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The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Judean desert between 1947 and 1956 was one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time. Hidden in the caves at Qumran by the Essenes, a Jewish sect in existence before and during the time of Jesus, the Scrolls have transformed our understanding of the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism, and the origins of Christianity. This fully revised edition of the classic English translation by Geza Vermes, the world's leading scholar on the subject, offers an astonishing look into the organization, customs, and beliefs of the community at Qumran. Enhanced by much previously unpublished material and a new preface, this will remain the authoritative translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls for years to come.
513 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
June 22, 2018
Biblical bonus content! Not really any surprises here. The passage about all the men in the city stoning rebellious #teens to death was pretty choice, though. I’ll definitely keep that one in the holster for potential future children.
March 1, 2015
First, I will admit, I did not read this entire book, I used this as a reference guide to accompany a lecture course I listened to from Great Courses on the Dead Sea Scrolls.
As a reference book, this book is excellent. I did read the introduction which gives a background of the discovery and significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The bulk of this book however, is the Translation of every Dead Sea Scroll that has been found to date. Each scroll has a caption, a brief explanation of the scroll and then the actual translation.
Each scroll is labeled according to the number system (i.e. 4Q266) and then which column or fragment is being translated. Missing parts or questioned parts are indicated with [...]s or ?.
This book allows you to read along with famous scrolls like the War Scroll, The Words of Moses, the Treasure map of the Copper scrolls, Commentaries on Isaiah, Commentaries on the Psalms and much much more. There is so much detail and information in these scrolls, it is overwhelming.
The book has a very well organized Table of Contents and Index that guides you to the scrolls about the particular Bible book or subject that you are interested in.
This is certainly not a vacation reading book, but it is a valuable reference book that is fascinating. I read many of the scrolls as I listened to a Great Course lecture by Professor Gary Rendsburg and it really added to my learning and understanding of these historical finds.
As a reference book, this book is excellent. I did read the introduction which gives a background of the discovery and significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The bulk of this book however, is the Translation of every Dead Sea Scroll that has been found to date. Each scroll has a caption, a brief explanation of the scroll and then the actual translation.
Each scroll is labeled according to the number system (i.e. 4Q266) and then which column or fragment is being translated. Missing parts or questioned parts are indicated with [...]s or ?.
This book allows you to read along with famous scrolls like the War Scroll, The Words of Moses, the Treasure map of the Copper scrolls, Commentaries on Isaiah, Commentaries on the Psalms and much much more. There is so much detail and information in these scrolls, it is overwhelming.
The book has a very well organized Table of Contents and Index that guides you to the scrolls about the particular Bible book or subject that you are interested in.
This is certainly not a vacation reading book, but it is a valuable reference book that is fascinating. I read many of the scrolls as I listened to a Great Course lecture by Professor Gary Rendsburg and it really added to my learning and understanding of these historical finds.
September 18, 2024
2024 reads: 34
Rating: 4.5 stars
Not the most exhilarating read but vital for biblical studies. The authors provide a helpful introduction and a running commentary of the fragments (and I mean fragments, except for a couple texts), which at times reads quite a bit into the text but readers would be quite lost without the remarks.
[Read for the NT Backgrounds seminar with Dr Jarvis Williams at SBTS]
Rating: 4.5 stars
Not the most exhilarating read but vital for biblical studies. The authors provide a helpful introduction and a running commentary of the fragments (and I mean fragments, except for a couple texts), which at times reads quite a bit into the text but readers would be quite lost without the remarks.
[Read for the NT Backgrounds seminar with Dr Jarvis Williams at SBTS]
October 3, 2018
These were really cool. The "Prolegomena" (which just means the introduction to the texts) was quite helpful to anyone who wants to read the Scrolls with any understanding of who wrote them, when and why. It's also a good discussion of scholarly debates about the dating of the scrolls and other controversies regarding their discovery and translation. The system of numbering the scrolls by cave and columns is also explained, which gives the reader a good insight into the archaeological process of discovering such texts. The texts themselves are sometimes very fragmented, but what's helpful are the authors' introductions to each of the texts. Each introduction introduces the type and purpose of the text and attempts to situate them in historical context. There are various types of writings in the entire collection. Some are commentaries on Torah and the Prophets, some are additional stories (such as the Enoch cycle or the Daniel cycles), some are apocryphal, while others are just instructions for living, for festivals, and some for those who belonged to a particular Jewish sect (mostly thought to be the Essenes, though this is a point for scholarly debate). My favorites were the War Scroll and other writings on the last days. Some of the passages were very cool and could be fodder for a sci-fi or dystopian novel. Another text I particularly enjoyed were A Commentary on Consoling Passages in Scripture which are similar to very familiar passages from Isaiah. There is a "Reader's Guide to the Qumran Calendar Texts" which is very helpful and interesting for those who are into mysticism and cosmology. The stuff about the phases of the moon and its relationship to festivals would be important to anyone studying comparative Middle East religions. The biggest benefit to me was having a better understanding of the historical context into which Jesus was born and the Gospels and Epistles were written. If you're into the historical Jesus, I'd say The Dead Sea Scrolls are a must-read. I'm very excited I have the chance to see them because there are a few of the fragments on display at the Jordan Museum.
November 7, 2013
Confession time: I only read the 40-page "Prolegomena" and browsed the actual translated scrolls. What I did read was greatly informative and changed the way I felt about reading the rest of the book, especially when I started actually looking at some of the passages. There are some major explanations of some of the transcriptions, and lots of shorter descriptive markers so it's not impossible to follow what's going on. Here are a couple of examples. The numbers are not "verses" in the Biblical sense; they show where the beginning of each line of text falls.
But, one can see, even from the limited reading I did, why these scrolls upset 2000 years of exegesis and interpretation. They are exciting, an almost literal taste of a past we didn't know existed.
