CHEMICAL AND NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF COPAO FRUIT (Eulychnia acida PHIL.) UNDER THREE ENvIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN THE COqUIMbO REgION
OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2011

Lilia Masson
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas
Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Grasas y Aceites
Universidad de Chile
CIDGRA
Vicuña Mackenna 20SantiagoChile

S
María Angélica
Salvatierra G
Paz Robert
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas
Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Grasas y Aceites
Universidad de Chile
CIDGRA
Vicuña Mackenna 20SantiagoChile

Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias INIA
Apartado Postal 36-B, La SerenaChile

C
Cristian Encina
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas
Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Grasas y Aceites
Universidad de Chile
CIDGRA
Vicuña Mackenna 20SantiagoChile

A 1
Conrado Camilo
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas
Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Grasas y Aceites
Universidad de Chile
CIDGRA
Vicuña Mackenna 20SantiagoChile

M
CHEMICAL AND NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF COPAO FRUIT (Eulychnia acida PHIL.) UNDER THREE ENvIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN THE COqUIMbO REgION

CHILEAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
714OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2011Received: 3 March 2011. Accepted: 10 August 2011.521 T RESEARCH * Corresponding author (email@example.com).Rumpaarborescent cactusvitamin Cminerals
Copao (Eulychnia acida Phil.) is an endemic arborescent cactus restricted mainly to the semi-arid Coquimbo Region (29°54'28" S, 71°15'15" W), Chile. The area of distribution is from sea level to 1200 m.a.s.l. The edible fruit called rumpa is generally round, with green or pink peel and small scales on its surface, showing wide variability in size and weight. The aim of this work was to characterize the rumpa harvested in January 2009 and 2010 in three sectors of Coquimbo Region to determine chemical and nutritional composition in three fractions: pulp with seeds, juice, and peel. The research showed that this fruit is a good natural source of mainly soluble dietary fiber, which has a jellied texture and is present in the three fractions analyzed: 2% for juice, 3% for pulp with seeds, and approximately 5% for peel, making it potentially a good source of hydrocolloids for the food industry. The fruit is also a good source of vitamin C; around 55 mg 100 g -1 in peel, and 30 mg 100 g -1 in pulp with seeds and juice, values considered high compared to 18 mg 100 g -1 for prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica [L.] Mill.) The main minerals were: K, Mg, Ca, and P. Total polyphenols and betalain pigments were also determined in the pulp with seeds and pink peel fractions, respectively. The nutritional characteristics, together with its high water content of around 96%, make rumpa a promising raw material for agro-industrial development of natural juices or isotonic drinks. This characterization helps in the recovery of an endemic native species by reducing potential threats to destroy wild populations of E. acid, especially near agricultural areas, and by promoting habitat conservation of the species in the region.

he cactaceae family is xerophile and its cultivation has been commercially developed since the midtwentieth century. This family is native to Central Mexico, where the largest germplasm variability is found (Nefzaoui et al., 2008). Traditional Mexican medicine has historically used fruits or flowers of cactus cladodes to reduce serum cholesterol levels, regulate blood pressure, control gastric disturbances, and treat various diseases such as gastric ulcers, glaucoma, capillary fragility, rheumatic pains, etc. (Muñoz de Chávez et al., 1995;Domínguez-López, 1995;Gurrieri et al., 2000;Nefzaoui et al., 2008). Nopal fruits (Opuntia ficus-indica [L.] Mill.) are not only nutritious, but also a good source of functional components such as soluble dietary fiber, betalain and carotenoid pigments, minerals, and other compounds, such as highly appreciated antioxidants and gastro protective products. This is a real advantage for using this species as a source of bioactive compounds in the development of new functional foods (Sáenz, 2006;Nefzaoui et al., 2008).

Eulychnia is a genus present in Peru and Chile (Ritter, cited by Nyffeler et al., 1997), of which copao (Eulychnia acida Phil.) is an endemic species of arid regions, widely distributed in Coquimbo. It grows especially on hillsides facing north, from sea level up to 1200 m.a.s.l. (Bustamante, 1996). The fruit, called rumpa, is round or slightly elongated, with green or pink peel with very small scales. It presents a great variability in color, weight, and size. This morphological variability may be a response to environmental conditions (annual rainfall, altitude, temperature) and soil conditions, or it may have a genetic basis, as is the case with Stenocereus stellatus (Casas et al., 1999) and Stenocereus pruinosus (Luna, 2006). The raw pulp with seeds (fruit), with some sugar added, as well as its juice, is consumed locally, and the fruit is used as animal feed in the dry season. Once the fruit ripens, the peel becomes brightly colored, with a firm appearance, and the pulp tastes acidic and fruity. Although this species is widely distributed in the Coquimbo Region, practically no information on its chemical composition and nutritional value has been published. The information available to date on this species is related to its distribution and conservation status (Bustamante 1996), taxonomy, the morpho-anatomical characteristics of its stems (Nyffeler et al., 1997), and infestation by the leafless mistletoe Tristerix aphyllus. Therefore, the aim of this research was to characterize the chemical-nutritional composition of diverse fractions of the fruit to determine its potential use in agro-industry and thus help protect wild populations of this endemic native resource.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Samples

Samples of ripe fruit from wild E. acida populations growing in the Coquimbo Region, Chile, were collected by hand during the fruit harvest period in January 2009 and 2010. Three sectors were chosen considering the differences of the wild population of cactus E. acida and climatic differences: 1) Manquehua sector (30°57' S, 71°10' W; 660 m.a.s.l.), an intermediate zone in Limari Valley with an annual mean temperature 16 °C and lower humidity than Gualliguaica; 2) Gualliguaica sector (30°00' S, 70°48' W; 633 m.a.s.l.) located in Elqui Valley (Figure 1), with an annual mean temperature of 17 °C and an average relative humidity of around 60%, and 3) the coastal Quebrada Honda sector (29°34' S, 71°10' W; 399 m.a.s.l.), this area is normally cloudy, with an annual mean temperature of 14 °C and an average relative humidity of around 80%. Mean rainfall in the region during 2008 and 2009 was 125 and 61 mm, respectively (CEAZA, 2010). Each sector was divided into three sub-sectors, approximately 6 ha each, with slope and northwest exposure, where the fruit samples were taken according to a previously designed sampling plan. On average, 70 plants full of fruits with good appearance were harvested at random per sub-sector, sampling between one to five ripe fruits per plant, located in the upper third of the stems. Due to the lack of information about the harvest index in this species, the fruits were harvested by direct appreciation according to experience of local inhabitants; then the parameters used were the brightness of the peel and the turgor of the fruits, detected visually, as indicators of the firmness and maturity of the fruits. As well, the fruits have different skin colors, so they were harvested in separate batches according to color, green or red, observed in the field ( Figure 2).

Regarding peel color, green and pink peel fruits were collected separately only in Manquehua sector. In the other two sectors of Gualliguaica and Quebrada Honda, only green peel fruits were collected. Each lot taken in each sub-sector was around 15 kg, with the following distribution: 1) Manquehua: three green and three pink peel fruit lots; 2) Gualliguaica: three green peel fruit lots; and 3) Quebrada Honda: three green peel fruit lots, with a total 12 lots. Each fruit was put in a special soft plastic bag commonly used in the country for exporting fruit, to protect them, labeled with its respective identification considering sector, subsector, peel color, date, lot number, and weight (kg), and was delivered to the laboratory for analysis in a special refrigerated container.

In January 2010, a restricted fruit sampling procedure was conducted in the same three sectors sampled in 2009, applying the same criteria, the area of each sub-sector was smaller (2 ha), and the number of harvested plants was approximately 30 in total, sampling one to five fruits per plant. The sampling was smaller because of lower raw material requirements for chemical analysis. Each lot represented around 7 kg of fruits, taken randomly within the three subsectors previously defined per sector sampled, with the following distribution: Manquehua: one green and one pink peel fruit lot; Gualliguaica: one green and one pink peel fruit lot; and Quebrada Honda: one green peel fruit lot, for a total of five lots, three with green peel and two pink. The same procedure was used as in 2009 for packaging, labeling, and delivering the fruit lots to the laboratory.

Soil samples were taken from each sector and analyzed to determine organic matter content, pH, and available N P, and K. The pH was neutral for the three sectors, ranging between 6.2 and 7.1. The content of N, P, and K in soil was higher in Quebrada Honda. The soil N content was 36, 19, and 23 mg kg -1 for Q. Honda, Gualliguaca, and Manquehua, respectively. While, the soil P content was 33, 20, and 24 mg kg -1 for Q. Honda, Gualliguaca, and Manquehua, respectively. Finally, the soil K content was 572, 316, and 139 mg kg -1 for Quebrada Honda, Gualliguaca, and Manquehua, respectively.

Analytical samples

All fruit received in the laboratory was immediately weighed individually. Thus, more than 1700 individual fruits were assessed. Each lot was maintained at -80 ± 2 °C in a vertical freezer (Labtech Model LDF-8514, Namyangju, South Korea) until its analysis.

The analytical sample was approximatley 3 kg (average of 24 fruits). Each fruit was again weighed, halved longitudinally, the pulp with seeds was removed with a spoon. Because this is the edible fraction and thus more likely to be used in industry, it was collected in a weighted beaker for calculating the yield expressed as a percentage (weight ratios among the whole fruit, peel and pulp with seeds). The pulp and seed fractions obtained from 12 fruits from each sampling were homogenized in a commercial blender (Braun, Cincinnati, USA) until the seeds were completely ground. The homogenized samples were stored individually in labeled 250 mL plastic jars and submitted immediately to analytical determinations. Control samples of each analytical sample from fruit harvested in 2009 were kept at -23 ± 1 °C (Freezer FENSA model FFH4450, Santiago, Chile). In the case of the 2010 sample, the same procedures described above for the analytical sample preparation were used for the five lots of sampled rumpa, with the difference that in this case two fractions from each analytical sample were obtained: five peel and five juice samples, for a total of 10. Peel fractions were collected, weighed and homogenized in the same commercial blender. For the juice fraction, the seeds were separated from the pulp using an adequate sieve and the liquid was collected in labeled individual 250 mL plastic jars, and submitted immediately to analytical determination. A control sample of each analytical sample from fruit harvested in 2010 was kept at -23 ± 1 °C. As a result of the 2009 and 2010 sampling procedures, three homogenized fruit fractions were analyzed: 12 analytical samples of pulp with seeds from rumpas harvested in 2009; and 10 analytical samples, five samples of peel and five of juice from rumpas harvested in 2010, 22 total samples. They were analyzed for proximate composition, including water, dietary fiber, available carbohydrates, lipids, nitrogen (protein), related to micronutrients, vitamin C, Ca, Fe, P, K, Mg, and Cu.

