DOCSLIB.ORG

DISCOVERY and IDENTIFICATION the Scroll Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
DISCOVERY and IDENTIFICATION the Scroll Of CHAPTER ONE THE WAR TEXTS: DISCOVERY AND IDENTIFICATION The scroll of “The War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness,”1 or more simply, the War Scroll—1QM(ilh. amah)—is one of the first seven scrolls discovered in 1947 by some Bedouin in a cave on the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea near the ruins of Khirbet Qumran.2 This scroll, which describes an ultimate eschatological war between the forces of good—the Sons of Light, and the forces of evil—the Sons of Darkness, for the final undoing of evil in the world, is unique. Outside of the Qumran Scrolls, no other parallels are known in the entire corpus of Second Temple Period lit- erature.3 It describes a series of battles, complete with chronological ———— 1 This is the name given to the scroll by Prof. Eleazar Sukenik who first -Jerus] מילות וות מתו יה קומה מאה במבר יהוה. סקירה ראוה) deciphered it alem: Magnes, 1948], 17). 2 The account of the discovery has taken on almost mythical dimensions, with several versions circulating. For Sukenik’s personal rendition of the events, see מילות וות מתו יה קומה מאה במבר יהוה. סקירה יה ;11–10 ,מילות וות I אור המילות הוות ביי האויברסיה הברית Jerusalem: Magnes, 1950), 12–19; and) (Jerusalem: Magnes, 1954), 13–15. An English translation of his version can be found in The Dead Sea Scrolls of the Hebrew University, trans. D. A. Fineman (Jerusalem: Magnes, 1955), 13–19. All references to Sukenik’s work will be from this English translation. Additional details of the discovery are provided by his son in Yigael Yadin, The Message of the Scrolls (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1957), 15–52. A slightly different but meticulous account is given by John Trever in “The Discovery of the Scrolls,” BA 11, no. 3 (1948): 46–57; and in The Untold Story of Qumran (Westwood, N.J.: Flemming H. Revel, 1965). 3 For this reason, scholars have been in a quandary to know what kind of literary genre to call M. Henri Michaud called it a new apocalypse; see “Une apocalypse nouvelle,” Positions Luthériennes 3 (1955): 64–76. Jean Carmignac called it a liturgy for the holy war; see “Qu’est ce que l’apocalyptique? Son emploi à Qumrân,” RevQ 10 (1979): 26. Yadin chose to call it a military manual; see The Scroll of the War, 4. For a most thorough survey about the various proposals con- cerning M’s literary genre, see Søren Holst, “Verbs and War Scroll: Studies in the DISCOVERY AND IDENTIFICATION 11 considerations, divisions of the army, tactical issues, types of weaponry, even instructions for priests together with necessary ritual practices, all for the purpose of insuring victory to the Sons of Light. 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE WAR SCROLL FROM CAVE 1 1.1. The main scroll As is well known, Prof. Eleazar Sukenik of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was able to purchase this scroll from an antiquities dealer in Bethlehem on November 29th, 1947.4 It was surprisingly well preserved, although its fragile light-brown leather had decomposed somewhat in places, with damage done primarily along its bottom and through several of the outer sheets.5 Since the scroll had been rolled up from left to right after it had been read, the first inner columns are better preserved than the last outer ones, and as one nears the end of the scroll, the damage increases substantially. The scroll is comprised of four parchment sheets sewn together, for a total length of 2.90 m and an average preserved height of 16 cm. Eighteen columns of text are unequally divided among the four sheets.6 Each column varies between 10.5 and 16.0 cm in width and contains anywhere from 16 to 19 lines of text, written in a clean script ‘hanging’ under ruled lines.7 Margins between the columns measure about two centimeters while the upper margin measures almost three centimeters. At the right edge of the parchment is a five ———— Hebrew Verbal System and the Qumran War Scroll” (Ph.D. diss., Copenhagen Uni- versity, 2004), 14–17. 4 See note 2. In addition to M, Sukenik also purchased an Isaiah Scroll (1QIsab) and the Thanksgiving Scroll, also known as the Hodayot (1QHa, H). The other four scrolls were purchased by the Syrian Metropolitan Mar Athanasius Yeshue Samuel: a second Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa), Pesher Habakkuk (1QpHab), the Rule of the Community or Serekh haYah.ad (1QS, S) and the Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen ar). 5 Sukenik, Dead Sea Scrolls, 35, figs. 11–12. 6 Specific measurements of each parchment sheet and the number of columns they contain are listed in Sukenik, Dead Sea Scrolls, 44. 7 Paleographical dating will be dealt with below after all the relevant texts will have been introduced so as to facilitate comparing them chronologically. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Florida State University Libraries
