsiao, Elaine Lan Yin; Kuradusenge-McLeod, Claudine; Lakin, Samantha J.; Rafferty, Judith; Wolfe, Stephanie (Routledge, 2025-05)
Conducting research in post-atrocity settings contributes to broader societal efforts to address the legacies of genocide, promote justice, and educate the public in ways that foster a more inclusive future for affected societies. At the same time, such fieldwork requires a heightened level of care for research participants, researchers, and their team. By highlighting the complex dynamics of international research in communities recovering from mass violence, this fieldwork reflection aims to demystify aspects of fieldwork in such contexts. We collectively write this piece, drawing on decades of combined experience researching and writing about post-atrocity settings in more than fifteen countries [These countries include Armenia, Burundi, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Poland, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Rwanda, South Africa, South Korea, and Uganda]. Focused on our personal experiences, we offer five lessons that address dynamics of marginalization in the field, interrogation of researcher positionality, secondary trauma, trust building, and navigating research-related bureaucracy.
The effects of decolonial praxis on leaders of transformative movements : the case of Masivule in South Africa
Sekowe, Cliff; Okyere Asante, Michael K.; Van den Brink, Jessica; Andrason, Alexander (University of the Western Cape, 2025)
While the effects experienced by the leaders of radical transformative movements at universities in South Africa and other countries have become evident over the last decades, the scholarly discussion and theorisation thereof, especially by those directly involved in these movements, has been scarce. This article addresses this knowledge gap and discusses the consequences suffered by the leaders of a small, albeit no less radically transformative, movement that took place at a middle-size department at a historically white South African university in 2022: #Masivule_i-Antieke_Studies. By exploring an auto-ethnographic method and couching their personal experiences within decolonial theory, the authors - who were among the six Masivule founders and activists - conclude that: contesting (post-/epi-)colonial powers at universities has both negative and positive effects on the architects/leaders of decolonial movements, which are visible in four domains: structural, epistemic, personal, and relational. While structural, epistemic, and relational effects gradually become mostly positive, personal effects remain profoundly (albeit not exclusively) negative. The authors propose that the most promising or effective way to deal with traumatic experiences and render them generative is to embrace decoloniality - not only as a method of transforming a particular department, university, or field, but as a philosophy governing one's professional career and life.
„Um zu schauen auf die Lieblichkeit des HERRN …“ (Ps 27,4) : ein neues gesamtverstandnis von Psalm 27
Weber, Beat, 1955- (J. Gabalda et Cie, 2024)
Please read abstract available in article.
Monocola, ambiguity and propositional density : poetic art, technique and rhetoric in Psalm 81
Weber, Beat, 1955- (Stellenbosch University, Department of Ancient Studies, 2024-12)
Poetry is the richest form of all forms of linguistic expression. Psalm 81 is used here as an example. The psalm constitutes chiefly a speech of God and demonstrates how creative literary techniques can be used in the service of (prophetic) proclamation aimed at “listening to YHWH”. Two monocola are placed at hinge points (vv. 6c and 11c), serving as structural markers. They are associated with indeterminate deictic references so that ambiguity generates multiple readings. Due to intra-textual equivalences and with the catalysing effect of allusions to passages from Deuteronomy, different statements come into play. These include, among other things, the double aspect of filling the mouth or being sated with the word of God and bodily nourishment (vv. 11c and 17ab).
Social networks and the origenist controversy: the case of Anastasius I of Rome, Jerome, and Paulinus of Nola
Dunn, Geoffrey D. (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024)
Attention to the complexities of social networks at the time of the first Origenist controversy at the end of the fourth century reveals that while both Jerome and Anastasius I, bishop of Rome, were anti-Origenist, they had differing attitudes towards Paulinus of Nola. Jerome was suspicious of him because of Origenist associates, while Anastasius seems to have held him in high regard. It is argued here that it is too simplistic to divide participants in this controversy into pro- and anti-Origenist camps and to expect that those within each camp all shared the same outlook and evaluation of others. Personal attitudes towards others usually are shaped by more than one issue, and different issues hold different significance for different people. In the case of Anastasius, it would appear that he was unaware of potential Origenist sympathies held by Paulinus, did not place the same importance on his network of contacts as Jerome did, and/or was more influenced by his social standing as a member of the elite than by suspicion about possible Origenist affinity.
The Prayer of Jacob (PGM22b) and speech act theory : a pragmatic analysis
Khumalo, Sihe (Classical Association of South Africa, 2024)
This article uses Speech Act Theory to analyse The Prayer of Jacob, a magical incantation from the fourth-century Greek Magical Papyri (PGM 22b. 1-26). Drawing from Austin and Searle’s Speech Act Theory, I examine various speech acts within the prayer, following Lesses’ methodology. Three primary speech act types (directives, expressives, and direct addresses) are identified, alongside an exploration of phrases invoking the power and names of God, and enigmatic voces magicae. Ultimately, the paper suggests that the combination of verbal utterances with divine names, expressions of power, and voces magicae enhances the prayer’s potential effectiveness, leading to the desired outcomes under appropriate conditions.
