The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation

527 Pages·1996·8.786 MB·English

by  Martin G. Abegg Jr., Edward M. Cook, Michael Owen Wise

THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS

THE
DEAD SEA
SCROLLS
A NEW TRANSLATION
MICHAEL WISE,
MARTIN ABEGG, JR.
& EDWARD COOK
..
•
HarperSanFrancisco
An Imprint of HarpcrCollinsPublishers
HarperSanFrancisco and the author, in association with The Basic Foundation,
a not-for-proflt organization whose primary mission is reforestation, will facilitate the
planting of two trees for every one tree used in the manufacture of this book.
THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS: A NcwTrallslatiotl. Copyright© 1996
by Michael Wise, Martin Abegg,Jr., and Edward Cook. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced
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HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022.
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11:
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Text design by Ralph Fowler
FIRST EDITION
Library ojCo11grcss Catalogillg-i11-Publicatio11 Data
Dead Sea scrolls. English.
The Dead Sea scrolls: a new translation I Michael Wise, Martin Abegg,Jr.,
and Edward Cook-I st ed.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN (H)6-()6920Q-6 (cloth)
ISBN 0-06-{)69201-4 (pbk.)
I. Wise, Michael Owen. II. Abegg, Martin G. III. Cook, Edward M. IV. Title.
BM487.A3W57 1996
296.1 '55-dc20 96-28983
96 97 98 99 ()() RRDH I 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 I
To my wife, Cathy
M.O.W
To my wife, Sue, and our girls, Stephanie and Jennifer
M.G.A.
To Elizabeth and Tristan
E.M.C

