(PDF) Damascus Document

-~, 3 Outside the Bible Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture Edited by Louis H. Feldman, James L. Kugel, and Lawrence H. Schiffman 'II 'II .......... .... .... J'll THE JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY · PHILADELPHIA © 2013 The Jewish Publication Society. All rights reserved. Published by the University of Nebraska Press as a Jewish Publication Society book. Manufactured in the United States of America. S Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this book do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. ~~ NATIONALENDOWMENTFORTHE ~l@ Humanities Publication of this volume was assisted by the Virginia Faulkner Fund, established in memory of Virginia Faulkner, editor in chief of the University of Nebraska Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Outside the Bible: ancient Jewish writings related to scripture I [edited by] Louis H. Feldman, James L. Kugel, Lawrence H. Schiffman. 3 volumes em (cloth: alk. paper) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 9780827609334X 1. Rabbinical literature-History and criticism. 2.Judaism-History-Post-exilic period, 586 B.C.- 210 A.D. I. Feldman, Louis H. II. Kugel, James L. Ill. Schiffman, Lawrence H. BM496.6.098 2013 296.1-dc23 2013023876 Designed and set in Arno Pro by Shirley Thornton, A. Shahan, and Laura Wellington. 1Jan1ascusl)ocun1ent Joseph L. Angel Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Damascus Document (also known as the Zadokite Fragments) has been recognized by scholars as a foundational work of the Qlmran community. This lengthy composition divides into two principal sections known as "the Admonition" and "the Laws:' 1 The Admonition is a Deuteronomy-like speech designed to encourage adherence to the teachings and halakhot (laws) of the elect community. Weaving together a fine tapestry of biblical allusions, a teacher instructs his followers to separate from the wicked, recounts the origins of a penitential remnant oflsrael390 years after Nebuchadnezzar's destruction ofJerusalem, and offers lessons from biblical history. Just as God has punished the wick- edness of his people in the past, he will punish the stubborn majority oflsrael that contin- ues to blindly disobey his commands. Only the community, or "those who entered into the new covenant in the land of Damascus" (CD 6:19), will be saved through the grace of God. Those unfaithful to the new covenant will be punished. The Admonition serves as a hortatory introduction to the Laws, which constitute the core and largest part of the work. The rulings listed in this section are to be followed "dur- ing the entire period [ofvisitation]" (4QDa 1118-19), namely, until the dawn of the Messianic Age, which, in the view of the Qumran community, was imminent. The subject matter of the Laws may be divided into two main categories: general religious halakhot and regulations specific to life in the community. Among the rulings in the first category are those pertaining to the disqualification of various types of priests from service, diag- nosis of skin diseases, agriculture, ritual defilement and purification, business ethics, mar- riage, oaths and vows, judicial procedures, observance of the Sabbath, purity of the Temple, treatment of blasphemers and Gentiles, and dietary strictures. The second category in- cludes legislation on the meetings, organization, and leadership of the community, a penal code establishing punishment for various offenses, such as murmuring against the fathers or mothers of the congregation, and a ritual for the expulsion of unfaithful members held at the annual ceremony for the renewal of the covenant in the third month. Authorship and History The Damascus Document is unique among the Dead Sea Scrolls in that the majority of the preserved text derives from two medieval Hebrew manuscripts discovered in the Cairo Genizah in 1896, more than so years prior to the Qumran discoveries (hence the abbrevia- tion CD, for Cairo Damascus Document). The two manuscripts, known as manuscript A and manuscript B, date to the 1oth and 12th centuries cE, respectively. Manuscript A con- sists of 16 pages and covers large portions of the Admonition (pages 1-8) and the Laws (pages 9-16). Manuscript B preserves only two pages (numbered 19-20 by the original 2975 editor) that partially overlap with pages 7-8 of manuscript A and constitute the ending of the Admonition. From the moment of the initial publication of the medieval manuscripts by Solomon Schechter in 19101 scholars debated the provenance of the document and the identity of the community it addresses. This debate was terminated with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls a few decades later. Scholars immediately realized that the vocabulary, ideol- ogy, and communal organization reflected in the Genizah manuscripts paralleled those observed in the sectarian Scrolls collection. Moreover, personalities such as the "Teacher of Righteousness" and the "Spouter of Lies;' previously known only from manuscripts A and B, appeared also in the sectarian biblical commentaries found at Qumran. Most im- portantly, a total of ten fragmentary copies of the Damascus Document were discovered in Caves 4, s, and 6. 2 This solidified the ancient origins of the composition, as well as its con- nection with the Qumran movement. The Qumran manuscripts, principally those from Cave 4 1 preserve substantial overlaps with the Cairo Genizah copies, as well as previously unknown parts of the text, including the beginning and end of the work and a significant amount of legal material. Overlaps with the medieval manuscripts display that the latter are fairly reliable copies, even though they were penned over a millennium after the original date of composition. It is conceiv- able that these manuscripts were produced by Karaite scribes copying from an ancient scroll that could have surfaced from an earlier manuscript discovery. 3 On the basis of paleography, the oldest Qumran copy ( 4QJ.66 = 4QDa) dates to the first half of the 1st century BCE. The final form of the text refers to the death of the Teacher of Righteousness, an event that many scholars locate at the end of the 2nd century BCE. These chronological parameters indicate that the Damascus Document, at least in its latest compositional stage, was composed late in the second or early in the 1st century BCE. However, it is clearly a composite work, and several incorporated sections likely date to a time prior to the establishment of the community. The distinctive vocabulary, ideology, and communal organization espoused by the Damascus Document indicate that it is a literary product of the Qumran community. However, the existence of various independent formal patterns and literary units indicates that a Qumran author/ editor worked with preexisting material. According to a popular line of interpretation, the Damascus Document includes an older literary layer that may be attributed to a parent group of the Qumran community and a newer layer written by the Qumranites themselves. However, there is currently no consensus with regard to the spe- cific division of textual units, and it is difficult to identify the life settings in which many of them were composed. The Damascus Document contains many apparent inconsistencies with other key works produced by the Qumran movement, most notably Rule of the Community, which is gen- erally accepted as the most important document describing the structure and organization of the community. For example, much of the Damascus Document's legislation is directed at a community that includes men, women, and children, and it is assumed that commu- nity members own private property. By contrast, Rule of the Community addresses only 2976 Joseph L. Angel men and embraces a system of communal property. There is also a fundamental disagree- ment between the two works with regard to the procedures for initiating new members. Moreover1 the Damascus Document includes legislation that appears to assume limited participation in the sacrificial service of the Jerusalem Temple1 whereas Rule of the Community and other Qumran texts view the Temple as defiled and its service as replaced by the perfectly righteous and pure lifestyle lived by community members. Theoretically1 such discrepancies may be explained in different ways. They may repre- sent a development in sectarian attitudes and practice over time. Alternatively1 according to a popular line ofinterpretation1 the Damascus Document and Rule of the Community ad- dress different branches of the same movement. The former text appears to be geared to- ward groups who were scattered in camps throughout the land oflsrael and less segregated from the outside world. The latter text1 on the other hand1 may be directed toward the iso- lated sectarian center at Qumran. 4 Indeed1 the Damascus Document itself may refer to these two branches of the community when it distinguishes between those who "live (in) camps according to the rule of the land ... and take wives ... and beget children" (CD 19:2-3) and those who live in "perfect holiness" (e.g.1 CD 20:2). This distinction is often correlated to Josephus's differentiation between marrying and celibate Essenes (J.W. 2.160-61) and is taken as evidence of the identification of the Qumranites with part of the Essene movement. Significance The Damascus Document is one of the most important Second Temple period texts avail- able for study today. Its extensive portrait of the legal and theological thinking of the Dead Sea sect and related groups provides a firm basis for understanding the sect's image of it- self and of its fellow Jews 1 as well as its relation to the heritage of Scripture that preceded it and the Jewish world surrounding it. LAW As an early repository of written Jewish legal materials1 the Damascus Document is a key source for the background and prehistory of Rabbinic halakhah. While certain legal con- clusions run parallel to Pharisaic-Rabbinic rulings (see1 e.g.1 comment on CD 10:14-16) 1 the material is mostly non-Pharisaic. Indeed1 like many of the legal texts from Qumran1 the Damascus Document voices opposition to contemporary Pharisaic practices (see1 e.g.1 comment on 4QDa 6 ii 3-4; cf. comments on CD 1:18 and 5:7-8). As such1 it illuminates various aspects of the polemical sectarian backdrop of the Pharisaic-Rabbinic legal system1 especially this system's central concern with the laws of ritual purity. In substance1 the laws of the Damascus Document are often in accordance with other le- gal works discovered at Qumran1 especially the Temple Scroll and 4QMMT (Some Precepts of the Torah). The common legal tradition underlying these texts is characterized by a heightened strictness (in comparison with Pharisaic-Rabbinic law) in matters of ritual pu- rity and sacrifice and is thus often termed "priestlY:' Indeed1 these works broaden the pu- rity laws of the Torah1 with the result that protection against ritual defilement of the Temple Damascus Document 2977 is increased and priestly holiness is extended beyond the genetic confines of the priest- hood. In this latter regard, the Damascus Document and other scrolls in a sense prefigure one of the major programs of Rabbinic Judaism, which extends priestly holiness beyond the hereditary claim and transfers it to all of Israel. 5 One of the fundamental issues in Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism was how to incorporate extrabiblical teachings into the legal system and how to justify them theologi- cally. In the Damascus Document, as in other sectarian scrolls, this was accomplished through a distinction between "revealed" ( nigleh) and "hidden" ( nistar) laws. "Revealed" laws are those clearly mentioned by Scripture and known to all the people oflsrael, who nonethe- less violate them. "Hidden" laws, on the other hand, are not explicit in Scripture and known only to the members of the sect. These laws were seen as derived by divinely inspired bib- lical exegesis. Through such interpretations, many examples of which appear in the Damascus Document, the sect was able to expand Jewish law beyond its biblical origins. This system may be contrasted with that of the Temple Scroll, which couches postbiblical legal teachings as pseudepigraphal divine revelation, as well as with the unwritten "tradi- tions of the fathers" of the Pharisees and the later Rabbinic notion of the revelation of an oral Torah at Sinai.6 '-'-. One of the most significant characteristics of the laws of the Damascus Document is that they are often stated apodictically and divided into sections classified by subject. At times, these sections are introduced by titles such as "concerning the Sa[bba]th" (CD 10:14) or " [conce] rning the oath of a woman" (CD 16:10). The Damascus Document thus provides proof of the early existence of a form of legal organization that would become popular centuries later with the compilation of the Mishnah and eventually dominate Rabbinic Judaism. THEOLOGY While the Damascus Document never presents an explicit formulation of theological prin- ciples like that found in Rule of the Community (see 1QS 3:13-4:26), it clearly shares im- portant aspects of the dualistic and deterministic worldview found in other Qumran writ- ings. Contemporary Jewish society is viewed as divided into two parts: the elect community, termed the "Sons of Light" in the opening passage (4QPa 1 a-b 1) 1 and disobedient out- siders destined for punishment. The current ascendancy of the latter is seen as a result of God having relinquished control of the world to Belial, the demonic leader of the forces of darkness, for a set period, "the time of wickedness" (see, e.g., CD 12:2). The exact period of the rule of evil on earth has been predetermined by God (CD 2:8-10) and will end with the imminent arrival of"the messiah of Aaron and Israel" (CD 19:10-u; 12:23-13:1; 14:19; cf. 20:1). This ambiguous phrase has elicited much debate among scholars. It may refer to a single figure embodying both priestly and royal powers, or, more likely, to two separate figures, comparable to the dual messianic expectation found explicitly in 1QS 9:11 and im- plied by 4QTestimonia (4QJ75) and likely also by CD 7:18-21. At the same time, the text's historical perspective, which sees the community, in con- tradistinction ~ith the contemporary Jewish masses, as a chosen "root of planting" (CD 2978 Joseph L. Angel 1:7) obedient to God's laws, is close to that of non-Qumranite works such as 1 Enoch and Jubilees. In fact, the Damascus Document quotes Jubilees as an authoritative scriptural source and alludes to older traditions ofbiblical exegesis and to various legends that were part of early Second Temple Judaism. These facts serve to identify the Qumran community as but one branch of a larger apocalyptically oriented Jewish reform movement, with roots in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, which was deeply disturbed by what it viewed as the large-scale Jewish abrogation of the Sinaitic covenant. The Damascus Document has some notable theological links with early Christianity and the New Testament. First, much of the Admonition consists of con temporizing interpre- tations of various biblical texts according to which scriptural prophecies are made to refer to the historical experiences of the sect and the life of the sect's early leader, the Righteous Teacher. In a similar manner, early Christians interpreted the Hebrew Bible as referring to their own sectarian history and the events surrounding the life and death ofJesus. Second, reminiscent of the treatment of Jesus in some New Testament writings, the Damascus Document charts the rise and death of the community's beloved teacher and expects the arrival of"one who will teach righteousness in the end of days;' apparently the typological eschatological counterpart of the historical Righteous Teacher (see comment on CD 6:n). Finally, the communities behind both the Damascus Document and the New Testament saw themselves as renewing and fulfilling the true meaning of the original covenant be- tween God and Israel, which had been corrupted by nonsectarian Jews. Thus, the Damascus Document provides important evidence of a Jewish sectarian community with striking similarities to early Christianity several generations prior to the birth ofJesus. HISTORY Scholars have relied heavily upon the Damascus Document as a source for the reconstruc- tion of the history of the Dead Sea sect and related movements. The first page of CD de- scribes the origins of a penitential movement 390 years after being given into "the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon" (CD 1:6). This group is described as groping blindly for 20 years until God "raised up for them (the) Righteous Teacher to guide them" (CD 1:11). Assuming that the author had an accurate date for Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of Jerusalem (s86 BCE), the rise of the Righteous Teacher is dated to 176 BCE. This absolute chronological anchor allows for various suggestions as to the identity of the mysterious figures and groups mentioned in the text based on the history provided by external sources such as Josephus and 1 and 2 Maccabees. However, such use of the Damascus Document has been challenged on the grounds that its language draws so heavily upon the Hebrew Bible that it is difficult to distinguish be- tween biblical typology and actual historical events. For example, the allusion to 390 years likely relies on the use of that number in Ezek. 4:5, where it refers to the duration of pun- ishment for the sins of Israel. The number is thus schematic and should not be taken as chronologically exact. 7 A similar problem arises with regard to the interpretation of the text's prominent refer- ences to "Damascus:' The Damascus Document reports that the chosen community de- Damascus Document 2979 parted from Judah to "the land of Damascus" and there "entered into the new covenant" (e.g., CD 6:5,19). Some scholars argue that the "land ofDamascus" is to be understood as a literal reference to the city in Syria and its environs. Others have interpreted it as a cipher for Babylon. In either case, this would lead to the conclusion that the group had its origins in exile, outside the land of Israel. However, it is also possible that the phrase "land of Damascus" was used in connection with Amos 5:26-27, which refers to an "exile beyond Damascus." As such, many scholars understand Damascus as a symbolic allusion to Qumran, the sect's place of exile in the Judean desert. Indeed, such a symbolic interpreta- tion appears to be supported by the exegesis of Amos 5:26-27 in CD 7:14-18. If so, the sect originated as a pious reform movement in the land oflsrael. GUIDE TO READING The following presentation of the Damascus Document is intended to give the reader an idea of the original scope and arrangement of the composition. As such, it includes trans·· lations of both the medieval Genizah manuscripts (CD) and much of the material from the Qumran fragments (4QDa-h, 5Qp, 6Q!5). Unless otherwise noted, where CD over- laps with the Qumran fragments, the text of CD is followed and the Qumran material is not presented. However, significant variants in the Qumran manuscripts are noted in the commentary. Both CD manuscripts (A and B) are presented in full. Overlaps and signifi- cant variants are noted in the commentary. Thanks to the textual remains of two of the Qumran manuscripts ( 4QPa and 4QJY), it is now confirmed that the legal material preserved in CD 15-16 preceded that found in CD 9-14. The text will thus be presented in this sequence (even though the traditional page numbers are still utilized). Fortunately, the original introduction and conclusion of the composition have been preserved among the Q!Imran fragments. However, it is not always possible to determine the order of the rest of the Qumran material with certainty. The vast majority of this ma- terial derives from the Laws section of the Damascus Document. The placement of texts below follows the order proposed by Charlotte Hempel. 8 -- SUGGESTED READING Baumgarten, Joseph. Qumran Cave 4.XIII: The Damascus Document (4QJ.66-273). Discoveries in the Judean Desert 18. Oxford: Clarendon, 1996. Baumgarten, Joseph, and Daniel Schwartz. "Damascus Document (CD):' In The Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts with English Translations: Damascus Document, War Scrolls and Related Documents, ed. J. Charlesworth, 4-57. Princeton Theological Seminary Dead Sea Scrolls Project 2. Tiibingen: Mohr; Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1995. Davies, Philip. The Damascus Covenant: An Interpretation of the "Damascus Document." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement 25. Sheffield:JSOT Press, 1983. Hempel, Charlotte. The Damascus Texts. Companion to the Qumran Scrolls 1. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000. - - - . The Laws of the Damascus Document: Sources, Tradition, and Redaction. Studies on the Texts of the Desert ofJudah. Leiden: Brill, 1998. Murphy-O'Connor, Jerome. "The Damascus Document Revisited:' RB 92 (1985): 223-46. Rabin, Chaim. The Zadokite Documents. 2nd revised edition. London: Clarendon, 1958. 2980 Joseph L. Angel Schiffman, Lawrence. The Halakhah at Qumran. Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity 16. Leiden: Brill,1975· - . Sectarian Law in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Courts, Testimony, and the Penal Code. Brown Judaic Studies 33· Chico CA: Scholars Press, 1983. Shemesh, Aharon. Halakhah in the Making: The Development ofJewish Law from Qumran to the Rabbis. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009. TRANSLATION 4QP" 1 a-b 1-7 1 [The elaboration of the laws by the Master for the S] ons of Light to keep apart from the way[s of wick- edness] 2 [] until the completion of the fixed time for visitation upon [the spirit ofiniquity] 3 [] God [will destroy] all her works, bringing rui[n] 4upon [the errant in spirit ] those who move boundaries, and he will wreak ruin [upon those who work] 5wickedness. [ And now hearken unto] me, and I will make known to you the 6awful []wonders will I relate to yo[u which are hidden] 7from mortal man (during) the [numbered d] ays that he lives, all [ ] COMMENTARY 4QD" 1 a-b 1-7 From the fastening tab preserved on the edge of the manuscript as well as the wide right margin, it is clear that these words constitute the original opening of the work. The remaining lines of the fragment (not reproduced here) include references to the voice of Moses and the slander of God's commandments. 1. S]ons of Light This designation is representative of a dualistic worldview, according to which so- ciety is divided into the chosen righteous community oflight destined to be saved and wicked outsiders enshrouded in darkness and doomed to experience God's wrathful judgment. 15 See also CD 13:12, which appears to mention a registration of new community members in "the lot of light," as well as comment on CD 13:14. 2. completion of the fixed time The community believed that it lived in a predetermined period of wickedness that was to end imminently with the arrival of the Messianic Age. See comments on CD 4:8-9; 6:10, 14. 4· those who move boundaries An epithet for outsiders to the community deriving from Deut. 19:14 (see comment on CD 1:16; see also CD 19:15-16; 20:25). 5-7 A call to pay attention to the divine mysteries about to be revealed. See comments on 4QPa 2 i 5-6. Source ofTranslation: Translations are drawn (and occasionally modified) from Baumgarten and Schwartz, "Damascus Document;' 12-57; Baumgarten and Davis, "A Passage on Skin Disease from 4QPa,d,g,h: A Composite Text," 64-67 (in same volume); Baumgarten, Qumran Cave 4.XIIT, 32, 35, so-51, 53, 56, 58, 6o, 64, 76-77, 102, 131, 143-45, 148, 151, 153, 163-64, 166-67, 174, 190-91i Hempel, The Laws of the Damascus Document, 6s-66, 142.-143 (all cited above). Translation of fragments comes from DJD XVIII, number 3· Damascus Document 2981 4QPa 2 i 1-6 ( + 4QD' 15-8) 1 before it 2 befalls them [ J for they can neither [come b]efo[r]e or after their appointed times. 3 [ and] he ordained a period of wrath for a people that knows him not, 4And he established [times] of favor for those that seek his commandments and for those that walk on the path of integrity. 5And he uncovered their ey[es] to hidden things and they opened their ears and heard profundities, and they understood 6 all that is to be before it comes upon them. CD1 1 And now hearken, all who know righteousness, and discern the works of 2 God, for he has a dispute with all flesh and will make judgment against all who scoff at him. 3 For in their treachery in leaving him, he hid his face from Israel and from his sanctuary, 4 and gave them up to the sword. But recalling 4QDa 2 i 1-6 ( + 4QD' 15-8) 1-6 These lines contain admonitory material directly preceding text that overlaps with the begin- ning of the Cairo manuscript. 2 This line refers to the sectarian calendar dispute. The author followed the 364-day solar calendar endorsed by the book of Jubilees, or one close to it (see Jub. 6:32 and comment on CD 3:14). According to this system, the ordained holidays always fall on the same day of the week, in har- mony with God's plan. Thus the lunisolar calendar adopted by the Pharisees, according to which holidays fall on different days of the week annuallYi was seen as a corruption of the divine or- der. Cf. 1QS 1:15. 3-4 Outsiders are destined to suffer, while community members will be saved. s-6 The belief that knowledge of God's mysterious acts in creation and history had been transmit- ted through divine communication to the community is a common theme in Qumran litera- ture and appears to have been a cornerstone of sectarian self-identity. Cf. 1QS 4:22-23; 11:3-4. 