The behavior expected of the disciple, who is clearly also an initiate of the Yahad.AND4Q421 Frag. 1 Col. 2 10[ ... ] the intelligent and insightful man 11shall be humble and defer [ ... ] he will endure rebuke 12of the Instructor, each [ ... ] to walk in the ways of God, 13to do righteousness
...
A summary statement on the nature of the preceding psalm[which I have not appended].It's not 'reading.' It requires study, with notes and flipping to and fro, and discussion. While I could possibly manage to make some sense of it from lots of intensive time, I really feel that I would be better served, as would the subject, if I were to have some other people to bounce my sense of the texts off of. It's too complicated by far.Col. 4 1[ ... ] 2which [ ... ] and those possessed by [demons ... ] 3those crushed [by Belial .. on Isra]el, peace [eternal ...]
But, one can see, even from the limited reading I did, why these scrolls upset 2000 years of exegesis and interpretation. They are exciting, an almost literal taste of a past we didn't know existed.
December 31, 2012
in the documents I've made it through so far, this is really helpful read in framing and understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls and their relevance to understanding the scriptures. Good enough that I'll read the whole thing, even the part that I have not been assigned. . .
The authors do a fantastic job of framing each part of the scroll for the readers, and give you a sense of what is really happening in this community, and why you should care. It's a long read, but worth it if you are spending time in this part of history.
The authors do a fantastic job of framing each part of the scroll for the readers, and give you a sense of what is really happening in this community, and why you should care. It's a long read, but worth it if you are spending time in this part of history.
September 4, 2015
feels like reading a kind of holy book honestly..
so many scripts that match with Al-Qur'an.
I finished this couple weeks ago, and don't remember much of the details.
so many scripts that match with Al-Qur'an.
I finished this couple weeks ago, and don't remember much of the details.
January 22, 2025
Wonderful work, and so many fascinating things in it. Of course it's massively fragmented, so there's many times where that will stop from you being able to form a full picture of what the writer is saying in various scrolls. But there is much that can be seen, and I'll even be talking with someone whose worked directly with the scrolls soon on some questions. Though to fully grasp the texts would likely require repeated engagement and much study, this has been one of the best books I've read so far on the scrolls. There's so much in here, well over 100 scrolls/fragments that are translated, and a deep look into not only the Dead Sea Scrolls but various other thoughts in 2nd temple Judaism. Messianic thought, various methods of Biblical commentary and interpretation, unique thoughts on Wisdom literature, sectarian writings, eschatology, so much is contained in this book. If you're interested in the 2nd temple period or the Dead Sea Scrolls, this is absolutely a book I'd reccomend.
January 19, 2024
No doubt, the ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ are the greatest literary discovery of the last century: radiocarbon-dated between 60BCE and 20CE (p.14). A multinational, half-century-long scholarship made them available to us in this book. Unfortunately, many of the texts are very fragmented: multiple words, even entire lines, are often missing: time and again I felt like discontinuing reading it. However, besides an introduction to the book, the author-editors introduce every text, and explain practically every paragraph. Without them, the lay person would probably be lost.
Discovery
Between 1946 and 1956, a Bedouin tribe discovered the scrolls in eleven caves located around Wadi Qumran—near the northwest end of the Dead Sea (pp.5-6).
Texts
“All the scrolls, with a few minor exceptions, are Jewish religious texts. … The fact that all the writings are religious is surprising.” (p.11) The best way to eliminate a philosophy or religion is to burn the sect’s books and kill the leader. To protect an exiled sect, preserve the leader’s library; this is apparently what happened, here. Regretfully, the texts don’t speak openly as to who their owners were; they speak in ‘code’ form. “The apparent founder of the group is called only the Teacher of Righteousness; the prominent member of the group or groups opposing him is called the Man of the Lie … who may be the leader of a sinister cabal called the Flattery-Seekers; and the sect’s chief persecutor is designated as the Wicked Priest. There is another ruler called the Lion of Wrath, and there is a menacing foreign power known as the Kittim.” (p.17)
Standard Model
The most popular hypothesis among antiquity scholars (which the author-editors call the ‘Standard Model’) is that the Essenes were the sect that preserved these scrolls (p.16). However, they disagree. They refer to the writings of first-century-CE historian Josephus. “Josephus … claims to have studied with the Essenes as a youth. Josephus also fails to mention the Teacher of Righteousness in his extensive descriptions of the Essenes.” (p.26) “Josephus described the major Jewish groups as philosophical schools.” (p.113) The Qumran sects were probably a less prominent ‘philosophical group’ than the Essenes: somewhat similar to the ‘sicarii’ freedom fighters with whom Josephus was also initially involved (p.34).
