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Applications of the Battlefield Myth in the War Scroll As a Window Into the Theological Development of the Community

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Applications of the Battlefield Myth in the War Scroll As a Window Into the Theological Development of the Community Abilene Christian University Digital Commons @ ACU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Electronic Theses and Dissertations Summer 8-2016 (En)visioning Resistance: Applications of the Battlefield Myth in the War Scroll as a Window into the Theological Development of the Community James R. Prather Abilene Christian University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons Recommended Citation Prather, James R., "(En)visioning Resistance: Applications of the Battlefield Myth in the arW Scroll as a Window into the Theological Development of the Community" (2016). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 39. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at Digital Commons @ ACU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ ACU. ABSTRACT The War Scroll (1QM) from Qumran is a composite document and is the result of a complex redactional process. It is the goal of this thesis to provide a historical proposal for the redaction of 1QM based on conflicting eschatological combat theology found within. Beginning with the earliest roots of ancient Israelite combat mythmaking and its continued evolution into the late Second Temple Period, writers appropriated and adapted the Israelite Battlefield Myth to envision theologies of resistance against oppression. Looking at the various adaptations and the social milieu in which each was written, it is possible to identify different trajectories of the myth and therefore identify each of these within 1QM. The War Scroll contains multiple differing appropriations of Battlefield Myth that reveal the work of multiple writers/redactors, each of whom envisioned the final war with varying levels of human and divine participation. This can be corroborated through an examination of the external material evidence and internal linguistic and style evidence. (En)visioning Resistance: Applications of the Battlefield Myth in the War Scroll as a Window into the Theological Development of the Community A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School of Theology Abilene Christian University In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts In Old Testament By James Prather August 2016 ליחזקאל בני אור ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is my pleasure to acknowledge all of the many people who made this thesis possible. First and foremost, I would like to profusely thank my wife, Erin, who has endured much on account of this thesis. Thank you for your unwavering support, even though it has been a “thorn in the flesh.” And, unlike Paul, this thorn has now been removed. The genesis of this thesis came during a seminar class on mythmaking in the Hebrew Bible with Jonathan Huddleston. That class opened my eyes to the world of myth in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East. I would like to thank John J. Collins, whose book, The Apocalyptic Vision of the Book of Daniel, inspired the very first inklings of this thesis. I was also deeply inspired by Anathea Portier-Young’s book, Apocalypse Against Empire. I also wish to thank Brian Schultz, whose generosity and correspondence made much of the work with 1QM possible. Thank you also to my good friend Kipp Swinney, who performed many hours of technical editing work on this thesis as a kind gesture for a friend. I would also like to thank the various faculty who read parts of this thesis in various stages as term papers or as chapters: Mark Hamilton, John Willis, and Frederick Aquino. Finally, I would like to thank my committee. My exceptional advisor, Curt Niccum, put hundreds of hours into this thesis, carefully reading and re-reading every sentence and footnote over and over again. His careful direction, deep knowledge of the Dead Sea Scrolls and related literature, and diligent stewardship of the project are the primary reasons it came to completion. I would also like to deeply thank Jeff Childers who is the very model of a scholar, compassionate and Christian mentor, and friend. Finally, I would like to greatly thank the esteemed Adela Yarbro Collins for reading this thesis and providing such excellent feedback at every point. Your patience with this project that took way too long was very much appreciated. This thesis is dedicated to my son of light, Ezekiel Ross Prather. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................v I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 II. THE SYNTHESIS OF ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN MYTH IN THE HEBREW BIBLE ......................................................................................................................7 2.1. Introduction .......................................................................................................7 2.2. The Primordial Combat Myth (PCM) in the Ancient Near East ......................8 2.3. The Primordial Combat Myth in the Hebrew Bible........................................10 2.3.1. Job 26:5-14 (Stage One) ..................................................................12 2.3.2. Psalm 74:12-17 (Stage Two) ............................................................14 2.3.3. Isaiah 51:9-11 (Stage Three) ............................................................17 2.3.4. Conclusions ......................................................................................19 2.4. The Divine Warrior Myth (DWM) in the Ancient Near East .........................20 2.5. The Divine Warrior Myth in the Hebrew Bible ..............................................22 2.5.1. Numbers 24:15-19 ...........................................................................23 2.5.2. Deuteronomy 33:2-5, 26-29 .............................................................24 2.5.3. Conclusions ......................................................................................25 2.6. The Battlefield Myth: A Synthesis of Multiple ANE Myths with Israelite Theology ................................................................................................................26 2.6.1. Exodus 14 and 15 .............................................................................26 2.6.2. Joshua 10 ..........................................................................................28 2.6.3. Judges 4 and 5 ..................................................................................30 2.6.4. Conclusions ......................................................................................32 2.7. Summary and Analysis ...................................................................................32 2.8. Conclusions .....................................................................................................34 III. THE APOCALYPTIC EVOLUTION OF BATTLEFIELD MYTH ......................36 3.1. Introduction .....................................................................................................36 3.2. Apocalypse: Genre and Function ....................................................................37 3.2.1. Definition, Critique, and Prototype Theory .....................................37 3.2.2. Function of Apocalyptic Texts .........................................................41 3.2.3. The Apocalypse as Resistance Literature ........................................42 3.3. Daniel: The Apocalyptic Evolution of the Battlefield Myth ..........................44 3.3.1. Daniel 10 ..........................................................................................45 3.3.2. Analysis and Summary ....................................................................47 3.4. Enochic Tradition and the Battlefield Myth ...................................................48 3.4.1. 1 Enoch 85-90: The Animal Apocalypse .........................................50 3.4.2. 1 Enoch 93:1-10 & 91:11-17: The Apocalypse of Weeks ................52 3.5. Maccabean Tradition and the Battlefield Myth ..............................................54 3.5.1. 1 Maccabees 3 ..................................................................................54 3.5.2. 2 Maccabees 10 ................................................................................56 3.6. Other Pseudepigraphal Appropriations of the Battlefield Myth .....................57 3.6.1. Testament of Moses (8-10) ..............................................................58 3.6.2. Jubilees 23:9-32 ...............................................................................60 3.6.3. Summary and Analysis ....................................................................64 3.7. The Battlefield Myth within the Sectarian Documents at Qumran .................65 3.8. Conclusion ......................................................................................................70 IV. EXTERNAL EVIDENCE OF REDACTION VIA THE BATTLEFIELD MYTH IN THE WAR SCROLL (1QM) ............................................................................75 4.1. Introduction .....................................................................................................75 4.2. The Status of 1QM and Related Cave 4 Fragments ........................................76 4.2.1. The Textual (Dis)Unity
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