16 CD1 1. hearken, all who know righteousness An allusion to Isa. 51:7. Throughout Q\.lmranite literature, the community is characterized by righteousness. 17 This association serves as a key expression of the dualistic construction of communal identity. The elect group is aligned with God's righ- teousness over against the rest of societyj which is steeped in wickedness (c£ CD 1:18-21). 2. dispute with all flesh EchoingJer. 25:31. "All flesh" here probably refers to Israel since the Damascus Document is not concerned with God's interaction with other nations. 3· for in their treachery in leaving him, he hid his face from Israel An allusion to Ezek. 39:23. The Admonition's view of God's acts in history descends directly from the prophetic outlook. and from his sanctuary This addition is not found in Ezek. 39:23. It is representative of the Admonition's deep concern with the pollution of the Jerusalem Temple (cf. CD 5:6-u; 6:11-14; 20:22). 4· gave them up to the sword Cf. Ezek. 39:23 andJer. 25:31. This refers to the Babylonian destruction ofJerusalem and exile of the Jews that took place in 586 BCE. recalling the covenant with the first ones An allusion to Lev. 26:45. The "first ones" here are the an- cient Israelites who forged the original covenant with God. Later on, the same phrase is used for the early members of the new covenant (CD 4:8-10 ). 2982 Joseph L. Angel the covenant with the first ones, he left a remnant of 5Israel and did not give them up to destruction. And at the end of (his) wrath, 6 390 years after giving them into the hand ofNebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, 7 he turned his attention to them and caused to grow out oflsrael and Aaron a root of plant- ing, to inherit 8his land and grow fat in the goodness of his soil. And they discerned their iniquity and knew that 9they were guilty people; and they were as blind as those who grope for a way 10for 20 years. But God discerned their works, (namely) that they sought him wholeheartedly, 11 and he raised up for them (the) Righteous Teacher to guide them in the way of his heart. And he informed 12 the latter gen- erations that which he did in the last generation among the congregation of traitors, 13who are those who depart from the way; that is the time of which it was written, ''As a wayward cow, 14so did Israel stray" -when the Man of Mockery arose who sprinkled upon Israel 15waters of falsehood and led them 5· did not give them up to destruction Cf. Lev. 26:44. 6. 390 years This calculation is likely symbolic, as it appears in Ezek. 4:5 as the period of the pun- ishment of the House oflsrael. If the number is taken literally, the emergence of the community would date 390 years after 586 BCE (196 BCE). However, there is evidence that ancient Jews did not have a chronology that matches ours for dating the destruction of the Temple. 7· out of Israel and Aaron Cf. CD 6:2-3. This binary division of the elect community recalls that found in Rule of the Community ( 1QS 8-9) .18 a root ofplanting A common image in Second Temple literature with biblical origins (e.g., Isa. 60:21; 61:1-3), representing the righteous remnant of Israel to be restored by God. It is commonly found in works authored by groups closely related to the Qumran movement (e.g., 1 En. 10:16; 84:6; 93:5, 10; Jub. 1:16j 36:6; 4QJnstructiond [ 4Q418] 8113) as well as by the Qumranites themselves (see 1QS 8:5-6; 11:8; 1QH 1QpPsa 1-10 ii 2-11). 19 9· they were as blind as those who grope Cf. Isa. 59:10. 10. 20 years Scholars are divided on whether this number is schematic or literal. God discerned their works SeePs. 33:15. Cf. 1QS 4:25; 1QH 9:7. they sought him wholeheartedly Cf. 1 Chron. 28:9. 11. Righteous Teacher The leader of the Qumran community in its earliest period, known from other sectarian compositions. 20 He taught the community the proper observance of the Law and the true eschatological meaning of the words of the prophets. 11-12. he informed the latter generations that which he did in the last generation The Teacher re- vealed the final sequence of actions leading to the eschaton. 12. congregation of traitors A rival group that rejected the eschatological and legal interpretations of the Teacher. Cf. 1QpHab 2:2-10; 5:8-12. 13. the way That is, of righteousness. For the two opposing "ways" in Qumranite thought, see es- pecially the Treatise on the Two Spirits (1QS 3:13-4:26). 21 Cf. 4QWays of Righteousnessa-b (4Q420-21). 13-14. '~sa wayward cow, so did Israel stray" A contemporizing interpretation of Hosea 4:16. 14. the Man ofMockery Leader of the "traitors" and a rival of the Righteous Teacher. He is likely to be identified elsewhere in sectarian texts with "the Man of the Lie" 22 and "the Spouter of the Lie:' 23 14-15. sprinkled upon Israel waters offalsehood For the image of a false teacher who "sprinkles" or "drips" lies, see Amos 7:16; 9:13; Mic. 2:6, n. Damascus Document 2983 astray in a chaos without a way, bringing low the eternal heights and departing 16from the paths of righ- teousness and moving the border marked out by the first ones in their inheritance so as 17 to apply to them the curses of his covenant, surrendering them to the avenging sword of the covenant's vengeance. 18 For they sought smooth things and chose delusions and sought out 19loopholes and chose the fair neck and justified the evil person and condemned the righteous person 20and caused the covenant to be broken and the statute to be violated; and they ganged up on those of righteous soul, and all those who walk 21 perfectly their own soul( s) despised, and they persecuted them with the sword and were joyful over dissension amidst the people. And the anger of CD2 1 God was kindled against their congregation so as to lay waste all their multitude and (make) their works as impurity before him. 15.led them astray in a chaos without a way Alluding toPs. 107:40; Job 12:24. bringing low the eternal heights C£ Hab. 3:6. 16. paths of righteousness Cf. Jub. 1:20; 1 En. 92:3; 1QH 15:14. moving the border marked out by the first ones An allusion to Deut. 19:14. In ancient Judaism, the notion ofborder violation was used as a metaphor for tampering with the laws. 24 17. avenging sword of the covenant's vengeance An allusion to Lev. 26:25. 18. they sought smooth things Better translated "they interpreted false laws:' The biblical expression "smooth things" refers to lies or falsehoods (see Isa. 30:10 ). The sobriquet "seekers after smooth things" (dorshei ~alakot) is often used for the Pharisees in sectarian literature (e.g., 4QpNah [4Q!69] 3-4 and 4Qplsac [4Q!63] 23 ii 10). It puns on the Hebrew dorshei ~alakhot (interpret- ers of the laws), apparently a protest against Pharisaic traditions not having a firm source in Scripture, and suggests that the term ~alakhot (laws) was already in use in Pharisaic circles?5 19. the fair neck Probably "luxury:' The phrase derives from the prophecy about Ephraim in Hosea 10:11. In sectarian literature, the term "Ephraim" often designates the Pharisees (e.g., 4QpNah [4Q!69] 3-4). justified the evil person and condemned the righteous person Both acts are "an abomination to the LoRn" according to Prov. 17:15. Cf. CD 4:7. 20. and caused the covenant to be broken and the statute to be violated Cf. Isa. 24:5. they ganged up on those of righteous soul An allusion toPs. 94:21. 20-21. all those who walk perfectly C£ Ps. 15:2. "Walking in perfection" or "behaving perfectly" is a requirement for participation in the Qumran community. See CD 7=4-Si 1~ 8:18; 9:9. 21. they persecuted them with the sword Given the saturation of the entire narrative with biblical references, it is impossible to correlate this report with known events. The author may have in mind both the Babylonian destruction and the acts of a contemporary rival group. dissension amidst the people C£ Ps. 18:44; 2 Sam. 22:44. 1:21-2:1. the anger of God was kindled A common biblical phrase. 26 CD2 1. their works as impurity The actions of those outside the community are described with the same language in 1~ 5:19. Cf. the description of the actions of the Wicked Priest in 1QpHab 8:13 and those of the lot of darkness in War Scroll (1QM 13:5). 2984 Joseph L. Angel 2 And now hearken to me, all who enter the covenant, and I will reveal to your ear the ways of 3 the evil ones. God loves knowledge. Wisdom and prudence he has set up before him, 4 craft and knowledge shall serve him. Long forbearance (is) with him and manifold forgiveness, 5 so as to atone for those who repent (of) rebellious sin. But (with him too are) might, power, and great wrath with fiery flames 6 in the han[ d] of all the angels of destruction for those who willfully depart from the way and despise the statute, leaving them neither remnant 7 nor survivors. For God did not choose them primordially; before they were established he knew 8 their works. And he despised the generations (in which) they [st]ood and hid his face from the land 9from ... until their completion. And he knew the years they would stand and the number( s) and detail( s) of their times, during all 10the existence of eternity and being before they came to be in their respective times during all the years of eternity. 11 But during all those (years), (God) raised up for himself those called by name so as to leave a remnant for the land 2-131his dualistic discourse on God's dealings with the righteous and the wicked has several theo- logical and terminological parallels with other sectarian writings, especially the Treatise on the Two Spirits (1QS 3:13-4:26). 27 2. and now hearken to me Similar to the opening address of 1:1, this line begins another section with an allusion to Isa. 51:7. all who enter the covenant This phrase may also be translated "members of the covenant." 3· wisdom and prudence he has set up before him For the primordial divine origin of wisdom, see Prov. 8:22-25. Cf. Sir. 1:1; 24:3. 4.longforbearance (is) with him and manifold forgiveness C£ Exod. 34:6; Ps. 130:4. 5· those who repent (of) rebellious sin This phrase appears in Isa. 59:20. Cf. CD 20:17; 1QS 10:20. might, power Cf. the prayer ofJehoshaphat in 2 Chr. 20:6. wrath with fiery flames An allusion to Isa. 66:15. 6. angels of destruction The supernatural agents of God's appointed punishment of the wicked. Cf. 1 En. 53:3; 56:1; 63:1; Jub. 10:8. The dualism here is not quite as complete as in 10,$ 4:12 and 1QM 13:11-12, where these wicked angels actually oppose God and his righteous lot. depart from the way Cf. CD 1:13-14 and 1QS 10:21. 6-7. neither remnant nor survivors An allusion to Ezra 9:14. As opposed to the righteous remnant, no one among the wicked will survive. Cf. 10,$ 4:14; Jub. 24:30. 7· God did not choose them primordially As opposed to the members of the community, who, ac- cording to 10,$ 4:22, were chosen by God "for an everlasting covenant:' 7-8. before they were established he knew their works This strongly deterministic outlook is charac- teristic of sectarian thought. C£ the similar phrasing in 1QS 3=15-16; 4:25. According to Josephus, the belief that "fate" governs all human actions distinguished the Essenes from both the Pharisees and the Sadducees (Ant. 13.172-173). 8-10 The exact period of the rule of evil on earth has been predetermined by God and is on the verge of ending. This is a key belief in contemporary apocalyptically oriented works 28 and a cor- nerstone of Qumran theology. 29 11-13 This second account of community origins lacks reference to the Righteous Teacher. 11. those called by name This epithet derives from Num. 16:2. It designates sectarian community members also in CD 4:4. Damascus Document 2985 and fill 12the face of the world with their seed. And he informed them through those anointed in his holy spirit and who view 13his truth of the details of their names. But those whom he hated he caused to stray. 14 And now, 0 sons, hearken to me and I will uncover your eyes so you may see and understand the works of 15 God and choose that which he wants and despise that which he hates: to walk perfectly 16in all his ways and not to stray in the thoughts of a guilty inclination and licentious eyes. For many 17have failed due to them; mighty warriors have stumbled due to them, from the earliest times and until today. (Thus, for example,) walking after the wantonness of 18their heart(s), the Watchers of heaven fell. They were held by it (the wantonness ofheart), for they did not keep God's ordinances; 19and so too their sons, who were as high as the lofty cedars and whose corpses were as mountains. For 20 all flesh which was on dry land fell, for they died and were as if they had not been, for they had done 21 their (own) will and had not kept the ordinances of their Maker, until his wrath was kindled against them. 12-13. those anointed in his holy spirit and who view his truth Referring to the prophets (c£ Ps. 105:15; Chr. 16:22; Isa. 61:1). See also CD 6:1. 30 1 13. the details of their names That is, a list of the names of all the people who would be saved has been revealed to the remnant by the prophets. C£ CD 4:4-6; 1QM 4:6. he caused to stray It is God himself, not the chief demon who leads astray. Contrast the dualistic conceptions of 1QS 3:20-24 and 1QM 13:9-17. 14. and now, 0 sons, hearken to me A third call for attention similar to Isa. 51:7. 15. choose that which he wants Cf.1 En. 94:4; T. Levi 19:1; Sir. 15:15. 15-16 C£ 1QS 1:3-6. 16. not to stray in the thoughts of a guilty inclination and licentious eyes An allusion to Num. 15:39. 16-17 An introduction to an exhortative history lesson. 17-18. wantonness of their heart(s) A common biblical expression. See, for example, Deut. 29:18; Jer. 7:24; 11:8; Ps. 81:13. 18. the Watchers These angelic beings who fell ( naflu) from heaven are here identified with the Nephilim of Gen. 6:4. The legend of the sin and fall of the Watchers is prominent in Second 31 Temple literature, especially in 1 Enoch and Jubilees. 19. who were as high as the lofty cedars An allusion to Amos 2:9, which refers to the Amorites as the giant inhabitants of Canaan prior to the Israelite conquest. Numbers 13:33 calls these giants Nephilim. corpses were as mountains 1 En. 7:2 reports that the children of the Watchers were 300 cubits tall. 20. all flesh that was on dry land fell, for they died These words echo the report of the consequences of the flood in Gen. 7:21-22. According to a popular Second Temple period legend, the flood was 32 seen as punishment for the sins of the Watchers, who corrupted the earth. and were as if they had not been Quoting Obad. 16. 2986 Joseph L. Angel CD3 1 1hrough it the sons ofNoah and their families strayedi through it they are cut off. 2Abraham did not walk in it and he was acce[pted as a lo]ver, for he kept God's ordinances and did not choose 3 (that which) his (own) spirit desired. And he transmitted (his way) to Isaac and Jacobi and they observed (them) and were registered as lovers 4 ofGod and parties to (his) covenant forever. The sons ofJacob strayed through them and were punished according to 5 their error. And their sons in Egypt walked in the wantonness of their heart(s), plotting against 6the ordinances of God, each man doing what was right in his own eyes. And they ate the blood and their males 7were cut off in the desert (after they were told) in Kadesh "Go up and possess" ... their spirit and they did not listen 8 to the voice of him who made them (and) taught them ordinances. Rather, they murmured in their tents and God's anger was kindled 9 against their congregation and their sons perished through it and their kings were cut off through it, and through it their heroes 10perished, and their land became desolate due to it. The first CD3 1-2. it . .. it The antecedent is still "wantonness of heart." 1. sons ofNoah and their families strayed .. . they are cut off "Sons of Noah" is used as a general term for Gentiles in Rabbinic literature. 33 If the same meaning is intended here, it would explain the otherwise unsuitable tense of the verb. 2. [a lo}ver See Isa. 41:8. C£ Jub. 17:18; 19:9. 3· he transJnitted In Rabbinic literature the Hebrew root msr can refer to the transmission of the proper interpretation of the Law (seeM. Avot 1:1). The same may be the case here. Cf. Jub. 21, where Abraham transmits priestly sacrificial instructions to Isaac. registered In Jub. 30:20, Levi is recorded on the heavenly tablets as "a friend and a righteous man:' In Jub. 2:20,]acob is recorded as God's firstborn. Cf. the community register mentioned in CD 14:4 and the list of names mentioned in 2:13 and 4:4-6. 4· the sons ofJacob strayed through them That is, they disobeyed the legal traditions passed down from the patriarchs. The notion of pre-Sinaitic legal observance is found throughout Jubilees, as well as in Rabbinic literature (e.g., M. Kid. 4:14; Gen. Rab. 49; B. Ber. 26b). 6. each man doing what was right in his own eyes A condemnation for lawless behavior evoking the language ofJudg. 17:6; 21:25. they ate the blood Against the prohibition of Lev. 17:10. This sin is also emphasized in Jub. 6:13-14. 6-7. their males were cut off in the desert Due to their faithlessness in God after the ominous report of the spies. See Num. 13-14.34 7· "go up and possess" A quotation ofDeut. 9:23. their spirit The preceding text is uncertain. 7-8. they did not listen to the voice of him who made them Cf. Ps. 106:25 and Deut. 9:23. 8. they murmured in their tents Quoting Ps. 106:25. C£ Deut. 1:27. 8-9. God's anger was kindled against their congregation The same words appear in 2:1. 9· sons .. . kings .. . heroes The reference to kings implies that this statement is not limited to the gen- eration of Moses. The entire history of preexilic Israel is apparently telescoped in a negative light. 10. land became desolate Probably a reference to the Babylonian exile. the first ones who entered the covenant Referring to the generations of Israel up to the exile. Damascus Document 2987 ones who entered the covenant became guilty through it; and they were given up 11 to the sword, hav- ing departed from God's covenant and chosen their (own) will, straying after the wantonness 12of their heart, each doing his (own) will. But out of those who held fast to God's ordinances, 13who remained of them, God established his covenant with Israel forever, revealing 14to them hidden things in which all Israel had strayed: his holy Sabbaths, the glorious appointed times, 15his righteous testimonies, his true ways, and the desires ofhis will, which a person shall 16 do and live by them. (These) he opened before them and they dug a well of abundant water. 17But those who scorn them will not live. Rather, they wallowed in human sin and the ways of impurityj 18 and said, "For it is ours:' But God in his wonderful mysteries atoned for their iniquity and forgave their sin 19 and built them a sure house in Israel, such as never stood from the ear- 10-11. they were given up to the sword Cf. Ps. 78:62. 12-13 The original covenant with Israel is now defined as limited to the righteous remnant alone. 14. hidden things The phrase comes from Deut. 29:28. In sectarian literature it refers to the hidden laws known only to the community and derived by divinely inspired biblical interpretation. 35 Contrast the Rabbinic concept of Oral Torah, which includes laws not derived from the Bible; see Sifre Deut. 351; Sifra Be-~ukkotai 2:8;]. Pe'ah 2:1, 17a; B. Ber. sa. his holy Sabbaths, the glorious appointed times The failure of Israel to observe the proper calen- drical cycle is also a concern in Jubilees (e.g., Jub. 1:14-15; 6:34 ), which promotes a 364-day solar calendar. CD 16:2-4 cites Jubilees as the ultimate authority on matters of the calendar. In fact, a number of texts discovered at Qumran promote the 364-day calendar. 36 Until recently, a simple dichotomy was made between this calendar and the lunisolar calendar, which was used by Jews outside of the community. However, newly available calendrical texts from Cave 4 indicate that the calendar traditions at Qumran were more complex. 37 For a reflection of the intense polem- ics surrounding the calendar controversy in Rabbinic literature, seeM. Men. 10:3. 15. his righteous testimonies, his true ways, and the desires of his will This refers to the proper obser- vance of divine Law as interpreted by the community. C£ CD 20:30-31. 15-16. which a person shall do and live by them An allusion to Lev. 18:51 implying that those who stray from the Law shall not live (cf. CD 3:17 ). In stark contrast, the Rabbis use this verse to rule that almost all commandments may be broken in order to save a life (i.e., one should "live by them, and not die by them"; see T. Shah. 15:17; B. Sanh. 74a; B. Yoma 8sb). 16. abundant water Symbolic of the divine Law. C£ the equation of water with Torah in B. BK 82b. 17. human sin and the ways of impurity C£ 1QH 19:10-11; 1Q;) 11:15. ways of impurity Occurs also in 1Q;) 4:10; c£ CD 19:17i 1QS 4:19,21. 18. "For it is ours" Alluding to the expression of entitlement of the misguided in Ezek. 11:15. in his wonderful mysteries A common phrase in Q!.lmranite literature, 38 it refers to the mysteries of creation and the history of the universe. Such secrets could be understood, in the view of the Qumran community, only with the help of divine guidance. 18-19. their . .. their . .. them Referring to the penitent remnant. 19. a sure house In 1 Sam. 2:35 this phrase alludes to the promise of a priestly dynasty to "a faithful priest;' who is to be understood as Zadok (see 1 Kings 2:35). 39 Here, it refers to the foundation of the community. The allusion to Zadok provides a link to the midrash on Ezek. 44:15, begin- ning in the following line. 2988 Joseph L. Angel liest times until 20 now. Those who hold fast to it are to have eternal life and all human glory (is) theirs. As 21 God swore to them through the hand of Ezekiel the prophet, saying, "The priests and the Levites and the sons of CD4 1 Zadok, who kept the watch of my sanctuary when the children oflsrael strayed from me, they shall present to me fat and blood:' "The priests" are the penitents oflsrael 3who depart( d) from the land of Judah, ("the Levites" are those) who accompany them, and "the sons of Zadok" re the chosen ones of 4 Israel, those called by name, who stand in the end of days. Here are the detail( ) 5 of their names in their generations and the time (s) of their standing and the number( s) of their tr ubles and the years of 6their residence and the detail(s) of their works ... those for whom God atone 7 and they justified the righteous and condemned the wicked. And all those who come after them 8 to do according to the 20. eternal life See also 1Q$ 4:7 (c£ Dan. 12:2; 1 En. 58:3; Ps. Sol. 3:12). all human glory (is) theirs Members of the community reach the pinnacle of human experience in their service of God. The phrase "all human glory" may also be translated "all the glory of Adam:' Taken this waYi the community members return to the original glorious state of prelapsarian (un- fallen) Adam, who was created, according to Gen. 1:27, in the image of God. 40 21. swore The words of an ancient prophet are interpreted as a promise to the current members of the movement. Such contemporizing exegesis was characteristic of the Q!.Imranites and finds close parallels in early Christianity. 3:21-4:4 A midrash on Ezek. 44:15. In the MT, this verse refers to one group, "the levitical priests descended from Zadok:' By adding two small conjunctions, the author makes the verse refer to three different groups "the priests and the Levites and the sons of Zadok:' Each group is inter- preted as referring to the members of the community in three different stages of its existence. CD4 3-4. the chosen ones of Israel The current members of the community (cf. comment on 2:11). The metaphorical interpretation of the sons of Zadok here is to be contrasted with the communal authority assigned to the sons of Zadok in Rule of the Community (1QS 5:2, 9) and the Rule of the Congregation (1Q$a 1:2, 24; 2:3). 4-6. here are the detail(s) of their names ... of their works The list of community members, or "those called by name:' See comment on 2:13. Although the actual list is promised, it is never provided. This may be the result of an ancient omission. AlternativelYi a list could have been removed by the medieval copyist. 41 The original contents of the list likely contained detailed information concerning members of the community and the unfolding of its present eschatological history. 7· and they justified the righteous and condemned the wicked An allusion to Deut. 25:1. 7-8. all those who come after them . .. the first ones Similar to the midrash on Ezek. 44:15, these lines distinguish between different phases of the movement: early community members or members of a parent movement ("the first ones") and the current community ("those who come after them"). Apparently, the latter group is being instructed to remain loyal to the legal interpreta- tions ("precise meaning of the Torah") of the former group. Cf. CD 20:31-32. Damascus Document 2989 precise meaning of the Torah which was taught to the first ones until the completion of 9 the time of these years-just as the covenant which God established with the first ones to atone 10for their iniqui- ties, so, too, will God atone for them. But with the completion of the time according to the number of these years 11 one may no longer join the house ofJudah. Rather, each must stand on 12 his watchtower: "The fence is built, the boundary extends far:' But during all those years, 13Belial will run unbridled amidst Israel, as God spoke through the hand of the prophet Isaiah son ofl 4Amoz, saying, "Fear and a pit and a snare are upon you, 0 inhabitant(s) of the land:' This refers 15 to the three nets of Belial, of which Levi son ofJacob said 16that he (Belial) entrapped Israel with them, making them seem as if they were three types of 17 righteousness. The first is unchastity, the second wealth, and the third 18 defilement of the sanctuary. One who escapes from this is caught by that and one who is saved from that is caught 19by this .... "The builders of the bar- rier," who walked after tzav-the tzav is the spitter, 20 of whom it is said, "they shall surely spit" -are caught by two (snares). By unchastity, (namely,) taking 21 two wives in their lives, while the foundation of creation is "male and female he created them:' 8-9. until the completion of the time of these years That is, until the end of the present "time of evil" (see CD 6:10, 14; 4QPf 2 12) and the advent of the Messianic Age. CD 12:23-13:1 and 1QS 9:9- 11 imply that a legal revolution will accompany the end of the present period and the arrival of the messiahs. 