The Book of Numbers at Qumran: Texts and Context
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4Q521 and What It Might Mean for Q 3–7
Chapter 20 4Q521 and What It Might Mean for Q 3–7 Gaye Strathearn am personally grateful for S. Kent Brown. He was a commit- I tee member for my master’s thesis, in which I examined 4Q521. Since that time he has been a wonderful colleague who has always encouraged me in my academic pursuits. The relationship between the Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian- ity has fueled the imagination of both scholar and layperson since their discovery in 1947. Were the early Christians aware of the com- munity at Qumran and their texts? Did these groups interact in any way? Was the Qumran community the source for nascent Chris- tianity, as some popular and scholarly sources have intimated,¹ or was it simply a parallel community? One Qumran fragment that 1. For an example from the popular press, see Richard N. Ostling, “Is Jesus in the Dead Sea Scrolls?” Time Magazine, 21 September 1992, 56–57. See also the claim that the scrolls are “the earliest Christian records” in the popular novel by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code (New York: Doubleday, 2003), 245. For examples from the academic arena, see André Dupont-Sommer, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Preliminary Survey (New York: Mac- millan, 1952), 98–100; Robert Eisenman, James the Just in the Habakkuk Pesher (Leiden: Brill, 1986), 1–20; Barbara E. Thiering, The Gospels and Qumran: A New Hypothesis (Syd- ney: Theological Explorations, 1981), 3–11; Carsten P. Thiede, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Jewish Origins of Christianity (New York: Palgrave, 2001), 152–81; José O’Callaghan, “Papiros neotestamentarios en la cueva 7 de Qumrān?,” Biblica 53/1 (1972): 91–100. -
Trajectories of Scripture Transmission: the Case of Amos 5:25–27 in Acts 7:42–43
Page 1 of 9 Original Research Trajectories of scripture transmission: The case of Amos 5:25–27 in Acts 7:42–43 Author: It is the intention of this study to explore the trajectory of the transmission and reception of three Gert J. Steyn1 elements from Amos 5:25–27 through the stages of its history in ancient religious literature. Four stages in its trajectory are explored, namely in the Amos Masoretic Text (MT), the quotations Affiliation: 1Department of New from the Jewish Damascus Scroll sect, the Jewish-Hellenistic context of the Septuagint (LXX) Testament Studies, Amos, and the Early Christian context of Stephen’s speech by Luke in Acts 7:42–43. The University of Pretoria, astral Mesopotamian deities of Amos MT changed to symbols which now stood for the law, South Africa the congregation, the prophets and the interpreter of the law in the sectarian context of the Correspondence to: Damascus scroll. The LXX, in turn, understood these to be ‘the tent of Moloch’ and the ‘star of your Gert Steyn god Raiphan’. This version is used in Acts 7, but whereas the LXX shows traces of a connection with the Heaven-and-Sun god, particularly with the planet Saturn, Luke now places the same Email: elements within the context of the exodus narrative in Stephen’s speech. The investigation [email protected] shows how the mutation of scripture becomes clear in the trajectory of its transmission and Postal address: how it is constantly being reinterpreted to be relevant within the context of its time. Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa Dates: Research focus Received: 13 May 2013 All of the explicit quotations in the Acts of the Apostles are to be found within the speeches of Accepted: 28 June 2013 Published: 04 Oct. -
Frank Moore Cross's Contribution to the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Classics and Religious Studies Department 2014 Frank Moore Cross’s Contribution to the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls Sidnie White Crawford University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub Part of the Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Classical Literature and Philology Commons, and the Jewish Studies Commons Crawford, Sidnie White, "Frank Moore Cross’s Contribution to the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls" (2014). Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department. 127. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub/127 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Classics and Religious Studies at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Frank Moore Cross’s Contribution to the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls Sidnie White Crawford This paper examines the impact of Frank Moore Cross on the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Since Cross was a member of the original editorial team responsible for publishing the Cave 4 materials, his influence on the field was vast. The article is limited to those areas of Scrolls study not covered in other articles; the reader is referred especially to the articles on palaeography and textual criticism for further discussion of Cross’s work on the Scrolls. t is difficult to overestimate the impact the discovery They icturedp two columns of a manuscript, columns of of the Dead Sea Scrolls had on the life and career of the Book of Isaiah . -