Qumran Sect
“Those to whom they [the scrolls] belonged, who wrote most of them, called themselves the ‘Yahad,’ a Hebrew word meaning ‘unity.’” (p.13) “Among other names, the association calls itself ‘The Way’ (e.g., 1QS 9:18), a self-designation that some of the first Christians also used (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23; Hebrews 10:20).” (p.115) The author-editors summarize their hypothesis as follows: “The Teacher of Righteousness began his ministry late in the second or early in the first century B.C.E., perhaps during the reign of Alexander [Jannaeus (103-76BCE)]. After the Pharisees came to power under Salome [Alexandra (76-67BCE)], they persecuted the Teacher’s group, which was sympathetic to the Sadducean establishment, eventually hounding the Teacher into exile. When [John] Hyrcanus II became king [63-40BCE], he renewed his efforts to destroy the Teacher and his group. The Roman intervention ended the Jewish civil war of Pharisee versus Sadducee, Hyrcanus [II] versus Aristobolus [II (67-63BCE)].” (p.32) After the Romans’ destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70CE, the Sadducees (who were a priestly group responsible for the Temple) ceased to exist: only the more liberal Pharisees remained (p.35). In confirmation of the above, they add, “The ‘Commentary on Nahum’ [4Q169] may well be the most important scroll of all for reconstructing the history behind the Dead Sea Scrolls. … It mentions one identifiable historical figure: Demetrius III Eukairos, the king of Seleucid Syria, who invaded the Holy land in 88 B.C.E.” (p.243) The text has, “The ‘old lion’ is Demetrius, king of Greece, who sought to come to Jerusalem through the counsel of the Flattery-Seekers [Pharisees]; but the city never fell into the power of the kings of Greece from Antiochus [IV Epiphanes (164BCE)] until the appearance of the rulers of the Kittim [Romans (63BCE)]; but afterwards it will be trampled.” (4Q169F3-4 1:2-3—p.245)
Satan’s Reign
“Believers [thought they] are presently living in an era when Satan … rules the world. The New Testament [too] calls Satan ‘the Prince of this world’ [Luke 4:6, John 14:30].” (p.115) For example, in the ‘Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association,’ we read, “All who enter the Yahad’s Rule shall … not … backslide because of any fear, terror or persecution that may occur during the time of Belial’s [Satan’s] dominion.” (p.117)
Armageddon
Although the Qumran sect believed that “Angelic forces [would] fight on the side of the Sons of Light (1QM 9:15-16)” (p.369), they still believed, as in the canonical ‘Book of Revelation,’ that there would be a final battle between ‘good’ and ‘evil,’ and that the Messiah would be victorious: defeating evil permanently (p.368). They never considered God’s using love and conviction, rather than violence, to convert people.
Warmongers
Unlike early Christians, “The group thought of itself as warriors awaiting God’s signal to begin the final war against the nations and the wicked among the Jews.” (p.114) However, the ‘Assorted Manuscripts’ condemn war unblessed by God: reminiscent of Augustine’s ‘just war’ concept. We read, “Your mighty men shall be humiliated for they do not know that the Lord has rejected you … you presume to make war.” (4Q471aF 1:4-5—p.515)
Kingdom of God
In ‘The Songs of the Sabbath’ we read of a heavenly “kingdom” where God rules supreme (4Q400F1 1:2-3, 2:1-2; 4Q400F2 1:1; 4Q401F1-2 1:2—pp.464-66): which probably prompted Jesus to say, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, KJV) Probably, Jesus thought the ‘kingdom of God’ (a kingdom of justice, sharing, and love in which God ‘rules’ in our heart) would happen without violence. God would simply position himself with his angels in the sky, and nobody would dare resist.
Jerusalem Temple
“Among Jews … many thinking people in the period of the New Testament had difficulties with animal sacrifice. As the New Testament book of Hebrews formulates the issue, ‘It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins’ (Hebrews 10:4). … They conceived of themselves as atoning for sin through sacrifice offered in the context of prayer and blameless behavior (1QS 9:4–5). Without the proper attitude sacrifice meant nothing. … They had replaced the physical structure [the Temple] in Jerusalem.” (pp.115-16)
Instead of God inhabiting the Jerusalem Temple, he inhabited their heart. Hence the evangelist John portrays Jesus challenging the Jews: “‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ … But he spake of the temple of his body.” John (2:19, 21, KJV)
Spiritual Anointing
The concept of anointing with the Holy Spirit (rather than by a physical perfumed ointment) as Jesus is assumed to have been during his baptism (Acts 10:3) is not originally Christian, either. We read of this concept in the ‘Damascus Document’: “He [God] taught them [pious remnants] through those anointed by the Holy Spirit, the seers of truth.” (p.53).
Messiah
In the first century BCE, the Jews were eagerly awaiting the Messiah. In the ‘Damascus Document,’ we read, “This is the rule for those who live in camps [the Qumran sects], who live by these rules in the era of wickedness [Satan’s reign], until the appearance of the Messiah.” (p.74) “Interestingly [in the ‘Commentaries on Isaiah’ (4Q161-165F8-10)], the messianic Leader of the Nation seems not to play a role in the combat. … When the enemies are destroyed, the new David will hold sway over all the earth.” (p.237) Although Jesus believed himself to be the Messiah, he never endorsed any violence.
Messiah’s Mandate
We find the sources to Matthew 11:2-5 and Luke 4:17-21 in ‘Redemption and Resurrection’: we read of the Messiah’s “setting the prisoners free, opening the eyes of the blind, raising up those who are bowed down … He shall heal the critically wounded, He shall revive the dead, He shall send good news to the afflicted. He shall satisfy the poor. ” (4Q521F2&4 2:8, 12—p.531)
Suffering Messiah/Redeemer
We find the concept of a ‘suffering’ Messiah many places in the New Testament: 1 Corinthians 15:3; Mark 8:31; Matthew 1:21, 17:22–23, 20:18–19; Luke 9:22, 24:26; Acts 3:18, 17:3, 26:23; 1 Peter 3:18; however, nowhere in the Old Testament are we told that the Messiah must suffer. The Messiah was supposed to be a great king, like David, who would rule the world from Jerusalem with God’s assistance. A suffering Messiah, therefore, seemed, at first blush, to have been Christian ‘wishful thinking’: inventing it when faced with Jesus’s crucifixion. However, we do find such a concept in the Qumran texts. For example, in the ‘War Scroll,’ we read, “There are none comparable to me in my glory, no one shall be exalted besides me. … For I have dwelt on high in the heavens. … I am reckoned with the angels. … Who has been considered contemptible like me? Who is comparable to me in my glory? … Who has borne troubles like me? And who like me refrained from evil? I have never been taught, but no teaching compares with my teaching. … Who can endure the utterance of my lips?” (4Q491cF11 1:12–17; 4Q431F1; 4Q427F7—p.169) Apparently, therefore, “some ancient Jews were expecting a suffering messiah before the time of Jesus.” (p.19) So when we find quotes like “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:26-27)—which are unconfirmed in our Bible canon—the evangelist might have been referring to other lost ancient texts.