11. the house ofJudahAcode name for the community. Cf.1QpHab 8:1; 4QpNah (4QJ69) 3-4 iii 4· 12. "The fence is built, the boundary extends far" Alluding to Mic. 7:11. those years Prior to the Messianic Age. 13. Belial The demonic leader of the forces of darkness in sectarian literature (e.g., 1QS 1:18; 1QM 1; 11QMelchizedek [11QJ3] 2). He appears occasionally in later Jewish mystical literature and is called Beliar in Jubilees, the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and the New Testament (2 Cor. 6:15). 14. "Fear and a pit and a snare are upon you, 0 inhabitant(s) of the land" An allusion to Isa. 24:17. 42 15-18 A quotation of an unknown Levi apocryphon similar toT. Levi. For polemics against forni- cation, greed, and defilement of the Temple put in the mouth ofLevi, see T. Levi 14:6; 15:1; 17:11. 43 19. "The builders of the barrier" A symbolic epithet for the misleaders oflsrael in Ezek. 1po. Here it is applied to opponents of the community, perhaps Pharisees or proto-Rabbis who "build a fence around the Torah" (M. Avot 1:1). C£ CD 8:12, 18. who walked after tzav An allusion to Hosea 5:11. The difficult Hebrew word tzav is interpreted as a reference to the leader of the rival group mentioned in CD 1:14-15. 19-20. the spitter, of whom it is said, "they shall surely spit" See comment on 1:14-15. The citation is close to Mic. 2:6. 20-21 The cardinal sin of unchastity (zenut) is equated with polygamy and perhaps remarriage after divorce on the basis of an interpretation of Gen. 1:27. C£ Matt. 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-10. The legal violation also relates to Lev. 18:18, which forbids a man to marry "a woman as a rival to her sis- ter:' Whereas the Damascus Document appears to understand "her sister" as referring to all fellow women, the Rabbis interpret the phrase as a literal reference to the wife's sister. 44 2990 Joseph L. Angel CDs 1 And those who entered (Noah's) ark went two by two into the ark. And -of the prince it is written, 2 "Let him not multiply wives for himself' And David did not read the sealed book of the Torah that 3 was in the Ark (of the Covenant), for it was not opened in Israel since the day of the death of Eleazar 4 and Joshua and the elders. For (their successors) worshiped the Ashtoreth, and that which had been revealed was hidden 5 until Zadok arose, so David's works were accepted, with the exception of Uriah's blood, 6and God forgave him for them. And they also continuously polluted the sanctuary by not 7sep- arating according to the Torah, and they habitually lay with a woman who sees blood of flowing; and they marry 8each one his brother's daughter or sister's daughter. But Moses said, "To 9your mother's sister you may not draw near, for she is your mother's near relation:' Now the precept of incest is writ- ten 10from the point of view of males, but the same (law) applies to women, so if a brother's daughter uncovers the nakedness of a brother of 11 her father, she is a (forbidden) close relationship. They also polluted their holy spirits, and with a tongue of 12blasphemies they opened (their) mouth against the CDs 1. two by two into the ark A further scriptural proof against polygamy. See Gen. 7:9. 1-2. and of the prince it is written, "Let him not multiply wives for himself" The law is from Deut. 17:171 but there it is directed to a king (c£ Temple Scroll [nQ!9] 57:17-19). For the lesser term "prince" as a substitute for "king," see Ezek. 37:24-25. C£ 1Q$b 5:20-21. The Rabbis interpret Deut 17:17 to mean that the king may, in fact, have many wives as long as they are not too many or as long as they do not turn him astray. SeeM. San. 2:4. 2-4 A justification for David's seemingly unchaste behavior. Cf. the defense of David's character offered in B. Shab. 56a. The notion that Joshua hid books passed down from Moses in earthen jars is found in As. Mos. 1:17. C£ Neh. 8:17. 4· worshiped the Ashtoreth C£ Judg. 2:13. Israel's disobedience after the conquest of Canaan seems to be attributed to the unavailability of Scripture. 5· Zadok The priest ofJerusalem in the time of David. According to 1 Chron. 15:11-12, Zadok par- ticipated in the ceremony of installing the ark in the Jerusalem sanctuary. This explains why he was able to find the sealed Torah within the ark (CD 5:2-3). with the exception of Uriah's blood A reference to David's arrangement of the death of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba narrated in 2 Sam. 11. According to B. Shab. 56a, Rav shares the opinion that David's only sin was that relating to Uriah. 7· they habitually lay with a woman who sees blood offlowing A similar accusation appears in Ps. Sol. 8:12. The charge is probably not that people were completely ignoring the biblical menstrual purity rules (Lev. 15:19-31; 18:19), but that contemporary practice was too lax. 7-8. they marry each one his brother's daughter or sister's daughter A likely polemic against the practice of the Pharisees. According to talmudic sources, _the Rabbis permitted such marriag- es and even praised them (T. Kid. 1:4; B. Yev. 62b). Uncle-niece marriages are also prohibited in Temple Scroll (11Q!9) 66:15-17 and 4QHalakhah A (4QJ.51), as well as by the Samaritans, Falashas, and Karaites. 8-u. but Moses said ... she is a (forbidden) close relationship The proof is deduced from an allu- sion to Lev. 18:13. 11-12. tongue of blasphemies One of the properties of the spirit of deceit according to 1QS 4:11. Damascus Document 2991 statutes of God's covenant, saying, "They are not right;' and abomination 13 they are speaking against them. They are all lighters of fire and burners of brands, webs of 14 a spider (are) their webs and eggs of vipers (are) their eggs. One who comes close to them 15will not be exculpated. As (at) the mountain, his house will be held guilty, unless he was under duress. For in former days God took note 16 of their w[ o ]rks and his wrath was kindled against their perverse deeds. For it is not a people of discernment. 17 They are a nation without counsel, for they have no discernment. For formerly 18Moses and Aaron stood by the hand of the Prince of Lights and Belial raised up Johne and 19 his brother in his plotting, when Israel was first saved ... 20And at the time of the destruction of the land, the trespassers arose and led Israel astrayi 21 and the land became desolate, for they spoke deviantly against the ordinances of God (given) through Moses, and also CD6 1against the anointed holy ones. And they prophesied falsely, so as to cause Israel to turn away from I2. the statutes of God's covenant That is, the sectarian legal interpretations. they are not right Cf. the sentiment expressed by the wicked in 1QH 12:17-18. IJ. they are all lighters offire and burners of brands An allusion to Isa. so:u. I3-I4. webs of a spider (are) their webs and eggs of vipers (are) their eggs An allusion to Isa. 59:5-6. IS. as (at) the mountain, his house will be held guilty Perhaps an allusion to the lethal boundaries set at Mount Sinai (Exod. 19:12). IS-I6 The acts of the current opponents of the community are identified with the rebellious deeds of preexilic Israel. I6. not a people of discernment An allusion to Isa. 27:11. A similar phrase is used for the opponents of the community in Hodayot (1QH 10:19 ). Contrast the description of the angelic priests in Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice as "people of discernment" ( 4Q400 1 i 6). I7. they are a nation without counsel, for they have no discernment Alluding to Deut. 32:28. IS. Prince of Lights The heavenly leader of the forces of light (c£ 1QS 3:20 ). His function is very similar to those of the angel of truth (1QS 3:24\ the great hand of God (4Q!.77 4:14\ the arch- angel Michael (c£ 1QM q:6-8), and Melchizedek (uQMelchizedek [uQ!3]). I8-I9. Johne and his brother The legendary Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses and Aaron, mentioned in Jewish (B. Men. 8sa), non-Jewish (Pliny, Natural History 30.2.11), and Christian (2 Tim. 3:8) tradition. Origen refers to a book written about these magicians, but it has not sur- vived into modernity. 45 I9. when Israel was first saved A reference to the Exodus from Egypt. Both 4QPa 3 ii 6 and 4QPb 2 2 indicate the reading "when Israel acted wickedly for the first time/' perhaps alluding to the sin of the golden cal£ 20. trespassers The expression derives from Hosea 5:10. See comment on CD 1:16. 2I. the land became desolate Cf. Ezek. 19:7. they spoke deviantly Alluding to Deut. 13:6. CD6 I. the anointed holy ones The biblical prophets. See comment on CD 2:12-13. 2992 Joseph L. Angel 2 God. And God recalled the covenant with the first ones, and he raised up from Aaron discerning ones and from Israel 3wise ones; and he allowed them to hear. And they dug the well (of which it is written), "the well was dug by the princes and excavated by 4the nobles of the people, with a ruler:' The "well" is the Torah and those who "dig" it are 5 the penitents oflsrael who depart from the land ofJudah and dwell in the land of Damascus. 6 God called them all "princes/' for they sought him and their honor was not 7 rejected by anyone's mouth. And the "ruler" is the interpreter of the Torah, of whom 8 Isaiah said, "He takes out a tool for his work:' And the "nobles of the people" are 9those who come to excavate the well with the statutes that were ordained by the ruler 10to walk in them in the entire time of evil, and (who) will obtain no others until the rise of 11 one who will teach righteousness in the end of days. And all who were brought into the covenant (are) 12not to enter the sanctuary to light his altar in vain, (but rather are) to be "closers of 13 the door" of whom God said, "Who of you will close my door and not light my altar 14in vain?" -unless they take care to perform according to the exact (require- 2.God recalled the covenant with the first ones See comment on CD 1:4. 2-3. discerning ones . .. wise ones Terms from Deut. 1:13 are applied here to the binary division of the community into priests and laymen. See comment on CD 1:7. 3-4. "the well was dug by the princes and excavated by the nobles of the people, with a ruler" A cita- tion ofNum. 21:18. Both 4QPa 3 ii 10 and 4QDb 2 9 introduce this quotation with the formula "as Moses said:' "well" is the Torah See comment on CD 3:16. 5· the penitents of Israel who depart from the land ofJudah In CD 4:2, the same phrase designates community members at an early stage of the community's existence. Damascus This place is mentioned seven times in Damascus Document (only in the Admonition) and is the leitmotif that gave the composition its name. 46 Scholars are divided on whether it is to be taken as a literal reference to the city in Syria and its environs or symbolically as the place of the community's exile, either in Babylon or at Qumran. A symbolic interpretation appears to be supported by the exegesis of Amos 5:26-27 in CD 7:14-18. 7· the interpreter of the Torah A figure from the past1 identified usually either as the founder of the parent movement of the Q!.lmran community or, more likely, as the historical Righteous Teacher. 47 8. "He takes out a tool for his work" An allusion to Isa. 54:16. 10. walk in them in the entire time of evil A similar concept of obedience to sectarian legal rulings was observed in CD 4:8-9. C£ CD 20:31-33. 10-11. until the rise of one who will teach righteousness in the end of days The phrase derives from Hosea 10:12. The expected figure is the typological, eschatological counterpart of the historical Righteous Teacher, who, upon his arrival1 will legislate for the new era (cf. CD 12:23-13:1; 1QS 9:9-11). Cf. the Rabbinic notion1 following Mal. 3:23, that the prophet Elijah will return in the end of days in order to decide difficult legal cases (e.g., M. Ed. 8:7; B. Ber. 35b; B. Shah. w8a). 11-14 A prohibition against participation in Temple ritual using the la~guage of Mal. 1:10. The ruling accords with the critical attitude toward and boycott of the Temple reflected in several Qumranite works. 48 However, several passages in the Damascus Document appear to take involvement in the Temple cult for granted. 49 I 14. unless they take care to perform according to the exact (requirements of) the Torah The prohibi- tion is conditioned on the continued disobedience of sectarian laws by outsiders. From 4QMMT1 Damascus Document 2993 ments of) the Torah during the time of evil and to eparate (themselves) 15 from the sons of the pit and to refrain from the wicked wealth (which is) impur due to oath(s) and dedication(s) 16 and to (being) the wealth of the sanctuary, (for) they (the sons o .the pit) steal from the poor of his people1 preying upon wid[ow]s 17 and murdering orphans-and to distinguish between the impure and the pure and make known (the difference) between 18the holy nd the profane, and to observe the Sabbath day in its exact detail, and the appointed times 19 and the ay of the fast as it was found by those who entered into the new covenant in the land of Damascus, 20 ~o offer up the holy things in accordance with their detailed requirements1 to love each man his broth~r 21 as himself, to support the poor, destitute, and 1 proselyte1 a_nd to seek each man the peace of CD7 1 his brother. : And let no one trespass with regard to his near ~n; (rather, let him) stay away from unchastity 2 in accordance with the precept; let each one rebuke lhis brother in accordance with the ordinance and not keep a grudge 3 from one day to the next. And 1ft him separate himself from all impurities, accord- it appears that the early Qumranites hfped to convert the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem to their legal perspective. • 15. sons of the pit Sinful outsiders destine~ for destruction. Cf. 1QS 9:16; 10:19. According to Rule of the Community, outsiders and all of t~eir property are a source of impurity and therefore must be avoided by community members ~1QS 5:10-20 ). 15-16. wicked wealth . .. steal from the pofr C£ the greedy acts of the Wicked Priest and the priests of]erusalem recorded in 1QpHab 8:ut13; 9:4-6; 12:7-10. The Second Temple period priesthood is condemned for greed and theft in alnumber of ancient Jewish sources. 5° I 16-17. steal from the poor of his people, preying upon wid[ow]s and murdering orphans An allu- sion to Is a. 10:2. Abuse of the vulneratle constitutes a violation of Torah Law (e.g., Deut. 10:18; 24:17; 27:19 ). 17-18. to distinguish ... the holy and the profane, and to observe the Sabbath An allusion to Ezek. 22:26, which criticizes the Jerusalem *iesthood for failing to do these things. 19. the day of the fast That is, the Day of Atonement. The Qumranites celebrated this holiday (and others) on a different day from the day on which it was celebrated in the Jerusalem Temple (see 1QpHab u:S). new covenant C£Jer. 31:31-34.Jeremiah's rrophecywas interpreted by Christians as a prediction of the new covenant through Jesus. See, ~or example, Luke 22:20. 20-21. to love each man ... as himself Al16ding to Lev. 19:18. 21. to support the poor, destitute, and proselyte A positive reworking ofEzek. 16:49. Cf. CD 14:14. CD7 1. and let no one trespass with regard to his near kin The formulation is close to Lev. 18:6, which prohibits incestuous relations. 2. let each one rebuke his brother in accordance with the ordinance and not keep a grudge Alluding to Lev. 19:17-18. C£ CD 9:2-8. 2994 Joseph L. Angel i ing to their precept; and let no one defile 4 his holy spirit as God distinguished for them. All those who walk sin these in perfect holiness (and) are governed according to all (these things), God's covenant is an assurance to them 6 to bring them life for 1,ooo generation(s). But if they live (in) camps, according to the rule of the land, and take 7wives and beget sons, then they shall walk according to the Torah and the precept 8 established according to the rule of the Torah, as he said, "Between a man and his wife and between a father 9and his son:' But (as for) all those who despise: when God visits the land to repay to the wicked their due, 10when that happens of which is written in the words oflsaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, 11 who said: "There shall come days upon you and upon your people and upon your fathers' house, such as did (not) 12 come since the day Ephraim departed over Judah:' (This refers to) when the two houses oflsrael split, 13Ephraim lorded over Judah, and all the backsliders were turned over to the sword. But those who held firmly (to the covenant) 14escaped to the land of the north, as he said, 'Md I will expel your king's booth 1 sand the kywn of your images from my tent (to) Damascus:' The books of the Torah are the "booth of 16the king," as he said, "I will raise up the fallen booth of David:' The "king" 17 is the 3-4. let no one defile his holy spirit The language echoes Lev. 11:431 which prohibits the consump- tion of unclean animals. Cf. CD 12:11-12. 5-10 At this point in manuscript A, the material from manuscript B begins to overlap. These lines are paralleled with significant variants in manuscript B (19:1-7 ). 5. these The aforementioned laws. in perfect holiness In the view of many scholars, a euphemism for celibacYi which may have been the norm for the sectarian center at Qumran. Cf. CD 1:2o-21i 20:2, 5· 6.for 1,ooo generation(s) Alluding to Deut. 7:9. In manuscript B this statement is followed by an explicit citation of that verse (CD 19:1). Cf. the promise in CD 3:20. 6-9 Family life, including marriage and childbearing, is deemed an acceptable lifestyle in commu- nity enclaves scattered throughout the country. The scriptural support comes from Num. 30:17. C£Josephus's distinction between Essenes who do and do not marry U.W. 2.160-11). 9· repay to the wicked their due Alluding toPs. 94:2-3. Cf. 1QS 8:6-7i 1QM 11:13-14. 10. written in the words of Isaiah The following citation is oflsa. 7:17. Manuscript B (CD 19:7) cites Zech. 13:7 instead. 13. Ephraim lorded over Judah The Hebrew for "lorded" ( sar) plays on the verb "departed" (sur) from the Isaiah quotation. For Judah as a cipher for the communitYi see CD 4:11. On the term Ephraim, see comment on 1:19. turned over to the sword Cf. Ps. 78:62. The goal here is to encourage loyalty to the community. 14. land of the north See Zech. 6:8. 14-16 The two citations in these lines derive from Amos 5:26-27 and 9:11. Cf. the use of these verses in Acts 7:43 and 15:16. 15.jrom my tent (to) Damascus The Hebrew"from my tent" (me'aholi) differs from theMT of Amos 5:27: "beyond [mehal'ah le-] Damascus:' 16. "I will raise up the fallen booth of David" Quoting Amos 9:11. In 4Qflorilegium (4Q!74) 210- 13 the verse is mainly applied to the future arrival of the royal messiah. Rabbinic sources under- stood this verse as pointing to the messianic era as well (see B. Sanh. 96b-97ai Gen. Rab. 88:7 ). Cf. Acts 15:16-18. Damascus Document 2995 assembly, and the "kywn of the images" are the books of the prophets 18whose words Israel despised. And the "star" is the interpreter of the Torah 19who came to Damascus, as it is written: "A star stepped forth out ofJacob and a staff arose 20 out oflsrael:' "The staff" is the prince of all the congregation, and when he arises, "he will destroy 21 all the sons of Seth:' These escaped at the time of the first visitation. CDS 1 But the backsliders were handed over to the sword. And such is the judgment of all who entered his covenant, who 2will not hold firmly to these (statutes): they will be visited unto destruction by the hand of BeliaL That will be the day 3when God will visit (upon them) "the arrogance of the princes of Judah;' for you "will pour out upon them rage" i 4 for they yearned for healing, but a blemish adhered (to them). All (are) rebels because they did not depart from the way of 5 traitors1 but rather wallowed in the ways of prostitutes and wicked wealth, avenging and bearing grudges 6 each one against his brother, 18. whose words Israel despised See 2 Chron. 36:16. Cf. T. Levi 16:2; Matt. 5:12. the '~tar" is the interpreter of the Torah The star in Amos 5:26 is identified with the star mentioned in the following citation ofNum. 24:17. As opposed to the historical interpreter in CD 6:71 the character pictured here is a priestly messianic figure ( c£ 4Qflorilegium [ 40174] 2 10-13). See also T. Levi 18:31 where the star in Num. 24:17 is identified with the eschatological high priest. 19. Damascus See comment on 6:5. 19-20. '~star stepped forth out ofJacob and a staff arose out of Israel" Quoting Num. 24:17. This verse is also understood in a messianic sense in 4QTestimonia (40175) and in other ancient Jewish (see the Targumim, ad loc; T. Levi 18:3; T. Jud. 24:1; J. Ta'an. 68d-69a) and Christian (Rev. 22:16) sources. 51 20. the prince of all the congregation This figure is usually identified with the royal messiah, who 52 is the counterpart of the priestly messiah in the sectarian dual messianic scheme. C£ comment on CD 19:10-11. For Rabbinic reference to a differing notion of two messiahs, see B. Suk. 52b. 20-21. he will destroy all the sons of Seth An allusion to the end of Num. 24:17. This refers to the royal messiah's military function. 7:21-8:1 This echoes the events described in CD 7:13-14. Manuscript B has an overlapping but vari- ant text, referring to a future escape (see CD 19:10 ). CDS 1-2 A warning to covenant members who have failed to observe the legal requirements. 2-21 These lines are paralleled with variants in manuscript B (CD 19:14-34). 3 Allusions to Hosea 5:10. Although Judah is identified with the community above (CD 4:11; 7:13), the context implies that "the princes ofJudah" are outsiders, perhaps political rulers of the time. The Hebrew word for princes (sarim) plays on the word "departers" (sarim). Cf. CD 1:13; 7=13i 8:4- 4· a blemish adhered (to them) Perhaps an interpretive rendering of Deut. 13:18, with "blemish" (mum) replacing "anything" (me'umah). 4-5. the way of traitors See comment on CD 1:12. s. wicked wealth Cf. CD 6:15. s-6. avenging and bearing grudges ... against his brother Alluding to Lev. 19:18. Cf. CD 6:20. 2996 Joseph L. Angel and each hating his neighborj and each ignored the relation of his flesh. 7And they drew near (one to another) for incest, and they strove mightily for wealth and profit and each man did what was right in his own eyes. 8And each chose according to the wantonness ofhis heart, and did not remove himself from (the) people. And they arrogantly became unruly, 9walking in the way of the wicked ones, of whom God said: "The poison of serpents (is) their wine 10 and the head of asps (is) cruel." "The serpents" are the kings of the peoples and "their wine" is 11 their ways, and "the head of the asps" is the head of the kings of Greece, who will come to do 12yengeance among them. But none of this was understood by the "builders of the barrier" and the "whitewash-daubers/' for 13 one who weighs the wind and the Spouter of the Lie preached to them, against whose entire congregation God's anger was kindled. 14And as for what Moses said, "Not by your righteousness and your uprightness of heart do you come to dispos- sess 15 these nations, but rather from his love for your fathers and his keeping of the oath." 16So is also the judgment for the penitents of Israel, who departed from the way of the people: by God's love for 17 the first ones, who witnessed after him, he loved those who came after them. For theirs 18 (is) the cov- enant (with) the fathers. And by his hate for the "builders of the barrier/' his anger was kindled. And thus (is) this judgment 19 against anyone who despises God's ordinances and abandons them and turns 6.hating his neighbor Cf. Lev.19:17; CD 7:2. ignored the relation of his flesh That is, they married relatives forbidden to them by the laws of in- cest. Cf. CD 5:7-8. 7· incest The Hebrew word (zimah) may also refer to unchastity in general. See Judg. 20:6; M. Avot 2:7; M. Ket. s:s. wealth and profit The same phrase appears in criticisms of the corrupt elsewhere in the Dead Sea Scrolls. 53 did what was right in his own eyes See comment on CD 3:6. 8. wantonness See CD 2:17-3:12. 9· walking in the way of the wicked ones SeePs. 1:1. 9-12 An allusion to Deut. 32:33. The interpretation relates the wicked ways of the "princes ofJudah" to their love of foreign customs and predicts their destruction at the hands of an unnamed Seleucid or Roman leader. 12. "builders of the barrier" and the "whitewash-daubers" The epithets appear to refer to the princes ofJudah mentioned above. They derive from Ezek. 13=10 and scold those who lead Israel astray by perpetuating a delusional reality. Cf. CD 4:19. 13. one who weighs the wind ... Spouter of the Lie For these epithets, see Mic. 2:11. See comment on CD 1:14. against whose entire congregation God's anger was kindled C£ CD 1:21-2:1. 14-15 A conflation and reworking ofDeut. 9:5 and 7:8. 17-19. for theirs (is) the covenant . .. wantonness of their heart As in CD 3=10-13, the original cov- enant with Israel is now limited to community members. Those disloyal to the new covenant will be punished. Damascus Document 2997 away in the wantonness of their heart. 