CONTENTS
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xm
I. PROLEGOMENA
Introduction ....................................................... 3
A Dead Sea Scrolls Time Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Reading a Dead Sea Scroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
How to Read This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
II. TEXTS
1. The Damascus Document (Geniza A + B, 4Q266-272) ....... 49
2. Tales of the Patriarchs (1QapGen) ............................ 74
3. Thanksgiving Psalms (The Thanksgiving Scroll)
(1QH, 1Q35, 4Q427-432) .................................... 84
4. A Commentary on Habakkuk (1QpHab) .................... 114
5. Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association
(1QS, 4Q255-264a, 5Q11) .................................. 123
6. Charter for Israel in the Last Days (1QSa, 1Q28a) ............ 143
7. Priestly Blessings for the Last Days (1Q28b, 1QSb) ........... 147
8. The War Scroll (1 QM, 4Q491--496) ......................... 150
9. The Words of Moses (1Q22) ................................. 172
VIII THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS
10. The Book of Secrets (1Q27, 4Q299-301)... 174
11. Tongues of Fire (1 Q29, 4Q376).................... 178
12. A Vision of the New Jerusalem
(1Q32, 2Q24, 4Q554-555, 5Q15, 11Q18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
13. Festival Prayers (1Q34, 1Q34bis, 4Q507-509) .............. 184
14. A List of Buried Treasure-The Copper Scroll (3Q15) ..... 188
15. Apocryphal Psalms (4Q88) ................................. 198
16. A Reworking of Genesis and Exodus (4 Q 158) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
17. Ordinances (4Q159, 4Q513-514) .......................... 204
18. An Account of the Story of Samuel (4 Q 160). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
19. Commentaries on Isaiah (4 Q 161-165) ..................... 209
20. A Commentary on Hosea (4Q166-167) ................... 214
21. A Commentary on Nahum (4Q169) ....................... 215
22. Commentaries on Psalms (4Q171, 4Q173, 1Q 16) .......... 220
23. The Last Days: A Commentary on Selected Verses
(4Q174) .................................................... 225
24. A Collection of Messianic Proof Texts (4Q175) ............ 229
25. A Commentary on Consoling Passages in Scripture
(4Q176) .................................................... 231
26. The Last Days: An Interpretation of Selected Verses
(4Q177) .................................................... 233
27. A Lament for Zion (4Q179) ................................ 237
28. The Ages of the World (4Q180-181) ....................... 238
29. A Sectarian History (4Q183) ............................... 240
30. Wiles of the Wicked Woman (4Q184) ...................... 240
31. In Praise of Wisdom (4Q185) .............................. 242
32. A Horoscope Written in Code (4Q186) .................... 243
33. The Book of Giants
(4 Q203, 1Q 23, 2Q26, 4Q530-532, 6Q8) ................... 246
34. The Words of Levi (1Q21,Geniza Fragments,
Mt. Athos Greek text, 4Q213-214, 4Q540-541) ........... 250
35. The Last Words ofNaphtali (4Q215) ....................... 260
36. A Paraphrase of Genesis and Exodus (4Q225) .............. 261
THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS IX
37. Israel and the Holy Land (4Q226) ............... ....... .. 263
38. Enoch and the Watchers (4Q227) ........................... 264
39. The Healing of King Nabonidus (4Q242) .................. 265
40. The Vision of Daniel (4Q243, 4Q244, 4Q245) ............. 266
41. A Vision of the Son of God (4 Q246) .. .. . . . .. .. . . .. . . .. .. .. 268
42. The Acts of a King (4 Q248) ................................ 270
43. A Commentary on the Law of Moses (4Q251) ............. 271
44. Commentaries on Genesis (4Q252-254a) .................. 274
45. Portions of Sectarian Law (4Q265) ......................... 278
46. Ritual Purity Laws Concerning Liquids (4Q274) ........... 281
47. Rule of Initiation (4Q275) ................................. 283
48. The Ashes of the Red Heifer (4Q276-277) ................ 283
49. Ritual Purity Laws Concerning Menstruation (4Q278) .... 285
50. Laws Concerning Lots (4Q279) ............................ 285
51. A Liturgy of Blessing and Cursing (4Q280, 4Q286-289) ... 286
52. Laws for Purification (4Q284) .............................. 289
53. Laws About Gleaning (4Q284a) ............................ 290
54. The War of the Messiah (4Q285, 11Q14) ................... 291
55. The Sage to the "Children of Dawn" (4Q298) ............. 294
56. The Parable of the Bountiful Tree (4 Q302a) ................ 295
A READER'S GUIDE TO THE QUMRAN CALENDAR TEXTS
57. The Phases of the Moon (4Q317) .......................... 301
58. A Divination Text (Brontologion) (4 Q318) ................. 303
59. Calendar of the Heavenly Signs (4 Q319) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
60. Synchronistic Calendars (4Q320-321a) ..................... 309
61. An Annalistic Calendar (4Q322-324b) ..................... 313
62. Priestly Service: Sabbath, Month, and Festival-Year One
(4Q325) .................................................... 317
63. Priestly Service: Sabbath, Month, and Festival-Year Four
(4Q326) .................................................... 318
X THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS
64. The Sabbaths and Festivals of the Year
(4 Q327, 4Q394 Section A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
65. Priestly Service As the Seasons Change (4Q328) ............ 320
66. Priestly Rotation on the Sabbath (4Q329) .................. 321
67. Priestly Service on the Passover (4Q329a) .................. 321
68. Priestly Service on New Year's Day (4Q330) ................ 322
69. A Liturgical Calendar (4Q334) ............................. 322
70. False Prophets in Israel (4Q339) ............................ 323
71. An Annotated Law of Moses (4 Q364-365) ................. 325
72. The Inheritance of the Firstborn, the Messiah of David
(4Q369) .................................................... 328
73. A Sermon on the Flood (4Q370) ........................... 330
74. Stories About the Tribes of Israel (4Q371-373,2Q22) ...... 331
75. A Discourse on the Exodus and Conquest (4Q374) ........ 335
76. The Test of a True Prophet (4Q375) ........................ 336
77. A Moses Apocryphon (4Q377) ............................. 337
78. Psalms ofJ oshua (4Q378-379) ............................. 339
79. A Collection of Royal Psalms (4Q380, 4Q381) ............. 342
80. An Apocryphon of Elijah (4Q382) ......................... 347
81. Prophetic Apocryphon (4 Q384-390). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
82. God the Creator (4Q392) .................................. 356
83. Prayers for Forgiveness (4Q393) ............................ 357
84. A Sectarian Manifesto (4QMMT: 4Q394-399) ............. 358
85. The Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice
(4Q400-407, 11Q17,Masada Fragment) ................... 365
86. Prayer of Praise (4Q408) ................................... 377
87. A Liturgy (4Q409) ......................................... 377
88. The Secret of the Way Things Are
(4Q410, 4Q412-413, 4Q415-421, 4Q423, 1Q26) .......... 378
89. A Baptismal Liturgy (4Q414) ............................... 390
90. A Commentary on Genesis and Exodus (4Q422) ........... 391
91. A Collection of Proverbs (4Q424) .......................... 393
92. In Praise of God's Grace-Barki Nrifshi
(4Q434, 4Q436, 4Q437, 4Q439) ........................... 394