Afterlife
In the first century BCE the Jews already believed in the eternity of heaven and the fire in hell. In the ‘Damascus Document,’ we read, “Those who hold firm to it [the Mosaic Law] shall receive everlasting life.” (p.54) Regarding hell, we read, “But Strength, Might, and great Wrath in the flames of fire with all the angels of destruction shall come against all those who rebel against the proper way and who despise the law, until they are without remnant or survivor.” (p.53) Notice that, here, hell is not eternal: same as in Saint Paul’s seven undisputedly authentic letters. Moreover, in the ‘Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association,’ we read, “The judgement of all who walk in such [evil] ways will be multiple of afflictions at the hand of all the angels of perdition, everlasting damnation in the wrath of God’s furious vengeance, never-ending terror and reproach for all eternity, with a shameful extinction in the fire of Hell’s outer darkness.” (1QS 4:11-13—p.121) In the New Testament, we also find this contradictory concept of both fire and ‘outer darkness’ in hell. (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30; 2 Peter 2:17; Revelation 16:10)
Resurrection
“Both the Gospels and this [‘Redemption and Resurrection’] scroll presuppose that during the age of the messiah, the dead will be resurrected either by God himself or through his messianic agent.” (p.530) The text has, “[The wicked] shall be destined to die, when the Reviver raises the dead of His people.” (4Q521F7&5 2:6—p.531)
Problem of Evil
Again in the ‘Charter,’ we read, “It is actually He [God] who created the spirits of light and darkness, making them the cornerstone of every deed. … God has appointed these spirits as equals until the last age … a situation God in His mysteries allows until His era dawns. … In his mysterious insight and glorious wisdom God has countenanced an era in which perversity triumphs [Satan’s reign], but at the time appointed for visitation He shall destroy such forever. Then shall truth come forth in victory upon the earth.” (1QS 3:23, 25; 4:16-17, 18-19—pp.120-22) Interestingly, they admit it’s hard to understand; but Christianity hasn’t made much progress in this respect, either.
Eucharist
Also in the ‘Charter,’ we read, “When the table has been set for eating or the new wine readied for drinking, it is the priest who shall stretch out his hand, blessing the first portion of the bread or the new wine.” (1QS 6:4-5—p.124) This looks like the root of Jesus’s institution of the Eucharist of bread and wine; he always blessed both the bread and the wine before eating with his disciples.
Confession
Much like early Christianity, auricular confession (see John 20:23) seems to have been practiced among the Qumran groups. In the ‘Damascus Document,’ we read, “He should then confess his sin and make restitution and then he will not bear the burden of sin and die.” (GenisaA 15:4-5—p.68) They considered confession a tangible sign that the invisible God has forgiven the sinner: freeing one from its burden on one’s deathbed. Likewise, the smoke of animal sacrifices, lifting upwards, served as a visible sign for the Jews that the invisible God has forgiven them.
Impurity
The Qumran sect was obsessed with purity. Impurity “consisted of “leprosy, bodily discharges of any kind, and contact with the dead. … This concept differed from sin, for it required no confession or forgiveness.” (p.360)
In the ‘Damascus Document,’ we read, “Every man who has a discharge from his flesh or who allows himself thoughts of depravity … shall wash his clothes and bathe in water … whoever touches him shall [also] bathe in water.” (4Q266F6 1:14-16 & 4Q272F1 2:6-7—p.65) Now, these people tried to observe the Mosaic Law minutely. Still, the gospel Jesus seems to strongly disagree with them: “But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28, KJV) Likewise, he disagreed with their concept of ‘unclean’ foods (see Mark 7:18-19)
Poverty
“Proverbs usually portrays poverty as the unwelcome result of foolish behavior (e.g., 28:19). Here [in ‘The Secret of the Way Things Are’], in contrast, poverty is the natural circumstance of the ideal disciple—a motif that anticipates the high view of poverty in early Christianity: ‘Blessed are the poor’ (Luke 6:20).” (p.482) The text has, “Yes, you are needy. Do not crave anything except your inheritance [your due], and do not be consumed by it, lest you cross the boundaries of the Law.” (4Q416F2 3:12-13—p.488)
Jesus’s Originality
Somewhat disappointing is the fact that the Qumran texts show that Jesus was not that original in his sayings. For example, in the ‘Secret,’ we read of “those who inherit the earth” (4Q418F81:14—p.491) as in Matthew 5:5, “like a spring of living water” (4Q418F103 1:6—p.491) as in John 7:38, and “seek and then you will find” (4Q418F107 1:1—p.492) as in Matthew 7:7. We find a striking similarity to the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-10 in the ‘Blessings of the Wise’: “Blessed is the one … with a pure heart and does not slander with his tongue. Blessed are those who hold fast to its [the Law’s] statutes and do not hold fast to the ways of injustice. Blessed are those who rejoice in it, and do not exult in paths of folly. Blessed are those who seek it with pure hands and do not search it with a deceitful heart. …” (4Q525F2&3 2:1-3—p.534) In the ‘Fragment of a Lost Apocryphon,’ the author addresses God as “my Father and my Lord,” (4Q460F9 1:6—p.508) which seems to be the source of the concept of God’s being our Father in the Lord ’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4). In short, much to my surprise and personal disappointment, all of this undermines Jesus’s originality. It seems that, probably, Jesus had some kind of contact with these sects prior to his public ministry: thereby answering the question concerning Jesus’s wisdom in Matthew 13:54.
Parables
Likewise, regarding parables, the ‘Parable of the Bountiful Tree’ (p.377) shows where Jesus might have conceived the idea to teach through parables. Again, in ‘A Collection of Proverbs,’ we find similarities with Jesus’s parables; for example, we read of a construction that later “will fall apart during a downpour” (4Q42—p.497), as in Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:46-49.