20 This is the word that Jeremiah said to Baruch son ofNeriah, and Elisha 21 to Gehazi his servant. All the men who entered the new covenant in the land of Damascus ... CD19 1(are) assurances to them, to bring them to life for thousands of generations, as (it is written): "He pre- serves the covenant and mercy 2to those who love (him) and the observers of his ordinances to the 1,oooth generation." But if they live (in) camps according to the rule of3the land that is as it was previ- ously and take wives according to the custom of the Torah and beget children, 4 they shall walk accord- ing to the Torah. And according to the precept established according to the rule of the Torah, 5 as he said, "Between a man and his wife and between a father and his son:' But all those who despise the ordi- nances 6 and statutes, the evil ones will be repaid their due when God visits the land, 7when that hap- pens of which it is written by Zechariah the prophet, "Awake, 0 sword, upon 8 my shepherd and upon the man (who is) close to me-God says-strike the shepherd so the sheep will be scattered 9 and I wili turn my hand to the little ones:' But those who guard it (the precept) are the poor of the sheep. 101hese will escape at the time of the visitation. But those who remain will be handed over to the sword when the messiah 11 of Aaron and Israel comes. (And this will be) as it happened at the first time of visita- 20-21 These lines appear to be distinct from the preceding material and perhaps refer to the rebuk- ing of servants by their masters. The sources of the allusions are unclear. For Gehazi's disobedi- ence and Elisha's reaction, see 2 Kings 5:26-27. As for Baruch, his disobedience may have been inferred from an interpretation ofJeremiah's rebuke inJer. 45:5. 21. all the men who entered the new covenant in the land of Damascus Manuscript A breaks off here, and the remainder of the Admonition appears in manuscript B (19:33-20:34). The parallel ma- terial in manuscript B (19:33-20:1) continues and warns apostate members that they will be ex- cluded from the community from the period of the death of the Teacher until the coming of the messiah of Aaron and Israel. CD19 1-7 Manuscript B begins here. These lines overlap with 7:5-10, but with significant variants. 1-2 An allusion to Deut. 7:9. Manuscript A omits the explicit quotation. 2-5 The text here is longer than in manuscript A. The source of scriptural support is the same (Num. 30:17). 7· Zechariah the prophet The following citation comes from Zech.13:7. This differs from manuscript A, which instead quotes Isa. 7:17, followed by a lengthy interpretation (CD 7:10-21). 9· the poor of the sheep For the image of sheep as the saved remnant oflsrael, see Jer. 23:3-4. Cf. 1 En. 90. 10. these will escape at the time of the visitation Referring to the final judgment. Manuscript A refers here to "the first visitation;' which is an event from the past ( 7:21-8:1). 10-17 These lines have only partial parallels in manuscript A (8:1-4). The reference to "the messiah of Aaron and Israel" and the citation of Ezekiel appear only in manuscript B. 10-11. messiah of Aaron and Israel Although the word "messiah" is singular, grammatically the Hebrew may refer to two figures, a priestly redeemer and a royal one. Such a dual messianic ex- 2998 Joseph L. Angel tion; as it is said 12through Ezekiel, "To make a mark upon the foreheads of those who sigh and groan:' 13 But those who remained were turned over to the avenging sword of the covenant's vengeance. And thus (is) the judgment for all who enter 14his covenant (and) who will not hold firmly to these statutes: They will be visited unto destruction by the hand of Belial. 151hat is the day when God will visit, as he said, "The princes ofJudah were like those who move 16border(s). I will pour out rage upon them like water:' For although they entered into a covenant of repentance, 17 they did not depart from the way of traitors but wallowed in the ways of unchastity and wicked wealth, 18 avenging and bearing grudges each man against his brother, and each hating his neighbor; and each ignored 19the relation ofhis flesh. And they drew near (one to another) for incest, and they strove mightily for wealth and profit and each did 20what was right in his (own) eyes. And each chose according to the wantonness of his heart and did not remove himself from the people 21 and their sin. And they arrogantly became unruly, walking in the ways of the wicked ones, of whom 22 God said, "The poison of serpents (is) their wine and the head of asps (is) cruel:' "The serpents" 23 (are) the kings of the peoples and "their wine" is their ways and "the head of asps" is the head of2 4 the kings of Greece who shall come upon them to do vengeance. But none of this was understood by the "builders of 25 the barrier" and the "whitewash-daubers," for one who walks (with) the wind and weighs storms and preaches to man 26falsehood; against his entire congre- gation God's anger was kindled. And as for what Moses said 27 to Israel, "Not by your righteousness and your uprightness of heart do you come to dispossess these nations, 28but rather from his love for your fathers and his keeping of the oath:' So (is) 29 the judgment for the penitents oflsrael, (who) departed from the way of the people by God's love for the first ones 30who witnessed to the people after God. And he loved those who came after them; for theirs 31 (is) the covenant (with) the fathers. And God hates and despises the "builders of the barrier" and his anger was kindled against them and against all 32 who follow after them. And thus (is) this judgment against anyone who despises God's ordinances 33 and abandons them and turns away in the wantonness of their heart. Thus all the men who entered the new covenant 34in the land of Damascus and returned and betrayed and departed from the well of pectation is found explicitly in 1QS 9:n and is implied by 4QI'estimonia (4Q!.75) and likely also by CD 7:18-21. Cf. CD 12:23-13:1; 14:19; 20:1. 12. "To make a mark upon the foreheads of those who sigh and groan" An adaptation ofEzek. 9:4. 13. avenging sword of the covenant's vengeance See comment on CD 1:17. 13-14 A warning to backsliders from the new covenant. Cf. CD 8:1-2. 14-34 Parallels CD 8:2-21 (manuscript A) with variants. 15-16 From Hosea 5:10. See comment on CD 8:3. The interpretative gloss of 8:4 is absent here. 21. their sin Not mentioned in the parallel text of CD 8:8. 22-26 An allusion to and interpretation ofDeut. 32:33. See comment on CD 8:9-12. 27. to Israel Absent from the parallel text in CD 8:14. As in 8:14-15, the following citation is a con- flation and reworking ofDeut. 9:5 and 7:8. 30-31. theirs (is) the covenant (with) the fathers See comment on CD 8:17-19. 31-32. against them and against all who follow after them Absent from the parallel text in CD 8:18. 32-34. and thus (is) this judgment ... in the land of Damascus Cf. CD 8:18-21. Note that the refer- ence to the word ofJeremiah and Elisha to their servants is absent here. 19:33-20:1 A warning to apostate members of the new covenant. Damascus Document 2999 '- living water 35will not be accounted among the council of the people; and when (the latter) are writ- ten, they will not be written from the day CDzo 1 the unique Teacher was gathered in until there arises the messiah from Aaron and from Israel. And this (is) the judgment 2for all those who entered the congregation of the men of perfect holi- ness but recoiled from doing the regulations of the upright: 3 he is the one "who is melted in the midst of a furnace:' When his works become apparent, he shall be expelled from the congregation 4 as one whose lot did not fall among those taught by God. According to his trespass, the men of knowledge shall reprove him, 5until the day when he returns to stand along with the men of perfect holiness. 6 But when his works become apparent according to the interpretation of the Torah in which walk 7 the men of perfect holiness, let no man share with him in wealth or in labor, 8 for all the holy ones of the Most High have cursed him. 35. will not be accounted ... will not be written An allusion to Ezek. 13:9, which is directed against false prophets. Ezekiel further promises that such figures will remain in exile forever. Here, Ezekiel's words are applied to apostate members of the new covenant. CDzo 1. the unique Teacher Another name for the leader and founder of the group, the Righteous Teacher. 54 gathered in A Hebraic euphemism for death. Cf. Num. 20:26; Gen. 25:8. Most scholars date the passing of the Teacher to near the end of the 2nd century BCE. 55 messiah from Aaron and from Israel See comments on CD 19:10-11. 1-8. and this (is) the judgment ... cursed him In contrast to the preceding and following material, this section allows for the possibility that disobedient members be punished temporarily. In this sense, it resembles the sectarian penal codes preserved in Rule of the Community ( 1QS 6:24-7:25) and in the Damascus material from Qpmran Cave 4 (4QDa 10 i n-ii 15). 2. the men of perfect holiness An epithet for community members. See comments on CD 1:20-21 and 7:5. 3· who is melted in the midst of a furnace An allusion to Ezek. 22:22. 4. whose lot did not fall The Qumranites believed that humanity was divided into the two predeter- mined cosmic "lots" of good and evil. See, for example, 1QM 13:5; 1QS 2:2, 5· men of knowledge C£ 4Q427 7 i 20, where community members are termed "those who await knowledge:' 6. interpretation of the Torah Hebrew: midrash hatorah. This phrase refers to the legal exegesis of the sect. Cf. 1QS 8:15-16. This is one of the earliest post-biblical references to the term "midrash," which is later used by the Rabbis to refer to their legal and homiletical biblical exegesis. 56 7· let no man share with him in wealth or in labor The disobedient member is to be treated like an outsider to the community. See 1Q$ 5:10-20; cf. 1Q$ 7:18-21. 8-13 A further warning to disobedient community members. 8-9. the first and the last A reference to the teachings of the early community or a parent movement ("the first") and to those of the current community ("the last"). See comment on CD 4:7-8. 8. holy ones Likely a reference to supernatural beings. However, at times in sectarian writings, the 3000 Joseph L. Angel And thus (is) this judgment concerning anyone who rejects, the first 9and the last, who put abomina- tions upon their heart and walk in the wantonness of 10their heart. They have no portion in the house of the Torah. With the judgment of their neighbors who turned away 11 with the men of mockery they shall be judged, for they spoke deviantly of the statutes of righteousness and despised 12the covenant and the oath that they had taken in the land ofDamascusj that is, the new covenant. 13And neither they nor their families will have any portion in the house of the Tora[h]. And from the day 14the unique Teacher was gathered in until the end of all the men of war who turned away 15with the Man of the Lie there will be about 40 years. And during that time God's 16anger will be kindled against Israel, as he said, "There is no king and no prince;' and no judge and no 17 reprover in righteousness. "But the penitents from sin (among) Jacob" kept God's covnant. "Then each will speak 18 to his neighbor, each (helping) his brother to be righteous, firmly placing their feet in the way of God. And God listened 19to their words and heard, and a book of records was written before him concern- ing those who fear God and consider 20his name," until salvation and righteousness will be revealed to those who fear God. '1\nd you will turn again and see (the difference) between the righteous 21 and the phrase may be reasonably interpreted as referring to the earthly elect, who are comparable to angels. Cf. 1QSb 4:23 and 1QM 12:8. 10. house of the Torah That is, the community. This recalls the designation of the community as "those who observe the Torah in the house ofJudah" in 1QpHab 8:1; cf. 7:n. 57 neighbors Another group of apostates from the community. 11. men of mockery In Isa. 28:14, the "men of mockery" are the devious leaders ofJerusalem. 4Qpisah ( 4Q.!62) shows that the sect applied Isaiah's phrase to the contemporary leadership in Jerusalem. statutes of righteousness The rulings of the Righteous Teacher. C£ lines 31-33. 12. Damascus See comment on CD 6:5. new covenant See comment on CD 6:19. 14. gathered in Hebrew he'asef, a euphemism for "died:' See comment on line 1. until the end of all the men of war The language comes from Deut. 2:14, which speaks of the wan- dering of the Israelites in the desert until all the "men of war" of that generation had perished as God had promised. In this context, the men of war are the Jewish enemies of the sect. 15. Man of the Lie See comment on CD 1:14. 40 years This period of time between the death of the Teacher and the final judgment is typological. Just as biblical Israel was rewarded with entrance into the Promised Land after 40 years in the desert, so too, God's redemption awaited community members after 40 years of suffering evil. 15-16. during that time God's anger will be kindled against Israel See comments on CD 2:8-10 and 4:8-9. C£ 6:10, 14. 16. "There is no king and no prince" An allusion to Hosea 3:4, understood as referring to the ab- sence of the Teacher's leadership. 17. but the penitents from sin (amo,;g) Jacob Alluding to Isa. 59:20, which promises that a redeemer will rescue these penitents. 17-20 An allusion to Mal. p6 with expansions. The context of this and the following quotation from Malachi is the eschatological judgment. 20-21 An allusion to Mal. 3:18. Damascus Document 3001 wicked, between (the lot of) the servant of God (and that) ofhim who did not serve him:' 'Md he does mercy to thousands, to those who love him 22 and keep him for 1,ooo generation(s):' (These verses refer to) the house ofPeleg who went out of the holy city. 23And they depended upon God during the time oflsrael's trespass. But (although) they considered the sanctuary impure, they returned 24 to the way of the people in some few ways. Each of them shall be judged according to his spirit in the holy 25 council. But all who entered the covenant who have broken through the border of the Torah, when 26 the glory of God appears to Israel they will be cut off from the midst of the camp, and along with them all the wicked ones of 27Judah, in the days when it is purged. But all those who hold firmly to these precepts, to go out 28 and go in according to the Torah, and listen to the voice of the Teacher and confess before God, (saying,) "We have [sin]ned, 29we have done wickedly, we and our fathers, by walking contrarily in the statutes of the covenant. 30And your judgments against us (are) true," and they are not to raise a hand against his holy statutes and his righteous 31 precepts and his true testimoniesi but rather, they are to be instructed in the first precepts in which 32the men of the community were judged, when they lis- tened to the voice of (the) Righteous Teacher, and they are not to reject 33 the righteous statutes when they hear them. (These men) will be joyous and happ)'j and their heart will take courage, and they will overcome 34 all the sons of the world. And God will atone for them, and they will see his salvation, for they took refuge in his holy name. 21-22 A conflation ofExod. 20:6 and Deut. 7:9. 22. house of Peleg A cipher for a group whose identity remains unclear. According to Gen. 10:25, Peleg son of Eber was so named because "in his days the earth was divided [ niflegah] :' 58 holy city That is, Jerusalem. 24. the people That is, the corrupt majority. according to his spirit Cf. 1QS 4:26, which explains that God has cast the lot of every living being "according to its spirit" (of good or evil). See comment on CD 20:4. 24-25. holy council The council of the community. C£ 1QS 2:25; 8:21. 25. broken through the border of the Torah That is, they have disobeyed sectarian legal rulings. Rabin notes that the use of this phrase is reminiscent of the use of Eccles. 10:8 ("he who breaches a stone fence will be bitten by a snake") in B. Shab. noa to signify violation of Rabbinic law. 59 See also T. J:Iul. 2:22-23. 27. these precepts A reference to the long set of rulings following the Admonition. 28-30. we have [sin]ned ... your judgments against us (are) true Another version of this confession appears in 1QS 1:24-26. The language is rooted in passages such asPs. 106:6 and Dan. 9:5 and is similar to the Rabbinic forms of confession (e.g., M. Yoma 3:8). 31. first precepts The laws promulgated by the early community or a parent movement. See com- ments on CD 4:7-8 and 20:8-9. 33· will be joyous and happy An allusion toPs. 40:17 or 70:5. 34· they will see his salvation Adaptation ofPs. 91:16. they took refuge in his holy name Alluding to Zeph. 3:121 which refers to the remnant oflsrael as "a poor, humble folk:' Sectarian texts often refer to the community as poor. See, for example, CD 19:9; 1QpHab 12:31 6. Although manuscript Bends here, 4QPa 4 appears to contain the contin- uation of this blessing. 3002 Joseph L. Angel 4QDe 2 i 9-ii 21 (II 6Q15 5 1-5) 1 9 : [ or one] who worships or sends forth(?) []the sun(?) 10 [ or go]at demons or inquires of ghosts and familiar spirits [ ] 11 [] and the spirits, or one who profanes the name [] ... 16 [ her maiden]hood in the house 17 [of her father or a widow] with whom another lies 18 [ or one who ap]proaches his wife on the 19 [Sabbath?] day [] or one who 2 5 6 : [ or one who re] fuses (?) to set aside [the holy things? ] [ to give] to the sons of Aaron the plant- 7 ing [in the fourth year ] [ the firs] t of whatever they possess and the tithe [of their animals from the cattle] 8 and the sheep and the redempti[on of the firstlings of] unclean animals and the redemption of the first[born of man and the first shearings of] 9 the sheep, and the assessment money for the redemp- tion of their person, [and any guilt restitution that] 10 cannot be returned, together with the additional fifthi or [ ] 11 by their names, thereby defiling his holy spirit [ ] 12or one afflicted with skin disease or an uncle[an] flux [or] 13 one who reveals a secret of his people to the Gentiles, or curses [his people, or preaches] 14sedition against those anointed with the holy spirit and error against [the seers of his truth 4QDe 2 i 9-ii 21 2 i 9-ii 18 Baumgarten notes that this list of transgressions is broadly similar to the list of curses of particular sinners appearing in Deut. 27, "although the sins here reflect the special concerns of Qumran legists:' 60 2 i 10. [go]at demons The sin would be the offering of sacrifice to such demons. See Lev. 17:7. inquires ofghosts and familiar spirits This transgression is derived from Lev. 20:27. C£ CD 12:3. 2 i 11. profanes the name It is unclear whether this is a result of the preceding transgression or con- nected with a separate action. Cf. CD 15:3. 2 i 16-19 These lines deal with transgressions of a sexual nature, the details of which are unclear. Lines 18-19 may refer to the sin of engaging in marital relations on the Sabbath. C£ Jub. so:8. Rabbinic tradition allows and encourages marital relations on the Sabbath (e.g.,]. Ket. 3ob, 5:7; B. Ket. 62b). 2 ii 5-10 These lines refer to sins concerning various types of dues owed to the priests. 2 ii 6. planting [in the fourth year] The reconstruction is in line with the Qumranite interpretation ofLev. 19:241 according to which the fourth-year produce from newly planted trees is granted to the priests. See comment on 4QDa 6 iv 1-5. 2 ii 7-8 For the tithing of cattle and sheep, see Lev. 27:32. These are assigned to the priests also in 4QMMT B 63-64. 2 ii 8. redempti[on of the firstlings] For the redemption of firstborns, see Num. 18:15. 2 ii 9· sheep Likely referring to the first shearing, which, according to Deut. 18:4, belongs to the priests. assessment money for the redemption of their person Cf. Lev. 27:1-8, which delineates the mone- tary values of various classes of people with respect to dedications to the LoRD. Cf. 4Q!.59 1 ii 6. 2 ii 10 For this case, see comment on CD 9:13-15. 2 ii 11. defiling his holy spirit The offense is unclear. But cf. CD 5:11-12 and 7:3-4. 2 ii 12 The reference to these physical affiictions in this context may reflect that they were seen as symptomatic of sin. 61 2 ii 13 C£ Temple Scroll (uQ!.9) 64:6-9, where such treason is punishable by hanging. 2 ii 14. those anointed with the holy spirit As in CD 2:12-13 (see comment), this refers to the prophets. Damascus Document 3003 by rebelling] 15 against the word of God, or one who slaughters an animal or a beast that is pregnan[ t or one who lies withJ 16 a pregnant woman, causing blood to stir(?) [or approaches] the daughter [of his brother or one who lies with a male] 17 as with a woman. Those who transgress [ ] 18 God has ordained, causing his w[rath] to be kindled during the peri[od ofiniquity] 19 And now hearken to me, all who know righteousness [and put(?)] the la[ wofGod in your hearts, that I may reveal] 20 to you the ways oflife and open [before your eyes] the paths of destruction so that 21 you not be caught [in the snares of destruction], and by considering the deeds of each generation [ ] 4QDa 5 ii 1-15; 4QDb 5 iii 1-8; 4QDh 21-2; 4 i 5-11 9 0 Anyone dim of [eye]s or [and anyone who is not] 1quick to un[derstand] and anyone whose [speech] is too soft(?) or speaks with a staccato [voice] 2 and not dividing his words so that [his voice] may be heard, no[ne of these] shall read from the bo[ok] 3 ofthe La[w],lest he cause error in a capital mat- ter. []congregation and [ J 4 [] his brethren, the priests, in the service, but he shall n[ot. Anyone] 5 of the sons of Aaron who was in captivity among the Gentiles [ ] 6 to profane him with their uncleanli- ness. He may not approach the [holy] service [] 7within the curtain and may not eat the [most] holy [offerings ] 8Anyone of the sons of Aaron who migrates to se [rve the Gentiles, ] 9 to teach his people the foundation of the nation, and also to betray(?) [ anyone of the sons of] 10Aaron causing his name to fall from the truth(?) [walking] uin the willfulness ofhis heart to eat of the sacred [] 12 oflsrael 2 ii 15. slaughters an animal or a beast that is pregnan[tThis prohibition is based on Lev. 22:28. C£ 4QMMT B 36-38 and Temple Scroll (nQ!9) 52:5. 2 ii 16. causing blood to stir Sexual relations with a pregnant woman are prohibited since coital pres- sure might cause bleeding and render intercourse illicit. Cf. CD 5:7. daughter [of his brother] For criticism of uncle-niece marriages, see comment on CD 5:7-8. 2 ii 18 This line likely indicates that those who commit the previous sins provoke the prescribed wrath of God. 2 ii 19-21 A direct call to hearken similar to those appearing in CD 1:1;2:2, 14; and 4QPa 1 a-b 5· Since in each of these cases the call introduces an admonitory passage, the same is likely true here. However, the following text is lost. 4QDa 5 ii 1-15; 4QDb 5 iii 1-8; 4QDh 21-2; 4 i 5-11 0-3 Since the fragment as a whole is concerned with laws pertaining to priests, these lines likely view public reading of the Torah as a priestly function. C£ Josephus, Ant. 4.209. The worry here is that priests with reading impediments will mispronounce a word, leading to an error in a capital case. 4 The remains are too fragmentary to determine the case. 5-7 These lines refer to the disqualification of priests who have been taken captive by non-Jews from Temple service and eating sacrificial food. 7· within the curtain Referring to the inner sanctuaryi the holiest portion of the Temple (c£ Lev. 16 and Exod. 16). According to Lev. 16, only the high priest had access to this area. This law thus may be directed specifically toward the high priest. 62 8-u Disqualifying treasonous and apostate priests from Temple service. Priests are charged with apostasy in a number of Second Temple period writings. 63 3004 Joseph L. Angel -- the counsel of the sons of Aaron who [ ] 13the one who eats, and he shall incur guilt for the blood [ ] 14in genealogy. And this is the order for the dwelling [of the towns oflsrael the men] 15 ofholi[ness in] their [c]amps [and] their towns in a[ll] 4QP" 6 i 1-12; 4QDd 7i 4QD8 1 i 20-1 ii 1-2; 4QDh 4 ii 10 1[ a discoloration o]r a scab or b[right spot] 2 [] it is mh. And the scab (from) a blow (by) wood [or sto] ne, or any blow when the sp[irit] enters [and takes] hold 3ofthe artery, (making) the blood [recede up] ward and downward. And the artery [] 4 [] after the blood. [And the priest shall see the] 5 living [skin] as well as [the dead. If the] dead [(skin) is not lower] than 6 [that which is living], he shall quaran[tin] e him [until] the flesh grows. Then the priest will see (him) [on] 7 the seventh [d] ay (to see) [if the spiri]t oflife moves up and down and (if) the flesh has grown. 8lt is healed from [the s]cab. The priest (need) not see the skin of the flesh. 9 But if the discoloration of the scab is lower 10 [than] the sk[in] and the priest sees in it the appearance ofliving flesh, 11 it is [tzara'at] which has taken hold of the liv- ing skin. This (is) a similar precept for [] 12and the priest will see (it) on the seventh day: and if there is living (flesh) added 13to [the dead], it is malignant [tz]ara'at. The precept for a scall of the head or the bea[rd:] 14 [ and] the priest [se]es and if the spirit has entered the head or the beard, taking hold 15 ofthe artery and [the affliction sprea]ds under the hair turning its appearance to fine yellowish; for it is like a plant 16which [h]as a worm under it. And it (the worm) severs its root and makes its blos- som wither. And (as to that) which 17is said, "And the priest shall order and they will shave the head, 12 This may be part of a prohibition barring laypeople from asking for the counsel of an apostate priest. 14-15 Based on the lack of connection with the preceding material, these lines appear to introduce a new section. 