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2018 Occupying the Law in Ancient Judah: Military, Mimicry, Masculinity Amanda Furiasse Follow this and additional works at the DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES OCCUPYING THE LAW IN ANCIENT JUDAH: MILITARY, MIMICRY, MASCULINITY By AMANDA FURIASSE A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Religion in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2018 Amanda Furiasse defended this dissertation on April 13, 2018. The members of the supervisory committee were: Matthew Goff Professor Directing Dissertation William Hanley University Representative Adam Gaiser Committee Member Nicole Kelley Committee Member David Levenson Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ............................................................................................................................................v 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................1 1.1 Research Question ................................................................................................................2 1.2 Thesis ....................................................................................................................................3
    [Show full text]
  • 4Qmmt) and Its Addressee(S)
    CHAPTER FOUR TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: MIQSAṬ MAʿAŚE HA-TORAH (4QMMT) AND ITS ADDRESSEE(S) 1. Introduction Long before its official publication in 1994,1 and even before its debut in 1984,2 4QMMT had been characterized as a polemical communi- cation (or “letter”) between the sectarian leadership of the Qumran community, or some precursor, and the mainstream priestly or Phari- saic leadership in Jerusalem.3 This framing of the document overall 1 Elisha Qimron and John Strugnell, Qumran Cave 4. V: Miqsaṭ Maʿaśe Ha-Torah (DJD X; Oxford: Clarendon, 1994), henceforth referred to as DJD X. 2 See articles jointly authored by Qimron and Strugnell in next note. 3 For a concise statement of the generally held view of 4QMMT, see James C. VanderKam, The Dead Sea Scrolls Today (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1994), 59–60. The earliest notices of 4QMMT are as follows: Pierre Benoit et al., “Editing the Manuscript Fragments from Qumran,” BA 19 (1956): 94 (report of John Strugnell, August 1955; the same in French in RB 63 [1956]: 65); Józef T. Milik, Ten Years of Discovery in the Wilderness of Judea (trans. J. Strugnell; London: SCM, 1959; French orig., 1957), 41, 130; idem, “Le travail d’édition des manuscrits du Désert de Juda,” in Volume du Congrès, Strasbourg 1956 (VTSup 4; Leiden: Brill, 1957), 24; idem, in DJD III (1962): 225; Joseph M. Baumgarten, “The Pharisaic-Sadducean Controversies about Purity and the Qumran Texts,” JJS 31 (1980): 163–64; Yigael Yadin, ed., The Temple Scroll (3 vols.; Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1983), 2.213; Elisha Qim- ron and John Strugnell, “An Unpublished Halakhic Letter from Qumran,” in Biblical Archaeology Today: Proceedings of the International Congress on Biblical Archaeology, Jerusalem, April 1984 (ed.
    [Show full text]
  • BSBB9401 DEAD SEA SCROLLS Fall 2018 Dr. R. Dennis Cole NOBTS Mcfarland Chair of Archaeology Dodd Faculty 201 [email protected] 504-282-4455 X3248
    BSBB9401 DEAD SEA SCROLLS Fall 2018 Dr. R. Dennis Cole NOBTS Mcfarland Chair of Archaeology Dodd Faculty 201 [email protected] 504-282-4455 x3248 NOBTS MISSION STATEMENT The mission of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is to equip leaders to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandments through the local church and its ministries. COURSE PURPOSE, CORE VALUE FOCUS, AND CURRICULUM COMPETENCIES New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary has five core values: Doctrinal Integrity, Spiritual Vitality, Mission Focus, Characteristic Excellence, and Servant Leadership. These values shape both the context and manner in which all curricula are taught, with “doctrinal integrity” and “characteristic academic excellence” being especially highlighted in this course. NOBTS has seven basic competencies guiding our degree programs. The student will develop skills in Biblical Exposition, Christian Theological Heritage, Disciple Making, Interpersonal Skills, Servant Leadership, Spiritual & Character Formation, and Worship Leadership. This course addresses primarily the compentency of “Biblical Exposition” competency by helping the student learn to interpret the Bible accurately through a better understanding of its historical and theological context. During the Academic Year 2018-19, the focal competency will be Doctrinal Integrity.. COURSE DESCRIPTION Research includes historical background and description of the Qumran cult and problems relating to the significance and dating of the Scrolls. Special emphasis is placed on a theological analysis of the non- biblical texts of the Dead Sea library on subjects such as God, man, and eschatology. Meaningful comparisons are sought in the Qumran view of sin, atonement, forgiveness, ethics, and messianic expectation with Jewish and Christian views of the Old and New Testaments as well as other Interbiblical literature.