Women
As in early Christianity (see 1 Corinthians 11:5), women took active part in the liturgy. In ‘A Liturgy of Thanksgiving,’ we read, “The woman shall raise her voice and say the thanksgivings: ‘Blessed is the God of Israel who has helped His handmaid.’” (4Q502F24 1:2—p.519)
Priests’ Prerogative
Kohath was the son of Levi, and Levites were the Hebrew priests. In the ‘Last Words of Kohath,’ we read, “You [priests] shall stand up to give judgement” (4Q542 2:5—p.546): this is reminiscent of Matthew 19:28.
Conclusion
Because of the fragmented state of the original scrolls, this book (being a scholarly rendition) might be quite a chore to read. Despite the New Testament’s anti-Semitism, it has so much in common with the Qumran texts—which were written by Jews. I wouldn’t be surprised that several New Testament authors, if not Jesus himself, were members of a Qumran sect. Indeed, the author-editors opine, “For Christians, the texts say, ‘You are more Jewish than you realized.’ There are many individual parallels between passages in the scrolls and the New Testament.” (p.35)
Discovery
Between 1946 and 1956, a Bedouin tribe discovered the scrolls in eleven caves located around Wadi Qumran—near the northwest end of the Dead Sea (pp.5-6).
Texts
“All the scrolls, with a few minor exceptions, are Jewish religious texts. … The fact that all the writings are religious is surprising.” (p.11) The best way to eliminate a philosophy or religion is to burn the sect’s books and kill the leader. To protect an exiled sect, preserve the leader’s library; this is apparently what happened, here. Regretfully, the texts don’t speak openly as to who their owners were; they speak in ‘code’ form. “The apparent founder of the group is called only the Teacher of Righteousness; the prominent member of the group or groups opposing him is called the Man of the Lie … who may be the leader of a sinister cabal called the Flattery-Seekers; and the sect’s chief persecutor is designated as the Wicked Priest. There is another ruler called the Lion of Wrath, and there is a menacing foreign power known as the Kittim.” (p.17)
Standard Model
The most popular hypothesis among antiquity scholars (which the author-editors call the ‘Standard Model’) is that the Essenes were the sect that preserved these scrolls (p.16). However, they disagree. They refer to the writings of first-century-CE historian Josephus. “Josephus … claims to have studied with the Essenes as a youth. Josephus also fails to mention the Teacher of Righteousness in his extensive descriptions of the Essenes.” (p.26) “Josephus described the major Jewish groups as philosophical schools.” (p.113) The Qumran sects were probably a less prominent ‘philosophical group’ than the Essenes: somewhat similar to the ‘sicarii’ freedom fighters with whom Josephus was also initially involved (p.34).
Qumran Sect
“Those to whom they [the scrolls] belonged, who wrote most of them, called themselves the ‘Yahad,’ a Hebrew word meaning ‘unity.’” (p.13) “Among other names, the association calls itself ‘The Way’ (e.g., 1QS 9:18), a self-designation that some of the first Christians also used (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23; Hebrews 10:20).” (p.115) The author-editors summarize their hypothesis as follows: “The Teacher of Righteousness began his ministry late in the second or early in the first century B.C.E., perhaps during the reign of Alexander [Jannaeus (103-76BCE)]. After the Pharisees came to power under Salome [Alexandra (76-67BCE)], they persecuted the Teacher’s group, which was sympathetic to the Sadducean establishment, eventually hounding the Teacher into exile. When [John] Hyrcanus II became king [63-40BCE], he renewed his efforts to destroy the Teacher and his group. The Roman intervention ended the Jewish civil war of Pharisee versus Sadducee, Hyrcanus [II] versus Aristobolus [II (67-63BCE)].” (p.32) After the Romans’ destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70CE, the Sadducees (who were a priestly group responsible for the Temple) ceased to exist: only the more liberal Pharisees remained (p.35). In confirmation of the above, they add, “The ‘Commentary on Nahum’ [4Q169] may well be the most important scroll of all for reconstructing the history behind the Dead Sea Scrolls. … It mentions one identifiable historical figure: Demetrius III Eukairos, the king of Seleucid Syria, who invaded the Holy land in 88 B.C.E.” (p.243) The text has, “The ‘old lion’ is Demetrius, king of Greece, who sought to come to Jerusalem through the counsel of the Flattery-Seekers [Pharisees]; but the city never fell into the power of the kings of Greece from Antiochus [IV Epiphanes (164BCE)] until the appearance of the rulers of the Kittim [Romans (63BCE)]; but afterwards it will be trampled.” (4Q169F3-4 1:2-3—p.245)
Satan’s Reign
“Believers [thought they] are presently living in an era when Satan … rules the world. The New Testament [too] calls Satan ‘the Prince of this world’ [Luke 4:6, John 14:30].” (p.115) For example, in the ‘Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association,’ we read, “All who enter the Yahad’s Rule shall … not … backslide because of any fear, terror or persecution that may occur during the time of Belial’s [Satan’s] dominion.” (p.117)
Armageddon
Although the Qumran sect believed that “Angelic forces [would] fight on the side of the Sons of Light (1QM 9:15-16)” (p.369), they still believed, as in the canonical ‘Book of Revelation,’ that there would be a final battle between ‘good’ and ‘evil,’ and that the Messiah would be victorious: defeating evil permanently (p.368). They never considered God’s using love and conviction, rather than violence, to convert people.
Warmongers
Unlike early Christians, “The group thought of itself as warriors awaiting God’s signal to begin the final war against the nations and the wicked among the Jews.” (p.114) However, the ‘Assorted Manuscripts’ condemn war unblessed by God: reminiscent of Augustine’s ‘just war’ concept. We read, “Your mighty men shall be humiliated for they do not know that the Lord has rejected you … you presume to make war.” (4Q471aF 1:4-5—p.515)
Kingdom of God
In ‘The Songs of the Sabbath’ we read of a heavenly “kingdom” where God rules supreme (4Q400F1 1:2-3, 2:1-2; 4Q400F2 1:1; 4Q401F1-2 1:2—pp.464-66): which probably prompted Jesus to say, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, KJV) Probably, Jesus thought the ‘kingdom of God’ (a kingdom of justice, sharing, and love in which God ‘rules’ in our heart) would happen without violence. God would simply position himself with his angels in the sky, and nobody would dare resist.
