Abstract:
Numbers 25 presents a human crisis requiring swift leadership interventions to curb the
plague. Leadership failure plays out on a number of levels before decisive and resolute
interventions are taken. This passage shows a human-created crisis that somewhat parallels
the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and offers reflective pragmatic approaches
taken to ensure immediate arresting of the pandemic and perhaps future curbing of a similar
instigation.
CONTRIBUTION : Africa has always been known to respond rather belatedly to crises that cost
human lives and also for waiting for solutions to come from elsewhere. How do we change
that paradigm going forward and what does it mean for the analysis of biblical texts? African
hermeneutical readings that take contextual issues rather seriously are utilised in this study.
Description:
This research is part of the
research project, ‘Old
Testament and Actuality
Themes and Religion’,
directed by Prof. Dr Dirk
Human, Old Testament and
Hebrew Scriptures, Faculty of
Theology and Religion,
University of Pretoria