4QD" 6 i 1-12; 4QDd 7i 4QD8 1 i 20-1 ii 1-2; 4QDh 4 ii A composite text of overlapping fragments interpreting the laws of skin disease found in Lev. 13. The present passage is likely the background to CD 13:4-7. 1-11 C£ the priestly examination described in Lev. 13:2-8. 2-3 Skin disease is caused by the presence of"spirit" (Hebrew ruah; cf.lines 71 14,20) that disrupts the normal blood flow in the arteries. Healing occurs with the return ofblood to the arteries and by its movement "up and down" (cf.lines 7, 20-21). Parallels to this physiological conception are to be found in ancient Greek medical writings and the Jewish medical work Sefer ha-Reju'ot attributed to As aph (6th century CE?). 64 S· living [skin] In Lev. 13:10-15 this phrase is used to describe "raw" or infected skin. Here, it may refer to healthy skin over against "dead" or affected skin. 65 w.livingjlesh That is, affected flesh, in the sense of Lev. 13:10-15. 11. [tzara'at] A type of skin disease, discussed at length in Lev. 13-14.lt is mentioned again in lines 13 and 21. 13. malignant tzara'at Cf. the appearance of the same phrase in Lev. 13:51-52 with respect to in- fected garments. scall C£ the laws of Lev. 13:29-37. 15-16 A comparable analogy appears in Lev. Rab. 13:3. 66 17 Adaptation of Lev. 13:33. Damascus Document 3005 but the scall they shall not shave;' (this is) in order that 18 the priest may count the dead and living hair and see whether any has been added from 19 the living to the dead during the seven days, (in which case) he is unclean. But if no [ne] has been added from the living 20 to the dead, and the artery is filled (with) [blo]od and the spirit oflife goes up and down it, 21 the affliction [is healed]. This is the precept of (the) [Tora]h (concerning) tzara'atfor the sons of Aaron to separate 1[] 4QDg1 ii3-17 ( + 4QDa 6 i 14-16) 3 And the rule concerning one who has a discharge: Any man 4with a discharge from his flesh or one who brings upon himselflustful thoughts or who 5 [ ] his contact is like that of [ ] 6he shall launder his do [thJes and [bathe in water ] 7him, who touches him shall ba[ the. And] the law [of a woman who has a discharge: Any woman] 8who has a discharge ofblood [shall be in her men]strual impurity se[ven days she] shall remain fo[r] 9 the seven days[ ]the menstruant and a[ll] 10 [tou]ch her[ ] 11 [ ] 12stir up [the blood of her discharge(?) ] 13 the water [ ] 14 [ ] 15 and with the waters of purification [ ] 16 the livin [g water ] 17her hand [ ] 4QDa 6 ii 1-13 1 [ J the wom[an one who] approaches 2 [her has the s]in of menstrual impurity upon him. If she ag[ain] sees (blood), and it is not [at the time of] 3 [her menstruation] of seven days, she shall not eat anything 4QDg1 ii3-17 3-7 An apparent expansion of the laws of male genital discharge found in Lev. 15. There, a distinction is made between abnormal discharge (zav) and normal discharge (shikhvat zera), that is, semi- nal emission. Whereas the defilement caused by the latter type of impurity lasts for only one day (Lev. 15:16-17 ), the defilement caused by the former type lasts for seven (15:13-14). Here, howev- er, it seems that no distinction has been made between normal and abnormal discharges. Normal cases of seminal emission are viewed as causing the longer seven-day period of defilement. 67 4· lustful thoughts The case of a man who has had a seminal emission due to his own lascivious thoughts. s. his contact Hebrew maga'o refers to derivative uncleanness contracted by people or objects touched by one with an abnormal discharge. 68 Hence, if"his" refers to the man with lascivious thoughts from the previous line, he is being judged as carrying the strict impurity of the zav. 6 C£ Lev. 15:13, 16. 7-17 These lines contained laws pertaining to genital discharges of women. 4QDa 6 ii 1-13 1-2. approaches [her has the s]in of menstrual impurity upon him Cf. Lev. 15:24. 2. s]in The equation of moral and ritual impurity was common at Qumran. See comment on CD 9:21-23. 2-3 Cf. Lev. 15:25. Here, any continued bleeding after the allotted seven days is considered an ab- normal discharge ( zavah), which requires seven further days of purification. Rabbinic law is less stringent and stipulates that the status of a zavah is achieved only after three consecutive days of postmenstrual bleeding. See Sifra Metsora, Parashat Zavim 5· 3006 Joseph L. Angel hallowed, nor co [me] 4 into the sanctuary until sunset on the eighth day. 5And a woman who [conceiv] es and bears a male child [shall be unclean] for the seven [days], 6 [as] in [the day] s of her menstru [al impurity. And on the eighth day the flesh of his] foreskin [shall be circumcised. For] 7 [33 days she shall remain in her blood purification. If she bears a female child] 8 [she shall be unclean two weeks as in her menst]ruation. [For 66 days she shall remain in her blood] 9 [purification. And she] shall not eat [any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary], 10 [for] it is a capital [of]fense [let her give] 11 [the ch] ild to a nurse (who can nurse it) in puri[ty]. 12 [And] if she cannot afford [a lamb, she shall take a tur- tledove or a pigeon for a burnt offering] 13 [and she] shall substitute [it for the lambJ 4QDe 3 ii 12-21 ( + 4QD" 6 iii 3-10 and 4QDb 6) 12 Concerning [gleanings (of grain)] and the single grapes of the vineyard, the single grapes may be up to ten berries 13And all the gleanings up to a seah per bet seah (however), a (field) which does not yield its seed 14is not subject to a terumah [and] fallen berries, nor its single grapes up to ten b[erries]. 15As 3-4 For the defilement of the Temple through menstrual impurity, see comment on CD 5:7. Temple Scroll (nQ1.9) 48:14-16 implies that its author held the same ruling. 4· sunset The instruction of waiting until evening after immersion to become fully pure in this and several other Qumran purity laws is intended as a polemic against the Pharisaic concept of tevul yom, according to which a partial state of purity is achieved immediately after daytime immer- sion. 69 1he Rabbis record the other side of this polemic atM. Parah 3:7. 5-13 Laws pertaining to the impurity of the parturient. Cf. Lev. 12 (see further, Jub. 3:8-14 and 4Q?.6s 7 ii). 10. capital [oj]fense Presumably referring to her entry into the Temple while still in a state of im- purity. No such law appears in Lev. 12. C£, however, Num. 19:20. 11 The mother's impurity barred her from breastfeeding her newborn. This sectarian ruling is un- paralleled in biblical or Rabbinic law. 4QDe 3 ii 12-21 12-19 Much like the Mishnah tractate Pe'ah, these lines elaborate upon the Torah laws concerning agricultural gleanings to be left for the needy, and define the maximum amount to be gleaned (see Lev.19:9-1o; 23:22; Deut. 24:19-21). 12. single grapes That is, lacking the form of a cluster. C£ M. Pe'ah 7:4. ten berries This upper limit of what may be taken by the poor is perhaps derived from some combi- nation of the numbers mentioned in lsa. 17:6: "Only gleanings shall be left of him .... Two ber- ries or three on the topmost branch, four or five on the boughs of the crown:' 70 13. seah A unit of capacity, approximately 12liters. 71 bet seah The amount ofland necessary for the planting of one seah worth of seed. Thus, the upper limit to be gleaned by the poor is capped at the amount of seed used to produce the harvest. Cf. the talmudic discussion stipulating the proper amount to be gleaned by the poor in relation to quantity of seed in B. BM wsb. does not yield its seed That is, a scanty harvest. 14.terumah Biblical Hebrew term for offerings given to priests (e.g., Deut. 12:6) or the tithe owed to the Levites (Num. 18:24). This line seems to indicate that a terumah portion does not need to be taken from the gleanings of a poor harvest. Cf. M.lfal. 1:3. Damascus Document 3007 to the remnants of the olive harvest [and the frui]t of its produce, if it (the harvest) is intact, its gleaning is one out of 16 30. [ J But if the field was muddied or scorched 17by fire, if one seah per bet seah was left, it is subject to the tithe. If 18 one person gleans one [seah] from it in one day the terumah from it shall be 19 [one] isaron. [ ] Concerning the two loaves of terumah, it is for all homes oflsrael when they eat of the bread 20 [ofthe land to] set aside terumah once a year. One isaron shall be each (loaf) 21 [ before] its completion by Israel, let no one raise 4QDa 6 iv 1-5 1[All holy offerings from] 2plantings of the vineyar[d, and] all trees with [edible fruit shall belong to the ]m, 3 according to their rule in the holy [soil], and in the land of sojourning, and afterward they may sel[l] 4 ofthem to bu[y ]one may [p]lant, in the fourth year he [may not eat of it] 5 [for] they are sanc- tified in [that y] ear [ ] 4QPf 21-6 ( + 4QDe 3 iii 13-15) 1[] from the threshing floor he shall deduct a tenth per h[omer, which is an e]phah 2[or a bat], as [God] 16-17 These disasters are comparable to those mentioned in M. Pe'ah 2:7. There, stricken fields are exempt from the donation of the corner of the field (pe'ah), unless half of the harvest is sal- vaged (2:8). 18 The priestly gift of the terumah must even be extracted from the gleanings of the poor, provided that it is substantial. Rabbinic law holds that gleanings are exempt from this requirement. See M.Hal.1:3. 19. isaron A measure equaling about one third of the seah that has been gleaned. 19-21 This passage draws on Num. 15:20, which refers to the setting aside of bread as a holy offer- ing (~allah). Rabbinic tradition understands this offering as coming from the dough (seeM. Ifal. 3:1), whereas here it is to come from the bread. The interpretation here may derive from the identification of the offering ofNum. 15:20 with the "two loaves of bread" to be offered on Shavuot, mentioned in Lev. 23:17. 72 4QDa6 iv1-5 Leviticus 19:24 commands that the fourth-year produce of a newly planted tree is to be "set aside for jubilation before the LoRD." Here, this commandment is interpreted as requiring that such pro- duce be given to the priests. The same ruling appears in several other Qumran scrolls (4QMMT B 62-63; Temple Scroll [uQJ.9] 60:3-4; Jub. 7:35-37; 1QtpGen 12:13-15; and see 4QPe 2ii u).This differs from the Rabbinic interpretation, which calls for such produce to be eaten by its owners in Jerusalem like produce of the second tithe (Sifrei Be-Midbar 6). 73 3· land of sojourning Perhaps indicating that this law regarding fourth-year fruit is also applicable outside of the land oflsrael. C£ M. Kid. i:9. 4QDf21-6 This section is concerned with the issue of tithing. 3008 Joseph L. Angel estab[lished], the ephah and the bat shall both be of one measure. And from [the wheat a s]ixth 3 [of an ephah per homer, and a tenth of a bat for the f] ruit of trees. Let no one deviate by offering from the lambs [on] e out of a 100. 4Let [no] one eat [ from the threshing floor] and from the garden before [the prie]sts stretch forth their hand 5 [to ble]ss first. []house (belongs) to the man, he may sell and with [ J and then will he be guiltless 6 [] and the []mixed(?) field. 4QDf 2 7-13j 4QDd 8 i Jj 8 ii 1-6j 4QDe 3 iii 19-21 11 7[ J from the laws of the community three times 8Let no one bring [ ] with the blood of their sacrifices [and] garment among his purities, and from all 9the gold, silver, copper, [t]in, and le[ad from which] the Gentiles made images, let no one bring it 10among [his] purities, [except] only new (materials) coming from the furnace. Let no one bring any leather, garment, or llany utensil with which work is [done], which have been defiled by a human corpse, unless they were sprinkled according to the law 12 [of purification] in the period of wickedness with the [waters] of sprinkling by a man puri[fied from] all his defilement, who 13has waited for [sun] down. [Any youth who is no] t of age to pass among those that are mu[stered shall no]t [sprinkle] 2. ephah ... bat These two biblical metrological terms are deemed the equivalent of a tenth of a homer in Ezek. 45:11. The same point is made in 4Qs13 1-2 i 4 (cf. 4QI.59 1 ii 13-14). 3· deviate by offering from the lambs [on]e out of a 100 According to Ezek. 45:15, one sheep out of 200 is to be donated. This law appears to forbid deviation from this ratio, even when it would double the gift. 4-5 Properly tithed food may not be eaten before the priestly blessing. C£ the Qumranite prohibi- tion against eating at communal meals prior to the blessing of the priest (1QS 6:5; 1Q$a 2:17-21). s This line seems to deal with circumstances in which one might be exempt from the tithing require- ment. Baumgarten calls attention to comparable material in M. Ma'as. 2:1-5? 4 4Q.Df 2 7-13j 4QDd 8 i Jj 8 ii 1-6j 4QDe 3 iii 19-21 8. blood of their sacrifices That is, blood from pagan sacrifices, which defiles that which comes into contact with it. According to Rabbinic law, pagan offerings are counted among the most severe sources of impurity (see B. Avo d. Zar. 32b; cf. Jub. 22:16-17; Acts 15:20 ). 9-10 A blanket prohibition against metals deriving from idols. The Mishnah, however, permits pos- session of fragments from broken idols and allows for the nullification of idolatrous items by their Gentile owners (M. Avod. Zar. 3:2; 4:4-5). 10. from the furnace This guarantees that the metal has not been previously used for idolatrous purposes. 10-12 For corpse impurity and purification ritual, see Num. 19 and Temple Scroll (uQI.9) 49-50? 5 12. period of wickedness See comment on CD 6:10. 13. [sun]down The same requirement appears in 4QMMT B 14-16. See comments on 4QPa 6 ii 3-4. The Rabbis held that one who had immersed that day was fit for most purposes even before sun- down (see the interpretation ofNum. 19:19 in B. Yoma 43b). age to pass The minimum age is 20 years old. See comment on 15:6. [shall no]t [sprinkle] The same rule appears also in 4Qz.77 17. This contrasts with the Rabbinic po- sition, which allows the participation of minors (seeM. Parah 12:10; B. Yoma 43a). Damascus Document 3009 4QDe41-8 1 a man will bring a woman to have her tried by the curse 2 [ ] who sees, if he sees [his neighbor's] [ ] wife 3 [ if] she said I was raped 4 [ he shall not bri]ng her, unless her blood does [not] come forth 5 [ he shall bring her before one of] the priests and [the priest] shall dishevel 6 [ (the hair of) her head, and he shall impose an oath upon] the woman and cause her to drink 7 [the bitter water of the curse] 1 she shall not take from [his] hand [a] ny 8 [ ] the holy [water] 4QDf3 2-15; 4QDb 7; 4QDd 9; 4QDe 512 5 and ifhe cannot afford to bu[y it back], and the [jubilee] year is drawing ne[ar] 6 [ Janda human [] being. And God will release h[im from all] his sins. [Men's clothing sh]al[l] not 7 [be shared by a man and a woman] for this is an abomination. And as to what he said, "For [if you sell] 8 [anything to or buy anything from] your fellow you shall not cheat one another:' And this is the exact state [ment] 9 [ ] according to all that he knows that he will find [ ] 10 [ ] and he knows that he is betraying him con- cerning a human being or concerning an animal. And if 11 a man [giv]es [his daughter] to another (in marriage) he shall report to him all her shortcomings lest he bring upon himself the judgment of 12the curse as he has said, "The one who leads astray the blind from the path:' And also he shall not give her 4QDe41-8 This passage deals with the ordeal of the woman suspected of adultery ( sotah) described in Num. 5:11-31. 2 This line refers to a witness to a meeting between the married woman and another man. According to Num. 5:13, the ordeal is required when "there is no witness against her:' However, the interpre- tation here may be in line with that of the Rabbis, who take Num. 5:13 to mean that there was no witness to the adultery, but that there was a witness to a liaison. SeeM. Sot. 1:1. 76 3 A woman who was raped is not required to undergo the ordeal. The ruling is based on an inter- pretation of the words "without being forced" in Num. 5:13. The same interpretation appears in Rabbinic exegesis (see Sifre Num. 7i Rashi on Num. 5:13). 4lf the reconstructions are correct, the wife is suspected of being pregnant because of the cessa- tion of her period. 7· not take .from [his] hand The woman may not take the vessel holding the water she is to drink from the priest's hand since she may defile him. 4QDf 3 2-15; 4QDb 7; 4QDd 9; 4QDe 5 5 The issue at hand concerns the reversion of property to its original impoverished owner in the jubilee year. Cf. Lev. 25:28. 6. release h[im from all] his sins Cf. nQMelchizedek (nQB) 2 6, where the economic release man- dated for the jubilee and sabbatical years is understood as a metaphor for spiritual liberation from sin at the end of days. 6-7 Prohibition against transvestism deriving from Deut. 22:5. 77 7-10 Elaborating on the prohibition ofbusiness fraud appearing in Lev. 25:14. Cf. M. BM 4:3-12. u Cf. the same ruling in 4Q415 n 5· 12 Nondisclosure of the bride's physical defects is equated with misleading the blind. The curse derives from Deut. 27:18. 3010 Joseph L. Angel to one who is not suitable for her for 13 that is two kinds (like plowing with) an ox and a donkey, and to wear wool and linen together. No one shall bring 14 [a woman into the cove]nant ofholiness who has had sexual encounters 15 [ (while she was living) in the house of] her father, or a widow who has had sexual relations since she has been widowed, or any (woman) 16 [who] had a bad reputation in her youth in her father's house-no one shall take any of these unless 17 on examination by trustworthy women who are knowledgeable and chosen at the word of the Examiner who is over 18 [the cam]p. And after- ward he may take her, and when he takes her he shall act according to the l[a]w [and not] report on her. CD 15:1-15 1 He shall (not) swear, not even with (the divine names) Aleph and Lamedh, nor Aleph and Daleth, except for the oath of those who enter 2 by the curses of the covenant. And the Torah of Moses he shall not mention for ... 3 lfhe does swear and transgresses, he profanes the name. Should the judges adjure 12-13 Pairing the bride with an incompatible husband is equated with the forbidden mixtures men- tioned in Deut. 22:9-11. Cf. the equation of marriages between priests and Israelites with forbid- den mixtures in 4QMMT B 75-82. 15-18 Elaboration of the laws ofDeut. 22:13-21, regarding the groom who denies his bride's virginity. 17. trustworthy women Such women are also mentioned in 4Q!59 2-4. the Examiner For this figure's authority in sectarian family matters, see comments on CD 13:16-18. CD15:1-15 The legal portion of CD begins here, in the middle of a passage prohibiting oaths by divine names and by the Torah. The preceding material has been lost. 1. Aleph and Lamedh . .. Aleph and Daleth That is, the divine names starting with these letters: El, Elohim, and Adonai. Numerous sources indicate that due to fear of perjury, Second Temple pe- riod groups were opposed to swearing or had hesitations about the use of divine names for this purpose. 78 Rabbinic tradition eventually took the same view, and by the Gaonic period, oaths by divine names were no longer taken. 79 except for the oath of those who enter Oaths were apparently not categorically forbidden, but re- quired of new members upon entry into the sect. Josephus reports that while Essenes avoided swearing by God, they were obliged to take "tremendous oaths" upon admission to the group (J.W. 2.135-39). 2. curses of the covenant Hebrew alot haberit. The phrase recalls the curses ofDeut. 28:15-69, deemed "terms of the covenant" in 28:69 and "curses of the covenant" in 29:20. Tannaitic literature in- dicates that, indeed, the words of this passage were adapted in oath formulas and that this pas- sage was considered as constituting the "curses of the covenant" (M. Shevu. 4:13; T. Shevu. 2:15). Alternatively, the curses mentioned here may be identified with the alot haberit pronounced at the annual sectarian covenant-renewal ceremony described in 1QS 2:5-18. Torah ofMoses The prohibition of swearing by the Torah can be understood as an extension of the prohibition of oaths in the name of God. Since the Torah contains the name of God, an oath by it would be as binding as an oath by the divine name ( T. Shevu. 2:16; B. Ned. 14b; Ran, ad loc). 80 Alternatively, it may be seen as resulting from a fear of accidentally blaspheming the name of Moses, which was held in high respect (Josephus, J.W. 2.145). 81 3· profanes the name Alluding to Lev. 19:12. Damascus Document 3011 him by the curses of the covenant, 4 ifhe has transgressed, he is guilty. He must make confession and return (what he took) so as not to bear sin 5 and die. And those who enter the covenant for all oflsrael as an eternal statute shall have their sons, who have reached (the age) 6for passing among those that are mustered, take the oath of the covenant. Similar (is) 7 the precept during the entire time of evil for everyone who repents from his corrupt way. On the day that he speaks 8with the Examiner for the Many, they shall muster him with the oath of the covenant which Moses made 9with Israel, the cove[na]nt to re[turn t]o the Torah of Moses with all (his) heart [and with all] 10 (his) soul, to that which is found to be done during the en[tire tim]e of [evi]l. Let no one make 11 the precepts known to him until he stands before the Examiner ... m, (lest) he prove to be a fool when he questions him. 12But when he takes upon himself to return to the Torah of Moses with all (his) heart and all (his) soul, 13 they are free ofhis blame ifhe should transgress. Should he err in any matter of the Torah revealed to the multitude of 14the camp, the Examiner shall ma[ke it known] to him and enjoin it upon him, and te[ac]h (him) 15 for (a minimum of) one complete year. According to his knowledge 3-4 The case involves an oath of adjuration imposed by the judges on a community member suspect- ed of misappropriating the property of others. 82 Some of the language is drawn from Lev. 5:21-26, where the penalty for such an offense includes the return of the full value of the property plus an additional fifth. A guilt offering is also prescribed. Neither of these penalties is mentioned here. s. and die This implies that the penalty for profaning the divine name is death, either by divine ac- tion or at the hands of the court (c£ 4QPe 2 i 11). Philo requires the death penalty for false oaths (Spec. Laws 2.28), and the Rabbis prescribe death for the comparable crime of blasphemy (M. Sanh. 7:5; B. Sanh. s6a). all ofIsrael The community sees itself as representing the entire nation. See comment on CD 3:12-13. 6. passing among those that are mustered The language derives from Exod. 30:14, which marks the age of such individuals as 20 years and older. 83 This number is confirmed explicitly in 1Q$a 1:9- 10. In ancient Judaism, 20 was viewed as the age at which puberty, hence majority, was always completed in normal cases. 84 7· entire time of evil See comment on CD 2:8-10. Cf. 4:8-9; 6:10, 14; 12:23. everyone who repents Like the children of current community members, outsiders who wish to gain admittance to the group must take an oath. 8. Examiner Hebrew: mevaker. This official oversaw the admission of new members to the commu- nity, supervised daily life, and maintained legal and financial records. Cf. CD 13:7-19; 14:8-12. the Many A favorite term used in sectarian writings to refer to the Qumran community. See espe- cially 1QS 6-9. 9-10. all (his) heart [and with all] (his) soul Alluding to Deut. 6:5. 10. that which is found to be done during the en[tire tim]e of [evi]l This refers to the legal interpre- tations of the Torah revealed to the community, which will be in effect until the Messianic Age. 10-11 This rule is apparently intended to assist the Examiner with the identification of foolish candidates. 12-13 Once a candidate has been properly approved, his disobedience cannot be blamed on those who admitted him. 15. one complete year C£ the same phrase as it appears in the more elaborate admission process de- scribed in 1Q$ 6:13-23. 3012 Joseph L. Angel 4QDa 8 i 6-9 ( + CD 15:15-17) 6 let him be brought near. And no light-minded 7 [f]ool shall come (into the congregation). Neither shall any simpleminded or errant man, nor one with dimmed eyes who cannot see, 8 nor a limping or lame or deaf person, nor a young boy, none 9 of these shall [come] into the congregation, for the hol[yJ angels [are in their midst] CD16 1 with you a covenant and with all Israel. Therefore, a man shall take upon himself (an oath) to return to 2 the Torah of Moses, for in it everything is specified. And the explication of their times, when 3 Israel was blind to all thesej behold, it is specified in the Book of the Divisions of the Times 4 in their Jubilees and in their Weeks. And on the day when a man tak~s upon himself (an oath) to return 5 to the Torah of Moses, the angel Mastema shall turn aside from after him, if he fulfills his words. 6Therefore, Abraham was circumcised on the day of his knowing. 4QDa 8 i 6-9 ( + CD 15:15-17) The reading of the fragmentary lines in CD 15:15-17 has been enhanced by additional words provided by 4QPa. The passage is based on the laws of Lev. 21:16-24, which exclude priests with certain physical defects from serving in the Temple. Since the Qumran sect viewed itself as a temple and its members as priests, those who are considered unfit for priestly service in the Temple are to be denied admission to the covenant of the community. 85 Similar interpretations of the restric- tions of Lev. 21 are used in 1QSa 2:4-9 and 1QM 7:4-6. 9· for the hol[y] angels [are in their midst] The motivating anxiety behind these restrictions is that the angels dwelling amidst the Temple communityj who represent God's presence itsel£ might be exposed to impurity and therefore depart. 