Total polyphenols were only measured in the pulp with seeds fraction from fruits sampled from the three sectors during summer time 2009, and betalains pigments were determined in the pink peel fraction of fruit obtained from Manquehua sector sampled in 2009 and Gualliguaica and Manquehua sectors sampled in 2010. Each analytical determination was run at least in duplicate.

Chemical analysis

Moisture and volatile matter: The AOAC Official Method 934.01 (AOAC, 1995) was used with a forced-draft oven (MTB Binder, USA) at 103 ± 2 °C, with 5 g of sand added (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany). Total nitrogen was determined using the AOAC Official Method 954.01 (AOAC, 1995) through digestion and distillation (Büchi model 426, Flawil, Switzerland). Crude protein was calculated by multiplying total N by the universal factor 6.25. Total lipids were determined by the method of Bligh and Dyer (1959) with chloroform, methanol, and water in the inidicated proportions. The anthrone spectrophotometric method described by Osborne and Voogt (1986) was used to determine available carbohydrates. The glucose concentration in the sample test was calculated measuring its absorbance and results were expressed as a percentage (%). Dietary fiber was determined by the AOAC Official Method 985.29 (AOAC, 1990) with the enzyme kit BIOQUANT® Total Dietary Fiber (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany). Ash was determined by the AOAC Official Method 930.05 (AOAC, 1995). Minerals were determined by the AOAC Official methods for each respective mineral as described in Volume 1 AOAC (1995). The method described by Schmidt-Hebbel (1977) was used to determine total ascorbic acid or vitamin C. The vitamin C in the juice fraction was stabilized with an oxalic acid solution 0.5%, and was measured in the spectrophotometer (Hitachi U-2900, Tokyo, Japan). The results were expressed as mg of total ascorbic acid or vitamin C100 g -1 of fresh weight juice. The presence of polyphenols in the pulp with seeds fraction of fruits from 2009 was tested in an aqueous extract using the Folin Ciocalteau method (Singleton and Rossi, 1965). Total phenolic content was expressed as milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per 100 g of fresh pulp weight (mg GAE g -1 FW). Betacyanins and betaxanthin content was determined in a preliminary assay of the red peel fractions of fruits harvested in Manquehua in 2009, and repeated in the pink peel fraction harvested in Manquehua and Gualliguaica in 2010. They were determined in an aqueous peel extract using the spectrophotometric method proposed by Stintzing et al. (2005). Betacyanin and betaxanthin were expressed as mg of betanine and indicaxantin 100 g -1 FW respectively.

Statistical analysis

The data obtained were analyzed with an ANOVA. Means were compared with the Tukey test at a 95% confidence level. The values of the weight of pulp and peel with respect to total fruit weight were determined by a nonparametric ANOVA (Kruskal-Wallis test). All statistical analyses were performed using the Statgraphic Plus 5.1 statistical software.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Physical characteristics

The weight of the 1700 fruit sampled in January 2009 and 2010 ranged between 71 g up to 185 g. The fruit weight showed significant interactions among sectors and between years ( Table 1). The fruits harvested in Manquehua in 2009 and 2010 were the smallest, with an average weight of 100 g, which was significantly different (p < 0.05) from the fruit from the other two sectors, 30% lower than fruit from Gualliguaica and 50% less than fruit from Quebrada Honda. Fruit from both Gualliguaica and Quebrada were larger. However, there was significant variation in fruit weight between the two seasons in each sector, Manquehua being the sector with the smallest fruits in both years. The weight differences may be a consequence of physiological conditions of the plants, such as photoassimilate supply during fruit development (Inglese et al., 1999), climatic conditions such as rainfall (García Suárez et al., 2007) and soil moisture variations (Gugliuzza et al., 2002) in the three sectors during the two seasons. Considering pink and green peel color and the weight of fruits harvested in Manquehua in 2009 and Gualliguaica in 2010, Table 2 shows that Manquehua green peel fruits were smaller than pink peel fruits collected in the same sector, with a significant difference (p < 0.05). The weight difference was not significantly related to peel color in fruit from Gualliguaica, and therefore it is not easy to determine if peel color is related to weight. In any event, it is important to note that the number of fruits weighed in 2009 was much higher than in 2010. Regarding peel and pulp fruit color, in some cases the pink peel matched with the pulp, in other cases no relation was observed. The pulp of green-peeled fruits was always translucent white. All the green or pinkpeeled fruits had small scales on their sufaces, with very thin harmless thorns. Most of the fruits were round but some were slightly elongated (Figure 2). Table 3 presents the yield percentage obtained for the pulp with seeds and peel fractions of E. acida according to sector and year sampled. In the three sectors, the peel fraction represented more than 50% of total weight. The highest yield of pulp with seeds was obtained in fruit from Manquehua, where the lowest fruit weight was also obtained (Table 1). In contrast, fruit from Quebrada Honda had the lowest pulp with seeds fraction yield and high average weight. Fruit from Gualliguaica had intermediate values. Yields were significantly different among the three sectors (p < 0.05). This means that the smallest fruits had a better pulp with seeds yield because their peels were thinner than the fruits grown in the other two sectors sampled in 2009 and 2010. Peel thickness increases with soil moisture (Mulas and D´hallewin, 1997), which may be caused by air humidity. As mentioned earlier, fruits from the three sectors showed morphological variations that are a phenotype expression influenced by environment, soil and genetic characteristics. It is necessary to do further research on these topics.

Each fraction of the fruit has its own physical characteristics; for example, the pulp with seeds has a jellied and filamentous texture, is yellow-brown, with small pieces of seeds in suspension, is acidic and has a fruity taste. The juice fraction is light yellow or pink, depending on the pulp color, the same jellied and filamentous texture and tastes acidy and fruity. Finally, the peel fraction has the same jellied texture, is green or pink, depending on the sampled sector, and tastes acidy.

Nutritional composition

The principal component was water with mean content at 92% for the pulp with seeds fraction, from fruits collected in 2009 in the three sectors. The water content was 93% and 96% for the peel and juice fractions respectively, obtained from green or pink-peeled fruits collected in 2010 in the same three sectors (   -Hebbel et al., 1992). On the other hand, the water values obtained were higher than those in the literature for nopal fruit from the genus Opuntia cacti, such as the prickly pear, with values between 83.8% and 91.0% (Askar and El-Samahy, 1981;Sawaya et al., 1983;Muñoz de Chavez et al., 1995;Pimienta, 1990;Sepúlveda and Sáenz, 1990;Schmidt-Hebbel et al., 1992;Rodríguez et al., 1996). Regarding N in the three fractions, the values were low, from 30 mg 100 g -1 for juice and as high as almost 200 mg 100 g -1 for pulp with seeds, which is normal in fruits due to their high water content. The presence of the seeds, which represents a good N source, accounts for the higher content. These results are comparable to those with prickly pear fruit, with an N content between 34 mg 100 g -1 and 256 mg 100 g -1 (Sawaya et al., 1983;Pimienta, 1990;Sepúlveda and Sáenz, 1990;Schmidt-Hebbel et al., 1992;Muñoz de Chavez et al., 1995;Gurrieri et al., 2000). We found no literature for N for rumpa fruit. The N content of rumpa fractions is also comparable to those of other typical fruits such as apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) 32 mg 100 g -1 , pear (Pyrus communis L.), lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm f.) 48 mg 100 g -1 , apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) 64 mg 100 g -1 , pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr., plums (Prunus domestica L.) 80 mg 100 g -1 , melon (Cucumis melo), grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) 96 mg 100 g -1 , orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) 112 mg 100 g -1 , peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) 128 mg 100 g -1 , and strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier) 114 mg 100 g -1 , (Cappelli and Vannucchi, 1990;Schmidt-Hebbel et al., 1992;Belitz and Grosch, 1999). The conversion to proteins presented values from 0.2% for the juice fraction up to 1% for pulp with seeds.

The lipid content is also low; the values obtained for the peel and juice fractions were close to 0.15%, while the pulp with seeds presented a higher mean value of 1.4%. The seeds represent a good source of this nutrient, as has been demonstrated in papaw (V. pubescens), cherimoya (Annona cherimola), and prickly pear seeds obtained from these fruits cultivated in Chile, with mean lipid contents of 32.5, 18.5, and 5.5%, respectively (Masson et al., 2008).

Regarding available carbohydrates, in the pulp with seeds and juice fractions the values were around 0.5% expressed in glucose. In the peel fraction, carbohydrates were comparatively higher than the percentage found in the other two fractions, at 0.8-0.9%. The higher content could be explained by the peel texture, which is strong and thick, with a jellied texture that requires more structural materials.

Dietary fiber was the principal component in the three fractions, the peel presented a significantly higher value, of around 5%, (p < 0.05) than the other two fractions, at 2 to 3%, which coincides with the higher content of carbohydrate found in the same fraction, confirming that the peel contains more components to maintain a strong external cover. The peel color did not have any influence on fiber content.