Jerusalem Temple
“Among Jews … many thinking people in the period of the New Testament had difficulties with animal sacrifice. As the New Testament book of Hebrews formulates the issue, ‘It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins’ (Hebrews 10:4). … They conceived of themselves as atoning for sin through sacrifice offered in the context of prayer and blameless behavior (1QS 9:4–5). Without the proper attitude sacrifice meant nothing. … They had replaced the physical structure [the Temple] in Jerusalem.” (pp.115-16)
Instead of God inhabiting the Jerusalem Temple, he inhabited their heart. Hence the evangelist John portrays Jesus challenging the Jews: “‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ … But he spake of the temple of his body.” John (2:19, 21, KJV)
Spiritual Anointing
The concept of anointing with the Holy Spirit (rather than by a physical perfumed ointment) as Jesus is assumed to have been during his baptism (Acts 10:3) is not originally Christian, either. We read of this concept in the ‘Damascus Document’: “He [God] taught them [pious remnants] through those anointed by the Holy Spirit, the seers of truth.” (p.53).
Messiah
In the first century BCE, the Jews were eagerly awaiting the Messiah. In the ‘Damascus Document,’ we read, “This is the rule for those who live in camps [the Qumran sects], who live by these rules in the era of wickedness [Satan’s reign], until the appearance of the Messiah.” (p.74) “Interestingly [in the ‘Commentaries on Isaiah’ (4Q161-165F8-10)], the messianic Leader of the Nation seems not to play a role in the combat. … When the enemies are destroyed, the new David will hold sway over all the earth.” (p.237) Although Jesus believed himself to be the Messiah, he never endorsed any violence.
Messiah’s Mandate
We find the sources to Matthew 11:2-5 and Luke 4:17-21 in ‘Redemption and Resurrection’: we read of the Messiah’s “setting the prisoners free, opening the eyes of the blind, raising up those who are bowed down … He shall heal the critically wounded, He shall revive the dead, He shall send good news to the afflicted. He shall satisfy the poor. ” (4Q521F2&4 2:8, 12—p.531)
Suffering Messiah/Redeemer
We find the concept of a ‘suffering’ Messiah many places in the New Testament: 1 Corinthians 15:3; Mark 8:31; Matthew 1:21, 17:22–23, 20:18–19; Luke 9:22, 24:26; Acts 3:18, 17:3, 26:23; 1 Peter 3:18; however, nowhere in the Old Testament are we told that the Messiah must suffer. The Messiah was supposed to be a great king, like David, who would rule the world from Jerusalem with God’s assistance. A suffering Messiah, therefore, seemed, at first blush, to have been Christian ‘wishful thinking’: inventing it when faced with Jesus’s crucifixion. However, we do find such a concept in the Qumran texts. For example, in the ‘War Scroll,’ we read, “There are none comparable to me in my glory, no one shall be exalted besides me. … For I have dwelt on high in the heavens. … I am reckoned with the angels. … Who has been considered contemptible like me? Who is comparable to me in my glory? … Who has borne troubles like me? And who like me refrained from evil? I have never been taught, but no teaching compares with my teaching. … Who can endure the utterance of my lips?” (4Q491cF11 1:12–17; 4Q431F1; 4Q427F7—p.169) Apparently, therefore, “some ancient Jews were expecting a suffering messiah before the time of Jesus.” (p.19) So when we find quotes like “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:26-27)—which are unconfirmed in our Bible canon—the evangelist might have been referring to other lost ancient texts.
Afterlife
In the first century BCE the Jews already believed in the eternity of heaven and the fire in hell. In the ‘Damascus Document,’ we read, “Those who hold firm to it [the Mosaic Law] shall receive everlasting life.” (p.54) Regarding hell, we read, “But Strength, Might, and great Wrath in the flames of fire with all the angels of destruction shall come against all those who rebel against the proper way and who despise the law, until they are without remnant or survivor.” (p.53) Notice that, here, hell is not eternal: same as in Saint Paul’s seven undisputedly authentic letters. Moreover, in the ‘Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association,’ we read, “The judgement of all who walk in such [evil] ways will be multiple of afflictions at the hand of all the angels of perdition, everlasting damnation in the wrath of God’s furious vengeance, never-ending terror and reproach for all eternity, with a shameful extinction in the fire of Hell’s outer darkness.” (1QS 4:11-13—p.121) In the New Testament, we also find this contradictory concept of both fire and ‘outer darkness’ in hell. (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30; 2 Peter 2:17; Revelation 16:10)
Resurrection
“Both the Gospels and this [‘Redemption and Resurrection’] scroll presuppose that during the age of the messiah, the dead will be resurrected either by God himself or through his messianic agent.” (p.530) The text has, “[The wicked] shall be destined to die, when the Reviver raises the dead of His people.” (4Q521F7&5 2:6—p.531)
Problem of Evil
Again in the ‘Charter,’ we read, “It is actually He [God] who created the spirits of light and darkness, making them the cornerstone of every deed. … God has appointed these spirits as equals until the last age … a situation God in His mysteries allows until His era dawns. … In his mysterious insight and glorious wisdom God has countenanced an era in which perversity triumphs [Satan’s reign], but at the time appointed for visitation He shall destroy such forever. Then shall truth come forth in victory upon the earth.” (1QS 3:23, 25; 4:16-17, 18-19—pp.120-22) Interestingly, they admit it’s hard to understand; but Christianity hasn’t made much progress in this respect, either.