    [Show full text]
  • Cosmological Narrative in the Synagogues of Late Roman-Byzantine Palestine
    COSMOLOGICAL NARRATIVE IN THE SYNAGOGUES OF LATE ROMAN-BYZANTINE PALESTINE Bradley Charles Erickson A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Religious Studies. Chapel Hill 2020 Approved by: Jodi Magness Zlatko Plese David Lambert Jennifer Gates-Foster Maurizio Forte © 2020 Bradley Charles Erickson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Bradley Charles Erickson: Cosmological Narrative in the Synagogues of Late Roman-Byzantine Palestine (Under the Direction of Jodi Magness) The night sky provided ancient peoples with a visible framework through which they could view and experience the divine. Ancient astronomers looked to the night sky for practical reasons, such as the construction of calendars by which time could evenly be divided, and for prognosis, such as the foretelling of future events based on the movements of the planets and stars. While scholars have written much about the Greco-Roman understanding of the night sky, few studies exist that examine Jewish cosmological thought in relation to the appearance of the Late Roman-Byzantine synagogue Helios-zodiac cycle. This dissertation surveys the ways that ancient Jews experienced the night sky, including literature of the Second Temple (sixth century BCE – 70 CE), rabbinic and mystical writings, and Helios-zodiac cycles in synagogues of ancient Palestine. I argue that Judaism joined an evolving Greco-Roman cosmology with ancient Jewish traditions as a means of producing knowledge of the earthly and heavenly realms. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my sincere appreciation to my adviser, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Preliminary Studies in the Judaean Desert Isaiah Scrolls and Fragments
    INCORPORATING SYNTAX INTO THEORIES OF TEXTUAL TRANSMISSION: PRELIMINARY STUDIES IN THE JUDAEAN DESERT ISAIAH SCROLLS AND FRAGMENTS by JAMES M. TUCKER A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES Master of Arts in Biblical Studies We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard ............................................................................... Dr. Martin G. Abegg Jr., Ph.D.; Thesis Supervisor ................................................................................ Dr. Dirk Büchner, Ph.D.; Second Reader TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY Date (August, 2014) © James M. Tucker TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations and Sigla i Abstract iv Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.0. Introduction: A Statement of the Problem 1 1.1. The Goal and Scope of the Thesis 5 Chapter 2: Methodological Issues in the Transmission Theories of the Hebrew Bible: The Need for Historical Linguistics 7 2.0. The Use of the Dead Sea Scrolls Evidence for Understanding The History of ! 7 2.1. A Survey and Assessment of Transmission Theories 8 2.1.1. Frank Moore Cross and the Local Text Theory 10 2.1.1.1. The Central Premises of the Local Text Theory 11 2.1.1.2. Assessment of the Local Text Theory 14 2.1.2. Shemaryahu Talmon and The Multiple Text Theory 16 2.1.2.1. The Central Premises of the Multiple Texts Theory 17 2.1.2.2. Assessment of Multiple Text Theory 20 2.1.3. Emanuel Tov and The Non-Aligned Theory 22 2.1.3.1 The Central Premises of the Non-Aligned Theory 22 2.1.3.2. Assessment of the Non-Aligned Theory 24 2.1.4.