86 CD16 1-2 Although the preceding material is lost, these lines clearly continue the section dealing with admission of new members. 3-4. Book of the Divisions of the Times in their Jubilees and in their Weeks A reference to the book ofJubilees, which was clearly an authoritative work for the author of this passage. A similar name for this book appears in the prologue to Jubilees itself. s. Mastema Another epithet for the demonic leader of the forces of darkness. C£ Jub. 11:5; 17:16; 18:9. Elsewhere in the Damascus Document, this figure is called "Belial:' 6. therefore, Abraham was circumcised Abraham's fulfillment of the covenant of circumcision is ex- emplary and viewed as a bulwark against Mastema's deleterious powers. Cf. Jub. 15:26-27, where those who remain uncircumcised are designated "children of destruction" destined to be oblit- erated from the earth. day of his knowing That is, knowing God. C£ Jub. 12:19-20; M. Avo d. Zar. 1. Damascus Document 3013 And concerning what he said, "The utterance of your lips 7 take heed to fulfill:' Any binding oath by which a man takes upon himself 8to do a thing (sanctioned) by the Torah, even unto the price of death, let him not redeem it. (But) anything by which 9 a man [tak]es upon himself to [de]part [from the To] rah, even to the price of death, let him not fulfill it. 10 [ Conce]rning the oath of a woman of which he sai[d that] her [husband] may annul her oath: Let no 11 man annul an oath of which he does not [k] now if it should be fulfilled or annulled. 12lf (the oath) is to transgress the covenant, let him annul it and not allow it to stand. And this is likewise the precept for her father. 13 Concerning the precept of dona- tions: Let no one vow to the altar anything violently acquired, nor shall 14 [the pr]iests take it from an Israelite. [Let no] one sanctify the food of 15 [his] mou[th] ... 1for this is what he said, "Each one t[ra] ps his neighbor (with) a ban:' And 16 one shall not sanctify any ... his possession 17he shall sanctify 1... b h ... be punished 18the one who vows ... 19for the judge[s] ... 20if. .. 6-7. the utterance of your lips take heed to fulfill A citation and adaptation of Deut. 23:24. 1he connection of this verse with the following laws results from the appearance of the phrase "ut- terance of the lips" (motza sefatayim) in Deut. 23:24 and Num. 30:13. 1he author took both of these scriptural passages as referring to the same regulations. 1he same identification is made in Temple Scroll (uQ].g) 52:11-54:7. 7· binding oath Cf. Num. 30:14. 8. price of death Josephus reports that Essenes would die of starvation rather than break their oath to abstain from the impure food of outsiders (J.W. 2.143). 87 let him not redeem it 1hat is, the oath is valid and he may not withdraw from it. Contrast Rabbinic tradition, according to which oaths to fulfill or transgress something already required by the Torah are invalid since the entire people of Israel has already sworn to fulfill the commandments at Sinai (B. Shevu. 27a). 88 9.let him not fulfill it Rabbinic tradition agrees that an oath calling for the abrogation of the Torah is not to be kept (M Ned. 2:2; T. Ned. 1:4). 89 For an oath to transgress, see 1 En. 6:4-5. 90 10. [conce]rning 1his section heading typifies the division of the Laws of the Damascus Document into sections classified by subject. C£, for example, CD 16:13; 10:14. Such headings help reveal the literary units from which the larger text was composed. 1he abstract apodictic legal formu- lation recalls that of the Mishnah. 10-12 1hese rulings expand upon the laws ofNum. 30:4-17. While in Numbers the father's power to annul an oath is mentioned before that of the husband, here the order is reversed. 12. transgress the covenant 1hat this type of oath must be nullified indicates that it was considered valid. For the Rabbis, such an oath had no validity at all. See comment on line 8. 13. donations Made to the Temple. violently acquired C£ the discussion of the unfit status of stolen animals for sacrifice in B. Suk. 30a. 91 14-15. the food of [his] mou[th] Apparently a prohibition against devoting one's own food in order to prevent others from benefiting from it. C£ Matt. 15:5 and parallels. 15. each one t[ra]ps his neighbor (with) a ban A proof text from Mic. 7:2. 92 Here, the word "ban" (~erem) appears to be used as in Lev. 27:28/ 3 where it is stated that goods falling in this catego- ry are not redeemable. 94 3014 Joseph L. Angel CD9 1 Any man who destroys a man among men by the statutes of the Gentiles is to be put to death. 2 And as to that which he said, "You shall not take vengeance nor keep a grudge against the sons of your people/' anyone of those who enter 3 the covenant who brings a charge against his neighbor with- out reproof before witnesses, 4 but brings it in his burning wrath or tells it to his elders to put him to shame, is taking vengeance and bearing a grudge. 5It is written only, "He takes vengeance against his adversaries and keeps a grudge against his enemies:' 6Ifhe was silent from day to day and in his burning wrath charged him with a capital offense, 7 his iniquity is upon him, for he did not fulfill the ordinance of God that says to him, "You shall surely 8 reprove your neighbor so that you do not bear sin because of him." Concerning oaths: as to that which 9he said, "Let not your hand help you/' one who causes (another) to swear in the open field 10 that is not in the presence of the judges or by their bidding has let his hand help him. And anything lost, 11 and it is not known who stole it from the possession of the camp in which it was stolen, its owner shall cause to be pronounced 12 an oath curse. And he who hears it, if he knows and CD9 1 Based on the legal exegesis of Lev. 27:29 and 20:23 (and perhaps Gen. 9:6), this law appears to order capital punishment for those who bring about the death of a person by the Gentile au- thorities.95 The death penalty is mandated for informers in Temple Scroll ~swell (uQ!9 64:7-8 ). 2-4 This law defines the prohibitions against taking vengeance and bearing a grudge in Lev. 19:18 as referring to the leveling of an accusation against one's fellow without formal reproof before witnesses (c£ 1QS 5:25-6:1). 96 The obligation to reprove one's comrade is mentioned in Lev. 19:17 and cited in CD 9:7-8. s This citation ofNah. 1:2 serves to emphasize the prohibitions of Lev. 19:18. It is taken to mean that only God may take vengeance or bear a grudge. 97 6-8 There is a time limit to the fulfillment of the law of reproof of Lev. 19:17. The phrase "from day to day" is here adapted from Num. 30:15, which specifies the time frame during which a husband may annul the vow of his wife. Apparently, the Dead Sea sect interpreted the phrase as referring to sunset on the day that the crime was witnessed. 98 6. a capital offense Does this whole law apply only to capital cases and not others? From CD 9:22 it seems that the same law operates in noncapital matters. 7· his iniquity is upon him The accuser is apparently considered guilty of the very same crime for which he brought charges. • 9-10. "let not your hand help you" The quotation is not biblical and may derive from an unknown sectarian document (cf. 1QS 6:25-27, which is likewise based on this quotation). Alternatively, it may constitute an interpretation of 1 Sam. 25:26. The force of this law is to forbid the taking of an oath outside of court. In this way, vain or false oaths could be prevented. 10-12 This law applies the general oath of adjuration of Lev. 5:1, which is meant to compel individu- als with relevant knowledge of a crime to step forward as witnesses, to the specific case of stolen property. This oath may be compared with the tannaitic "oath of testimony" ( shevuat ha-edut), according to which a litigant could adjure a witness in a case regarding money or moveable prop- erty and the witness would respond "amen:'99 Damascus Document 3015 does not tell, shall bear guilt. 13Any guilt restitution when there are no owners, the one making re1 tion shall confess to the priest 14and it shall belong to him, besides the ram (brought as) a guilt c ing. Likewise, any lost article that is found, but there are no 15 owners, shall belong to the priests. the one who found it does not know its judgment. 16If the owners are not found, they shall retain Any trespass committed by 17 a man against the Torah, which is witnessed by his neighbor-he b but one-if it is a capital matter, he shall report it 18before his eyes with reproof to the Examiner.. the Examiner shall write it down with his hand until he does it 19again before one who again rep it to the Examiner. Ifhe is again caught in the presence of 20one, his judgment is complete. And if1 are two and they testify about 21 one case, the man shall only be separated from the purity; provi they are 22 reliable. And on the day when a man sees it, he shall make it known to the Examiner. 1. concerning property they shall receive two 23 reliable witnesses, while one is sufficient to separate (I from) the purity. No witness shall be 12. bear guilt Indicating an obligation to bring a sacrifice to the Temple. See comment on CD 6:u 13-15 The law is based on Num. s:6-8, which deals with the problem of the case in which there is no original owner to whom to make restitution. Although the crimes requiring such restitution are not specified there, they likely were seen as including those mentioned in Lev. 5:21-23, which describes the same institution. These include a false oath sworn to retain possession of a depos- it, an investment, stolen or withheld property, or a lost object. 100 Although the extra penalty of one fifth of the value of the principal is not mentioned here, it is to be assumed that this was to be given to the priest as well (c£ 4QPe 2 ii 10 ). 14-15 Deuteronomy 22:2 requires the discoverer oflost property, the owner of which is unknown, to hold it in his house until the owner comes looking for it. Here, by requiring that the property be given to the priests, the author has interpreted the Law in light ofNum. s:6-8. The innova- tion is perhaps dependent on the interpretation of the phrase "your house" (betekha) in Deut. 22:2 to mean the Temple. 101 16. they shall retain it That is, the priests. Rabin points out that their never taking official posses- sion indicates that the author does not share the Rabbinic concept of"abandonment" (ye'ush), which allows finders ofcertain types of ownerless items to claim possession immediately. 102 See B. BM 22b. 16-23 According to this interpretation ofDeut. 17:6, the testimony of single witnesses to separate commissions of the same offense can be combined to convict an offender. The reference to "three witnesses" in that verse is understood as the required number for capital crimes, 103 and the reference to "two witnesses" as the required number for monetary crimes. This differs from Rabbinic tradition, which does not allow for the combination of the testimony of single wit- nesses to separate crimes and sees Deut. 17:6 as indicating that the weight of three witnesses is no more than the weight of two in capital or noncapital cases (seeM. Mak. 1:7-8; c£ Temple Scroll [nQJ9) 64:8). 104 The Damascus Document may in fact agree with the Rabbinic position that, when together, two witnesses are enough for a capital case. 18. write it down A list of such rebukes listed by the Examiner seems to have been preserved in 4Q477· 21-23. purity . .. purity That is, the pure food of the community. Those reported as transgressing, but by too few witnesses for a conviction, were still banned from this food because their trans- gression had rendered them ritually impure. 105 3016 Joseph L. Angel CDw 1 received by the judges to put someone to death upon the basis of his testimony unless he has reached the age to pass 2 among those that are mustered (and) is God-fearing. No man shall be believed against his neighbor 3 as a witness who transgresses the ordinance deliberately until he is cleansed by repentance. 4 And this is the rule for the judges of the congregation: A quorum of ten men chosen 5from the con- gregation according to the time, four from the tribe of Levi and Aaron and from Israel 6six, versed in the book of Hagi and the foundations of the covenant, between 7 25 and 6o years old. And no longer shall anyone stand from 8 6o years and upward to judge the congregation. For through human failing 9 his day( s) have become few, and through the burning wrath of God against the inhabitants of the land he has decreed that 10their knowledge should depart before they complete their days. CDw 1. he As in Rabbinic law (Sifrei Dev.19o; M. Shevu. 1:1; M. RH 1:8), women were not considered as qualified witnesses by the Qumran community. 1-2. the age to pass among those that are mustered See comment on CD 15:6. 2. God1earing Possibly a designation for members of the community. C£ CD 20:19; 1Q$b 1:1. This formulation of the law leaves open the question of whether a nonmember may serve as a wit- ness in a noncapital case. 2-3 Cf. the Rabbinic statements excluding certain types of transgressors from testimony (M. Sanh. 3:3; T. Sanh. s:s; B. Sanh. 26b; cf.Josephus,Ant. 4.219). 3· the ordinance Hebrew: ha-mitzvah, a technical term for the sect's law as derived through scrip- tural exegesis. 106 This would clearly exclude Jews who did not obey or were not privy to sectar- ian rulings. 4· ten Tannaitic tradition mentions a series of courts of 3 and 23 and a high court of 71 (M. Sanh. 1; T. Sanh. 7:1 ). However, the court of 10 is not unparalleled in Jewish law. 107 5· according to the time Judges were chosen in accord with the current requirements of the sectarian legal system. Alternatively, the phrase may allude to their selection for a certain term of service. 5-6. jour from the tribe ofLevi and Aaron and from Israel six The requirement that priests be part of the court derives from Deut. 17:9. The obligation to include both priests and Levites is also mentioned in Temple Scroll (11Q!9) 57:11-14. Tannaitic tradition requires that priests and Levites be part of the Great Sanhedrin (Sifrei Dev. 153; cf. M. Sanh. 4:2; T. Sanh. 7:1; B. Yoma 26a) 108 and also makes reference to a court of priests (M. Ket. 1:5; T. Sanh. 4:7 ). The requirement of four judges from the "tribe of Levi and Aaron'' may be explained as calling for one from each of the three Ievitical families (described in Numbers) and one from the Aaronide priesthood. 6. book ofHagi The identity of this work is uncertain, but it may refer to the Torah. The term may de- rive from]osh.1:8: "Recite [ve-hagita] it [the book of the Law] day and night:' Cf. CD 13=2; 14:7-8. foundations of the covenant That is, sectarian exegesis. 6-7. between 25 and 6o years old The lower number derives from Num. 8:24, where the minimum age of service of the Levites is 25 (cf. 1QM 7:3; 1Q$a 1:12-13). The maximum age of 6o is derived from Lev. 27:3, which concerns the monetary valuation of people dedicated to the LoRD. The maximum age limit of so for Ievitical service given in Num. 8:25 was not accepted. 109 7-10 This theological explanation of the upper age limit stems from the view of senility and the diminution of the human lifespan expressed in Jub. 23:9-11. Damascus Document 3017 --- Concerning one who purifies himself in water: Let no 11 man bathe in water that is dirty or insuffi- cient to cover a man; 12neither let him purify a vessel in it. And any pool in a rock insufficient 13to cover (a man), which is touched by an unclean person, its water becomes unclean, like the water of a vessel. 14 Concerning the Sa[bba]th to guard it according to its precept: Let no one do work on the 15 sixth day from the time when the sphere of the sun is 16 distant from the gate by its fullness; for that is what he said: "Guard 17the Sabbath day to make it holY:' And on the Sabbath day one shall not talk 18 disgrace- ful and empty talk. He shall not lend his neighbor anything. He shall not make judgments concerning wealth and gain. 19He shall not talk about the work and the task to be done the next morning. 20Let no one walk in the field to do his workday business 21 (on) the Sabbath. Let him not walk outside his town 11.bathe For ritual purification. dirty C£ the water mixtures considered unfit in M. Mik. 7· insufficient to cover C£ the Rabbinic requirement that there be enough water in the ritual bath "for his entire body to be submerged" (B. Er. 4b) .110 12-13 Like water in a vessel, the pool is prone to contamination since it lacks the quantity required to bring about purification. Cf. M. Mik. 2:1-2. 14-16 Similar to the Rabbinic concept of tosefet melakhah (B. Yoma 81a-b; Sifra, Emor 14:7-9 ), the last part of Friday (immediately before sunset) is added to the Sabbath. This law proscribes all labor, thus making late Friday afternoon similar in observance to the Sabbath itsel£u 1 16. distant from the gate by its fullness That is, the "fullness," or entire diameter of the sun is still above the "gate" or horizon. A similar usage of the term "gate" (sha'ar) appears in the traditional Jewish liturgies for the evening and Sabbath morning. 16-17.jor that is what he said: "Guard the Sabbath day to make it holy" A rare case in which a law in the Damascus Document is explicitly derived from a biblical text. The citation is from Deut. 5:12, and the law is based on the word "guard" (shamor) in this verse. In the earlier statement of the Ten Commandments, the directive is rather to "remember" (zakhor) the Sabbath (Exod. 20:8 ). The substitution of zakhor with shamor in Deut. 5:12 may have suggested to the author that it was necessary to add to the Sabbath in order to avert its accidental desecration. The tan- naim related the same verse to the addition of time after the Sabbath.U 2 17-18. on the Sabbath day one shall not talk disgraceful and empty talk This clause serves as a gen- eral introduction to the following three subcategories of offense, which are derived from an im- plicit exegesis oflsa. 58:13. The Rabbinic counterparts of these regulations use the same verse. SeeM. Shab. 23:1-3; T. Shah. 7:5-7; B. Shah. 15oa-b. 113 18. he shall not lend his neighbor anything C£ the injunction ofM. Shah. 23:1, which allows loans on the Sabbath as long as the terminology of money lending is avoided.U 4 he shall not make judgments Cf. M. Betz. 5:2, which forbids judgment on the Sabbath. Here the prohibition is not against holding formal court sessions, but rather against engaging in private business argument. 19. he shall not talk about the work and the task to be done the next morning Similar prohibitions are found in the Talmud (B. Shah. 150a-b; cf. Philo, Moses 2.210-u). C£ Juh. 50:8, which man- dates the death penalty for one "who says anything about work on it-that he is to set out on a trip on it, or about any selling or buying." 115 20-21.letno one walk in the .field to do his workday business (on) the Sabbath The phrasing echoes Isa. 58:13. This law may prohibit walking to the edge of the Sabbath limit in order to leave on a 3018 Joseph L. Angel . more than 1,ooo cubits. 22Let no one eat anything on the Sabbath day except thatwhich is prepared. . And of that which is lost 23in the field one shall neither eat nor drink unless it was in the camp (before • the Sabbath) . . CDu 1 . 0n the way, when he g!JeS down to bathe, he may drink while he stands, but not draw (water) into 2 3 , any vessel. He shall not send a foreigner to do his business on the Sabbath day. Let no one put on , soiled clothes or those brought with lint(?) unless 4 they were washed with water or rubbed with frank- journey just after the end of the Sabbath. This same prohibition is echoed in M. Shah. 23:3 and T. Shah. 7:10-13. 116 2.1. let him not walk outside his town more than 11 ooo cubits This law is an interpretation of the command ofExod. 16:29: "Let everyone remain where he is: let no one leave his place on the seventh day:' Like the 2,ooo-cubit limit set for grazing animals on the Sabbath (CD 11:5-6), the figure of 1,ooo cubits is based on the description of the boundaries of the pasture land of the Levitical cities in Num. 35:2-5. The Rabbis also use the passage in Numbers to define Exod. 16:29. However, they rule more leniently that the Sabbath limit (tebum Shabbat) is 2,ooo cubits from the city (M. Sot. 5:3). Interestingly, the Talmud questions why the Sabbath limit might not have been 1,ooo cubits (B. Er. 51a). 2.2.. let no one eat anything on the Sabbath day except that which is prepared The same law appears in Jub. 2:29. The Hebrew term for prepared food here (mukhan) is used in a similar context by the tannaim (M. Shah. 24:4; B. Pes. 56b; B. Hul. 14a) and derives from Exod. 16:5 (veheikhinu), which refers to the double portion of manna gathered on the sixth day. 2.2.-2.3 Only foods within the limits of the settlement before the Sabbath may be eaten. The reason- ing may lie in the view that outside foods are considered unprepared. 2.3. camp This is the only reference to a camp in the section of the Laws treating general religious reguiations. However, in the section dealing with communal legislation, the "camp" is the prin- cipal form of organization (cf. CD 15:14; 9:11; 13:4,51 71 13, 16). CDu 1. on the way, when he goes down to bathe Bathing here may refer to the ritual cleansing of the hands performed upon rising, before eating, and possibly before prayer. 1-2.. he may drink while he stands, but not draw (water) into any vessel The same prohibition ap- pears in Jub. 2:29 and 50:8, as well as in Karaite and Falashan sources. According to the Mishnah, one may draw water from a well within the private domain, but not from a source in the public domain (M. Er. 8:6-8; cf. M. Shab. 11:4). 2.. he shall not send a foreigner to do his business on the Sabbath day This prohibition accords with the opinion of the House of Shammai and is more stringent than the view of the House of Hillel, which permits non-Jews to carry out labors if asked to do so before the Sabbath begins (M. Shah. 1:7-9; T. Shab. 1:21-22). 3-4 The tannaim also require the wearing of clean clothes on the Sabbath (Mek. d'Rashbi, Yitro 20:8 ), as well as on festivals and on the Day of Atonement. 4· frankincense For the use of spices to aromatize clothing, seePs. 45:9. The use of frankincense for perfuming purposes is known from Song of Sol. 3:6; 4:6, 14. Damascus Document 3019 incense. Let no one intermingle (purities with others) voluntarily 5 on the Sabbath. Let no one walk after an animal to graze it outside his town more 6than 2,ooo cubits. Let him not raise his hand to strike it with (his) fist. If'it is wayward, let him not bring it out ofhis house. Let no one carry (things) from the house 8 outside and from outside into the house; and ifhe be in a booth, let him not carry (things) out of it 9nor bring into it. Let (him) not open a sealed vessel on the Sabbath. Let no one carry 10spices on his person to go out or come in on the Sabbath. Let him not move within a dwelling house urock or soil. Let a nurse not carry an infant to go out or come in on the Sabbath. 12Let no one urge on his 4-5. let no one intermingle (purities with others) voluntarily on the Sabbath The meaning of this law is uncertain, and several interpretations have been proposed. It may prohibit the mixture of pri- vate and communal property (i.e., declaring private property available for communal use) on the Sabbath. Some scholars prefer to emend the text from "intermingle" (yitarev) to "starve oneself" (yitra'ev). In this case, this law would prohibit fasting on the Sabbath. 117 Alternatively, it has been suggested that in Qumran Hebrew the word "intermingle" means "to become ritually impure;' and thus this law prohibits sexual relations on the Sabbath (see comment on 4QPe 2 i 16-19 ). s-6. let no one walk after an animal to graze it outside his town more than 2,ooo cubits This rule is based on the figure in Num. 35:5. See comment on CD 10:21. 6-7 These two laws are linked to the previous one. They make it clear that animals can be pas- tured only if they can be relied upon to remain within the 2,ooo-cubit limit. The prohibition of the driving of animals may be an interpretation ofExod. 20:10 and Deut. 5:14, which forbid the working of animals on the Sabbath. The tannaim generally forbade the handling of animals on the Sabbath. 118 However, they ruled that if the animal had fled into the public domain, one may push it toward the private domain or pull it by reins or ropes. 7-8. let no one carry (things) from the house outside and from outside into the house The prohibi- tion rephrasesJer. 17:21-22. The phrasing of this law in Juh. 2:29-30 and M. Shah. 1:1 seem to be similarly based. 119 8. booth A private booth, or sukkah, for the feast of Sukkot, which is considered a temporary house. SeeM. Suk., passim. 9· let (him) not open a sealed vessel This law accords with the opinion of Rabbi Judah (ben Ilai) in M. Shah. 22:3. 120 According to his view, this action is forbidden because it is a form of"repairing a vessel" (metaken keli). However, the majority opinion of the sages permits it. 9-10. let no one carry spices on his person to go out or come in on the Sabbath This law may refer to the custom of women to wear small ornamental perfume bottles around their necks (cf. Isa. 3:20 and Song of Sol. 1:13). These bottles were not considered part of the attire and thus subject to the law against carrying from domain to domain (cf. CD 11:7-8). The tannaim also prohibited the wearing of such bottles on the Sabbath (M. Shah. 6:3; T. Shah. 4:11). 10-11.let him not move within a dwelling house rock or soil The prohibition of handling these items even inside a private home is similar to the Rabbinic law of muktzeh. This law stipulates that ob- jects not expected or designated to be used on the Sabbath could not be handled thereon. Its intent was to help prevent transgression of the Sabbath laws. 121 n. let a nurse not carry an infant to go out or come in on the Sabbath Tannaitic law also forbids the carrying of children who could not walk from domain to domain (M. Shah. 18:2 ). 