The Kikuyu Bible rendering of Hebrew words that function to mark off an untouchable zone or objects or impose restrictions in relation to sancta

Kimuhu, Johnson M. (1996) The Kikuyu Bible rendering of Hebrew words that function to mark off an untouchable zone or objects or impose restrictions in relation to sancta. MTh(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This research is as a result of my previous paper based on some theological and hermeneutical problems in the Kikuyu Bible translation with special reference to sin in the OT at St Paul's United Theological College, Liumuru, Kenya. This research which was undertaken as partial fulfilment of a Bachelor of Divinity Degree was under the supervision of the Rev Johan Beks, Hebrew and OT tutor and Dean of Studies. In this study, I realised that my efforts to have a clear understanding of this subject were curtailed by the lack of a deeper knowledge on the area of taboo, which to my surprise dominated the Kikuyu life as a whole. Again, my life as a Bible translator, after college, pushed my desire to do research on taboo even further, after encountering a number of Hebrew terms that function to mark off an untouchable zone or objects or impose restrictions in relation to sancta. This research is an attempt to bridge the two cultures, the OT and the Kikuyu, from the point of view of taboo, through the Bible translation. I shall begin, by defining anthropologically the idea of taboo, ie considering different cultures from, the standpoint of Polynesia. The OT terminologies that connote taboo in certain contexts have taken the major part of this research and have been thoroughly examined. Once this is done, and I am now confident that these words exist in the OT, an attempt has been made to subject to scrutiny the translational problems these Hebrew words create for the Kikuyu Bible translators, This has been achieved through a careful study of the Kikuyu words expressing the idea of a taboo, namely mugiro, thahu, magigi and ng'uki Furthermore, following Walter Houston's advice, and given the elasticity of the term taboo, I have endeavoured to make more precise distinctions not only between the various terms treated, but in relation to K >3 W . Thus, I have distinguished between, on the one hand, the ritual uncleanness generated by natural process (e.g. childbirth) or social responsibilities (burial of the dead), which creates a restriction in relation to the cult, but is purifiable, and, on the other, the infringement of prohibitions, which is described as ' making yourselves unclean' in the rhetoric of the Holiness Stratum (Lev 11:43ff 18:24ff) and which punishable but not purifiable. Such a comparison has not been done in isolation. Inevitably, different Bible versions had to be consulted for further illumination on the difficulties involved in this kind of translation and also in assisting us to reach the best Kikuyu rendering of the sister Hebrew words.

• Item Type: Thesis (MTh(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Keywords: Biblical studies.
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities
• Supervisor's Name: Hunter, Mr. Alastair
• Date of Award: 1996
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1996-71637
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 17 May 2019 09:31
• Last Modified: 05 Aug 2022 09:33
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.71637
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/71637