    [Show full text]
  • 1. My Father's House, Yigal Allon 2. the War 1967, Zeev Anner, Yoseph
    ISRAEL (alphabetized by author’s last name) 1. My Father’s House, Yigal Allon 2. The War 1967, Zeev Anner, Yoseph Alkoni, editors 3. The Six Day War, (2 copies:1 in Hebrew, 1 in English, French), Natalii Arbel, editor 4. A Human Rights Comparison: Israel Versus the Arab States, Sara M Averick 5. David’s Flight to the City of David, M. Avishag 6. Myths and Facts, A Concise Record of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Mitchell G. Bard and Joel Himelfarb 7. Stars and Sand, Jewish Notes by Non-Jewish Notables, Joseph L. Baron, editor 8. Israel, A Personal History, David Ben Gurion (3 copies) 9. Israel: Years of Challenge, David Ben Gurion 10. The Jews In Their Land, David Ben Gurion (located in Oversized Books Section) 11. The Rise of Israel, Jeremiah Ben-Jacob 12. The Exiled and the Redeemed, Itzhak Ben-Zvi 13. Israel, by Chaim Bermant 14. The Children of the Dream, Bruno Bettleheim (2 copies) 15. Israel’s Secret Wars, A History of Israel’s Intelligence Services, Ian Black & Benny Morris 16. Israel, Face of a People, Ruth Bondy 17. Portrait of Israel, Moshe Brilliant 18. Standing with Israel, David Brog 19. O-Jerusalem, Dominique Larry Collins and Lapierre (Written in French) 20. O-Jerusalem, Dominique Larry Collins and Lapierre (English- 2 copies) 21. The Jerusalem I Love, Joan Comay 22. Israel Journal: June 1967, Yael Dayan, 23. The Republic of Israel, Joseph Dunner 24. My Country, The Story of Modern Israel, Abba Eban 25. Voice of Israel, Abba Eban 26. The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered, Robert Eisenman and Michael Wise 27.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study on the Teacher of Righteousness, Collective Memory, and Tradition at Qumran by Gianc
    MANUFACTURING HISTORY AND IDENTITY: A STUDY ON THE TEACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, COLLECTIVE MEMORY, AND TRADITION AT QUMRAN BY GIANCARLO P. ANGULO A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Religion May 2014 Winston Salem, North Carolina Approved By: Kenneth G. Hoglund, Ph.D., Advisor Jarrod Whitaker, Ph.D., Chair Clinton J. Moyer, Ph.D. Acknowledgments It would not be possible to adequately present the breadth of my gratitude in the scope of this short acknowledgment section. That being said, I would like to extend a few thanks to some of those who have most influenced my academic and personal progression during my time in academia. To begin, I would be remiss not to mention the many excellent professors and specifically Dr. Erik Larson at Florida International University. The Religious Studies department at my undergraduate university nurtured my nascent fascination with religion and the Dead Sea Scrolls and launched me into the career I am now seeking to pursue. Furthermore, a thank you goes out to my readers Dr. Jarrod Whitaker and Dr. Clinton Moyer. You have both presented me with wonderful opportunities during my time at Wake Forest University that have helped to develop me into the student and speaker I am today. Your guidance and review of this thesis have proven essential for me to produce my very best work. Also, a very special thank you must go out to my advisor, professor, and friend, Dr. Ken Hoglund.
    [Show full text]
  • Two Perspectives on Two Pentateuchal Manuscripts from Masada
    TWO PERSPECTIVES ON TWO PENTATEUCHAL MANUSCRIPTS FROM MASADA EUGENE ULRICH I am grateful for this üpportunity to honor and celebrate Emanuel Tov-an admired scholar, an enriching colleague, and a trusted friend. For over thirty years we have been walking the same road together, and I thank hirn für teaching me much. In this artiele I would like simply to offer another episode in our ongoing conver­ sation concerning the histüry of the biblical text. As with most good conversations, I hope that this study offers some new light and that our future conversations will push and refine our knowledge yet further. Specifically, I would like to inquire more elosely into the textual nature of two of the Pentateuchal MSS found at Masada and recently published. 1 Just as the prevailing view of the scriptural scrolls from Qumran is that they portray a pluriform text with variant literary editions of many books, so too the prevailing view of the scriptural scrolls from Masada is that, in contrast, they uniformly display a elose relationship to the proto-Masoretic Text.2 Tov hirnself has already led the way in formulating some of the nuanced cüntext that should be kept in mind: The fact that aIl the texts left by the Zealots at Masada (dating until 73 C.E.) reflect m is also important. But there is a snag in this description. While on the one hand it was claimed. that those involved in the transmission of m did not insert any change in m and as a result its inconsistency in spelling as weIl as its mistakes have been preserved for posterity, on the other I Shemaryahu Talmon and Yigael Yadin, Masada VI: Yigael Yadin Excavations 1963-1965: Final Reports (Jerusalern: Israel Exploration Society/Hebrew University of J erusalem, 1999).