Deuteronomy in the Temple Scroll and Its Use in the Textual Criticism of Deuteronomy*
Please provide footnote text chapter 17 Deuteronomy in the Temple Scroll and Its Use in the Textual Criticism of Deuteronomy* Sidnie White Crawford The Temple Scroll has been studied from many different angles since its initial publication by Yigael Yadin in 1977.1 A quick perusal of its bibliography yields articles on the laws of the Temple Scroll, its theology, the architecture of its Temple plan, its relationship to Jubilees, MMT and the Damascus Document, and its method in the reuse of scripture, to cite just a few examples.2 There have not, however, been many studies of the Temple Scroll from a text-critical point of view.3 In this article I will explore the question of whether or not the text of the Temple Scroll can be useful when pursuing the textual criticism of the book of Deuteronomy.4 In other words, I will not be investigating how the Temple Scroll uses Deuteronomy for its own purposes, but whether or not the Temple Scroll can be used as evidence in recovering the “earliest inferable * It gives me great pleasure to dedicate this article to Moshe Bernstein, longtime colleague and friend in all things Qumran. 1 Yigael Yadin, Megillat ha-Mikdash (3 vols.; Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1977) [Hebrew]; The Temple Scroll (3 vols. and supplement; rev. Eng. ed.; Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1983). 2 See, e.g., the voluminous bibliography in Lawrence H. Schiffman, The Courtyards of the House of the Lord: Studies on the Temple Scroll (STDJ 75; Leiden: Brill, 2008). 3 The most thorough treatment is still the early study of Emanuel Tov, “The ‘Temple Scroll’ and Old Testament Textual Criticism,” in Eretz Israel, Harry M. -
Chapter Four Rhetorical Analysis of Amos 5:1-17
CHAPTER FOUR RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF AMOS 5:1-17 4.1 RHETORICAL UNIT Demarcating the rhetorical unit of this section (Am 5:1-17) is quite difficult. The problem lies in the varied divisions that have been proposed by scholars so far. To name a few of them, the study of expressions and usages (ausdrucksmerkmale und wendungen) in the Hebrew text done by Koch (1976) who then divides the book into three units (Am 1-2, 3-4, and Am 5:1-9:6), considering Amos 9:7-15 as a kind of appendix to the previous sections; Auld (1999:56) who infers that such a division can basically be derived from the study of the introductory and concluding formulae; the study of inclusio by Van der Wal (1983:109-25) who divides it even into two parts (Am 1-6 and 7-9); the study of the sevenfold structures by Limburg (1987:218-19) who divides it into seven sequences, considering the major segments as intentional rather than coincidental (Am 1:1-2; 1:3-2:16; 3:1-15; 4:1-13; 5:1-6:14; 7:1-8:3; 8:4-9:15); the study on the motif of covenant lawsuit, particularly in the form of a poem and pronouncement of judgment and the prophetic vision by Niehaus (1992:339-94) who divides the book into three sections (Am 1:3-2:16; 3:1-6:14; and 7:1-9:15); the study of the literary structures, particularly done on thematic considerations, which proposed that the book consists of a superscription plus three main parts (1:2-3; 3:9-6:14; 7:1-9:15) (cf Noble 1995:210); and, slightly different from the previous, the study of the literary structure of the book by Dorsey (1999:277-86) that shows that the unit can be divided into seven parts (Am 1-2; 3; 4; 5:1-17; 5:18-6:14; 7:1-8:3; 8:4- 9:15). -
Freeing the Dead Sea Scrolls: a Question of Access
690 American Archivist / Vol. 56 / Fall 1993 Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/american-archivist/article-pdf/56/4/690/2748590/aarc_56_4_w213201818211541.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 Freeing the Dead Sea Scrolls: A Question of Access SARA S. HODSON Abstract: The announcement by the Huntington Library in September 1991 of its decision to open for unrestricted research its photographs of the Dead Sea Scrolls touched off a battle of wills between the library and the official team of scrolls editors, as well as a blitz of media publicity. The action was based on a commitment to the principle of intellectual freedom, but it must also be considered in light of the ethics of donor agreements and of access restrictions. The author relates the story of the events leading to the Huntington's move and its aftermath, and she analyzes the issues involved. About the author: Sara S. Hodson is curator of literary manuscripts at the Huntington Library. Her articles have appeared in Rare Books & Manuscripts Librarianship, Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook, and the Huntington Library Quarterly. This article is revised from a paper delivered before the Manuscripts Repositories Section meeting of the 1992 Society of American Archivists conference in Montreal. The author wishes to thank William A. Moffett for his encour- agement and his thoughtful and invaluable review of this article in its several revisions. Freeing the Dead Sea Scrolls 691 ON 22 SEPTEMBER 1991, THE HUNTINGTON scrolls for historical scholarship lies in their LIBRARY set off a media bomb of cata- status as sources contemporary with the time clysmic proportions when it announced that they illuminate. -