It is important to mention the special characteristics of the texture of the three fractions, as a result of the carbohydrate and dietary fiber values found. Dietary fiber in this fruit is mainly soluble fiber with a high proportion of thickening or gelling agents. These are considered water-soluble gums or hydrocolloids, composed of macromolecules that are easily dispersed in water, increasing viscosity and having a gelling effect   (Multon, 2000). The high soluble dietary fiber content is a biological tool of the plant to capture and retain as much water as possible in dry areas. This content, from the technological point of view, is important because it could be a significant natural source of a thickening agent used as an additive in food industry (Multon, 2000). The mineral content was around 0.5 to 1% in the three fractions and was slightly higher than the value reported for prickly pear fruit, with 0.40 and 0.51% (Askar and El-Samahy, 1981;Sawaya et al., 1983;Pimienta, 1990;Sepúlveda and Sáenz, 1990, Schmidt-Hebbel et al., 1992, Muñoz de Chávez et al., 1995Rodríguez et al., 1996).

K, Mg, P, and Ca were the principal minerals determined in the three fruit fractions (Table 5). K was the most homogeneous mineral with around 200 mg 100 g -1 in the three fractions. Mg showed a significantly different distribution among the fractions (p < 0.05): in juice from 23 to 29 mg 100 g -1 , in pulp with seeds from 29-43 mg 100 g -1 and the highest values in peel, with means between 41-44 mg 100 g -1 . This distribution is probably related to physiological plant functions. Since green and pink peel fruits must have more chlorophyll pigments than the other fractions, Mg content would be higher in that fraction. P also showed variable fraction distribution, being clearly more concentrated in the juice fraction, with around 40 mg 100 g -1 ; pulp with seeds between 28-35 mg 100 g -1 ; and peel 5-8 mg 100 g -1 , the latter being very low. In contrast, Ca presented low values in juice, 6-7 mg 100 g -1 ; intermediate values in pulp with seeds, 12-16 mg 100 g -1 ; and the highest values in peel, 50-60 mg 100 g -1 , which could be because this mineral plays a role as structural material that is normally associated with pectin substances that contribute to maintaining structure and shape (Sáenz, 2006). Fe and Cu were very low; Fe presented a more homogeneous distribution between pulp with seeds and peel, around 20 mg 100 g -1 , with lower values in juice. Cu was very low in all three fractions < 0.1 mg 100 g -1 .

Na is one of the most abundant cations in nature and it showed great variation among the three fractions, with a tendency to be more concentrated in the peel. In relation to the sampling sectors, green-peeled fruit from the coastal zone of Quebrada Honda showed significantly higher values (p < 0.05) in pulp with seeds for K, Mg, P and Ca compared to fruit from the other two sectors sampled in summer 2009. The same tendency was observed for the peel fraction obtained for fruits harvested in summer 2010, with the exception of Ca. These significantly higher values for minerals in pulp with seeds and peel in the coastal zone could be related to a different chemical soil composition or to other abiotic factors (Lester, 2006). Mineral soil conditions for N, P and K varied among the evaluated sectors, but K content was higher at Quebrada Honda than at Gualliguaica and Manquehua. The presence of the components in the fruits is highly regulated by both genetic and environmental (soil and climate), factors (Lester and Crosby, 2002;Lester, 2006;Guzmán-Maldonado et al., 2010;Szakiel et al., 2010).

In addition, the seven minerals and water content were determined in samples of pulp with seeds of fruits harvested in 2010 in the same three sectors, in order to check if the data obtained in 2009 maintained the same order of magnitude. The mean values for each mineral did not show significant differences from those in determined in 2009, as shown in Table 5, with the exception of P content, which was lower than in 2009 for the same fraction (data not shown). Mg values were within the ranges in the literature for prickly pear pulp, with 16.1 to 98.5 mg 100 g -1 (Sáenz, 2006). Mg is essential for humans due to its physiological role in adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and it has recently been suggested that moderate Mg deficiency could be a risk factor for chronic health problems, such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes (Fleet and Cashman, 2003). Considering that Mg requirements for adult men and women are 320 28.6 ± 0.1b 6.8 ± 0.2bc 42.6 ± 0.9b 0.04 ± 0.00a 0.02 ± 0.00a 213 ± 2c 6.9 ± 0.4c Gualliguaica Green 24.1 ± 0.0a 6.6 ± 0.1b 47.7 ± 1.6c 0.04 ± 0.00a 0.03 ± 0.00a 210 ± 1c 2.1 ± 0.0a Pink 22.3 ± 0.1c 5.4 ± 0.0a 45.7 ± 0.6bc 0.03 ± 0.00a 0.02 ± 0.00a 180 ± 8b 12.3 ± 0.3d Quebrada Honda Green 28.8 ± 0.1a 6.7 ± 0.1b 42.5 ± 1.1b 0.03 ± 0.00a 0.02 ± 0.00a 174 ± 1b 4.7 ± 0.1b Table 5. Element content of fruit fractions in fresh weight for rumpa (Eulychnia acida) from three sectors in the region of Coquimbo.

Mean value of three analytical samples ± standard deviation. Mean values in the same fruit fraction followed by different letters denote significant differences at P < 0.05.

Fruit fraction

Peel color Mg Ca F K P Cu mg 100g -1 and 420 mg per d -1 , respectively, 100 g of pulp with seeds obtained from two rumpas fruit will contribute 10% of the Mg daily requirement (Fleet and Cashman, 2003). Regarding Ca content, Sáenz (2006) reported between 12.8 and 57 mg 100 g -1 for prickly pear, values which are in the range of the values found in this work for E. acida. The Daily Dose Reference (DDR) for adults, teens and children over 4 years of age old used in Chile is 800 mg d -1 , (Ministerio de Salud, 2005), and although rumpa contribution would be low, any contribution to the diet is important. In addition, a low intake of this mineral has long been related to osteoporosis, and several new relationships between dietary Ca and optimal human health (Weaver, 2003) have recently been established. For P, the values for pulp with seeds and juice were in the range in the literature (Sáenz, 2006). Fe content was low compared to the literature (Sáenz, 2006), which reported 1.2 mg 100 g -1 for prickly pear. Literature data for Cu was not found. K data were within the range of those reported in the literature for prickly pear, between 90 and 220 mg 100 g -1 (Sáenz, 2006). K is the main intracellular cation and has a crucial role in various physiological processes. It enters all tissues and exerts deep effects on the function of some organs, in particular, the depolarization and contraction of the heart muscle (Preuss, 2003). Regarding Na, prickly pear presents low values, 0.6-1.2 mg 100 g -1 , compared to those in rumpa fractions (Sáenz, 2006). Concerning bioactive components, rumpa can be considered a good source of vitamin C, the peel fraction being the principal source with the highest mean values around 53-57 mg 100 g -1 , followed by juice and pulp with seeds, with an average close to 35 and a range between 18-37 mg 100 g -1 , respectively (Table 6). It was observed that the peel color had some influence on the vitamin C content, because the green peel fraction presented higher vitamin C content than the pink peel. This difference was significant for the Manquehua sector (p < 0.5), where the green peel fraction showed the highest values of the three sectors sampled, with 61 mg 100 g -1 , followed by the Gualliguaica sector with 55 mg 100 g -1 . The lowest value for the pink peel fraction was from the Gualliguaica sector, with 50 mg 100 g -1 . As mentioned above, the juice fraction was also important for vitamin C contribution obtained from green peel fruits harvested in the Manquehua and Gualliguaica sectors, confirming that the Quebrada Honda coastal sector, presented the lowest values. The pulp with seeds also presented high total vitamin C content, mainly in pink peel fruits from Manquehua. Fruit from Quebrada Honda again presented the lowest values. The different contents of vitamin C could be related to the environmental conditions of the three sectors (Lester, 2006). This interesting contribution of vitamin C from the three fruit fractions must be enhanced because they exceed largely those reported for several commonly consumed fruits such as plums (P. domestica) 3 mg 100 g -1 , watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) 3.6 mg 100 g -1 , pear (P. communis), banana (Musa paradisiaca) 4 mg 100 g -1 , apple (M. domestica) 6 mg 100 g, peach (P. persica) 7 mg 100 g -1 , apricot (P. armeniaca) 9 mg 100 g -1 , pineapple (A. comosus) 25 mg 100 g -1 , fresh papaw (V. pubescens) and pepino (Solanum muricatum Aiton) 26 mg 100 g -1 ; and only less than fruits recognized as good source of vitamin C such as strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) 60 mg 100 g -1 , lemon (C. medica) 61 mg 100 g -1 , orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) 83 mg 100 g -1 and kiwi (Actinia chinensis Planch.) 96 mg 100 g -1 . Rumpa also presented higher values than prickly pear with 18 mg 100 g -1 (Cappelli and Vannucchi, 1990, Schmidt-Hebbel et al., 1992, Belitz and Grosch, 1999. It is important to note that the 100 g vitamin C content of rumpa pulp with seeds or 100 g of juice (around two rumpa fruits) can contribute practically 50% of the vitamin C DDR or 60 mg d -1 (Ministerio de Salud, 2005).

The lowest value of total polyphenol content, expressed as a gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per 100 g -1 , was found in fruit from Manquehua. Fruit from Gualliguaica presented intermediate values and the highest were found in fruit from the coastal area of Quebrada Honda. The general range was between 44.3 and 78.1 mg percent GAE (Table  7). These data are within the range reported in the literature for prickly pear juice aof round 65 mg of polyphenols per 100 mL of juice (Nazareno and González, 2008 Other interesting bioactive components were the pigments, principally betalains in cacti. These pigments are classified as betacyanin (expressed as betanin equivalents) and betaxanthin (expressed as indicaxantin equivalents). In 2009, a preliminary determination was done of rumpa pink peel samples from the Manquehua sector. In 2010, a second analysis of these pigments was done on pink peels obtained from rumpa collected in the central valley areas of Gualliguaica and Manquehua (Table 8). Total betalain pigment content of fruit from Manquehua in 2010 was lower than the values obtained in the three sub-sectors sampled in 2009, but higher than the ones obtained from Gualliguaica. The content of both pigments was lower than what is reported in the literature for red prickly pears, which has 28 mg 100 g -1 of betacyanin equivalents and 10 mg 100 g -1 of betaxantin equivalents in red pulp (Sepúlveda and Sáenz, 1990). This difference in red pigment content compared to that of the red Opuntia sp. is because the Mexican nopal has quite strong red pulp and peel, while rumpa peel is light pink, closer to pink prickly pear fruit, which has a total betalain content of approximately 1.1-4.1 mg 100 g -1 (Sáenz, 2006). The differences in betalain pigment content in pink-peeled rumpa sampled from different sectors and two summer seasons suggests that further research is necessary in this area to quantify the variations in different years of harvesting in the same sectors and thus clarify their natural behavior. three studied fractions compared to other common fruits. The presence of mainly K and Mg and its high water content makes rumpa a promising raw material for agroindustrial development of products such as natural juices or isotonic drinks. The preliminary information about total polyphenol and betalain pigment content in fruit fractions indicates low values compared to other fruits. It is necessary to study which aspects of climate and soil may affect the chemical composition of rumpa for a better evaluation of the potential development of innovative products from rumpa fruit and its fractions.