Re-examining the representation of the land in Hosea 4–11 in light of sacred space
Rembold, Stefanie (Old Testament Society of South Africa, 2024-03-15)
This article reconsiders the role of land in the YHWH-Israel relationship in Hos 4–11, a text which reworks positive notions of land—gift, inheritance, homeland—as the land becomes associated with Israel’s iniquitous actions and distorted values. To achieve this, the study explores how land is represented as a sacred space in the text and how sacred space is subject to the actions, ideas and perceptions of the people who inhabit the land. The study employs a synchronic, social-scientific approach and conducts a thematic analysis of the text, focusing on the interconnections of sacred space’s moderators—holiness, cultural memory and covenantal exchange—and their place in the land’s deconstruction and reconstruction. Considering these relational modes, the study shows that the representation of the land is reflected in the text’s movements from deconstruction to reconstruction, which suggests that the state of the YHWH-Israel relationship is interlaced with the physical landscape.
Tertullian, apostolicity, and the apostles
Dunn, Geoffrey D. (John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, 2024-09)
How did Tertullian regard the apostles? This article investigates the references to them scattered through his writings both as individuals and as a collective. It reveals that individually the apostles were remote figures who appear in the pages of the New Testament simply as interlocutors of Jesus. Even Peter, significant as he was, was someone whose role was personal to himself and not a pattern for future leadership. Yet collectively the apostles performed an important function in Tertullian’s ecclesiology; they were the first receivers and transmitters of the regula fidei, and their fidelity to that responsibility distinguished authentic Christian communities from heretical associations. The regula fidei was important to Tertullian. As a synthesis of the essentials of faith as preached and lived by Jesus, it provided the measure against which passages of Scripture and Christian belief and practice were to be interpreted. The regula relied upon the accurate and complete transmission of the message of Jesus via the apostles to the church and its leaders. The apostolicity of the church is at the heart of why Tradition is central to Christian theology.
Raised eyes and humble hearts : the body as/in space in Pss 123 and 131
Prinsloo, Gert Thomas Marthinus (Old Testament Society of South Africa, 2023)
As a mobile spatial field, the human body is a space and functions in space. The body governs spatial orientation and perceptions of direction, location and distance and determines human experiences and representations of space on the continuum between positive and negative and/or sacred and profane space. In the Psalter, space is represented and experienced through the eyes of a “lyrical I” whose body is located off-centre, in chaos and despair, or at-centre, in harmony and peace. Supplication and praise, ritual and prayer are all expressions of the lyrical I’s desire to be located at-centre, in the presence of the deity, in sacred space. Sacred space is not an ontological location, but a subjective, bodily experience of being in the presence of the divine. An analysis of the whole-body experience of the lyrical I in Pss 123 and 131 illustrates the poet’s longing for (Ps 123) and experience of being at-centre (Ps 131), in divine presence, i.e., in sacred space.
“Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies” (Ps 68:35) : the theological intent of Pss 65–68 and their connections with the prologue to the Psalter (Pss 1–2)
Botha, Philippus Jacobus (Old Testament Society of South Africa, 2023)
Psalms 65–68 constitute an editorially arranged and adapted cluster of psalms expressing universal praise and thanksgiving near the end of Book II of the Psalms. The article describes the theological purpose of the four psalms. There is a strong emphasis on God’s presence in the temple in Zion as a source of blessing for his elected people, the cosmos he created and all humanity. Through his magnificent involvement in creation and the history of his people, his fame as creator, righteous judge, and supreme ruler of the world will spread to the ends of the earth. By linking the cluster through keywords with Pss 1–2, the editors demonstrated how God’s benevolent and just involvement with his people would lead to his being universally recognised as the only God.
Into your hand, I commit my spirit. You have redeemed me, YHWH, O faithful God” (Ps 31:6) : the purpose of Psalm 31 as a part of the cluster of Psalms 25-34 to exhort the in-group to faithful trust in YHWH
Botha, Philippus Jacobus (Stellenbosch University, Department of Ancient Studies, 2023)
Psalm 31 is characterised by a mixture of earnest supplications for help and thanksgiving for having been helped by YHWH. It also contains two of the most memorable declarations of trust in YHWH, with the psalmist entrusting his spirit and his time into the hand of YHWH. This article interprets the psalm as a composition on its own but also within the context of the cluster of Pss 25-34. It argues that the psalm is well-integrated into the cluster, functioning as an acknowledgement to YHWH for having rescued the psalmist from his distress and serving as proof that YHWH is faithful so that the psalmist could use his experience to exhort the in-group to replicate his trust in seeking refuge in YHWH. Although the cluster contains echoes of David’s military struggle with Saul, the primary conflict in the cluster relates to the ethical-moral battle between the humble, poor, righteous worshippers of YHWH and the arrogant, wicked people who tried to shame them in post-exilic Judah.