Notes on Numbers 202 1 Edition Dr
Notes on Numbers 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable TITLE The title the Jews used in their Hebrew Old Testament for this book comes from the fifth word in the book in the Hebrew text, bemidbar: "in the wilderness." This is, of course, appropriate since the Israelites spent most of the time covered in the narrative of Numbers in the wilderness. The English title "Numbers" is a translation of the Greek title Arithmoi. The Septuagint translators chose this title because of the two censuses of the Israelites that Moses recorded at the beginning (chs. 1—4) and toward the end (ch. 26) of the book. These "numberings" of the people took place at the beginning and end of the wilderness wanderings and frame the contents of Numbers. DATE AND WRITER Moses wrote Numbers (cf. Num. 1:1; 33:2; Matt. 8:4; 19:7; Luke 24:44; John 1:45; et al.). He apparently wrote it late in his life, across the Jordan from the Promised Land, on the Plains of Moab.1 Moses evidently died close to 1406 B.C., since the Exodus happened about 1446 B.C. (1 Kings 6:1), the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years (Num. 32:13), and he died shortly before they entered the Promised Land (Deut. 34:5). There are also a few passages that appear to have been added after Moses' time: 12:3; 21:14-15; and 32:34-42. However, it is impossible to say how much later. 1See the commentaries for fuller discussions of these subjects, e.g., Gordon J. -
Living Into God's Future
Living Into God’s Future Amos 5:18-24 Jim Zazzera, Faith Presbyterian Church, 11.09.08 Tuesday night many of us watched as this country set a new course for the future. It is a future that many of us have been thinking about, praying about, even fighting about for almost two years. Some us are celebrating, some of us are concerned, and all of us know this historic nature of Tuesday’s election. Directions for the future are always set by the actions we take today – whether that be in an individual life, a national election, or a global agreement. While often say we should “live for today,” we do well to always have our eyes on what is ahead, to look to the future. President Bush put it well when he said in 2004, “History is moving, and it will tend toward hope, or tend toward tragedy.”1 And so we all look ahead, seeking to avert tragedy, longing for hope. Today’s bible reading is a look into the future. It is a look into the future of the people of Israel at the time it was written. I will admit, this is a strange text to choose for a worship service, for this day, for any day, for any time. You see, at first glance, it seems bleak, it seems heavy with judgment, it seems bereft of any hope. In fact, as I researched this text – I noticed a striking lack of preachers willing to speak on this passage. Perhaps others have avoided this passage because of it somber and critical tone. -
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Maxwell Institute Publications 2000 The eD ad Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-day Saints Donald W. Parry Stephen D. Ricks Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mi Part of the Religious Education Commons Recommended Citation Parry, Donald W. and Ricks, Stephen D., "The eD ad Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-day Saints" (2000). Maxwell Institute Publications. 25. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mi/25 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maxwell Institute Publications by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Preface What is the Copper Scroll? Do the Dead Sea Scrolls contain lost books of the Bible? Did John the Baptist study with the people of Qumran? What is the Temple Scroll? What about DNA research and the scrolls? We have responded to scores of such questions on many occasions—while teaching graduate seminars and Hebrew courses at Brigham Young University, presenting papers at professional symposia, and speaking to various lay audiences. These settings are always positive experiences for us, particularly because they reveal that the general membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a deep interest in the scrolls and other writings from the ancient world. The nonbiblical Dead Sea Scrolls are of great import because they shed much light on the cultural, religious, and political position of some of the Jews who lived shortly before and during the time of Jesus Christ. -
The Book of Psalms “Bless the Lord, O My Soul, and Forget Not All His Benefits” (103:2)