12. let no one urge on C£ the prohibition of working one's slave on the Sabbath in Exod. 20:10 and Deut. 5:14. The law here appears to accord with Philo's view that a slave should not do any work 3020 Joseph L. Angel slave, his maidservant, or his hired man on the Sabbath. 13 Let no one deliver (the young of) an animal on the Sabbath day. And if it falls into a pit 14or a ditch, let him not raise it on the Sabbath. Let no one rest in a place near .15 Gentiles on the Sabbath. Let no one desecrate the Sabbath for the sake of wealth and profit on the Sabbath. 16And any human who falls into a place of water or into a place of ... , 17let no one bring him up with a ladder, a rope, or a utensil. Let no one bring on the altar on the Sabbath (any offering) 18except the burnt offering of the Sabbath, for thus it is written, '~part from your Sabbaths:' Let no one send 19to the altar a burnt offering, a meal offering, frankincense, or wood through a man who is defiled with one 20 of the impurities, thereby giving him license to defile the altar; for it is writ- ten, "The sacrifice of 21 the wicked ones (is) an abomination, but the prayer of the righteous ones (is) like an agreeable meal offering:' And whoever comes to 22 the house of prostration, let him not come at all for his or her master, even if it did not violate the Sabbath (Spec. Laws 2.66-68 ). According to tannaitic law, a Jew may not instruct a non-Jew to engage in forbidden labors on the Sabbath. However, a Jew may benefit from labor performed by a non-Jew voluntarily (seeM. Shab.16:6). 13. let no one deliver (the young of) an animal on the Sabbath day Tannaitic law also prohibits de- livering (i.e., removing the fetus from the uterus) animals on the Sabbath or festivals (M. Shab. 18:3). 122 13-14. and if it falls into a pit or a ditch, let him not raise it on the Sabbath This law accords with tannaitic law, which rules that the fallen animal should be given food to sustain it, but helped out of the pit only after the Sabbath ( T. Shab. 14:3). More leniently, the amoraim permitted the placing of cushions beneath the arrimal to allow it to escape (B. Shab. 128b) .123 14-15. let no one rest in a place near Gentiles on the Sabbath A similar constraint, based on the phrase "your dwelling places" (moshevotekhem) in Lev. 23:3, was in force among the Samaritans and Karaites. 124 15. let no one desecrate the Sabbath for the sake of wealth and profit on the Sabbath This law appar- ently prohibits Sabbath violation in order to save the loss of property. C£ T. Er. 3:5. 16-17 This law forbids the a priori handling of instruments associated with forbidden labor ( muk- tzeh; see comment on lines 10-11) when saving a life on the Sabbath. By contrast, Rabbinic Judaism permits it (B. Yoma 84b) .125 17-18 This law is based on a variant reading and out-of-context interpretation of Lev. 23:38 (the same reading appears in the Vulgate). The restriction conflicts with Num. 28:10, which implies that the burnt offering was offered in addition to the usual daily offerings ( tamid). It is possible that the author of this law understood the word al in that verse to mean "instead of" rather than "in addition to:' 18-zo This law is linked to the last law of the Sabbath code in the previous line by its common con- cern for the altar. C£ Josephus, Ant. 18.19, who reports that the Essenes would send offerings to the Temple through others. zo-z1 An adaptation ofProv. 15:8 meant to emphasize that prayer is to be seen as a valid replace- ment of Temple sacrifice. C£ the similar attitudes expressed in 1QS 9:3-5 and 4Qflorilegium (40174) 1-2 i 6-7· zz. house ofprostration This obscure term may refer to a synagogue or a sectarian place of worship. More likely, it is an area of the Temple designated for prostration during the sacrificial service. 126 Damascus Document 3021 (when he is still) unclean after washing; and when the trumpets of the assembly sound, 23let him come before or later, but let them not interrupt the entire service ... wt. CDu 1 it is holy. Let no man lie with a woman in the city of the sanctuary to defile 2 the city of the sanctuary with their pollution. Each man who is ruled by the spirits ofBelial 3 and speaks apostasy, in accordance with the judgment of (one who communicates with) a ghost or a familiar spirit shall he be judged. But 4 each man who errs and profanes the Sabbath or the holy days shall not be put to death, for he is to 5 be guarded by the sons of man, and ifhe is healed of it, he shall be guarded for seven years; then 6he may enter the assembly. Let no one stretch forth his hand to shed the blood of a man from the Gentiles 7for the sake of wealth and profit. Also, let him not carry off any of their wealth so that they will not 8blaspheme1 except by the counsel of (the) association of Israel. Let no one sell clean animals or 9birds to Gentiles in order that unclean after washing An intermediate stage of impurity, during which access to this sacred space was still forbidden. C£ M. Tam. 5:6. trumpets of the assembly According to Num. 10:101 blown at the time of sacrificial service. CDu 1-2. The intent is clearly to ayoid defilement of the Temple. C£ Temple Scroll (nQJ9) 45:11-12, which bars entrance to the city of the sanctuary for three days after sexual intercourse. 1. city of the sanctuary This may refer either to the entire city ofJerusalem or to the Temple pre- cincts alone. z. ruled by the spirits of Belial That is, possessed by evil spirits. 127 3· speaks apostasy Hebrew dibber sarah appears also in Deut. 13:6, where it describes the crime of the prophet and dream-diviner. judgment of (one who communicates with) a ghost or afamiliar spirit According to Lev. 20:271 these two shall be put to death. 4-61his ruling seems to contradict the Torah (Exod. 35:2; Num. 15:35) and Jubilees (Jub. 50:8, 12- 13), both of which require capital punishment for Sabbath desecration. Perhaps the text is deal- ing with some type of accidental transgression. 5· healed of it That is, of the evil spirit that caused him or her to violate the Sabbath. For the rev- elation of remedies capable of healing people from the effects of evil spirits, see Jub. 10:12-14. 6-7 A ruling forbidding Jews living under Jewish rule from abusing their power over non-Jews living in the area. It may also be understood as a polemic against the Hasmonean sovereigns, warning against military campaigns undertaken only to add territory or to amass spoils of war. Cf.1QpHab 9:4-6. 7-8 A prohibition against stealing from non-Jews. Cf. T. BK 10:151 which prohibits stealing from non-Jews because it leads to the profanation of God's name. 8. association of Israel This ruling institution will prevent abuse and guarantee that the conflict is just. 8-9 Intended to ensure that Jews did not support idolatrous worship even indirectly. A similar pro- hibition appears in Rabbinic law (M. Avod. Zar. 1:5-6; cf. B. Avo d. Zar. 15a; T. Avod. Zar. 1:21). 3022 Joseph L. Angel .j they may not sacrifice them. And from his granary 10and his vat he shall not sell to them from whatever he possesses; and his slave and his maidservant he shall not sell 11 to them, because they entered with him into the covenant of Abraham. Let no one pollute his soul 1 ~th any living and swarming creatures by eating of them, whether it be the larvae of bees or any 13living thing which swarms in the water. And they should not eat fish unless they were torn 14alive and their blood sh[e]d. And all species oflocusts shall be put into fire or water 15while still alive, for this is the precept of their creation. And all wood, stones, 16and dust which are defiled by human impurity while having oil stains on them, according to their 17impurity shall he who t[o]uches them become impure. And any vessel, nail, or peg in a wall 18which are with a corpse in a house shall become impure with the same impurity as the working implement. 19 (So much for) the rule of the settlement of the towns in Israel in accordance with these precepts, to separate between 20 the impure and the pure and to make known (the distinction) between the holy and the profane. 9-10 This law forbids selling produce of grain and grapes to non-Jews. The reference to "his gra- nary" and "his vat" may imply that this produce has been harvested but not yet tithed. In this case the law would be saying that selling to non-Jews does not exempt produce from tithing. 10-11 This law concerns slaves who would be classified under the Rabbinic rubric of eved kena'ani, literally "Canaanite slave:' These were non-Jewish slaves who had commenced a process of con- version to Judaism. The same ruling appears in the Mishnah, according to which such slaves au- tomatically gained their freedom if sold to non-Jews (M. Git. 4:6). The purpose was to guaran- tee that slaves preparing themselves to convert would be able to fulfill the commandments that they had taken upon themselves to observe. 128 u.let no one pollute his soul Adaptation of Lev. 11:43. 12-13 This refers to tiny organisms that might be in the water. Cf. the yav/:lushim (insects) ofT. Ter. 7:11.129 12..larvae of bees This prohibition may have required the filtering of honey. 13-14. and they should not eat fish unless they were torn alive and their blood sh[e]d According to Gen. Rab. 7:2, Jacob of Kefar Naborai taught that fish must be ritually slaughtered. Both Samaritans and Karaites forbade fish blood. 130 Rabbinic tradition does not call for any special slaughtering process to render fish permissible to eat (see B. Hul. 27b). 14-15 The Karaites forbade locusts that died naturally. Saadia Gaon disagreed. 131 15-17 Liquids serve as media for ritual impurity in both ~mranite and Rabbinic law. The scrip- tural basis of this principle is Lev. 11:34, 38, which states that food becomes impure after touch- ing liquid. For the defiling quality of oil for the Essenes, see Josephus, J.W. 2.123. Cf. Temple Scroll (uQJ.9) 49:12. 17-18 As Rabin observes, this law is stricter than the mishnaic ruling, according to which nails are defilable in such a situation only when used as tools (M. Kelim 12:5). 132 19-2.2.. the rule ... not be cursed A chain of concluding statements referring back to the previously stated laws and directing this legislation toward Israel at large. Cf. CD 15:5 and 16:1, where the covenant community envisions itself as representative of the entire nation. 19-2.0 See comment on CD 6:17-18. Damascus Document 3023 21 And these are the statutes for the Master to walk in with all the livirlg, according to the precept for each time. And according to 22this precept shall the seed oflsrael walk, so that they may not be cursed. And this (is) the rule for the settlers of 23 [the] c[amps] who walk in accordance with these (rules) during the time of wickedness until the arising of the messiah of Aaron. CD13 1 and Israel: From a minimum of ten men, by thousands, hundreds, fifties, 2and tens. And where there are ten, let there not be absent a priest versed in the book ofHagii by 3his word shall they all be ruled. But ifhe is not experienced in all these (matters), while one of the Levites is experienced 4in these (mat- ters), then the lot shall be for all those who belong to the camp to conduct themselves by his word. And if 5 a man has a judgment involving the Torah of skin disease, then the priest shall come and stand in the camp. And 6the Examiner shall explain to him the interpretation of the Torahi even if he is igno- rant, he shall cause him to be confined, for they (the priests) have 7the judgment. And this is the rule for the Examiner of the camp: Let him instruct the Many about the works of .2.1. the Master Hebrew maskil. A leader well versed in the doctrines of the community who was ex- pected both to teach those doctrines to fellow members and to typify the community's way of life.l33 .2..2.-.2.3An introduction to the following legislation covering the internal regulations of the commu- nity, directed toward present members organized in "camps:' CD13 1.2.:.2.3-13:1. until the arising of the messiah ofAaron and Israel See comments on CD 19:10-11 and 4:8-9. 1-.2.. thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens Organization of individual camps was modeled on the Israelite camp in the wilderness. C£ Exod. 18:25. It is unclear whether this reflects reality or an ideal. The same organization is expected in War Scroll, and enforced by Judah Maccabee accord- ing to 1 Mace. 3=55· z. priest For the leading role and authority of the priests for the community, cf. 1Q$ 5:2, 9i 1Q$a 1:2, 24j 2:3. book ofHagi See comment on CD 10:6. 2-3. by his word shall they all be ruled Adaptation of Gen. 41:40, which speaks ofJoseph's author- ity over the Egyptians. 3-41he leadership role falls to the second tier in the hierarchical division priests-Levites-Israelites. For the organization of the community according to this biblical system, see CD 14:4-6, which adds a fourth class: proselytes (cf.1Q$ 2:19-22). Rabbinic law similarly allows for non-priests to make rulings about skin afflictions (M. Neg. 3:1; Sifra Tazria Parashat Negaim 1:8-10 ). 134 4-7 No matter his ignorance, the priest is responsible for the official determination of the skin dis- ease. C£ Deut. 21:5. A similar ruling appears in M. Neg. 3:1. 6. cause him to be confined C£ Lev. 13. 6-7. Examiner ... Examiner See comment on CD 15:8. 7· let him instruct the Many Alluding to Dan. 11:33. Cf. the role of the Master (maskil) described in 1Q$ 9:18. 3024 Joseph L. Angel 8 God, and allow them to discern the wonder of his mighty deeds, and relate to them the happenings of eternity together with their interpretations. 9Let him pity them as a father does his children and watch over them in all their distress as a shepherd for his flock. 10Let him loosen all chains that bind them so that there shall be none deprived and crushed in his congregation. 11And whoever joins his congrega- tion, let him examine him with regard to his works and his intelligence, his strength and might, and his wealth. 12Let them inscribe him in his place according to his inheritance in the lot oflig[ht]. Let no one of 13the sons of the camp dare to bring a man into the congregation except by the word of the Examiner of the camp. 14None of those who have entered the covenant of God shall buy from or sel[l] to the Sons of Dawn; rather, (let them give) 15from hand to hand. Let no one do anything involving buying and selling without informing 16the Examiner in the camp. He shall do (it) ... h and not ... 17••• and so for one divorcing and he yys ... 18 ••. humility and with loving mercy. Let him not keep a grudge against them ... 19 ••• their [si] ns and that which is not tied ... 20 .•. And this is the settlement of the camps in the whole ... 21 .•• 1h not succeed to dwell in the land ... 22••• [and th] ese are the p [recept] s for the Master ... 7-8 The information to be taught appears to coincide with the concerns of the Admonition, that is, God's actions throughout history and the mysterious motivations behind them. Cf. the phrase "works of God" in CD 1:1-2 and 2:14-15. 9 This exhortative statement draws from Ps. 103:13 and Ezek. 34:12. 10 Drawing from Isa. 58:6 and Hosea 5:11. Cf. the use of the latter verse in CD 4:19. 11 A similar process of examination appears in 1QS 6:13-23. 12-13 More details of the role of the Examiner in the admission process are found in CD 15:5-15. 135 12.. inscribe him A written record of members is also mentioned in CD 14:4. lotoflig[ht] See comment on CD 20:4. 14. Sons ofDawn This epithet refers to community members and is paralleled by the phrase "Sons of Light:' The name "Sons of Dawn" may denote initiates at the beginning of the road to becom- ing full-blown Sons of Light. Cf. 4Q7.98. 15. from hand to hand This rule regulates business dealings between community members. Such dealings are to be predicated not on the commercial basis of trade, but on the fraternal concept of mutual help and exchange of goods and services. 136 C£ Josephus, J.W. 2.127; Philo, Good Person 78. 15-16 Perhaps the motivation behind this regulation is the avoidance of ritual defilement through trade relations. 16-18 These fragmentary lines appear to indicate that the Examiner was responsible for approv- ing marriages and divorces and perhaps for disciplining the children of community members. 2.0 Apparently a conclusion to the section about the "settlers of the camps" beginning in CD 12:22-23. 2.2. This concluding statement may reveal that the rulings regarding this Master have here become merged with those regarding the Examiner. 137 Damascus Document 3025 CDz4 1 such as have not come from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah. But for all who walk in these (precepts) 2the covenant of God (is) trustworthy to save them from all the snares of the pit, though fools are punished. 3 1he rule for the settlement of all the camps: They shall all be mustered by their names; the priests first, 4the Levites second, the sons oflsrael third, and the proselyte(s) fourth. And they shall be inscribed by their names, 5one after the other, the priests first, the Levites second, the sons oflsrael 6third, and the proselyte(s) fourth. Thus shall they sit and thus shall they inquire about any (matter). And the priest who is appointed to preside over 7the Many shall be from 30 to 6o years old, versed in the Book 8ofHagi and in all the precepts of the Torah, to declare them according to their judgment. And the Examiner 9 for all the camps shall be from 30 t[ o] so years old, mastering every 10principle of men and every lan- guage of their cla[n]s. By his word shall all the members of the congregation enter ueach in his turn. CDz4 z. such as have not come from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah The continuation of a ci- tation oflsa. 7:17 that began at the end of CD 13. The same verse is cited in the Admonition (CD 7:10-12 ). Here it appears to serve as a general concluding remark warning members not to vio- late the previous laws. 2. the covenant of God (is) trustworthy to save them Alluding to Ps. 89:29. snares of the pit The same phrase appears in 1QH 10:20-22, where it is associated with the "congre- gation ofBelial," that is, Jews who are not members of the community. fools are punished An allusion to Prov. 27:12. As in the Admonition, contemporary Jewish society · is viewed as divided into two parts: community members and foolish outsiders destined for punishment. 3-6 Organization is according to the traditional genealogical hierarchical divisions. C£ 1Q$ 6:8-10. This stands in some tension with 1Q$ 5:23-24, according to which a person's rank seems to be determined solely by merit. 3· shall all be mustered This meeting may be identical to the one described as occurring in the third month of the year in 4QPa 11 17· 4-6. proselyte(s) ... proselyte(s) Though they were accepted among the ranks of the community (c£ CD 12:10-11), their status was beneath that of full Israelites. CD 6:21 mentions that the pros- elyte may be in need of economic help. 138 4· inscribed by their names See comment on CD 13:12. 6-7. the priest who is appointed to preside over the Many Cf. the figure mentioned in 1Q$ 6:14. 7· from 30 to 6o years old Thirty is the minimum age for the service of Levites according to Num. 4:3, 23, 30, 35, 39, 431 47· See comment on CD 10:6-7. For the exegetical derivation and theologi- cal explanation of the upper age limit, see comments on CD 10:6-10. 7-8. book of Hagi ... precepts of the Torah Perhaps referring to the Torah and sectarian exegesis respectively. Cf. the similar twofold division in CD 10:6. 9· from 30 t[o] so years old C£ the age limits for Ievitical service in Num. 4· zo. every language of their cla[n]s Was the community multilingual? A similar expectation was faced by the members of the Sanhedrin. See B. San h. 17a-b. 11 For related regulations concerning speaking at communal sessions, see 1Q$ 6:11-13. 3026 Joseph L. Angel And any matter about which a person may wish to speak1 let him address the Examiner1 12whether con- cerning a dispute or a judgment. And [this (is)] the rule (for) the Many to prepare for all their needs: (The) wage of at least 13 two days per month are to be given to the Examiner and the judges. 14From it they shall give for their [s]ick1 and from it they shall support the poor and the destitute1 the old man who is 15 [howe] d down1 the man who is affii[ct] ed1 the one who may be captured by a foreign people1 the virgin who 16has no re[deemer] 1 the you[th w]ho has no one to look after him1 (and) all the ser- vices of the association1 so as not to 17 ••• m. And this is the explanation of the settlement h ... 18••. [as] sembly. And this is the explanation of the precepts which ... 19. . . [the Messia] h of Aaron and Israel. And their iniquity will be atoned ... 20... w[hJo lies in a matter and he knows w ... 21 ... [and be p] unished six days. And who shall spea[k] ... 22 [and who keeps a grudge against his neighbor that (is) not a pre- cept [and he shall be punish]ed h ... 23 •• • l ... CD 14:18-22i 4QD 4 10 i 11-ii lSi 4QDb 9 vi 1-Si 4QDd 11 i 1-8i ii 1-2i 4QPe 7 i 1-1s 13 1 And this is the exact statement of the judgments by which they shall be [ju] dged until the messiah of Aaron and Israel arises1 2 and their sin will be atoned. G[i]ft offering and guilt offering [ ]. 3Who[ev] er lies knowingly in matters of money they shall ex[clu]de him from purity 4 [for one year1 and he shall be pu]nished for 6o days. And whoever spea[ks to his neighbor with insolence] ... 52[ o ]o days1 and he_shall be punished for 100 days. But if it is a capital case1 and he bears a grudge he shall not [re] turn 12-13. (the) wage of at least two days per month That is, at least eight percent. The notion of wages presupposes a system of private ownership 139 and stands in tension with the practice of com- munal ownership espoused in 1Q§ 1:11-13; 3:2; 5:1-3; 6:18-23. There is no space for the words "per month" in the parallel text of 4QDa 10 i 6. Thus that text may envision this contribution as a onetime event. 14. they shall support the poor and the destitute Alluding to Ezek. 16:49. 15. captured by a foreign people This would call for funds for a ransom. Cf. M. Shek. 2:5. 16. no re[deemer] That is, no close relative to support her. association The communal institution designated to deal with social problems. CD 14:18-22i 4QD 4 10 i 11-ii lSi 4QDb 9 vi l-Si 4QDd 11 i 1-8i ii 1-2i 4QDe 7 i 1-lS 1-2 These lines constitute an introduction to a communal penal code very similar to that found in 1QS 6:24-7:25. CD is very fragmentary and breaks off here, but much of these lines and the fol- lowing text of the penal code has been preserved in 4QPa, b, d, e. 1 On the messiahs of Aaron and Israel and the period before their arrival, see comments on CD 19:10-11 and 4:8-9. 2. their sin will be atoned This appears to be the happy result of the arrival of the priestly messiah, the messiah of Aaron. Cf. 4Qs419 i 2; 11QMelchizedek (11QJ.3) 2:6-8. 3· purity That is, the pure food of the community. See comments on CD 9:21-23. 4· [pu]nishedfor 6o days In the parallel ruling of 1QS 6:24-25, "punishment" refers to the with- holding of a quarter of the offender's bread ration. s. bears a grudge To be understood in light of CD 9:6-8, according to which the biblical command against bearing a grudge is defined as charging the offender without properly reproving him or her. Damascus Document 3027 6 [again. And anyone wh] o [ins] ults his neighbor without conferring [he shall be ex] eluded for one year and punish[ed] 7for s[i]xm[on]ths. And anyone who speaks foolishly shall be punished for 20 8 [da]ys [and excluded] for three month[s]. And [anyone who i]nterrupts [his neighbor's] speec[h and] lacks restraint 9 [shall be punished for] t[en] days. [And anyone who lies do]wn [and] falls asleep during [a mee]t[ing of the Many] 10 [shall be excluded] for 30 days [and] punished for ten days. [And likewise the one who lea]ves 11 [ with]outthe consent of the Ma[n]y and [with]out [cause] up to three tim[es during] a single [meeting] 12sha[ll be punished] for ten days. And if [they are standing], and he leaves [during the meeting he shall be punished for 30] 13da [ys]. And anyone who walks [nak] ed in front of [his] neigh[bor] in the house, or in the field walking na[ked] [in front of] 14the [cr]eatures, shall be excluded for six [months and punished for 30 days(?). And anyone who] 15 [ta]kes out his hand from underneath his garment and, i[t becomes disarranged so his nakedness can be seen shall be excluded for 3]0 16day[s] and punished for ten. And the one who emits vulgar laughter to make [his voice] heard [shall be excluded] 17 [for 3]0 (days) and punished for 1[5] days. [And the one who takes out] his left hand 18to gesticulate with it shall be punished [for ten days. And the one] who goes about [slander- ing] 19 [his neigh]bor, [they shall exclude] him from the purity for [one] yea [r and he shall be punished for six months. And he who goes about slandering] 20 [the Many shall be sent away and not] return a[gain. And if he murmurs against his neighbor in a manner which is not according to the Law] 21 [he shall be punished for six months. And h]e whose [spirit] deviates [] 22he shall be ex[eluded for two years and pu]nished for 6o [days. And after the two years] 23 [the Many shall be consulted] concern- ing [his] ca[se and if he is to rejoin] they shall wri[te him down in his place and afterward he shall be asked about the Law]. 24 [And] the one who despises the judgment of the Many shall leave and [not re J.turn again. [And the one who takes] 25his food in a manner that is against the Law shall return it to the person from whom it was taken. And the one who approaches 26his wife for fornication which is not according to the Law shall leave and not return again. [And he who murmu]rs against the fathers 27 [shall be sent away] from the congregation and not return. [And if] it is against the mothers he shall be punished for te[n] days for the m[o]thers have no authoritative status in the midst of 28 [the congre- gation]. [These are the or] dinances by wh [ich] all those who are disciplined shall [be judged]. 