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The Dead Sea Scrolls—Forty Years of Research
Edited by Devorah Dimant and Uriel Rappaport
(Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1992) 370 pp., 180 Dutch guilders ($102.86)
This book publishes papers read at a 1988 Dead Sea Scroll conference at the University of Haifa and the University of Tel Aviv marking the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. Never mind that it was the 41st anniversary. As the editors say, “It is an occasion to pause, to take stock of achievements, and to reflect on the future.” Actually, there is very little of that in the book. The papers, as might be expected, are for the most part very technical and are intended for the specialist. But they do reflect the immense amount of scholarship taking place in connection with the scrolls. Many of the leading Dead Sea Scroll scholars are here, telling us in detail the avenues they are pursuing.
Esther Chazon discusses criteria for deciding whether or not a text is sectarian, that is, whether it is peculiar to the sect (be it Essene or not) represented by the religious community that collected the library. Most of the texts, like the Biblical books, are not peculiar to the sect that collected the library. But some are, and it is often difficult to tell which are which.
Carol Newsom publishes a new text that contains numerous allusions to the Exodus and to the settlement in Canaan. It seems to refer to these events in the past tense, so it would not pretend to be of Mosaic authorship. More likely it is a rhetorical appeal rather than a simple narrative.
Bilha Nitzan discusses some Qumran hymns that were apparently intended to be recited as a protection against evil spirits. Some were supposedly written by King David himself. Josephus, the first-century A.D. Jewish historian, tells of such songs, supposedly written by King Solomon, which were recited to heal illnesses thought to have 073been caused by evil spirits. The hymns—actually incantations—were pronounced by magicians who recited a magic message against the evil spirits, which are mentioned by name; the harm they do is then specified. In the Qumran hymns, by “A Word of Glorification” the evil spirit is expelled, but only temporarily.
Eileen Schuller discusses two psalms from Qumran that are otherwise unknown.
Only after choosing these examples because of their interest was I struck by the fact that all the papers mentioned here are by women, a sea change—and a welcome one—in Dead Sea Scroll scholarship compared to a generation ago.
Lawrence Schiffman’s paper discusses the enormous amount of legislation pertaining to women in the Temple Scroll, the longest of the intact scrolls, which some scholars believe to be a sectarian document. These laws pertain, for example, to menstrual impurity, childbirth, polygamy, divorce, adultery, rape, incest and consanguineous marriage. As Schiffman observes, “There is no hint here of any ascetic or celibate tendencies.” The ideal world that the Temple Scroll contemplates assumes marriage, sexual relations and childbirth. The ancient author believed that the perfect society would be based on the norms of family life prevalent in Jewish society at the time. But they would be conducted in sanctity and holiness. As Schiffman states, “It is the potential for sanctification on the one hand, and for defilement on the other, which makes women the object of so much attention in the Temple Scroll.”
Other papers discuss the agreements between Qumran and Sadducean law (Daniel Schwartz), prayer and liturgical practice in the Qumran sect (Moshe Weinfeld), how the Dead Sea Scrolls have affected our understanding of Paul’s letters (Heinz-Wolfgang Kuhn) and whether John the Baptist was an Essene who may have lived at Qumran (Hermann Lichtenberger).
It is nice to see BAR listed in the abbreviations. Even our sister publication, Bible Review, is cited in this book. The book is marred, however, by the price tag. Only the most specialized and well-funded libraries will be able to afford it.
The Dead Sea Scrolls—Forty Years of Research
Edited by Devorah Dimant and Uriel Rappaport
(Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1992) 370 pp., 180 Dutch guilders ($102.86)
