Review of The Dead Sea Scrolls and Contemporary Culture
Ariel Feldman
Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University
Dead Sea Discoveries 21 (2014) 82–129
Adolfo D. Roitman, Lawrence H. Schiffman and Shani Tzoref (eds.)
The Dead Sea Scrolls and Contemporary Culture: Proceedings of the International Conference Held at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem (July 6–8, 2008). STDJ 93. Leiden: Brill, 2011. Hardcover. Pp. xviii + 769. € 202.00/US$ 287.00. ISBN 978-90-04-18593-7.
These proceedings of a 2008 Jerusalem conference contain 34 essays divided into five rubrics. The volume opens with “Some Thoughts at the Close of the Discoveries in the Judaean Desert Publication Project” by E. Tov. The next four essays deal with the “Identity and History of the Community.” F. García Martínez revisits “The Groningen Hypothesis,” affirming its assumption that the sectarian scrolls reflect different stages in the development of the community.
In her “1QS 6:2c–4a—Satellites or Precursors of the Yaḥad?” C. Hempel suggests that 1QS 6:2c–4a portrays the basic unit of the movement. E. Regev in “What Kind of Sect Was the Yaḥad?” analyzes the parallels between the Yaḥad and some modern sects. J.C. VanderKam, writing on “The Pre-History of the Qumran Community with a Reassessment of CD 1:5–11,” studies the references to 390 and 20 years in the… Continue reading
Exile and Return in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones, The Knesset Menorah, Jerusalem. Courtesy of Deror avi, Wikimedia Commons.
The theme of exile and return has been much discussed in the field of biblical studies. Roughly speaking, two basic approaches have been taken. One group sought to investigate the actual nature of the exile, better exiles–Assyrian and Babylonian, that ancient Israel experienced. Such studies attempt to reconstruct the historical reality experienced by individuals and the nation as a whole when enemies ravaged the land of Israel, sent off some of its inhabitants to captivity, and when, eventually, some of these inhabitants actually returned. A completely different approach has sought to understand the impact of the exile(s) and hope for return on the history of Israelite religion. Indeed, this theme has played a central role in prophetic thought and it was so fundamental in the ongoing history of Judaism that it eventually led to the actual return of the Jewish people–now about half of them—to the land of Israel and the creation of a modern state. This second approach seeks not the reconstruction of actual event’s and developments but rather the tracing of a set of ideas–a conception of history–and the role of… Continue reading
Sons of Light and Sons of Darkness
War Scroll
Reader question: Prof. Schiffman, is it your opinion that the forces of Light (Judaism) were arrayed against those of the Kittim Darkness during the occupation as demonstrated by some of the Dead Sea Scroll material; i.e., 4Q491-496, 4Q285, 11Q14, etc? Do you believe that this paradigm still holds true in this present age?
Answer: I assume that by “occupation” you mean the Roman conquest of Judea in 63 BCE. The sectarians used Kittim to refer to the Romans before the conquest took place. I do not personally subscribe to the ideology of the Qumran War Scroll and similar documents that you refer to, that some small sect of righteous Jews is arrayed against a dark world of other Jews and all non-Jews. I see most of my fellows world-citizens, of all religions, as good people who unfortunately need to struggle against the forces of darkness that assault our common humanity, often in the name of religion.