Revisiting the ‘kriegerischer Gott’ of the Akkadian period
Van Dijk-Coombe, Renate M. (MDPI, 2023-09)
Boehmer’s Die Entwicklung der Glyptik während der Akkad-Zeit (1965), although nearly 60 years old, is still the major work on the cylinder seals of the Akkadian Period (2334–2150 BCE). It examines different themes and motifs depicted on the cylinder seals during this period. One of the figures which Boehmer discusses is the ‘kriegerischer Gott’, or martial god. Boehmer records this ‘kriegerischer Gott’ as being depicted on only eight cylinder seals. Despite this limited number of examples, the figure exhibits a unique iconography, which suggests a unique, specific personage. Furthermore, he is depicted on the seal of the scribe Adda (BM 89115), one of the most well-known seals from Mesopotamia, in which he is depicted alongside Utu/Šamaš, Inana/Ištar, Enki/Ea and Isiumud/Usmu. Because the ‘kriegerischer Gott’ is depicted together with these great deities of the Akkadian pantheon, each with their own unique iconography, it suggests that he may likewise be a figure of some importance. Boehmer devotes only one page to his discussion on the ‘kriegerischer Gott’. A more detailed investigation into Boehmer’s ‘kriegerischer Gott’ is, therefore, required. This contribution will, therefore, re-examine this figure by analysing his iconography, the unique attributes which he has, the scenes in which he is depicted, and the figures with which he is associated. The possible identity of the ‘kriegerischer Gott’ will also be addressed.
An African in Rome: Victor I, the Date of Easter, and Pluralist Christianity
Dunn, Geoffrey D. (Brill Academic Publishers, 2024-03)
At the end of the second century, Christianity in Rome existed as a federation of individual communities, despite the narrative provided in the fourth century by Eusebius. There was a multiplicity of leaders, of social backgrounds, of languages, of beliefs, and of practices among the Christians of Rome. How did the church of Rome maintain unity internally and externally in the presence of such diversity? By the end of the second century, with Victor, that forbearance came to a dramatic end. The best-known example is the Quartodeciman controversy over the dating of Easter. Other examples include his reaction to Monarchians, Montanists, and Valentinians. In itself, this is not evidence that Victor was attempting to act as sole bishop of Rome, but simply that he used the structures of the pluralist communities to push for greater theological conformity, which contributed to the centralisation of leadership in Rome. As a qualifier, it will be argued that he was not opposed to pluralism per se, but was opposed to it when he became aware of any particular threat divergence presented to Christian life and thought.
Perception changes over time on the usefulness of language learning strategies
Perea, Luis A. Lancho (AOSIS, 2023-04)
This longitudinal study describes and analyses the shifts in students’ perceptions on the usefulness of language learning strategies (LLS) when learning Spanish as a foreign language, and explains the roles that these learning strategies play at various moments in time during students’ language learning journey at the undergraduate level. The richness of this investigation lies in the examination of the changing roles and the perceived usefulness of these strategies over a period of 3 years by using a mixed-method approach. Its main contribution is twofold. On the one hand, it offers practical insights within the linguistic field of language acquisition that can be applied to the learning of foreign languages by students with no previous knowledge of them. On the other hand, its longitudinal design not only goes beyond the traditional quantitative approach that offers a limited snapshot view, but also captures changes in strategy use over time while providing details on why strategies were or were not used in the new language at different proficiency levels. The study found some strategies that were initially perceived as useful and helpful at the beginning of the journey were later perceived as neutral, useless or obstructive by the same group of students who had become more proficient in the foreign language. And, conversely, other strategies that were initially perceived as neutral, unhelpful or frustrating, were later perceived as necessary to improve language proficiency, useful and stimulating by the same cohort of students. In this respect, it was found that the perceived role played by these strategies alternated between essential roles to catalytic roles, imperceptible roles, retarding roles and preventing roles, and vice versa. CONTRIBUTION : The main contribution of this study is that it shows that students’ perceptions on the usefulness of certain LLS over time are influenced by their level of proficiency. This in turn influences, and is influenced by, language attitudes and language learning policy, which fall under the scope of this journal.
A spatial reading of Obadiah on the vertical axis of the ancient near Eastern cosmic geography
Schader, Jo-Mari (Unisa Press, 2023-07)
Since the 1970s, biblical studies have experienced a “spatial turn,” giving rise to an emphasis on a variety of approaches to the spatial analysis of biblical texts. Space is something that is constructed, produced, and represented by means of words. It is thus possible for the associations and memories of spaces to change. This study’s purpose is threefold: (1) to provide a short overview of the significance of studying space and memory together; (2) to provide an overview of ancient Near Eastern cosmic geography to contextualise our study’s reference to vertical spatial orientation; and (3) to illustrate how such a vertical spatial reading can aid us in better understanding the text of Obadiah, which deals predominantly with space in terms of land and sacred space.

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