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. Additionally, membership imbued the individual with an eternal quality, making him fit to participate with divine beings in the worship of the sect and paving the way for his permanent incorporation into their realm. Finally, considering the significant liturgical texts of the group through the lens of performance theory, I argue that performance of the liturgy functioned not only as a means of achieving present communion with the divine, but ultimately aimed to secure the individual’s place in the eternal realm at the end of the age and even sought to hasten its arrival. Acknowledgements This study would not have been possible without the support I have received from the Rice University Department of Religion and its faculty. I am especially indebted to Dr. Matthias Henze, chairman of my committee, whose excellent mentorship and guidance have taught me more than I could ever give him credit for. Dr. Henze’s masterful insight and careful feedback helped guide me at every turn in the development of this work. I am grateful also for the other members of my dissertation committee, Dr. April DeConick and Dr. Richard Lavenda, whose expertise have added depth and clarity to the project. Finally, I would like to express my deepest appreciation for my family – especially my parents, whose love and support paved the way for this accomplishment long before I ever set eyes on the goal. Their example of hard work, dedication, and excellence taught me how to achieve, yet not lose sight of the most important things. Most importantly, I wish to thank my biggest cheerleader and my loyal ally in all things, my husband, JR. He is my constant source of inspiration and courage. Lastly, to Lylah and Nehemiah – you two were a bigger part of this than you will ever know. I am forever grateful for the joy and balance you bring to the journey. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 ACCESSING THE DIVINE IN A POSTEXILIC CONTEXT .................................................. 1 THE GROUP BEHIND THE TEXTS: CURRENT TRENDS IN QUMRAN RESEARCH ..... 3 THE FOCUS OF THE STUDY .................................................................................................. 4 Chapter 2: Literature and Method: Whose time is it? ..................................................................... 9 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 9 THE SECTARIAN LITERATURE .......................................................................................... 11 ANALYZING TEXTS: WHAT DO THEY DO? .................................................................... 15 SPATIALITY AND TEMPORALITY IN ANCIENT LITERATURE ................................... 17 Spatial Theory and the Construction of Social Space ........................................................... 17 Time-Space ........................................................................................................................... 19 RITUAL AND PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................ 23 Negotiating the Liminal State through Ritual ....................................................................... 23 Enacting Change through Performance ................................................................................ 24 Ritual and the Experience of Time ....................................................................................... 25 OUTLOOK TO THE STUDY .................................................................................................. 27 Chapter 3: Constructing Time and Space: the Last Days as a Liminal Time-Space in the Qumran Sectarian Manuscripts ................................................................................................................... 28 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 28 CONSTRUCTING THE PRESENT......................................................................................... 30 The Present as Lived Space .................................................................................................. 30 The Construction of a Liminal Time-Space .......................................................................... 31 THE PRESENT IN CHRONOLOGICAL FOCUS .................................................................. 32 Overview of the Historical Review in the Damascus Document ......................................... 33 The Rise of the Teacher ........................................................................................................ 35 “END TIMES” AND WILDERNESS SPACES: PLACES OF POSSIBILITY ...................... 38 end times) ................................................................. 38) קץ האחרון last days) and) אחרית הימים The Construction of Liminal Space: The Wilderness and Damascus ................................... 41 Wilderness......................................................................................................................... 41 Damascus .......................................................................................................................... 43 LOCATING THE SECT IN THE END TIME EVENTS ........................................................ 45 The Eschatological Period and the Eternal ........................................................................... 45 Epochal Time and the Existence of Multiple Time-Spaces .................................................. 48 Accessing the Eternal ............................................................................................................ 50 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 52 Chapter 4: Becoming Eternal: Sectarian Identity as a Means of Access to the Divine ................ 53 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 53 THE SECT AS FACILITATOR OF GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL HOLINESS ................... 54 Joining the Sect ..................................................................................................................... 54 Human Sanctuary and Eternal Structure: The Sect as Facilitator of Group Holiness .............. 60 The Lot of the Eternal: The Sect as Facilitator of Individual Holiness ................................ 64 THE PRIESTLY FUNCTION OF THE GROUP .................................................................... 67 Providing Atonement ............................................................................................................ 69 Dispensing Judgment ............................................................................................................ 72 Custodians of Knowledge ..................................................................................................... 74 THE PLACE OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE ETERNAL-DIVINE STRUCTURE ............. 78 Securing A Place in the Eternal Realm ................................................................................. 79 The Place of Individual Worship .......................................................................................... 81 Joining the Ranks of Angels ................................................................................................. 86 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 92 Chapter 5: Rituals of Incorporation: Achieving Communion with the Divine and Incorporation into the Eternal Realm .................................................................................................................