THE BOOK OF PSALMS “BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL, AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS” (103:2) BOOK I BOOK II BOOK III BOOK IV BOOK V 41 psalms 31 psalms 17 psalms 17 psalms 44 psalms 1 41 42 72 73 89 90 106 107 150 DOXOLOGY AT THESE VERSES CONCLUDES EACH BOOK 41:13 72:18-19 89:52 106:48 150:6 JEWISH TRADITION ASCRIBES TOPICAL LIKENESS TO PENTATEUCH GENESIS EXODUS LEVITICUS NUMBERS DEUTERONOMY ────AUTHORS ──── mainly mainly (or all) DAVID mainly mainly mainly DAVID and KORAH ASAPH ANONYMOUS DAVID BOOKS II AND III ADDED MISCELLANEOUS ORIGINAL GROUP BY DURING THE REIGNS OF COLLECTIONS DAVID HEZEKIAH AND JOSIAH COMPILED IN TIMES OF EZRA AND NEHEMIAH POSSIBLE CHRONOLOGICAL STAGES IN THE GROWTH AND COLLECTION OF THE PSALTER 1 The Book of Psalms I. Book Title The word psalms comes from the Greek word psalmoi. It suggests the idea of a “praise song,” as does the Hebrew word tehillim. It is related to a Hebrew concept which means “the plucking of strings.” It means a song to be sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments. The Psalms is a collection of worship songs sung to God by the people of Israel with musical accompaniment. The collection of these 150 psalms into one book served as the first hymnbook for God’s people, written and compiled to assist them in their worship of God. At first, because of the wide variety of these songs, this praise book was unnamed, but eventually the ancient Hebrews called it “The Book of Praises,” or simply “Praises.” This title reflects its main purpose──to assist believers in the proper worship of God. -
Book Reviews
Strata: Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society 2011 Volume 29 Book Reviews Yossi Garfinkel, D. Ben-Shlomo, D. and N. Korn, Sha’ar HaGolan 3: The Symbolic Dimensions of the Yarmukian Culture: Canonization in Neolithic Art. The Institute of Archaeology and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Co- operation with the Israel Exploration Society, 2010. Jerusalem. Pp. xv + 353. $68. ISBN: 9789652210814. This book is the third in a series of seven intended monographs describing the site and material culture of Sha’ar HaGolan, the type-site for the Yarmukian culture. Its subject is the figurines from the site, made famous by a travelling exhibition and a popular illustrated book. The first volume, Neolithic Art in Context was published in 2002 and the second, The Rise of Urban Concepts in the Ancient Near East, in 2009. Four further volumes are planned, covering pottery and lithics, among other subjects. The subject of figurines has been given some previous attention in the first monograph, and in Garfinkel’s more populist tome, The Yarmukians, but most of what is contained in this publication, which focuses purely on figurines, is novel material. The structure of the book is very straightforward. The introduction starts by setting out the authors’ theoretical basis for their ideas about canonisation in Levantine Neolithic art in general. This revolves around population pressures and the need for planning in society, which led to standardisation of belief and artistic endeavour, as well as organised settlements. This is followed with a brief, but comprehensive description of trends in finds from Sha’ar HaGolan, from the excavations, and also from the informal finds curated by the local kibbutz. -
“Son of Man” Have a Place in the Eschatological Thinking of the Qumran Community? Géza Xeravits*
Louvain Studies 26 (2001) 334-345 Does the Figure of the “Son of Man” Have a Place in the Eschatological Thinking of the Qumran Community? Géza Xeravits* I When approaching a particular theological issue (or one in any other discipline) the first important thing is to define the problem and its main elements as clearly as possible. The ancient Latin saying held: qui bene distinguit, bene docet. This saying becomes even more important if one faces a question, which has an extremely complicated background and history. In general terms, the question of the messianic expectations of intertestamental Judaism is one of the most intricate problems that can be found in the theologies of both Testaments. Before a more extensive treatment of our issue, however, it is necessary to comment first on the etymological inconsistencies of the term ‘messianism’. Strictly speaking, ‘messianism’ goes back to the Hebrew word msyÌ which means ‘anointed one’. In the eschatological sense, expectations that are generally called ‘messianism’ are often considered as concerning the waiting for the arrival of a positive future figure, who is anointed to his mission. In the Old Testament, however, the human agent of the eschatological events is not labelled as the anointed one. He is not even called ‘messiah’. That word was reserved to indicate the leaders of con- temporary Israel: her kings, (high) priests, and prophets.1 The eschato- * Based on a lecture given at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 12 Jan. 2000. The lecture and the present written form were prepared during my research in Leuven funded by the Soros Foundation.