Características químicas y composición nutricional de los frutos de copao (Eulychnia acida Phil.) bajo tres condiciones ambientales de la Región de Coquimbo. El copao (Eulychnia acida Phil.) es un cactus arborescente endémico restringido principalmente a la región semi árida de Coquimbo (29°54'28" S, 71°15'15" O), Chile. El área de distribución comprende desde el nivel del mar hasta los 1200 m de altitud. Los frutos llamados "rumpa", son redondos, piel de color verde o rosado con pequeñas escamas, y amplia variabilidad en peso y tamaño. El objetivo del trabajo fue caracterizar el fruto en tres sectores de la Región de Coquimbo de acuerdo a parámetros químico-nutricionales y componentes bioactivos en diversas fracciones del fruto: pulpa con semilla, jugo y piel, con el fin de visualizar posibles aplicaciones en la industria. Esta investigación mostró que la "rumpa" es una buena fuente natural principalmente de fibra dietética soluble, de consistencia gelatinosa, presente en las tres fracciones analizadas con valores de 2% para jugo, 3% pulpa con semilla y alrededor de 5% para piel, constituyéndose en una buena fuente potencial de hidro coloides para la industria de alimentos. Además es una buena fuente de vitamina C alrededor de 55 mg 100 g -1 en la piel y 30 mg 100 g -1 en pulpa con semillas y jugo, valores altos comparados con el contenido en tunas (Opuntia ficus-indica [L.] Mill.) Los principales minerales fueron Mg, Ca, P, y K. En la pulpa con semillas se determinaron polifenoles totales y en la cáscara rosada se determinaron los pigmentos betalaínas. Las características nutricionales, junto al alto contenido de agua, alrededor de 96%, hacen de la "rumpa" una materia prima promisoria para el desarrollo de jugos o bebidas isotónicas naturales. Esta caracterización contribuye a una valorización productiva de una especie nativa endémica disminuyendo las potenciales amenazas de destrucción

CONCLUSIONS

This research generated the chemical and nutritional information about E. acid Phil. fruit, in its three fractions: pulp with seeds, peel, and juice.

Regarding weight, fruits from Manquehua were smaller than those from the other two sectors in the two evaluated seasons, but they presented a better yield between pulps with seeds related to peel. The peel represented more than 50% of the whole fruit in all the sampled rumpas. Regarding the nutritional chemical composition of the three fractions, dietary fiber was the main component, which presented a jellied and filamentous texture characteristic of these fruits. Regarding micronutrients, there was a notably higher content of vitamin C in the

Figure 1 .
1Region of Coquimbo: Three sectors sampled where fruits of Eulychnia acida were taken.

Figure 2 .
2Rumpa fruits, pink and green peel; view of pulp with seeds.

Table 4 )
4. No clear influence was observed of peel color on waterManquehua
392
Green
88 ± 23a
458
Pink
104 ± 23b
Gualliguaica
28
Green
133 ± 25c
20
Pink
136 ± 34c

Table 2 .
2Fruit weight of rumpas (Eulychnia acida) according to their peel color, sampled in two sectors, during 2009 and 2010.Table 1. Fruit weight of rumpas (Eulychnia acida) sampled in three sectors of the Region of Coquimbo during summer 2009 and 2010.Sector
Peel color
Fruit weight (g)

Means value ± standard deviation. Mean values with different letters denote significant
differences (P < 0.05).

n

Fruit weight (g)
Gualliguaica
147.88 ± 37Aa
133.33 ± 29Bb
Manquehua
95.70 ± 24Bc
111.64 ± 23Ac
Quebrada Honda
127.78 ± 37Bb
149.63 ± 30Aa

Sector
2009
2010

Mean value ± standard deviation. ANOVA (P < 0.05) detected interaction between sector
and year. Mean values followed by different uppercase letters on the same row, or followed
by different lowercase letters in the same column denote significant differences according
to Tukey's test (P < 0.05).

(%)
Manquehua
223
49.2a
50.7c
Gualliguaica
184
47.1b
52.9b
Quebrada Honda
99
41.4c
58.6a

Table 3. Proportion of fruit fractions in rumpa (Eulychnia acida) sampled
in three sectors in the Region of Coquimbo.

Sector
Pulp with seeds
(edible fraction)
Peel

Mean values obtained in 2009 and 2010. Mean values followed by different letters denote
significant differences by Tukey's Test (P < 0.05). Values were transformed to square roots.

n

Table 4 .
4Proximal analysis of different fractions in fresh weight of rumpa (Eulychnia acida) fruits in three sectors in the Region of Coquimbo.Mean value ± standard deviation; pulp with three replicates; peel and juice of two replicates; Mean values in the same fruit fraction followed by different letters within a column denote
significant differences at P < 0.05.

Fruit fraction
Peel
color
Water
Total N
Lipids
Fiber
Protein
(N*6.25)
Carbo-
hydrates

Season Table 7 .
Season7). This information is important for the antioxidant activity of this bioactive component.Table 6. Total vitamin C content of fruit fraction in fresh weight in rumpa for three sectors in the Region of Coquimbo.Mean value of four replications ± standard deviation; Mean values in the same fruit fraction followed by different letters denote significant differences at P < 0.05. Total polyphenols, rumpa (Eulychnia acida) fruits, expressed as equivalents of gallic acid (EgA), in pulp with seed fraction in three sectors sampled in summer 2009.Mean value ± standard deviation; N = 3. Mean values in the same letters indicate no significant differences at P < 0.05.mg 100g -1
Pulp with seeds 2009
Manquehua
Green
28.5 ± 1.3c
Pink
36.7 ± 1.5d
Gualliguaica
Green
25.7 ± 3.4b
Quebrada Honda
Green
17.7 ± 1.6a

Peel
2010
Manquehua
Green
61.0 ± 0.6a
Pink
54.1 ± 0.7b
Gualliguaica
Green
55.2 ± 1.1b
Pink
50.5 ± 1.4b
Q, Honda
Green
52.7 ± 1.9b

Juice without
2010
Manquehua
Green
37.8 ± 1.4c
seeds
Pink
32.7 ± 0.3b
Gualliguaica
Green
34.0 ± 0.1b
Pink
34.2 ± 3.9b
Quebrada Honda
Green
21.7 ± 2.6a

Fruit fraction
Peel color Total vitamin C

Sector
Peel color

Sector
Manquehua
Gualliguaica
Quebrada
Honda

Green
Green

Total polyphenols
54.3 ± 6.4a 55.6 ± 10.7a 65.6 ± 1.4a 71.0 ± 9.4a
mg % EGA
Range mg % EGA 49.4 -61.6 44.3 -65.6
65.1 -67.2 60.4 -78.1

Pink
Green

mg 100g -1

Table 8. Total betalains, betacyanin (expressed as equivalents of betanine) and betaxanthin (expressed as equivalents of indicaxantins) content in pink peel in fresh weight of rumpa (Eulychnia acida) fruits, sampled in summer 2009 and 2010.2009 Manquehua
El Espinal
1.2
0.6
1.80
(Limari Valley) El Infiernillo
1.4
0.6
2.00
Los Cardos
2.5
1.7
4.20

2010 Gualliguaica
0.40 ± 0.1
0.40 ± 0.1
0.80
(Elqui Valley)

Manquehua
0.75 ± 0.0
0.86 ± 0.1
1.61
(Limari Valley)

Year
Total
betalains

Betacyanin
equiv.,
betanine

Betaxanthin
equiv.,
indicaxantin
Sector
Sub
Sector

mg 100g -1

ACKNOWLEDgEMENTSThe authors thank Innova Chile of CORFO for supporting this research through the project "Copao (Eulychnia acida Phil.), cactus endemic to Chile: Nutraceutical properties determination and potential of agro-industrial use", Code-11 7CT91GM. The authors are also grateful to Lucía Martínez G. for assistance in fieldwork and David López Aspe of CEAZA who prepared the regional map.
de las poblaciones silvestres de E. acida, especialmente aquellas cercanas a sectores agrícolas. favoreciendo la conservación de su hábitat en la regiónde las poblaciones silvestres de E. acida, especialmente aquellas cercanas a sectores agrícolas, favoreciendo la conservación de su hábitat en la región.

Palabras clave: Rumpa, cactus arborescente, minerales, vitamina C. LITERATURE CITED. Palabras clave: Rumpa, cactus arborescente, minerales, vitamina C. LITERATURE CITED

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Color, betalain pattern, and antioxidant properties of cactus pear (Opuntia spp.) clones. F C Stintzing, K Herbach, M Mosshammer, R Carle, W Yi, S Sellappan, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 53Stintzing, F.C., K. Herbach, M. Mosshammer, R. Carle, W. Yi., S. Sellappan, et al. 2005. Color, betalain pattern, and antioxidant properties of cactus pear (Opuntia spp.) clones. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53:442-451.

Influence of environmental biotic factors on the content of saponins in plants. A Szakiel, C Pączkowski, M Henry, 10.1007/s11101-010-9164-2Phytochemistry Reviews. Szakiel, A., C. Pączkowski, and M. Henry. 2010. Influence of environmental biotic factors on the content of saponins in plants. Phytochemistry Reviews. doi:10.1007/s11101-010-9164-2.

