ScrollsScrolls from the Judean Desertfrom the Judean Desert

By Dr. William BarrickBy Dr. William Barrick

Master’s SeminaryMaster’s Seminary

Introduction

► DSS provide vital information:DSS provide vital information:● Judaism (300 Judaism (300 B.C.B.C.––A.D.A.D. 135) 135)● Text of the Old Testament Text of the Old Testament

► Discovered 1947-48Discovered 1947-48► Publication of finds took Publication of finds took

over 50 years.over 50 years.

Muhammad ed Dhib Muhammad ed Dhib (“The Wolf”)(“The Wolf”)

Scrolls & Fragments

► 3 Languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek3 Languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek

Scrolls & Fragments

► 3 Languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek

► 9 Sites: Qumran, Masada, Nah9 Sites: Qumran, Masada, Nahiial al

HHiiever, Wadi Murabba‘atever, Wadi Murabba‘at

Ancient scrolls in jars near Jericho (3rd and 8th centuries A.D.)

Essene community; 11 nearby caves

Jewish suicide pact in the face of the Roman army

Sites of Sites of Manuscript Manuscript Discoveries Discoveries around the around the Dead SeaDead Sea

214+

Qumran Qumran CavesCaves

Psalms Scroll and Psalms Scroll and Temple ScrollTemple Scroll

140 Biblical Scrolls140 Biblical Scrolls

Isaiah Scrolls, Isaiah Scrolls, Habakkuk Commentary, Habakkuk Commentary, “Rules” Scroll, War “Rules” Scroll, War Scroll, Thanksgiving Scroll, Thanksgiving HymnsHymns

Copper (Treasure) ScrollCopper (Treasure) Scroll

Greek Texts OnlyGreek Texts Only

Amos, Damascus Amos, Damascus DocumentDocument

Song of SongsSong of Songs

Scrolls & FragmentsScrolls & Fragments

► 3 Languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek► 9 Sites: Qumran, Masada, Nahial

Hiever, Wadi Murabba‘at► 900 different texts900 different texts

SecularSectarianBiblical

► 3 Languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek

► 9 Sites: Qumran, Masada, Nahial Hiever, Wadi Murabba‘at

► 900 different texts► Thousands of fragmentsThousands of fragments

Scrolls & FragmentsScrolls & Fragments

1Q22 (1QDM) The Words of Moses1Q22 (1QDM) The Words of Moses

Qumran ScrollsQumran Scrolls

• PsalmsPsalms 3636

• DeuteronomyDeuteronomy 30 30

• IsaiahIsaiah 2121

• GenesisGenesis 1919

• Esther absentEsther absent

• Nehemiah?Nehemiah?

QumrQumranan Pentateuch ScrPentateuch Scrollsolls

• GenesisGenesis 1919

• ExodusExodus 1717

• LeviticusLeviticus 1313

• NumbersNumbers 7 7

• DeuteronomyDeuteronomy 30 30

Hebrew ScriptsHebrew Scripts

► Paleo-Hebrew Script = PhoenicianPaleo-Hebrew Script = Phoenician

► Jewish Script = Square Script = AramaicJewish Script = Square Script = Aramaic

h w h h w h yy

h w h yh w h y

Verse by Verse CommentaryVerse by Verse Commentary

1QpHab1QpHab

Habakkuk Commentary from Qumran Cave 1Habakkuk Commentary from Qumran Cave 1

Habakkuk 1-2Habakkuk 1-2

rvprvp

““The interpretation of the passage is that God will notThe interpretation of the passage is that God will not

destroy his people by the hand of the nations, but intodestroy his people by the hand of the nations, but into

the hand of his chosen ones God will give the judgmentthe hand of his chosen ones God will give the judgment

of all the nations. …”of all the nations. …”

Great Isaiah ScrollGreat Isaiah Scroll

► Longest of the DSS scrollsLongest of the DSS scrolls► Full text of IsaiahFull text of Isaiah

1QIs1QIsaa

col. livcol. liv col. liiicol. liii

1QIs1QIsaa col. xliv col. xliv

St. Mark’sSt. Mark’s

MonasteryMonastery

Isaiah ScrollIsaiah Scroll

1st Isaiah 1st Isaiah scroll found scroll found in Qumran in Qumran

Cave 1Cave 1 IsaiahIsaiah

52:13-54:452:13-54:4

`dao)m. Hb;Þg"w> aF'²nIw> ~Wrôy" yDI_b.[; lyKiÞf.y: hNEïhi`dao)m. Hb;Þg"w> aF'²nIw> ~Wrôy" yDI_b.[; lyKiÞf.y: hNEïhi

Qumran Qumran manuscripts spell manuscripts spell

daom.daom. as: as:

damdam, ,

hdamhdam, ,

dwamdwam, ,

hdawmhdawm, and , and

hdwmhdwm

^yl,[' = hkyl[

1QIs1QIsaa (Isaiah 40:6-20) (Isaiah 40:6-20)

hb'v.n"å hw"ßhy> x:Wrï yKi² #yciê lbe(n"å ‘rycix'

vbeÛy"#yci_ lbe(n"å ryciÞx'

vbeîy" `~['(h' ryciÞx' !kEïa' AB+ s `~l'(A[l.