Eucharist
Also in the ‘Charter,’ we read, “When the table has been set for eating or the new wine readied for drinking, it is the priest who shall stretch out his hand, blessing the first portion of the bread or the new wine.” (1QS 6:4-5—p.124) This looks like the root of Jesus’s institution of the Eucharist of bread and wine; he always blessed both the bread and the wine before eating with his disciples.
Confession
Much like early Christianity, auricular confession (see John 20:23) seems to have been practiced among the Qumran groups. In the ‘Damascus Document,’ we read, “He should then confess his sin and make restitution and then he will not bear the burden of sin and die.” (GenisaA 15:4-5—p.68) They considered confession a tangible sign that the invisible God has forgiven the sinner: freeing one from its burden on one’s deathbed. Likewise, the smoke of animal sacrifices, lifting upwards, served as a visible sign for the Jews that the invisible God has forgiven them.
Impurity
The Qumran sect was obsessed with purity. Impurity “consisted of “leprosy, bodily discharges of any kind, and contact with the dead. … This concept differed from sin, for it required no confession or forgiveness.” (p.360)
In the ‘Damascus Document,’ we read, “Every man who has a discharge from his flesh or who allows himself thoughts of depravity … shall wash his clothes and bathe in water … whoever touches him shall [also] bathe in water.” (4Q266F6 1:14-16 & 4Q272F1 2:6-7—p.65) Now, these people tried to observe the Mosaic Law minutely. Still, the gospel Jesus seems to strongly disagree with them: “But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28, KJV) Likewise, he disagreed with their concept of ‘unclean’ foods (see Mark 7:18-19)
Poverty
“Proverbs usually portrays poverty as the unwelcome result of foolish behavior (e.g., 28:19). Here [in ‘The Secret of the Way Things Are’], in contrast, poverty is the natural circumstance of the ideal disciple—a motif that anticipates the high view of poverty in early Christianity: ‘Blessed are the poor’ (Luke 6:20).” (p.482) The text has, “Yes, you are needy. Do not crave anything except your inheritance [your due], and do not be consumed by it, lest you cross the boundaries of the Law.” (4Q416F2 3:12-13—p.488)
Jesus’s Originality
Somewhat disappointing is the fact that the Qumran texts show that Jesus was not that original in his sayings. For example, in the ‘Secret,’ we read of “those who inherit the earth” (4Q418F81:14—p.491) as in Matthew 5:5, “like a spring of living water” (4Q418F103 1:6—p.491) as in John 7:38, and “seek and then you will find” (4Q418F107 1:1—p.492) as in Matthew 7:7. We find a striking similarity to the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-10 in the ‘Blessings of the Wise’: “Blessed is the one … with a pure heart and does not slander with his tongue. Blessed are those who hold fast to its [the Law’s] statutes and do not hold fast to the ways of injustice. Blessed are those who rejoice in it, and do not exult in paths of folly. Blessed are those who seek it with pure hands and do not search it with a deceitful heart. …” (4Q525F2&3 2:1-3—p.534) In the ‘Fragment of a Lost Apocryphon,’ the author addresses God as “my Father and my Lord,” (4Q460F9 1:6—p.508) which seems to be the source of the concept of God’s being our Father in the Lord ’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4). In short, much to my surprise and personal disappointment, all of this undermines Jesus’s originality. It seems that, probably, Jesus had some kind of contact with these sects prior to his public ministry: thereby answering the question concerning Jesus’s wisdom in Matthew 13:54.
Parables
Likewise, regarding parables, the ‘Parable of the Bountiful Tree’ (p.377) shows where Jesus might have conceived the idea to teach through parables. Again, in ‘A Collection of Proverbs,’ we find similarities with Jesus’s parables; for example, we read of a construction that later “will fall apart during a downpour” (4Q42—p.497), as in Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:46-49.
Women
As in early Christianity (see 1 Corinthians 11:5), women took active part in the liturgy. In ‘A Liturgy of Thanksgiving,’ we read, “The woman shall raise her voice and say the thanksgivings: ‘Blessed is the God of Israel who has helped His handmaid.’” (4Q502F24 1:2—p.519)
Priests’ Prerogative
Kohath was the son of Levi, and Levites were the Hebrew priests. In the ‘Last Words of Kohath,’ we read, “You [priests] shall stand up to give judgement” (4Q542 2:5—p.546): this is reminiscent of Matthew 19:28.
Conclusion
Because of the fragmented state of the original scrolls, this book (being a scholarly rendition) might be quite a chore to read. Despite the New Testament’s anti-Semitism, it has so much in common with the Qumran texts—which were written by Jews. I wouldn’t be surprised that several New Testament authors, if not Jesus himself, were members of a Qumran sect. Indeed, the author-editors opine, “For Christians, the texts say, ‘You are more Jewish than you realized.’ There are many individual parallels between passages in the scrolls and the New Testament.” (p.35)
November 7, 2018
This book is a translation of all the scrolls and I was looking forward to reading it. The fact that most of the "scrolls" are (900) fragments with a lot of gaps, made it frustrating reading and I did not finish the book.
But my rating is based on the author's choice not to include a subject index, or at least not one that I could find, and this is a book that needs a really good subject index. It has an index of the manuscripts by number (i.e. IQ29 page 144) - really? Is the reader to memorize the various tags for the scrolls so they know how to look them up? Then there is a second index - of references to the books in the Bible as they are mentioned in the scrolls. This has some merit. But generally these indices imply that this is another "inside" academic book - one that is to appeal to researchers on this subject who would be familiar with the numbering system.
But where is the index that would link the scrolls to each other? I was intrigued by the term "watchers," and I would have liked to read all the places that it appears without having to read the entire book looking for them. One of the biblical patriarchs thought his wife was impregnated by a "watcher." So it would be interesting to see where else this term appeared in the scrolls and what they are.
Also intriguing is that this book was put together by "Anonymous."