Present knowledge in nutrition. Chapter 26. Scientific and Technical Publication N o 592. Pan American Health Organization. C Weaver, Bowman, B., and R. RussellWashington D.C., USAWeaver, C. 2003. Calcio. 873 p. In Bowman, B., and R. Russell (eds.) Present knowledge in nutrition. Chapter 26. Scientific and Technical Publication N o 592. Pan American Health Organization, Washington D.C., USA.


CHRONICLER'S WOMEN - A HOLISTIC APPRAISAL Produced by SUN MeDIA Bloemfontein
2013

F Olojede
Department of Old and New Testament
Stellenbosch University
171 DorpstraatStellenboschSouth Africa

DrFunlola Olojede firstname.lastname@example.com
Department of Old and New Testament
Stellenbosch University
171 DorpstraatStellenboschSouth Africa

CHRONICLER'S WOMEN - A HOLISTIC APPRAISAL Produced by SUN MeDIA Bloemfontein

Acta Theologica
331201310.4314/actat.v33i1.8<http://www.ufs.ac.za/ActaTheologica> 1990. "lae r" f. yI Yiśrā'ēl". In: G.J. Botterweck & H. Ringgren (eds.), TDOT (Volume VI). Translated by D.E. Green (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans), pp. 397-420. Keywords Trefwoorde Women Vroue Chronicles Kronis "All Israel" "Hele Israel"
This article attempts to fill, in part, the gap in scholarship on the role of women in the book of Chronicles by providing data to show that the Chronicler succeeded in highlighting the roles and status of women in ancient Israel, as he copiously employed materials that are otherwise unknown in the biblical text and modified his Vorlage. A relentless focus on kinship and familial ties is discernible in the analysis of the roles and positions of the women who are presented in a way that shows their affinities to the people (or land) of Israel. It is argued that the Chronicler was intent on showing that women -all kinds of women -were a solid part of Israel's story and of its identity that was being redefined and reconstituted. Besides affirming his concept of lae r' f. yI -lk' , the Chronicler's presentation clearly reflects the changing sociocultural patterns of his time, especially in relation to exilic/post-exilic Israelite women.

INTRODUCTION AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF RECENT STUDIES ON CHRONICLER'S WOMEN

A clear dearth of holistic study of women in Chronicles could be observed in ongoing research on the book of Chronicles. This article attempts to fill this gap by fleshing out new perspectives and providing data to show that, by copiously employing materials that are otherwise unknown in the biblical text as well as by modifying his Vorlage, the Chronicler has succeeded in highlighting the roles and status of women in ancient Israel. In this instance, holistic study means a comprehensive study that takes into account all the women mentioned in the book of Chronicles. An analysis of the textual data of women in Chronicles will, therefore, be carried out to ascertain their roles and status in the society vis-à-vis the entity "All Israel".

In an essay entitled Observations on women in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-9, 1 Ben Zvi (2006:174-184) already noted that the genealogical section of the book of Chronicles refers to more than fifty different women, whether named or unnamed. 2 The study classifies the women into two categories based on their roles. The first category includes women involved "in lineage roles often associated with female members of an ancient household". These include the roles of mother-wife (e.g., the daughter of Machir who married Hezron and gave birth to Segub in 1 Chron 2:1); mother-concubine (e.g., Ephah, Caleb's concubine and the mother of his sons in 1 Chron 2:46); mother-divorcee (e.g., 1 Chron 8:8-11); daughterin-law-mother (e.g., 1 Chron 2:4), and identity as daughter or sister (e.g., 1 Chron 3:2, 5; 4:18).

The second group consists of "women in roles that were commonly assigned to mature males in the society" (Ben Zvi 2006:184-186). These include women who were heads of families (e.g., Zeruiah and Abigail in 1 Chron 2:16-17), and women who built cities (the only instance in this category was Sheerah). However, the issue with Ben Zvi's classification, especially under the family/lineage roles, is that there are too many overlaps. 3 For instance, under the mother-wife subcategory, one can observe that not every mother in the genealogies is the wife of some man, e.g., Jabez's mother in 4:9 or Abigail, the mother of Amasa in 2:17. Moreover, some mother-wife are also recognized as the daughter (or/and the granddaughter) of a so-and-so, e.g., Mehetabel who was a wife and mother but also the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab (1:50) or Judah's wife who was the mother of his three sons, but also the daughter of Shua, a Canaanite (2:3). Although Ben Zvi provides useful comments on many of the women, the subcategory does not do justice to those women, either who do not fulfil all the roles or whose roles extend beyond those specified by that subcategory.

Indeed, the second broad category of women in roles of mature males in the society overlaps considerably with the first category, for the women in its two subcategories -women as heads of families and women building cities -all perform family/lineage roles! Abigail and Zeruiah were sisters to the sons of Jesse, and Zeruiah is further identified as the mother of three sons (2:16). Sheerah was described as the daughter of Ephraim. To be sure, the unwieldy nature of the genealogical data themselves makes clear-cut classification difficult. Ben Zvi (2006:14) acknowledges that:

[There is need for] a consistent re-evaluation of the constructions and characterizations of women in the rest of the book of Chronicles and of the ways in which they interrelate with and inform (balance?) those communicated in the genealogies.

In the Women's Bible Commentary, Laffey (1998:119-122) notes the description of the women of Chronicles as daughters, wives, and mothers (in the genealogies) and some as queen mothers of the Davidic dynasty. While some of the women are additions to 2 Samuel-2 Kings, some are omissions from that corpus. Laffey also remarks that many of the women in Chronicles have only fleeting references, but few of them (e.g., Bath-Shua, wife of David) are also mentioned in more detail in the Deuteronomistic History. However, there seems to be no clear provisions for categorisation in her comments beyond the two broad categories of women in the genealogies and the queen mothers.

In Women in Scriptures, Meyers et al. (2000) categorise biblical women as named and unnamed. An alphabetical listing of the named women and a book-by-book listing of the unnamed women are then provided with corresponding comments. Thus, for Chronicles, one would find entries on both named and unnamed women, but the issues concerning the women are treated on individual basis and only as part of a general directory of women in Scriptures. The value of Meyers et al. (2000) lies in the data it offers, but it does not provide a coherent analysis of what relates the women of Chronicles together.

The question arises: Is there an adequate way of classifying the women in Chronicles in order to facilitate the interpretive task? Besides the fact that Ben Zvi's categories of the women in the genealogies inadvertently overlap, the categories (and the subcategories) may also not be adequate to account for the women mentioned in the remaining part of 1 Chronicles and in 2 Chronicles. I (Olojede 2011:166-174) have already provided a table that examines all the references to women in Chronicles to determine in what ways all these women can be accounted for in the hermeneutical process. The data provided in that table distinguishes between the Chronicler's Vorlage and the Sondergut.

SUMMARY OF TEXTUAL DATA ON WOMEN IN CHRONICLES

It can be assumed that the Chronicler's Sondergut consists of the following: 1 Chronicles 1:33; 2: 18,19,21,* 24,26,29,34,35,46,48;3:19;4:3,5,6,9,17,18,19,27;7:4,15a,16,[17][18]*,23,24,32;8:8,9,11,29;9:35;11:39;16:3;23:22;25:5;2 Chronicles 8:11b;[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]21b,23;13:21;20:13;21:14,17;24:3,7;28:8,10;31:18;35:25;36:17 (*in 1 Chronicles 2:21 and 7:17-18, there is no mention in the Vorlage of 'daughters' or 'sisters'). No parallels are found for all these references either in the Pentateuchal tradition or in the Deuteronomistic History. I shall comment on the differences before considering the roles and positions of Chronicles women in the society. Table 1 shows both the kinship relations and the positions or offices of all the women mentioned in the book. In Table 1, the references in bold font represent overlapping roles, i.e., cases in which a referent plays more than one role. The underlined references are those verses in which more than one woman is mentioned, whereas the references in italics represent verses in which there is neither overlap in roles nor multiple occurrences of women. 5

Roles and positions of Chronicles women

The kinship terms in Hebrew are mae (mother, grandmother), tb; (daughter, granddaughter); xv' a (woman, wife, female); twO ha; (sister); vg< l, Pi (concubine or secondary wife); hr' bi g> (queen-mother, queen, lady); tq, n, yme (wet nurse, nurse, foster-mother); ha' ybi n> (prophetess); hk' l. m; (queen). Although there does not seem to be any difference in terminology between the Chronicler's usages and the parallel texts, whether there are different nuances in the usages that are based on the sociocultural or political conditions of the separate periods involved is a different question that could require further investigation. Of the designations itemised in Table 1, some are not explicitly mentioned, but are implied in the text. For instance, the role of mother is implied in several verses where children are said to be born to a particular woman or where certain individuals are designated as the sons of a 6

Although a number of women are designated as mothers of kings, the Chronicler did not indicate that they held an official position of queen-mother as Asa's grandmother did (2 Chron 15:16); neither is there any indication that they were alive or dead at the time their sons reigned. The women, all in 2 Chronicles, include Naamah, the mother of Rehoboam (12:13); Maacah, the mother of Abijah (13:2); Azubah, the mother of Jehoshaphat (20:31); Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah (22:2); Jehoaddin, the mother of Amaziah (25:1); Jecoliah, the mother of Uzziah (26:3); Jerusha, the mother of Jotham (27:1), and Abijah, the mother of Hezekiah (29:1). particular woman (e.g., 1 Chronicles 1:32; 7:14, 16, 18; 2 Chronicles 11:19, 20; 24:26). 7 As noted earlier, many overlaps can certainly be found in the portrayals of the women as either daughters, mothers (including queenmothers), wives, sisters, concubines or just plain women. Table 2 presents the overlapping familial or social roles. It should be stressed in this instance that, although Ben Zvi (2006:185) categorises the roles of Zeruiah and Abigail in 2 Chronicles 2:16-17 as lineage heads, I do not consider it expedient to do the same in this instance, because the roles are neither implicitly nor explicitly stated in the text. It is not impossible that they were family heads but the fact that Jether, the father of Abigail's son, Amasa, is also mentioned in the genealogy should be taken into account (2:17).

