The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (45 page)

Read The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English Online

Authors: Geza Vermes

BOOK: The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English
4.02Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
Hymnic Fragment
(4Q433a)
 
 
The verso side of this papyrus, palaeographically dated to the first half of the first century BCE, contains the beginning of the Community Rule (4Q
255
). The recto carries a poem similar to the Qumran Hymns or Hodayot and elaborates the familiar image of the Community as a plant in God's garden.
For the
editio princeps,
see E. Schuller,
DJD
, XXIX, 237-45.
Fr. 2
... for the everlasting sea[sons].
For the Master. A sim[il]itude about the glory of ...
A plant of delight, a plant in His garden and in his
vineyard.
Its twigs will bear fruit and its branches will increase...
and its branches (reaching) above the elevated support of
heaven;
and its splendour offers itself for everlasting generations,
producing fru[it] for all who are to taste it.
There will be no wild grapes among its fruits.
It will have foliage, leaves and blossoms.
None of its roots will be pulled up from its bed of
balsam for...
Apocryphal Psalms (I)
(IIQPs
a
=IIQ5,4Q
88
)
 
 
The incomplete Psalms scroll from Cave 11 (11QPs
a
), published by J. A. Sanders (
DJD
, IV, Oxford, 1965), contains seven non-canonical poems interspersed among the canonical Psalms. One of these figures as Ps. 151 in the Greek Psalter, and four further compositions have been preserved in Syriac translation. Three previously unknown poems and an extract from the Hebrew version of Sirach li also feature in the Scroll.
In Ps. 151 A and B or Syriac Ps. i, the story of the election of David, the shepherd boy, as ruler of Israel, and his victory over Goliath, are poetically retold. Ps. 154 or Syr. Ps. ii is a sapiential hymn, the beginning and end of which are extant only in Syriac, but 4Q
448
, column A (lines 8—10) represents a few words in Hebrew corresponding to Ps. 154, 17-20 (cf. E. and H. Eshel and A. Yardeni, ‘A Qumran Composition Containing Part of Ps. 154 ... ',
IEJ
42 (1992), 201-14). Ps. 155 or Syr. Ps. iii is an amalgam of an individual complaint and thanksgiving. Part of it is an alphabet acrostic, i.e. the lines begin with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Plea for Deliverance
is an individual thanksgiving hymn, the beginning of which is lost. The
Zion Psalm,
of which lines 1-3 and 8-15 are also in a fragmentary Psalms scroll from Cave 4 (4Q
88
VII-VIII), is another alphabetic acrostic hymn praising Jerusalem. Finally, the
Psalm of the Creation
is a further sapiential hymn.
A midrashic account of the poetic activities of David is inserted in column XXVII of IIQ
5
, crediting him with 4,050 compositions, subdivided into psalms, songs for the daily holocaust, songs for the Sabbath sacrifice, songs for festivals and songs for exorcism. The mention of fifty-two Sabbaths and the 364 days indicates that the author envisaged the solar year of the Qumran calendar.
The figure of 4,050 should be viewed against the equally prolific literary achievement claimed for Solomon in 1 Kings v, 12 (3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs according to the Hebrew text; 3,000proverbs and 5,000 songs according to the Septuagint). As for Josephus, he attributes to Solomon 1,005 books of poems and 3,000 books of parables (
Antiquities
VIII, 44).
Only this catalogue, written in prose, is definitely sectarian. The psalms themselves probably belong to the second century BCE at the latest, but they may even date to the third century BCE.
Psalm 151A
XXVIII
Hallelujah. Of David, son of Jesse.
1. I was smaller than my brothers, and younger than the sons of my father.
He made me shepherd of his flock, and a ruler over his kids.
2. My hands have made a pipe and my fingers a lyre.
I have rendered glory to the Lord; I have said so in my soul.
3. The mountains do not testify to him, and the hills do not tell (of him).
The trees praise my words and the flocks my deeds.