But my rating is based on the author's choice not to include a subject index, or at least not one that I could find, and this is a book that needs a really good subject index. It has an index of the manuscripts by number (i.e. IQ29 page 144) - really? Is the reader to memorize the various tags for the scrolls so they know how to look them up? Then there is a second index - of references to the books in the Bible as they are mentioned in the scrolls. This has some merit. But generally these indices imply that this is another "inside" academic book - one that is to appeal to researchers on this subject who would be familiar with the numbering system.
But where is the index that would link the scrolls to each other? I was intrigued by the term "watchers," and I would have liked to read all the places that it appears without having to read the entire book looking for them. One of the biblical patriarchs thought his wife was impregnated by a "watcher." So it would be interesting to see where else this term appeared in the scrolls and what they are.
Also intriguing is that this book was put together by "Anonymous."
March 7, 2018
Since I was a kid in school I've had a lot of curiosity about non-canonical scriptures. So I've read as many as I could get my hands on. These fragmented bits of old books have been a bit of a disappointment compared to others (The Nag Hammadi group, for instance). In this book you get translations of the reconstructed scrolls interlaced with a running commentary which, in my opinion focuses too much on the ongoing arguments about exactly who the sectarians of Qumran were and what they believed. In attempting to decode their beliefs and therefore identify them the authors have handicapped themselves unnecessarily with what I felt was a too credulous dependence on what the Book of Acts and the historian Josephus had said about the competing sects of Judiasm in the 1st century. They both wrote simplistic generalizations which probably didn't relate much to how the sectarians themselves felt about their own beliefs and each other. Still, if you are very curious about what's in these old books, this probably isn't the worst book to read.
October 13, 2012
I give up. I am almost OCD about finishing things I start, but this is changing as I grow older and time is speeding up as it runs out. I give an extra star for the first 50 pages. It was interesting to see the science and technology in placing these scrolls together and the logic involved in piecing it together. And the history is fascinating when put in context of how much importance we put on this tribe of people today and how little we really know about them. But once the history and the science is over and we are left to read the results...snooze. It's just not for me. I see no inspiration or relevance in this ancient people's beliefs. I tried to go 50 pages at a time between other books but really, life's too short. I'm following my bliss elsewhere.
June 12, 2014
I've become somewhat of an expert - as to a reader, that is - on the Dead Sea Scrolls. This summary is not as captivating as that by Millar Burrows - one of the first archaeologists involved with the Bedouin, Kando and Shaia when scraps of velum were offered for sale to the world in 1946/47. The reader is introduced to the Essenes one of three branches of Judaism in the first century - along with the Pharisees and Sadducees. See similarities to the early Christians. You'll wonder if John the Baptist had been an Essene.
September 7, 2007
This version gives an easily understood introduction to the Dead Sea Scrolls, and does a nice job of talking about the archaeological details, and setting the Scrolls in their historical context.
I'm not sure anyone would want to read the entire Scrolls cover to cover, but if you're interested in first century Judaism or Christianity, they do help give you a feel for the cultural and social climate of the times.
I'm not sure anyone would want to read the entire Scrolls cover to cover, but if you're interested in first century Judaism or Christianity, they do help give you a feel for the cultural and social climate of the times.
June 26, 2008
This was a great read, took a long time but was well worth it. Too often we talk about a subject or book but never have read it ourselves. The Dead Sea Scrolls fits in this catagory. People talk about rather than respond to the text themselves. There is a general introduction and then there is a short intro before each text. One sees the similarities and the differences with the Biblical text. It was a good discipline to finish this book.
December 15, 2009
There's not much to say about this. They are what they are. If you're interested in ancient apocryphal scriptures, then this is a great interesting read. If you have a hard time muddling through the Old Testament, then this is probably not what you're looking for.
I really enjoyed it and I thought the authors did a great job of putting things in context in an honest, "we really don't know much for sure about any of this" kind of way.
I really enjoyed it and I thought the authors did a great job of putting things in context in an honest, "we really don't know much for sure about any of this" kind of way.
October 29, 2008
Good stuff, but formatted for the scholar and not the typical reader. The books are in fragments, and thus there are many parts missing in them. While there is some expert conjecture implemented to reconstruct words and sentences, even this is highly limited.
October 9, 2010
More like a reference book. I didn't read all the scroll translations , but I can see how having this handy can be useful. I think a newer book on the scrolls would be helpful since this ones a little dated now!
August 8, 2015
Very interesting. This is the 2004 edition of the Dead Sea Scrolls translations. Technology has allowed them much more capability to determine what is in the scrolls. There are some very interesting texts in there.
October 10, 2019
Good work. If you're only going to get one book on the history of the Qumran sect, the scholarly debates, along with English translations to the sectarian texts with introductions to each, get this book. A bit dated, but still a classic in my eyes.
October 29, 2017
VERY dry but ultimately interesting book about, well, the dead sea scrolls! Especially interesting after the hoopla surrounding the DaVinci Code.
January 11, 2011
Clean and concise, but definitely for the scholar rather than your average casual reader.
February 20, 2016
likely an elaborate hoax, as these alleged scrolls, had they been at Qumran, would've been destroyed when the fire & brimstone from Gomorrah evaporated this section of the Dead Sea.
January 4, 2014
Use as a reference tool. Very helpful for seeing some of the ideas in Second Temple Judaism near the time of the NT.
February 12, 2013
Great resource of non-biblical dead sea sources. Contains many surprises.
March 6, 2013
Wah, baru tahu ada buku ini. Benar-benar buku yang sangat berguna untuk mengetahui berbagai latar belakang Injil.
November 2, 2013
Purely info
August 2, 2014
Very useful resource for studying the DSS>
August 12, 2014
Loved it. Didn't read the commentaries as much but the translated text was very cool.
March 11, 2016
A really interesting translation. This was my first Dead Sea Scrolls experience so I can give a scholarly review, but in reading it I learned a lot!
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