Similarly, the attribution of the role of lineage head to Keturah in 1 Chronicles 1:32 would appear plausible except that the text also brings Abraham's role into the picture.

A different kind of overlap also occurs in the book; some of the referents point to the same women, even though they are found in different verses. For instance, the name Zeruiah in 1 Chronicles 2: 16; 11:6, 39; 18:12, 15; 26:28, and 27:24 refers to the same woman, and Abigail is also mentioned in both 2:16 and 2:17. According to the Chronicler, both of them were David's sisters. 8 Maacah in 1 Chronicles 8:29 is the same as in 9:35 -the wife of Jeiel, and Athaliah refers to the same woman in 2 Chronicles 22:2, 10, 11, 12 and 24:7.

Women in kinship relationships

The following question comes to mind in this instance: Given the multiplicity of roles and functions of women shown in Tables 1 and 2, is there a common denominator that can be used to account for all these women? It appears, from the data presented above, that all the women, whether in public or domestic positions, are described in familial/tribal relationships. The exception, at first glance, would seem to be a visitor to Israel, the Queen of Sheba, but then, she is also designated with respect to her land of origin. It seems that the real issue, in this instance, is kinship, and the women of Chronicles have been presented in such a way that would show their affinities, one way or the other, to the people (or the land) of Israel. Even the "foreign women" in the Chronicler's account were affiliated to Israelite men in kinship relationships as mothers, wives or concubines. The data before us, therefore, deserves better scrutiny.

At this point, we need to consider the possible inferences that can be made from it, especially from the Chronicler's Sondergut. To begin, the bulk of the references to women in Chronicles that are not found elsewhere in the Pentateuchal or Deuteronomistic traditions come, primarily, from the genealogical section and are concentrated in 1 Chronicles 2, 4, 7, and 8. In fact, approximately fifty-one per cent of the women are not mentioned in a Vorlage or parallel text. Of the twelve verses in 1 Chronicles 2 that contain references to women, only four are found to have parallels in other texts (i.e., 2:3, 16, 17, 48). No equivalent verses are found for the women in the remaining eight verses. In 1 Chronicles 4, eight verses contain references to women, but none of them has parallels in previous texts. In chapter 7, ten verses contain references to women, but only one verse and a half verse (i.e., 7:15b, 30) have parallels elsewhere. None of the four verses on women in chapter 8 has a parallel.

It can be observed that the genealogies in 1 Chronicles 2 and 4 pertain to the tribe of Judah. 9 Klein (2006:88) observes that no biblical parallels are found to the genealogy of Judah from 2:20 to 2:48. He, therefore, asserts that:

For the rest of 1 Chron 2:3-4-4:23, I conclude that the Chronicler had access to other genealogical materials, of an oral or written sort, or that the Chronicler composed certain verses himself. 10 Klein (2006:127) argues that the overall intention of the Chronicler in chapters 2-4 was to stress the pre-eminence of Judah. 11 Be that as it may, it appears that, in so doing, the Chronicler has added a great deal of his own data or which have become extinct or unknown to us in order to drive home his point. In particular, the preponderance of material on women in the two chapters, which are not attested in older biblical texts, arouses curiosity.

For his part, Knoppers (2004:353-358) regards the genealogies of Judah as rather complex not only in social terms, but also ethnically and geographically (cf. Johnstone 1997:42). He describes Judah as the most socially heterogeneous of the tribes. Furthermore, Knoppers (2004:358) claims that:

The many and varied relations that allow the authors to depict primary, secondary, and tertiary kinship relationships also hint at different levels of social stratification within the larger group. Wives (2:18,24,26,29,35;3:3;4:5,7,19), concubines (2:46, 48; 3:9; cf.

9

From 1 Chronicles 4:24ff., the genealogies refer to the tribe of Simeon. Incidentally, only one reference to women is contained in that section (1 Chron 4:27) and no corresponding Vorlage has been attested for it. Therefore, our reference to 1 Chronicles 4 in this discussion will focus on the genealogies of Judah (i.e., 4:1-23). 10 On 1 Chronicles 2, Klein (2006:88) further concludes that "[t]he specific verses attributable to the Chronicler's own editorial activity with some probability are: 2:9, 18-24, 25-33, 34-41, 42-50a, 50aβ-55". Although we are inclined to agree with Klein's findings in this instance, it should be pointed out, in addition, that some other verses in the same section, specifically 2:26 and 2:29, also have no parallels, whereas 2:21 seems to be only partially connected to previous texts. For example, Numbers 26:29 mentions Makir as the father of Gilead but there is no mention of his daughter whom the Chronicler claimed married Hezron when he was sixty years old and bore him Segub. 11 For Johnstone (1997:42, 59), the Chronicler accorded pre-eminence to the house of David but within the tribe of Judah, which itself is regarded as preeminent in Israel (cf. Freedman 1961:440;Willi 1994:152-154, 160-161 There is no doubt that the varied relations point to different levels of social stratification. However, the probable motivation behind this strategic use of information relating to women is worth probing. If the aim of the Chronicler in chapters 2-4 was to stress Judah's pre-eminence, then it would seem logical also to aim to project the women of the tribe as "blessed among women". It makes sense to acknowledge that all these wonderful men of Judah did not drop from heaven, but were sons, husbands and fathers, etc. of some women.

Taking a cue from Wilson's (1977:38-45) demarcation of the operation of genealogies into three spheres (viz., politico-jural, religious and domestic), Sparks (2008:215) asserts that Judah's genealogy appears to have been formulated in the domestic sphere as opposed to the politicojural (e.g., genealogies of Issachar, Benjamin and Asher in 1 Chron 7) or religious/cultic sphere (e.g., Levi's genealogy). Sparks (2008:216) rightly observes that:

[Judah's genealogy] contains accounts of marriages, conceptions, births, deaths, as well as the significant names of certain children. Like Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin, Judah mentions not only names of males, but also those of wives, sisters and daughters. Each of these speaks of domestic relationships, rather than political or cultic ones.

In addition, a number of domestic terms are also employed in the genealogy of Judah that confirms its domestic operation (Sparks 2008:222-223). In our view, Sparks's observation that Judah's genealogy is set in the domestic sphere offers a cogent explanation for the many references to women in Judah's genealogy which have no parallel elsewhere in the Old Testament. However, this does not necessarily imply the preclusion of either the politico-jural or the religious sphere.

As for 1 Chronicles 7, although most of the women mentioned are not found in parallel texts, the genealogies in which they are mentioned belong to at least five different tribes (Naphtali 7:13; Issachar 7:14; Manasseh 7:14-19; Ephraim 7:20-27 and Asher 7:30-32). The common element is that they are all northern tribes. Chapter 8 contains the genealogies of Benjamin, but none of the four verses (8:8, 9, 11, and 29) that refer to women shows any correspondence with previous material. The only verse that mentions a woman in 1 Chronicles 9 (i.e., v.35) also belongs to Benjamin and is a perfect replica of 8:29. All other verses in the book that mention women, but have no existing parallels in the Old Testament are scattered throughout the narrative section. It is no surprise that the compiler of the "things left behind" resolved to pay heed to those women who had been "left out" of the scheme of things! A more careful consideration of the references to women also shows an interesting concern of the Chronicler, especially in the genealogies. He seemed to be at pain to explain the status of many of the women that are unique to his composition, even when such status would have been regarded as socially flawed. He used the term vg> l; yPi (concubine or secondary wife) seven times (e.g., in 1 Chron 1:32; 2:46, 48; 3:9a; 7:14 and 2 Chron 11:21b[x2]). Of these seven occurrences of the term, only one (1 Chron 3:9a) has a corresponding Vorlage. It is interesting to note that, whereas the Pentateuchal text refers to Keturah as Abraham's wife, the Chronicler called her his concubine (Braun 1986:22;Knoppers 2003:280;Ben Zvi 2006:191fn). 12 The Chronicler also noted that Judah's two sons were born to him by his daughter-in-law (1 Chron 2:4) and that Hezron was already an old man when he married (probably for the first time) the daughter of Machir (1 Chron 2:21). Again, when Sheshan realised that he had no sons, he gave his daughter in marriage to Jarha, his Egyptian servant (1 Chron 2:34-35), while Mered, supposedly an ordinary citizen, married Pharaoh's daughter (1 Chron 4:18). Both Hushim and Baara were divorced by their husband Shaharaim (1 Chron 8:8), who married another woman. The father of Jabez, that child of sorrow, was not mentioned (1 Chron 4:9). Perhaps that was the source of his pain -his mother was a struggling single parent!

Foreign women or Israelite women

Another significant feature of the variegated nature of Chronicle's women is the number of foreign women represented in the material. 13 The Chronicler mentioned these women with ease and without any hint of disapproval. 14 12 It is equally notable that 1 Chronicles 14:3 relates that David married more wives in Jerusalem and there is no mention of concubines. However, the Vorlage (2 Sam 5:13) records that David took more wives and more concubines. In any event, 1 Chronicles 3:9a already shows that David had concubines. 13 Of course, some foreign men are also mentioned in the text. For example, Jether, an Ishmaelite, was the father of Amasa, Abigail's son (1 Chron 2:17); Sheshan's daughter was given in marriage to his Egyptian servant (1 Chron 2:34-35), and Huram's father was a man of Tyre (2 Chron 2:14). 14 Of the genealogies, Japhet (1993:74) remarks: "The genealogies in general refer constantly to non-Israelite elements, both men and women, whose foreign origins are either mentioned explicitly (e.g. 4:8; 3:17) or learned from their names or titles ('another wife', 2:6; etc.). There is never any incrimination Judah's wife was a Canaanite woman (1 Chron 2:3) and Maacah, Absalom's mother, was a princess of Geshur (1 Chron 3:2). One of Mered's wives was a daughter of Pharaoh (1 Chron 4:18); the mother of Makir, the father of Gilead, was an Aramean (1 Chron 7:14), while Makir himself married from among the Huppites and Shuppites (1 Chron 7:15). Solomon married a Pharaoh's daughter (2 Chron 8:11) and his son Rehoboam's mother was an Ammonite -apparently, these two represent only a sample of his variety of foreign women (1 Kgs 11:1)! The two murderers of King Joash were the sons of an Ammonite woman and a Moabite woman (2 Chron 24:26).