~Wqïy" WnyheÞl{a/-rb;d>W

Types of Differences Between Types of Differences Between 1QIs1QIsbb and Codex Leningrad B19 and Codex Leningrad B19AA

OrthographyOrthography 107107

Addition of conjunctive Addition of conjunctive wawwaw 16 16

Lack of conjunctive Lack of conjunctive wawwaw 13 13

Article (addition/omission)Article (addition/omission) 4 4

Differences in consonantsDifferences in consonants 10 10

Missing lettersMissing letters 5 5

Differences in numberDifferences in number 14 14

Differences in pronounsDifferences in pronouns 6 6

Different grammatical formsDifferent grammatical forms 24 24

Different prepositionsDifferent prepositions 9 9

Different wordsDifferent words 11 11

Omission of wordsOmission of words 5 5

Addition of wordsAddition of words 6 6

Different sequenceDifferent sequence 4 4

Examples of DifferencesExamples of Differences

► Isaiah 6:3Isaiah 6:3● MT: “holy, holy, holy”; Q: “holy, holy”MT: “holy, holy, holy”; Q: “holy, holy”

► Isaiah 12:4Isaiah 12:4● MT: “you (pl.) will say”; Q: “you (sing.) …”MT: “you (pl.) will say”; Q: “you (sing.) …”

► Isaiah 37:25Isaiah 37:25● MT: “waters”; Q: “strange waters” (2 Kgs MT: “waters”; Q: “strange waters” (2 Kgs

19:24)19:24)► Isaiah 53:11Isaiah 53:11

● MT: “he shall see”; Q: “he shall see light”MT: “he shall see”; Q: “he shall see light”

4QpaleoLev4QpaleoLev

Paleo-Hebrew Manuscript of LeviticusPaleo-Hebrew Manuscript of Leviticus

from Qumran Cave 4from Qumran Cave 4

larfylarfy 7:347:34

wynbwynb 7:357:35

rvarva 7:367:36

ynbynb

Psalms 93-150 + 8 Noncanonical PsalmsPsalms 93-150 + 8 Noncanonical Psalms

11QPs11QPsaa

1st Psalms scroll found in Qumran Cave 111st Psalms scroll found in Qumran Cave 11

No Poetic FormatNo Poetic FormatDifferent OrderDifferent Order

xvxv xvixvi xviixvii

135:17-21; 135:17-21;

136:1-16136:1-16

136:26; 118:1, 136:26; 118:1, 15-16, 8-9, 29; 15-16, 8-9, 29;

145:1-7145:1-7 145:13-21+145:13-21+ 154:3-19154:3-19

xviiixviii

Textual Status of the 210+ Textual Status of the 210+ Biblical Texts from QumranBiblical Texts from Qumran

Written in Qumran PracticeWritten in Qumran Practice 20%20%May have used proto-Masoretic texts.May have used proto-Masoretic texts.

Proto-Masoretic Texts [60%]Proto-Masoretic Texts [60%] 35%35%

Pre-Samaritan TextsPre-Samaritan Texts 5% 5%

Septuagintal Affinity TextsSeptuagintal Affinity Texts 5% 5%

Non-aligned Texts [15%]Non-aligned Texts [15%] 35%35%Sometimes agree significantly Sometimes agree significantly

with Masoretic Text.with Masoretic Text.

Qumran’s 210+ Biblical TextsQumran’s 210+ Biblical Texts

MT MT 35%35%

Samaritan Samaritan PentateuchPentateuch

LXX LXX 5%5%

Non- Non- AlignedAligned

Qumran Qumran PracticePractice

QUMRANQUMRANDEAD SEADEAD SEA

HILLS of MOABHILLS of MOAB

WADI Q

UMRAN

WADI Q

UMRAN

CAVE 4CAVE 4

Khirbet Khirbet QumranQumran

Archaeological Archaeological DebateDebate

InkwellsInkwells

Scriptorium?Scriptorium?

DSS & New TestamentDSS & New Testament

7Q5 “Mark” 7Q5 “Mark” Fragment?Fragment?

► All fragments in Cave 7 are Greek.All fragments in Cave 7 are Greek.► Some: Book of Enoch.Some: Book of Enoch.

Zechariah scroll Zechariah scroll fragment found in Nahal fragment found in Nahal Hever caveHever cave

Zechariah Zechariah scroll scroll

fragment fragment found in found in

Nahal HNahal Hiiever ever CaveCave

Zech 9:2

as HaHamath also [which borders on i]t, Tyre and Si[don, though th]ey are very wise

8H8HiievXIIgrevXIIgr

MASADAMASADA

Herod’s Palace Herod’s Palace on the North on the North

End of MasadaEnd of Masada

ORIGINAL ORIGINAL HEBREW TEXTHEBREW TEXT

SAMARITAN SAMARITAN PENTATEUCHPENTATEUCH

DEAD SEA SCROLLSDEAD SEA SCROLLS

SYRIAC PESHITTASYRIAC PESHITTA

HEXAPLAHEXAPLA

LATIN VULGATELATIN VULGATE

OT Textual EvidenceOT Textual Evidence

400-100 B.C.

300 B.C.-A.D. 50

250-150 B.C.

A.D. 125-400

A.D. 230

A.D. 390-404

OLDEST HEBREW OLDEST HEBREW MANUSCRIPTMANUSCRIPT

A.D. 850

Before 400 B.C.

Before 1947, Before 1947, 1250-Year 1250-Year

Gap between Gap between Hebrew TextsHebrew Texts

SEPTUAGINTSEPTUAGINT

PublicationsPublications