Die funksie van ruimte in die reisverhale in 1 Henog 12-36

Abstract

The function of space in the travel narratives of 1 Enoch 12-36. Using the theoies of Malbon and Van Eck on the functional use of space in narratives, a narrative analysis is presented of Enoch's account of three journeys in 1 Enoch 12-36. In the microsocial world of these narratives focal space is used as expression of the symbolic universe of the apocalyptic author(s). According to this view cosmological space is allocated by God as either a place of punishment for the disobedient or as a refuge for the faithful. In this knowledge the author(s) of the apocalypse found security when they experienced crises during the third and second century BCE. Preference for spatial rather than chronological data in apocalyptic thinking at this early stage of apocalypticism is described against the background of the influence of wisdom literature and the concept of holiness.