On the other hand, the Chronicler cautiously stressed that some of the women were from Jerusalem or Judah. For example, Jehoaddin, Amaziah's mother (2 Chron 25:1), and Jecoliah, Uzziah's mother (2 Chron 26:3), were both from Jerusalem, whereas Huldah lived in Jerusalem (2 Chron 34:22) and Mered had a Judean wife (1 Chron 4:18). Perhaps, this was a subtle way of maintaining the Chronicler's focus on the pre-eminence of Judah. In addition, it is observable that many of the women were from the upper echelon of society. They were daughters (1 Chron 2:21; 3:2, 9b; 4:18; 7:24; 15:29; 2 Chron 8:11; 11:18-19), mothers (2 Chron 13:2; 15:16; 20:31), wives (1 Chron 3:2-5; 7:14-18; 2 Chron 11:20-21), concubines (1 Chron 2:46-49; 3:9a; 7:14), and sisters (1 Chron 2:16) of kings or statesmen, as well as daughters or wives of priests and seers (1 Chron 25:5; 2 Chron 22:11; 27:1; 29:1). The material included even a prophetess (2 Chron 34:22).

CHRONICLE'S WOMEN AND THE CONCEPT OF

The data in the foregoing suggests a deliberate attempt on the part of the Chronicler to highlight the roles and status of women not only in the genealogies of the tribes of Israel, but also in the overall narrative. He conscientiously showed, even when the existing biblical texts could have restricted him, that women were part of Israel's story. Could this be another strategy by the Chronicler to affirm his concept of lae r' f. yI -lk' -an "all Israel", 15 which included the bond and the free, the native and the foreign implied in this data. Indeed, one of the goals of these genealogies is the inclusion, rather than exclusion, of the non-Israelite elements in the people of Israel, by presenting them as an organic part of the tribes, mainly in the status of 'wives' or 'concubines'". 15 Scholars have established that some of the important theological themes in Chronicles include developing the concept of "all Israel and establishing legitimacy especially through the genealogies" (Thompson 1994:32-42;cf. Johnson 1969:56-57). Thompson (1994:32-42) identifies eight themes in the born, the entrepreneur and the widow, the queen mother and the single parent, the princess and the pauper, the queen and the concubine, the female religious leader and the divorced?

The name Israel is used to refer variously to the land, the descendants of Jacob under the United Kingdom (i.e., the twelve tribes), the people of Judah, the descendants of Ephraim, the people of the northern kingdom, and Jews in Diaspora during and after the exile, and so on. 16 Zobel (1990:418) argues that:

The Chronicler is concerned to emphasize the continuity and totality of Israel; this concern is further underlined by the use of 'all Israel' in 1 Chronicles (21 times) and 2 Chronicles (25 times). 17 twin book: developing the concept of "all Israel"; the temple and worship; the concept of kingship; retribution and repentance; the response of the people; the Chronicler and Messianism; the repetition of historical patterns, and the Chronicler as an exegete of Scriptures and the past. Thompson's observation also reflects the views of other scholars. For Braun (1986:xxix-xli), the focus of the Chronicler was the Temple as well as David and Solomon, "all Israel", retribution, repentance and the disposition of the heart. Dirksen's (2005:14-21) investigation of themes is limited to 1 Chronicles; his themes include the Davidic dynasty; all Israel; outlook on the future, i.e., the Chronicler "wants to put forward a certain outlook on the future" (Dirksen 2005:16); people and land; exodus and exile, and the Temple/temple cult and joy. For Klein (2006:44-48), the central themes in 1 Chronicles include kingship, the Temple and cult, Israel, reward and retribution, attitude toward the Persians, personal piety, and future hope. For other themes in Chronicles, see Freedman (1961:437-438);Selman (1994:27); Riley (1993:29-36); Kelly (1996:13ff);Tuell (2001:5);Schweitzer (2007:7-11). 16 See Zobel (1990 and Sparks (2006:279) . 29:1, 10, 20 with vv. 21, 23, 25, 26 indicate that the post-exilic cultic community constitutes this Israel …" (Zobel 1990:418). Sparks (2006:278-279) affirms that the term lae r" f. yI -lk appears fortysix times in Chronicles, and that some other variants of the expression occur an additional twenty-seven times, totalling seventy-three times. It is interesting to note that thirty-seven of the seventy-three occurrences are unique to the Chronicler. Sparks (2006:179) argues that "these additions are very important to gaining an understanding of what the Chronicler meant by the phrase 'all Israel'".

This may indeed be true, but it seems that, in his attempt to emphasise that continuity and totality of Israel, he engaged in a definition of Israelite identity especially in the genealogies. For instance, Knoppers (2004:471) affirms that the Chronicler was concerned with "national redefinition and revision of Israelite identity". However, the inclusion of a variety of women (and perhaps even men) in Chronicles that are either unaccounted for or properly designated in the Vorlage suggests that the Chronicler had a bigger agenda. Could he be attempting to redefine what constituted a lae r' f. yI -lk' in line with the make-up of the exilic/post-exilic community of faith? 18

The question is significant if we consider Couey's (2008:132) assertion that:

In the exilic and post-exilic periods, identification of Israel becomes more contested. The term refers to the exiles in Babylon or the diaspora more generally in Isa 40-66 and Ezekiel … In Ezek 11:15, the expression "the whole house of Israel" (… lae r' f. yI tybe -lk' ) indicates the exilic community to the exclusion of those remaining in the land of Judah, suggesting conflicts over the use of the name. Such conflicts are evident in Ezra-Nehemiah.

If such conflicts were already brewing or existed at the time of the Chronicler, could his composition, that enabled the otherwise unaccounted for set of women to be recognised and counted, be a strategy to argue that 18 Willi (1994:161) points out that the Chronicler showed that a new Israel was being constituted: "The future reconstituted Israel -not only Judah, not only the kingdom of Judah! -would correspond to that Israel that, according to the citizenship-lists, had been in the beginning, that confusione hominum had largely perished, but that now providentia Dei had partially re-established in the form of the province of Yehud, and that therefore one day would again come to be". In a related vein, Jonker (p.39, forthcoming) confirms that, "… the issue of post-exilic identity was high on the agenda of the Chronicler. At a time when God's people were still settling into a new religious-cultic and political dispensation, reflection on who they were in these circumstances became necessary. And they did this in continuity with the past, but also in serious engagement with their new present". The above assertions indicate that the post-exilic Israelite community was undergoing a process of reconstituting or re-establishing a new identity based not only on their history, but also on their situation at the time. It appears that in the process, a new awareness of the presence of different elements and different expressions of what constituted that new Israel began to emerge. The definition of "all Israel" was undergoing a transformation -socially, geographically or biologically -and with much ingenuity, the Chronicler reflected this transformation, this new landscape, in his composition. "all Israel" was not merely, for example, a patriarchal world or an elitist circle of the House of David? Rather, it was a "new Israel" that recognised the rights and dignity of all, irrespective of gender, class, origin or status. 19

WOMEN IN THE (POST-)EXILIC PERIOD

A discussion of women in Chronicles may appear incomplete without the mention of the role of women in the exilic/post-exilic era, the time when the book was probably compiled. 20 Eskenazi (1992:25-27) claims that, at first glance, texts in the post-exilic sixth-to fourth-century Persian period present women as being hidden in the shadows. She examines documents on the role of women from the Jewish community in Elephantine, Egypt, and she illustrates these with the lives of three women: Mibtahiah, Tapmut and Yehoishma. Mibtahiah is described as a wealthy woman, three times married, who owned much property. Tapmut or Tamut was a slave who married a free man and later became free. Tapmut owned property and had legal rights. A contract stipulated that both her son and daughter, Yehoishma, were to inherit her estate. Yehoishma is said to own much property and many movable possessions (Eskenazi 1992:27ff.).

In addition, Eskenazi (1992:36ff.) considers evidence from the list of returnees in Ezra 2 (and the parallel text of Neh 7). She points out the presence of a female scribe (Ezra 2:55) in a clan (Barzillai) that was clearly named after the matriarch's family in Ezra 2:61 (Neh 7:63), and female singers (Ezra 2.65/Neh. 7.67). Other female roles included the women who joined to build parts of the Jerusalem wall (Neh 3:2) and that of the prophetess (i.e., Noadiah in Neh 6:14). Eskenazi argues that the Elephantine documents highlight some women's roles, which the biblical text does not explicitly describe, such as the rights of women to divorce their husbands, hold property, buy and sell, and inherit, even when there was a son. In addition, evidence of women's presence in the two documents is significant. In Eskenazi's (1992:41) words: "Obviously, they do not establish gender balance but they nevertheless reflect women's presence in symbolic and practical ways".

The evidence on women provided by Eskenazi from both Elephantine and Ezra-Nehemiah texts seems to tally with findings from Chronicles where women are also viewed as heads of families (Abigail and Zeruiah), built (Sheerah), prophesied (Huldah) and were divorced (1 Chron 8:8). Ben Zvi (2006:186) confirms that seals bearing the names of women have been found for the Persian period and "they show that some elite women owned property, were involved in trade and financial affairs, and controlled goods owned by or produced by their household". These all point to the fact that women were active participants in public affairs (although they might not have been equal participants with men in terms of percentage). In other words, women were equal participants with men in qualitative, although not in quantitative terms.

