The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Community  The  Essenes  

The  Essenes  

 WHO:  Strict Jewish sect  1st century BCE – 68 CE  messianic

 WHERE  Qumran, Jerusalem, throughout Israel

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The  Essenes  &  the  Dead  Sea    Scrolls  

 WHY IMPORTANT  Oldest known biblical manuscripts  Significant firsthand glimpse into a 1st century BCE & 1st century CE Jewish

community

 OTHER JEWISH GROUPS besides the Essenes  Sadducees  Pharisees – forerunners of the rabbis  Zealots  (1st century CE) Jesus and his first followers

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1.  WHERE  

Qumran

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Qumran  -­‐  THEN  

Qumran  -­‐  NOW  

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Qumran - Views The watchtower

Looking south, along the shores of the Dead Sea, towards Masada

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Qumran Views – Writing room inkwells

“the Scriptorium” or

Writing Room

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2.  WHEN  

150 60 1 68 70

BCE CE

1. Originated here? After Antiochus Epiphanes’ persecution

3. Originated here? Reign of Queen

Salome

68 Qumran destroyed 70 Jerusalem destroyed

5 BCE – 30 CE: Jesus 30 – 62 CE: James

Mid 30’s – mid 60’s: Paul 70 – Destruction of Jerusalem

After 70: rabbinic Judaism After 70: first gospels

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2. Originated earlier?

The Teacher of Righteousness   Led by the Teacher of

Righteousness  A community of priests,

laypeople  Went into the wilderness

Violent men have sought my life

Because I have clung to Thy Covenant.

I thank Thee, O Lord, For Thou hast fastened Thine

eye upon me. Thou has saved me from the

zeal Of lying interpreters, And from the congregation of

those Who seek smooth things.

A few facts  The community existed for almost 200 years   In 68 CE, Qumran destroyed, along with all its

inhabitants.  Prior to the Roman conquest, they deposited their

scrolls in jars and hid them in caves.  These were discovered in 1947, 1948.  Over 800 scrolls have been found.  First scholars to work on the scrolls were Christian,

largely Roman Catholic

A Sensational Find

The Dead Sea Scrolls –

The most important

biblical archeological find

of the 20th century

Why all the excitement ??

Jewish Christian

 Earliest biblical manuscripts

 New Jewish writings  No writings from other

groups -- except  Philo – 1st century CE  Josephus – 70/80 CE  Talmud – 2nd century

reflecting earlier traditions

 Messianic Jewish community  Led by an inspired teacher  Strict Torah-observance  Purification ritual  Meal of bread and wine  Terminology – Community

of the Way; New Covenant

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3.  WHY  DID  THEY  FORM  

THIS  COMMUNITY?  

Why?  ?    

 To create a congregation of the righteous

 To be ready for God’s messianic kingdom  World is evil – worst time in human history  God has to intervene soon to create a better

world

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What  did  they  Expect  Would  Happen?   Restoration of the Davidic monarchy  Jerusalem will be the pre-eminent city  Israel the pre-eminent state

 Rule of the righteous  Righteous will triumph – eternal life  Righteous dead will be resurrected  The unrighteous will be killed – eternal death

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What  did  they  Expect  Would  Happen?  

 Universal implications  God will be worshipped by all humanity  Universal peace

 ….and best of all … Eternal life for the righteous

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How  would  this  come  about?     They were actively preparing for such a world

“In the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3)

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How  would  this  come  about  ?

 Some thought God would do it directly. ZAP!

 Others thought that a “messiah” would help God achieve this new state of affairs

So… What’s a messiah? 21

What’s  a  Messiah?  A Messiah is a human being who

 appears at the end time, when God recreates the world.

 becomes the Davidic king over a restored Israel

 assists God in eliminating all the unrighteous people and rulers, rewarding the righteous with eternal life.

In sum, a messiah is a world-transformer

It will be a time of unparalleled peace. 22

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4.  HOW  WERE  THE  SCROLLS  

DISCOVERED?  

Scrolls – found in Large Jars  

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1 Some  Key  Players  

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The  Scrolls  –  Some  in  Fragments;  Some  Whole  

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The  Scroll  Team  

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“The  Scrollery”  

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5.  WHAT  DO  THE  SCROLLS  

SAY?  

The Scrolls

 Books of the Hebrew Bible – except Esther – OLDEST BIBLICAL MANUSCRIPTS

 Own writings:  Community Rule  Copper Scroll  Temple Scroll  War Scroll  Hymns  Messianic texts  Damascus Scroll

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Year I • Vow to uphold Torah as interpreted by the community • Vow to separate • Studies Torah

Year II • Examined; admitted conditionally into the community, the new covenant • Property held in escrow

Year III • Full acceptance into the Community • Property reverts to the community • Admitted to the pure meal • Allowed to participate in discussions

From the Community Rule What awaits the righteous… …It shall be healing, great peace in a long life, and

fruitfulness, together with every everlasting blessing and eternal joy in life without end, a crown of glory and a garment of majesty

in unending light.

From the War Scroll  This shall be a time of salvation for the people of God, an age of dominion for all the members

of His company and everlasting destruction for all the company of Belial [=Satan]…The dominion of the Kittim [=Romans] shall come to an end and iniquity shall be vanished, leaving no remnant; for the sons of darkness there shall be no escape.

 The sons of righteousness shall shine over all the ends of the earth; they shall go on shining until all the seasons of darkness are consumed and, at the season appointed by God, His exalted greatness shall shine eternally to the peace, blessing, glory, joy, and long life of all the sons of light.

From the Copper Scroll   In the vale of Achor under the stairs which go eastwards 40 cubits, a box filled with silver weighing in all 17 talents   In the tomb of …the third, 100 gold bars.   In the great cistern which is in the courtyard of the little

colonnade, at its very bottom, closed with sediment, 900 talents.

  In the cistern of the esplanade which is under the stairs, 42 talents

  In the cave of the old Washer’s House, on the third platform, 65 gold bars.

From the Thanksgiving Psalms Violent men have sought my life Because I have clung to Thy Covenant.

I thank Thee, O Lord, For Thou hast fastened Thine eye upon me. Thou has saved me from the zeal Of lying interpreters, And from the congregation of those Who seek smooth things.

From Psalms attached to the Community Rule

My eyes have gazed On that which is eternal,

On wisdom concealed from men On knowledge and wise design Hidden from the sons of men

Significant Similarities

Jesus’ First Followers DSS Community

 Messianic  Torah-observant   Inspired teacher: Jesus

 Baptism  Communal meal  Opponents

 Paul  Sadducees/Temple priests

 Messianic  Torah-observant   Inspired teacher: the

Teacher of Righteousness  Water ritual – purification  Communal meal  Opponents

 The Liar  Sadducees/Temple priests

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Why Important?

 Oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible

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 First-hand Glimpse into 1st century Judaism 1st Century BCE & 1st century CE

 Helps us understand Jesus’ First Followers in Jerusalem who shared many of their beliefs and practices

York at Qumran

Barrie lecturing at Qumran to 29 York/Atkinson

Students - 2001