    [Show full text]
  • What Scriptures Or Bible Nearest to Original Hebrew Scriptures? Anong Biblia Ang Pinaka-Malapit Sa Kasulatang Hebreo
    WHAT BIBLE TO READ WHAT SCRIPTURES OR BIBLE NEAREST TO ORIGINAL HEBREW SCRIPTURES? ANONG BIBLIA ANG PINAKA-MALAPIT SA KASULATANG HEBREO KING JAMES BIBLE OLD TESTAMENT IS THE NEAREST TO ORIGINAL HEBREW SCRIPTURES BECAUSE THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS DIRECTLY TRANSLATED FROM HEBREW COLUMN OF ORIGENS’S HEXAPLA. KING JAMES BIBLE ALSO WAS COMPARED TO NEWLY FOUND DEAD SEA SCROLL WITH CLOSE AND VERY NEAR TRANSLATION TO THE TEXT FOUND ON DEAD SEA SCROLL ni Isagani Datu-Aca Tabilog WHAT SCRIPTURES OR BIBLE NEAREST TO ORIGINAL HEBREW SCRIPTURES? KING JAMES BIBLE OLD TESTAMENT IS THE NEAREST TO ORIGINAL HEBREW SCRIPTURES BECAUSE THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS DIRECTLY TRANSLATED FROM HEBREW COLUMN OF ORIGENS’S HEXAPLA. KING JAMES BIBLE ALSO WAS COMPARED TO NEWLY FOUND DEAD SEA SCROLL WITH CLOSE AND VERY NEAR TRANSLATION TO THE TEXT FOUND ON DEAD SEA SCROLL Original King Iames Bible 1611 See the Sacred Name YAHWEH in modern Hebrew name on top of the Front Cover 1 HEXAPLA FIND THE DIFFERENCE OF DOUAI BIBLE VS. KING JAMES BIBLE Genesis 6:1-4 Genesis 17:9-14 Isaiah 53:8 Luke 4:17-19 AND MANY MORE VERSES The King James Version (KJV), commonly known as the Authorized Version (AV) or King James Bible (KJB), is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611. First printed by the King's Printer Robert Barker, this was the third translation into English to be approved by the English Church authorities. The first was the Great Bible commissioned in the reign of King Henry VIII, and the second was the Bishops' Bible of 1568.
    [Show full text]
  • Speci C Texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls
    Part VII: Specic Texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls 45. What is the Commentary on Habakkuk? The Commentary on Habakkuk, found in Cave 1, is a verse-by-verse commentary covering the rst two chapters of the book of Habakkuk. This commentary, also known as the Pesher Habakkuk, dates to the Herodian period (30—1 BC), although the composition itself dates to an earlier period. According to the commentary, the mysteries of the Lord’s prophets were revealed to Qumran’s Teacher of Righteousness and Habakkuk’s prophecy was interpreted in relation to the people of Qumran in the last days. For example, we read in the Pesher Habakkuk: And God told Habakkuk to write what was going to happen to the last generation, but he did not let him know the end of the age. And as for what he says: [Hab 2:2] So that the one who reads it /may run/. Its interpretation concerns the Teacher of Righteousness, to whom God has disclosed all the mysteries of the words of his servants, the prophets. [Hab 2:3]50 46. What is the Genesis Apocryphon? The Genesis Apocryphon retells and amplies many of the events recorded in Genesis. The rst readable passage of this damaged scroll describes Lamech’s response to the news that his wife, Bitenosh (who is not named in the Bible), is with child. The passage then continues with the story of Noah. The best-preserved sections enlarge upon the story of Abram and Sarai (Abraham and Sarah) in Egypt and of Abram’s calling Sarai his sister, found in Genesis 12:10—20.
    [Show full text]
  • HARRIS-DOCUMENT-2019.Pdf
    Copyright Rebecca L. Harris 2019 ABSTRACT Living in the Liminal: The Present as a Place of Access in Qumran Sectarian Literature by Rebecca L. Harris Before the emergence of early Christian notions of liminality or inaugurated eschatology, the authors behind the Qumran sectarian literature understood the present as a liminal time-space in which participation with the divine was already possible for certain individuals. Behind this belief lay a calculated approach to the organization of time and space that located the existence of the group on the brink of a transition to the new age. In this study, I argue that the Qumran movement’s constructions of time and space establish the context for its members’ present participation with the divine with the goal that this participation would ultimately lead to permanent incorporation into the eternal realm at the end of the age. Through a robust program of ritual-liturgical activities, the present time and space of the sect became a place of regular communion with the divine, and its rituals a catalyst for the individual’s future incorporation into the ranks of divine beings. Drawing on insights gleaned from temporal and spatial theories, I first demonstrate how the sectarian authors construct the time and place of the movement as a social space in which earthly and heavenly spheres overlap, making human-divine communion possible for the properly aligned individual. Living in the last days provided the temporal alignment and membership in the group the spatial alignment necessary for present communion with the divine through the ritual-liturgical activities of the sect.
    [Show full text]