CONCLUSION

This article attempted to observe the women in Chronicles by considering the similarities and differences between the Chronicler's Vorlage and the Sondergut. The roles and the status of the women in society are highlighted holistically not only by examining all the women presented in the Chronicles, but also by considering them from the perspective of the concept of lae r' f. yI tybe -lk' , an 'all Israel' that included all the women! By showing that the women were a part of the whole, it is argued that the Chronicler's task of spelling out the post-exilic identity of Israel is firmly accomplished.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Table 1 :
1Kinship relations and social positions of women in Chronicles 4Kinship relation 5 /
social position
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles

Mother(s)
1:24; 1:32; 1:33; 2:3;
2:16-17; 2:18; 2:21; 2:24;
2:26; 2:29; 2:35; 2:46; 2:48;
3:1(x2); 3:2a; 3:2b; 3:3; 3:5;
4:6; 4:9; 4:17; 4:18(x2);
4:19; 7:13; 7:14; 7:16; 7:18;
7:23; 8:9; 8:11; 11:6; 11:39;
18:12; 18:15; 26:28; 27:4

2:14; 11:19; 11:20; 12:13;
15:16; 20:31; 22:2; 22:3;
22:10; 24:26(x2); 22:2;
25:1; 26:3; 27:1; 29:1

4

Table 2 :
2Women in overlapping relationships or positionsOverlapping roles
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles

Mother ↔ Wife
2:18; 2:24; 2:26; 2:29;
3:3; 4:18; 7:16; 7:23; 8:9

Mother ↔ Daughter
(± Wife)

2:35; 3:2a; 3:5; 2:35;
4:18

11:19; 11:20; 13:2;
20:31; 27:1; 29:1

Mother ↔ Concubine
1:32; 2:46; 2:48; 7:14

Sister ↔ Mother
(± Wife)

2:16-17; 4:19

Daughter ↔ Sister
(±Wife)

22:11(x2)

Daughter-in-law ↔
Mother

1:24

Woman ↔ Mother
(± daughter)

2:3
24:6(x2)

Daughter ↔ Builder
7:24

Prophetess ↔ Wife
34:22

Woman ↔ Singer
35:25

Queen-mother ↔
Grandmother

15:16

Mother ↔
granddaughter

22:2

War captive ↔ Wife/
Daughter/Women

28:8; 28:10; 29:9

7

for various uses of the term "Israel". 17 The references to all Israel in Chronicles are listed as: "1 Ch.9:1; 11:1, 4, 10;
12:39 [38] [twice]; 6:29; 7:6, 8; 9:30, 10:1, 3, 16 [twice]; 11:3, 13; 12:1; 13:4, 15;
18:16; 24:5; 28:23; 29:24 [twice]; 30:1, 5, 6; 31:1; 35:3". The phrases "all the
assembly of Israel" (1 Ch. 13:2; 2 Ch. 6:3 [twice], 12, 13) and 'all Israel, the
assembly of Yahweh' (1 Ch. 28:8) and also the identification of 'all Israel' with
the entire assembly … comparison of 1 Ch
In 2 Samuel 17:25, Abigail and Zeruiah are said to be the daughters of Nahash.
It should be noted that Jonker, in his forthcoming commentary, points out that "the Chronicler does not shy away from mentioning that the lineage of "All-Israel" includes people (mainly women) of foreign descent" (p.86). Jonker notes, in addition, that the Chronicler's ideology is inclusivist as his understanding of "all Israel" includes even the tribes that formerly belonged to the northern kingdom and the Transjordanian tribes, even though his emphasis in the genealogies was on Judah, Benjamin and Levi. The Chronicler tried to show that all had a common ancestor. 20 Although the arguments on the dating of Chronicles are inconclusive, the various datings of the work range from as early as 529-515 BCE or the period of the destruction of the First Temple to as late as the third century BCE or the late Persian/early Hellenistic period(Braun 1986:xxviii-xxix; Tuell 2001:10;  Knoppers 2004:106, 116).Schweitzer (2007:3-5) assumes a late Persian or early Hellenistic period dating and claims that the two options have more supporters among scholars (cf. Japhet 2009:4). On various arguments concerning the dating of Chronicles, seeSelman (1994:69-71)  andKlein (2006:13-17).

The Chronicler as historian. The Chronicler as a historian: Building texts. M.P. Graham, K.G. Hoglund & S.L. Mc KenzieSheffieldSheffield Academic Press238The Chronicler as a historian: Building texts. In: M.P. Graham, K.G. Hoglund & S.L. Mc Kenzie (eds.), The Chronicler as historian. JSOTSup 238 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press), pp. 132-139.

History, literature and theology in the book of Chronicles. EquinoxLondonHistory, literature and theology in the book of Chronicles. London: Equinox.

1 Chronicles (WBC 14). R Braun, Word BooksWacoBRAun, R. 1986. 1 Chronicles (WBC 14). Waco: Word Books.

. B J Couey, couey, B.J.

The new interpreter's dictionary of the Bible. Israel -Names, I-Ma.3Abingdon; NashvilleIsrael -Names and associations of. In: K.D. Sakenfeld et al. (eds.), The new interpreter's dictionary of the Bible, Volume 3, I-Ma. (Abingdon: Nashville), pp. 131-132.

1 Chronicles (Historical commentary on the Old Testament). P B Dirksen, PeetersLeuven-DudleydIRKsen, P.B. 2005. 1 Chronicles (Historical commentary on the Old Testament). Leuven- Dudley: Peeters.

Out from the shadows: Biblical women in the postexilic era. T C Eskenazi, JSOT. 54esKenAZI, T.c. 1992. Out from the shadows: Biblical women in the postexilic era. JSOT 54:25-43.

The Chronicler's purpose. D N Freedman, CBQ. 23FReedmAn, d.n. 1961. The Chronicler's purpose. CBQ 23:432-442.

The ideology of the book of Chronicles and its place in biblical thought. S Japhet, Peter LangFrankfurt am MainI and II Chronicles: A commentary (OTL)JAPheT, s. 1993. I and II Chronicles: A commentary (OTL). London: SMC. 2009 [1989]. The ideology of the book of Chronicles and its place in biblical thought (BEATAJ 9). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

The purpose of biblical genealogies with special references to the setting of the genealogies of Jesus. M D Johnson, Cambridge University PressCambridgeJohnson, m.d. 1969. The purpose of biblical genealogies with special references to the setting of the genealogies of Jesus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Chronicles 1 -2 Chronicles 9: Israel's place among the nations. 1 & 2 Chronicles. W Johnstone, Sheffield Academic Press1SheffieldJohnsTone, W. 1997. 1 Chronicles 1 -2 Chronicles 9: Israel's place among the nations. 1 & 2 Chronicles, Volume 1 (JSOTSup 253). Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.

. Jonker, JonKeR, l.c.

Forthcoming. 1 and 2 Chronicles. (Forthcoming in NIBCOT). Baker Academic PressGrand Rapids, MIForthcoming. 1 and 2 Chronicles. (Forthcoming in NIBCOT). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic Press.

Retribution and eschatology in Chronicles. B E Kelly, Sheffield Academic PressSheffieldKelly, B.e. 1996. Retribution and eschatology in Chronicles (JSOTSup 211). Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.

1 Chronicles: A commentary. R Klein, Augsburg FortressMinneapolisKleIn, R. 2006. 1 Chronicles: A commentary. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress.

. G N Knoppers, AB1New York: DoubledayKnoPPeRs, g.n. 2004. 1 Chronicles 1-9 (AB, 12). New York: Doubleday.

1 and 2 Chronicles. A Laffey, Women's Bible commentary. C.A Newsome & S.H. RingeLouisvillelAFFey, A.l. 1998. 1 and 2 Chronicles. In: C.A Newsome & S.H. Ringe (eds.), Women's Bible commentary (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox), pp. 117-122.

Unsung heroines of the Hebrew Bible: A contextual theological reading from the perspective of Woman Wisdom. Unpublished dissertation. Stellenbosch UniversityStellenboschOlojede Chronicler's women -a holistic approach oloJede, F.oOlojede Chronicler's women -a holistic approach oloJede, F.o. 2011. Unsung heroines of the Hebrew Bible: A contextual theological reading from the perspective of Woman Wisdom. Unpublished dissertation. Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch.

Kings and cultus in Chronicles: Worship and the reinterpretation of history. W Riley, JSOT PressSheffieldRIley, W. 1993. Kings and cultus in Chronicles: Worship and the reinterpretation of history (JSOTSup 160). Sheffield: JSOT Press.

Reading utopia in Chronicles (Library of Hebrew/Old Testament Studies 442). S J Schweitzer, T. & T. ClarkNew YorkschWeITZeR, s.J. 2007. Reading utopia in Chronicles (Library of Hebrew/Old Testament Studies 442). New York: T. & T. Clark.

1 Chronicles: A commentary (The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries). M J Selman, Leicester: IntervarsityselmAn, m.J. 1994. 1 Chronicles: A commentary (The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries). Leicester: Intervarsity.

The Chronicler's genealogies: Towards an understanding of 1 Chronicles 1-9 (SBL, 28). J T Sparks, Atlanta: SBL. sPARKs, J.T. 2008. The Chronicler's genealogies: Towards an understanding of 1 Chronicles 1-9 (SBL, 28). Atlanta: SBL.

J A Thompson, Chronicles (The New American Commentary, 9. Nashville, TNBroadman and HolmanThomPson, J.A. 1994. 1, 2 Chronicles (The New American Commentary, 9). Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman.

First and Second Chronicles (Interpretation -A Bible commentary for teaching and preaching). S S Tuell, John KnoxLouisvilleTuell, s.s. 2001. First and Second Chronicles (Interpretation -A Bible commentary for teaching and preaching). Louisville: John Knox.

. T Willi, WIllI, T.

Late Persian Judaism and its conception of an integral Israel according to Chronicles: Some observations on form and function of the genealogy of Judah in 1 Chronicles 2.3-4. JSOTSup. T.C. Eskenazi & K.H. Richards23JSOT PressSecond Temple studies 2: Temple and community in the Persian periodLate Persian Judaism and its conception of an integral Israel according to Chronicles: Some observations on form and function of the genealogy of Judah in 1 Chronicles 2.3-4.23: In: T.C. Eskenazi & K.H. Richards (eds.), Second Temple studies 2: Temple and community in the Persian period JSOTSup 175 (Sheffield: JSOT Press), pp. 146-162.

Genealogy and history in the biblical world. R R Wilson, Yale University PressNew HavenWIlson, R.R. 1977. Genealogy and history in the biblical world. New Haven: Yale University Press.