6. [ins]ults C£ 1QS 7:4-5, which adds that the insult must have been delivered intentionally. 7· speaks foolishly See comment on CD 10:17-18. 8-12 Regulations dealing with proper decorum during communal meetings. 15. hand Perhaps a euphemism for "penis:' 140 18-20 These lines have been reconstructed on the basis of 1Q$ 7:15-17. For the biblical prohibition against slander, see Lev.19:16. 21-23 Punishment of rebellious members. Cf. 1QS 7:18-20. 24.leave and [not re]turn again Cf. 1QS 7:22, which limits the penalty of expulsion to a veteran of at least ten years. 25. his food The case may deal with acquiring the food of an expelled member. 141 C£ 1QS 7:24-25. z6 The type of sexual misconduct is not specified. It may deal with unnatural types of intercourse or intercourse without the intent of procreation. 142 Cf. the prohibition against intercourse with a pregnant woman in 4QPe 2 ii 16. 28 Conclusion to the penal code. 3028 Joseph L. Angel 4QPa 111-21j 4QDe 7 i-ii 14 0Anyone who [is ] shall come and make it known to the priest [app] ointed 1 over the Many and let him accept his judgment willingly, as he said through 2Moses concerning the soul that sins unwittingly, that they shall bring 3his sin offering [and] his guilt offering. And concerning Israel it is written, "I will get me 4 to the ends of heaven and will not smell the savor of your sweet odors:' And elsewhere 5it is writ- ten, "To return to God with weeping and fasting:' And in another place it is written, "Rend your hearts, not your garments:' And anyone who rejects 6these regulations, (which are) in accordance with all the statutes found in the Law of Moses, shall not be reckoned 7 among all the sons ofhis truth; for his soul has despised righteous instruction. Being in rebellion let him be expelled from the presence of 8the Many. The priest appointed [ov] er the Many shall declare, 9 saying: "Blessed are you, Almighty God, in your hand is everything, and who makes everything. You established 10 [pe]oples in accordance with their families and tongues for their nations, but led them astray in a 11 chaos without a way. But our ancestors you did choose and to their descendants you gave your truthful statutes 12and your holy laws, which if a man does them, he shall live. You have set boundaries 13for us and cursed those who trans- gress them, for we are the people of your redemption and the sheep of your pasture. 14You cursed their transgressors but preserved us:' (Thereupon) the one being expelled shall depart. Anyone 15who eats from that which belongs to him, or who inquires about his welfare, or derives benefit from him, 16shall have his action inscribed by the Examiner permanently, and his judgment will be complete. 17All [the 4QDa 111-21j 4QDe 7 i-ii This passage follows immediately after the end of the penal code and describes a ceremony for the expulsion of rebellious community members. It constitutes the end of the entire work. o This line derives from 4QPe 7 i 15-16. make it known This seems to indicate that violations of the Law must be reported. o-1. the priest [app]ointed over the Many Also mentioned in CD 14:6-7. C£ 4QPa 11 8. his judgment This may refer to punishment for the abrogation of one of the rules in the penal code or to the punishment of expulsion from the community described in the following lines. 2. the soul that sins unwittingly See, for example, Lev. 4:2, 27. The acceptance of punishment is here likened to the atonement brought about by a sin or guilt offering (see Lev. 4-5). 3-4. "I will get me to the ends of heaven and will not smell the savor ofyour sweet odors" A combi- nation ofDeut. 30:4 and Lev. 26:31. 5 The first citation comes from]oel2:12 and the second from 2:13. s-6. rejects these regulations The rebellious member has rejected the sectarian legal interpretations of the Torah. 10-11. led them astray in a chaos without a way See comment on CD 1:15. 12. which if a man does them, he shall live See comment on CD 3:15-16. boundaries For boundaries as referring to sectarian legal rulings, see comment on CD 20:25. See also 4QPa 1 a-b 4· 13. sheep See comment on CD 19:9. 16 The precise punishment for failing to comply with the decision to expel a community member is unclear. Cf. the reference to written records kept by the Examiner in CD 9:18. Damascus Document 3029 inhabitants of] the camps shall congregate in the third month and curse those who turn right 18 [or left from the] Law. This is the elaboration of the laws to be followed during the entire period 19 [of visita- tion], that which [will bevi]sited upon them during all the periods of wrath and their journeys, for all 20 who dwell in their [c] amps and all who [dwell in] their [towns]. Behold, it is all in accordance with the 21 final interpretation of the Law. 17. third month Perhaps the meeting is set for the 15th day of the month, coinciding with Shavuot, the festival identified by the Pharisaic-Rabbinic tradition as the time the Torah was given at Sinai. Cf. the annual covenant-renewal ceremony described in tQS 1:16-3:12. 18-21 A concluding statement to the entire work emphasizing the importance of following sectar- ian legal rulings during the preordained periods of God's wrath. As the Admonition makes clear, these Laws are viewed as remaining in effect until the dawn of the Messianic Age. See comment onCD4:8-9. NOTES 1. Many thanks to Lawrence Schiffman for carefully reading and commenting on an early draft of the intro- duction and commentary. Several ofhis suggestions have been incorporated. 2.. Eight manuscripts come from Cave 41 and one apiece from Caves 5 and 6. The manuscript numbers are as follows: 4~66-73 ( = 4QP•-h); 5Qp; and 6Q!5. 3. Such a discovery is mentioned in a letter written around 8oo CE by the Nestorian Patriarch of Seleucia Timotheus I ( 72.6-819 CE) to Sergius, Metropolitan of Elam. In his letter, Timotheus refers to the discov- ery several years earlier of books in a cave near Jericho that were found to include portions of the Hebrew Bible as well as non-biblical compositions in Hebrew. 4· The situation is likely far more complex. See, e.g., A. Schofield, From Qumran to the Yahad: A New Paradigm of Textual Development for The Community Rule, Studies in the Texts of the Desert ofJudah 77 (Leiden: Brill, 2.009). She attempts to explain variants between different Qumran manuscripts of Rule of the Community not only according to chronological evolution, but also spatial distance and diverse audi.ence settings. 5· See M. Himmelfarb, A Kingdom ofPriests: Ancestry and Merit in Ancient Judaism (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2.oo6),160-73. 6. The ideas in this paragraph are L. Schiffman's. See, e.g., The Halakhah at Qumran, Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity 16 (Leiden: Brill, 1975), 2.2.-32.. For a recent study of the relationship between the legal material preserved in the Qumran scrolls and Pharisaic and Rabbinic legal tradition, see A. Shemesh, Halakhah in the Making: The Development ofJewish Law from Qumran to the Rabbis (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2.009). 7. Even so, the earliest origins of the Qumran community likely date to the first half of the 2nd century BCE. 8. C. Hempel, The Damascus Texts, Companion to the Qumran Scrolls 1 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2.000) 1 2.6-42.. 9· Composite text. Line numbers correspond to 4QPa, except for line o, which derives from 4QPb. 10. Composite text. Line numbers do not correspond to the line numbers of any of the constituent fragments. u. Composite text. Line numbers follow 4QPf 2. 7-13. 12.. Composite text. Line numbers do not correspond to the line numbers of any of the constituent fragments. 13. Composite text. Line numbers do not correspond to the line numbers of any of the constituent texts. 14. Composite text. Line numbers follow 4QP• 111-2.1, except for line o, which derives from 4QP• 7 i 15-16. 15. The phrase "Sons of Light" appears in other sectarian writings such as War Rule and is often understood as a generic designation for the ~mran community. It is worth noting, however, that "Sons of Light" also appears prominently in the Treatise on the Two Spirits (1~ 3:13-4:2.6), a passage thought by many scholars to originate outside or before the formation of the Qumran community. See further C. Hempel, "The Treatise on the Two Spirits and the Literary History of the Rule of the Community," in Dualism in 3030 Joseph L. Angel ~~~~ Qumran, ed. G. Xeravits, Library of Second Temple Studies 76 (London: T &T Clark International, 2010), 102-20. Even if this is so, there is little doubt that the Qumranites adopted and understood the phrase as a self-designation. 16. On the talent of certain Essenes for telling the future, see Josephus J.W. 2.159. 17. E.g., the community is called "the children of righteousness" (1QS 3:20, 22; 1QM 1:8). Members learn the "ways of righteousness" (4Q420 1 ii 5) and are led by the founder of the community, the Righteous Teacher (e.g., CD 1:11). 18. Accordingly, the two messiahs expected by the community were to come from Aaron and from Israel as well (see 1QS 9:11; cf. CD 12:23; 14:19; 19:10 ). 19. See further P. Tiller, "The 'Eternal Planting' in the Dead Sea Scrolls;' Dead Sea Discoveries 4 ( 1997): 312-35. 20. This epithet (and slight variations of it) occurs only in the following documents: 1QpHab, 4Qp1, 40!73J 1Q!41 and Damascus Document. The title (Hebrew moreh tzedek) is most probably derived from Hosea 10:12 or Joel2:23. 21. Although this passage may have originated before the formation of the Qumran community, its compat- ibility with sectarian ideology and especially its incorporation into Rule of the Community indicate its ac- ceptance and high value for the Qumranites. Cf. note 15. 22. 1QpHab 2:2; 5:11; 11:[1]; CD 20:15. 23. 1QpHab 10:9; 1Q!41o:[2]; cf. CD 4:19-20; 8:13; 19:25-26. 24. See Philo, Spec. Laws 4.149; MidrashMishlei [Buber] 22:28; Midrash Deut. [Buber] 19:14. Cf., e.g., CD 5:2o;. 19:15-16; 20:25. 25. Cf. L. Schiffman, Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls: The History ofJudaism, the Background of Christianity, the Lost Library of Qumran, Anchor Bible Reference Library (Garden City: Doubleday, 1995), 250. 26. Cf. Exod. 4:14; Num. 12:9; 22:22; Josh. 7:1; Judg. 2:20; 2 Kgs. 13:3. 27. See note 21. 28. Cf. 1 Enoch, Jubilees, Daniel; 4QApocryphon ofJeremiah C [ 4Q385b]. 29. For example, 4QPesher on the Periods A [ 4Q!8o ]; 1QS 4:18-19; 11QMelchizedek [11Q!3]. 30. For an allusion to "the prophets" and "his holy spirit;' see 1QS 8:16. 31. Cf. T. Reu. 5:6; T. Naph. 3:5; Pirke R. El. 22; Gen. Rab. 26:2. 32. 1 En. 9-10; 106:14-15; Jub. 7:21; T. Naph. 3:5; 2 Bar. 56:11-15. 33· Observed by D. Schwartz in Joseph Baumgarten and Daniel Schwartz, "Damascus Document (CD) ;• in The Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts with English Translations: Damascus Document, War Scrolls, and Related Documents, ed. J. H. Charlesworth, Princeton Theological Seminary Dead Sea Scrolls Project 2 (Tiibingen: Mohr/Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1995), 17n21. 34· The view that it was males in particular who were cut off may be the product of an interpretation ofNum. 14:22-23: "None of the men ... shall see the land that I promised:' Cf.Midr. Teh. (Buber) 1:14. 35· See Schiffman, Halakhah at Qumran, 22-32. 36. These works were authored by the Qurnranites ( 4QMMT A, 4QCommentary on Genesis A [ 4Q}52 ], 4QCalendrical Documents [ 4Q320-30]) as well as their ideological predecessors (Jubilees, 1 Enoch, 11QPsalms• 27:6-7 [David's Compositions]). 37· See, e.g., J. VanderKam, Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Measuring Time (London: Routledge, 1998 ). 38. For example,1QS 9:18; 11:5; 1QM 14:14; 1QH 5:19; 9:21. 39· Cf. the commentary ofRashi at 1 Sam. 2:35. 40. Cf. 1QS 4:22-23; 1QH 4:15; 4Qflorilegium (4Q!74) 1-2 i 6. 41. See the suggestions of M. Grossman, Reading for History in the Damascus Document: A Methodological Study, Studies on the Texts of the Desert ofJudah 45 (Leiden: Brill, 2.002), 222-23. 42. Cf.J. Greenfield, "The Words of Levi Son of Jacob in Damascus Document rv, 15-19;' RevQ13 (1988): 319-22. 43· In Ezek. 13:9 these people "shall not be inscribed in the lists of the House oflsrael:' Contrast the list men- tioned in CD 2:13; 4:4-6. 44· See further discussion in I. Sassoon, The Status of Women in Jewish Tradition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press:2o11), 5-34. 45. See A. Pietersma and R. T. Lutz, "Jannes and Jambres;' in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, ed.]. H. Charlesworth (Garden City: Doubleday,1985), 2:427-42. Damascus Document 3031 46. The other references appear in CD 6:19; 7:15, 19; 8:21; 19:34; 20:12. 47· See, however, 40174 2 i 11-12 and CD 7:18, where he is clearly viewed as a future eschatological figure. 48. See 1QS 3:11-12; 8:s-6, 8-10; and 1QpHab 12:7-9. 49· See CD 16:13-m 9:13-14; 11:17-21; 4QP• s ii; and 4QPf 2. Scholars have attempted to overcome this tension in numerous ways. E.g., C. Hempel, The Laws of the Damascus Document: Sources, Tradition and Redaction, Studies on the Texts of the Desert ofJudah 29 (Leiden: Brill, 1998)1 37-38, posits that such laws were not originally addressed to a particular community. On the other hand, Schiffman (Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls, 282) argues that the community continued to legislate on cultic matters because it expected to re- new its participation in the reformed Temple cult in the imminent age to come. J. Baumgarten ("Sacrifice and Worship among the Jewish Sectarians of the Dead Sea [Qllmran] Scrolls," in Studies in Qumran Law, Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity 24 [Lei den: Brill, 1977], 43-46) claims that such laws go back either to a time before the community severed from the cult or to a time when some members began to partici- pate again after a rift. For the Essene approach to Temple sacrifice, see A. Baumgarten, "Josephus on the Essene Sacrifice," ]JS 45 (1994): 169-83 and bibliography. so. C£ Jub. 23:21j 2 Mace. 4:32-33, 39, 42j Ps. Sol. 8:12j As. Mos. s:s-6; T. Levi 14:s; 17:11; 4QApocryphon of Jeremiah C• (4039o) 2i 8-9; 4QpNah (40169) 3-4 i 11;Josephus,Ant. 20.179-81,204-7; B. Pes. 57a; 8sa (c£ M. Git. s:4); T.Men.13:18-20 (= T. Zeb.11:16); M. Shek.1:4. 51. C£ 4QJ.8s s 4; 1QSb s:2o; 4Qplsa• [40161] s-6 3; 1QM s:1. 52. Cf.1QS 9:11; 4QTestimonia [4017s]; CD 12:23-13:1; 14:18-19. 53. See 4QApocryphon ofJeremiah C• [ 4039o] 2 i 8; 1QpH•b 9:5; 4QSd [ 4QJ.58] 8:6. 54· Some scholars prefer the translation "Teacher of the community" based on the assumption that the read- ing "unique" ( hayabid) here is a scribal error and that the original text read "the community" ( hayabad). SS· See further]. Fitzmyer, "The Gathering in of the Teacher of the Community," in his The Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian Origins (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2ooo), 261-65. s6. As in Sifra Be-hukkotai 2; M. Shek. 6:6; M. Ket. 4:6; M. Ned. 4:3. 57· Schwartz, in Baumgarten and Schwartz, "Damascus Document (CD);' 35n11s. s8. For various possible identifications of the house ofPeleg, see R. Ratzlaff, "Peleg, House of," in Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls, ed. L. Schiffman and J. VanderKam (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), 2:641-42. 59· C. Rabin, The Zadokite Documents, 2nd revised edition (London: Clarendon, 1958 ), 42. 6o.]. Baumgarten, Qumran Cave 4.XIII: The Damascus Document (4Q266-273), Discoveries in theJudaean Desert 18 (Oxford: Clarendon,1996),143· 61. So Baumgarten, Qumran Cave 4.XIII: The Damascus Document, 146. Additional material on skin disease and flux appears in 4QP• 6 i-iii. 62. So Baumgarten, Qumran Cave, 51. 63. For example, 40387 2 iii 6; 4QpNah [ 40169] 3-4 ii 9; 2 Mace. 4:11-15; T. Levi 17:11; As. Mos. s:J. 64. See J. Baumgarten and M. Davis, "Cave IV; V, VI Fragments Relating to the Damascus Document," in The Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts with English Translations: Damascus Document, War Scrolls, and Related Documents, ed. J. H. Charlesworth, Princeton Theological Seminary Dead Sea Scrolls Project 2 (Tiibingen: Mohr/Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1995), 61-63. 6s. See "Baumgarten and Davis, Cave rv; v; VI," 6sns. 66. Noted in "Baumgarten and Davis, Cave IV; V, VI;' 62-63. 67. See further, Himmelfarb, Kingdom ofPriests,1o0-103. 68. See Baumgarten, Qumran Cave 4.XIII: The Damascus Document, 191. He draws attention to parallel termi- nology in]. Pes. 34d. C£ 4QTohorotA (4QJ.74) Ii 8: '~d when [a man has] an emiss[ion] of semen his contact [ magga'o] is defiling:' 69. See further, H. Harrington, The Purity Texts, Companion to the Qumran Scrolls s (London: Clark, 2004), 2J. 70. So Baumgarten, Qjlmran Cave 4.XIII: The Damascus Document, 148. 71. For the seah at Qumran, see]. T. Milik, "Appendice: Deux jarres inscrites provenant d'une grotte de Qumran;' in M. Baillet, J. T. Milik, and R. de Vaux, Les "Petites Grottes" de Qumran, Discoveries in the Judaean Desert ofJordan 3 (Oxford: Clarendon,1962), 37-41. 72. See further, Baumgarten, Qjlmran Cave 4.XIII: The Damascus Document, 149-50. 3032 Joseph L. Angel 73· See further, Shemesh, Halakhah in the Making, 7-15. 74· Baumgarten, Qumran Cave 4.XIII: The Damascus Document, 174. 75· C£ L. Schiffman, "The Impurity of the Dead in the Temple Scroll," in Archaeology and History in the Dead Sea Scrolls: The New York University Conference in Memory ofYigael Yadin, ed. L. Schiffman, Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha Supplement 8 =]SOT I ASOR Monographs 2 (Sheffield: ]SOT Press, 1990), 13s-s6. 76. C£ Baumgarten, Qumran Cave 4.XIII: The Damascus Document, 153. 77· Baumgarten (Qumran Cave, 176) has based the reconstruction on the parallel appearing in 4Q!59 2-4 7. 78. Josephus, War 2.135; Ant. 15.368-71; c£ 17-41-42; Philo, Decalogue 84-86; Spec. Laws 2.2-5; Sir. 23:7-11; c£ Matt. 5:33-37; 2 En. 49:1-2. 79· See B. BB 32b-33a and the sources cited in L. Schiffman, Sectarian Law in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Courts, Testimony, and the Penal Code, Brown Judaic Series 33 (Chico: Scholars Press, 1983), 136-41. So. C£ ibid., 137-38. 81. For possible Rabbinic sources, see Schiffman, Sectarian Law, 137. It should be noted that JW. 2.145 does not refer to Moses by name, but rather to "their (i.e., the Essenes') legislator:' It is in fact possible that this refers not to Moses, but rather to an Essene legislator. 82. Following the reading and interpretation of Baumgarten, in Baumgarten and Schwartz, "Damascus Document (CD)," 37m27. 83. The Karaite Daniel al-Kumisi exempted individuals under the age of 20 from religious observances. See L. Nemoy, KaraiteAnthology: Excerpts from the Early Literature (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1952), 31· 84. See Schiffman, Sectarian Law, ss-6o. Ss. See, e.g., D. Dimant, "4Qflorilegium and the Idea of the Community as Temple," in Hellenica et Judaica: Hommage aValentin Nikiprowetzky, ed. A. Caquot, M. Hadas-Lebel, and J. Riaud (Louvain: Peeters, 1986), 165-89. 86. The same explanation applies to the comparable restrictions of 1QSa 2:4-9 and 1QM 7:4-6. 87. Cf. the opinion of the House of Shammai in B. Ned. 28a. 88. However, c£ the opinion ofR. Judah ben Beteyrah, ad loc. 89. The very same view is held by Philo, Spec. Laws 2.12. 90. Rabin (Zadokite Documents, 76) calls attention toPs. Sol. 8:10, which may refer to an oath to commit adultery. 91. Rabin ( Zadokite Documents, 77) calls further attention to passages from Philo (Spec. Laws 1.204) and Tanbuma (Buber; Tsav 2), which demand that the person offering a burnt offering declare that he or she has never acquired property illegally. 92. Following the LXX reading, "his neighbor," rather than that of the MT, "his brother:' 93. In its original context in Micah, the word berem refers to a "trap:' 94· Noted by B. Z. Wacholder, The New Damascus Document, Studies on the Texts of the Desert ofJudah 56 (Leiden: Brill, 2007 ), 318. 95. So Baumgarten, in Baumgarten and Schwartz, "Damascus Document (CD)," 43ll139· 96. The 4QP material indicates expulsion as the punishment for charging a comrade with a capital crime without having reproved him. See lines of the penal code (CD 14:18-22; 4QD• 10 i 11-ii 15; 4QPb 9 vi 1-5; 4QDd 11 i 1-8; ii 1-2; 4QDe 7 i 1-15). 97· A similar idea appears in the Fragmentary and Neofiti Targums to Deut. 32:35. See also Rom. 12:19. 98. Schiffman, Sectarian Law, 91. See 1QS 5:24-6:1; M. Ned. 10:8; Sifre Zuta 30:17; Benjamin ofNahawend in A. Harkavy, Mi-Sifre Ha-Mitzvot Ha-Rishonim Li-Vene Mikra, Zikkaron La-Rishonim 8 (St. Petersburg, 1903), 18o. Cf. Eph. 4:26. 99· The Sifra, Dibbura de-Hovah (Va-yikra), explicitly links the oath of testimony to Lev. 5:1. See further, Schiffman, Sectarian Law, 111-32. 100. Schiffman, Sectarian Law, 116-20. 101. See ibid., 121. 102. Rabin, Zadokite Documents, 47. 103. Josephus appears to have held the same view. See his retelling of the story ofNaboth (1 Kgs. 21:10, 13) in Ant. 8.358. Damascus Document 3033 ~~- -~~ -~- 104. See further, Schiffman, Sectarian Law, 73-81. 105. For more on the equation of moral and ritual impurity at Qumran, see J. Klawans, Impurity and Sin in Ancient Judaism (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000 ), 67-91. 106. See Schiffman, Halakhah at Qumran, 47-49. 107. See Ruth 4:2, 9i Eccles. 7:19; B. Sanh. 7b; B. Hor. 3b; Exod. Rab. 15:20; Pirke R. El. 8.Josephus (Ant. 4.214; JW. 2.570-71) speaks of courts of 7· Cf. 4QOrdinances ( 4QJ59) 2-4, which calls for a court of 12, of which 2 are to be priests and 10 Israelites. 108. However, if they are unavailable, their absence does not render the court invalid. 109. For a comprehensive discussion of these age limits, including related biblical, Qumranite, and Rabbinic material, see Schiffman, Sectarian Law, 30-37. no. Based on an interpretation of Lev. 15:16: "He shall bathe his whole body:' m. See further, Shemesh, Halakhah in the Making, 74-75. This comment, and several of the following com- ~- ments on the Sabbath laws of the Damascus Document, makes use of the detailed commentary of Schiffman, Halakhah at Qumran, 84-133. 112. See Mek. d'Rashbi to Exod. 20:8; Mek. R. Ish.Yitro 7. 113. C£ 4QP• 10 ii 3i 1QS 7:9, where community members are enjoined to avoid foolish and profane talk at all times. 114. Cf.J. Shevu. 38a and the comments of Schiffman, Halakhah at Qumran, 88-89. us. Translation from]. VanderKam, The Book ofJubilees, Corpus scriptorium christianorum orientalium 511 = Scriptores Aethiopici 88 (Louvain: Peeters, 1989 ), 326. 116. See further, A. P. Jassen, "What Exactly is Prohibited in the Field? A New Suggestion for Understanding the Text and Context of CD 10:20-21," RevQ2s/l (2011): 41-62. 117. For parallels, see Jub. so:12; Judg. 8:6; M. Ned. 9:6; B. RH 19a; B. Ta~m. 17b; and the Falashan Te'ezaza Sanbat. Cf.Josephus, Life 279. 118. Muktzeh; see comment on lines 10-11; seeM. Shah. 18:2; T. Shah. 15:1; and the discussion in B. Shah. 128b and M. Shah. S· 119. But in the case of M. Shah. 1:1, see Tosafot to B. Shah. 2a, which suggests dependence on Exod. 16:29. 120. See also the Karaite law ofJ. Hadassi, Eshkol Ha-Kofer (Farnborough: Gregg, 1971), 148, s6a. 121. Cf. Josephus's report that the Essenes "did not venture to remove any vessel" on the Sabbath (JW. 2.147 ). 122. However, it permits assisting with the delivery on festivals ( T. Shah. 15:2; B. Shah. 128b). 123. Cf. Matt. 12:11 and Luke 14:5, which indicate a general tendency toward laxness in this matter. 124. See Rabin, Zadokite Documents, 57· 125. For the origins of the principle of violating the Sabbath to save a life, see 1 Mace. 2:29-41. Cf. Josephus, Ant. 12.4; J.W. 2.392; Ag. Ap. 1.209-11. 126. See Baumgarten, in Baumgarten and Schwartz, "Damascus Document (CD)," 510178. 127. C£ Jub. 1:2o; 11:4-6; 15:31-32; 19:28; CD 4:13. 128. Cf. 4QOrdinances A ( 4QJ59) 2-4 2, which prohibits a Jew from being the servant of a non-Jew. 129. See S. Lieberman, "Light on the Cave Scrolls from Rabbinic Sources;' Proceedings: American Academy for Jewish Research 20 (1951): 396. 130. See the sources cited by Rabin, Zadokite Documents, 62. 131. SeeS. Lieberman, Tosefta ki-Fshutah Zera'im (New York: Hotsa'at Mekhon Meir Leyb Rabinovits a. y. Bet ha-midrash le-rabanim sheba-Amerikah, 1955), 1.454-55· 132. Rabin, Zadokite Documents, 63. 133. C£ CD 13:22-14:2; 1QS 3:13-15; 9:12-14. 134. SeeS. Fraade, "Shifting from Priestly to Non-Priestly Legal Authority: A Comparison of the Damascus Document and the Midrash Sifra;' DSD 6, 2 (1999): 109-25. 135. C£ the community roster mentioned in 1QS 5:23; 6:10, 22, 25; 7:21; 8:19; 9:2. 136. See]. Baumgarten, "The 'Sons of Dawn' in CDC 13=14-15 and the Ban on Commerce among the Essenes;' IEJ 33 (1983): 81-85. 137. Suggested by Hempel, Laws of the Damascus Document, 120. 138. See 4Qflorilegium (4QJ74) 1-2 i 4, which seeks to exclude converts altogether from the messianic Temple. Cf. Temple Scroll (uQJ9) 40:6. 139. Such a system is presupposed elsewhere in CD (e.g., 9:10-16 and 13:15-16). 3034 Joseph L. Angel ____,___ 140. See E. Q!mron in Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts with English Translations: Rule of the Community and Related Documents, ed. J.H. Charlesworth, Princeton Theological Seminary Dead Sea Scrolls Project 1 (Tiibingen: Mohr; Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1994), 33m8s. 141. See Baumgarten, Qumran Cave 4.XIII: The Damascus Document, 166. 142. Cf. the suggestions ofWacholder, New Damascus Document, 363-64. Damascus Document 3035