4. For who can tell and speak of and recount the works of the Lord?
God has seen all, he has heard all, and he listens to all.
5. He sent his prophet to anoint me, Samuel to magnify me.
My brothers went out to meet him, beautiful of figure, beautiful of appearance.
6. They were tall of stature with beautiful hair, yet the Lord did not choose them.
7. He sent and took me from behind the flock, and anointed me with holy oil, as a prince of his people, and a ruler among the sons of his Covenant.
Psalm
151B
The first display of David's power after God's prophet had anointed him.
1. Then I saw the Philistine taunting [from the enemy lines] ...
Syriac Psalm ii = Psalm 154
1
XVIII
[Glorify God with a great voice. Proclaim his majesty in the congregation of the many.
2 Glorify his name amid the multitude of the upright and recount his greatness with the faithful.
3 Join] your souls to the good and to the perfect to glorify the Most High.
4 Assemble together to make known his salvation.
And be not slow in making known his strength, and his majesty to all the simple.
5 For wisdom is given to make known the glory of the Lord and to recount the greatness of his deeds. She is made known to man,
7 to declare his strength to the simple, and to give insight into his greatness to those without understanding,
8 they who are far from her gates, who have strayed from her entrances.
9 For the Most High is the Lord of Jacob, and his majesty is over all his works.
10 And a man who glorifies the Most High is accepted by him as one bringing an offering,
11 as one offering he-goats and calves, as one causing the altar to grow fat on a multitude of burnt-offerings, as an agreeable incense by the hand of the righteous.
12 From the doors of the righteous her voice is heard, and from the congregation of the devout her song.
13 When they eat their fill, she is mentioned, and when they drink in community together.
14 Their meditation is on the Law of the Most High, and their words are for making known his strength.
15 How far from the wicked is her word, and her knowledge from the insolent.
16 Behold the eyes of the Lord have compassion on the good,
17 and his mercy is great over those who glorify him; from an evil time he saves [their] souls.
18 [Bless] the Lord who redeems the humble from the hand of str[angers] [and deliv]ers [the perfect from the hand of the wicked;]
19 [who lifts up a horn out of Ja]cob, and a judge [out of Israel].
20 [He desires his tabernacle in Zion, and chooses Jerusalem for ever.]
Syriac
Psalm iii
=
Psalm 155
1.
XXIV
O Lord, I have called to Thee, hear me.
2. I have spread out my hands towards Thy holy dwelling-place.
3. Turn Thine ear and grant me my request,
4. and do not withhold my plea from me.
5. Construct my soul and do not cast it away,
6. and do not leave it alone before the wicked.
7. May the true judge turn away from me the rewards of evil.
8. Lord, do not judge me according to my sins, for no living man is righteous before Thee.
9. Lord, cause me to understand Thy Law and teach me Thy judgements.
10. And the multitude shall hear of Thy deeds, and peoples shall honour Thy glory.
11. Remember me and forget me not, and bring me not to unbearable hardships.
12. Put away from me the sin of my youth, and may my sins not be remembered against me.
13. Lord, cleanse me from the evil plague, and let it not return to me.
14. Dry up its roots within me, and permit not its leaves to flourish in me.
15. Lord, Thou art glory; therefore my plea is fulfilled before Thee.
16. 6 To whom shall I cry so that he will grant it to me? What more can the po[wer] of the sons of men do?
17. From before Thee, O Lord, comes my trust. I cried to the Lord and he answered me; he healed the brokenness of my heart.
18. 8 I was sleepy [and I] slept; I dreamt and also [I awoke].
19. [Lord, Thou didst support me when my heart was stricken, and I called upon the Lor]d [my saviour].
20. Now I will see their shame; I have relied on Thee, and I will not be ashamed. (Render glory for ever and ever.)
21. Redeem Israel, Thy pious one, O Lord, and the house of Jacob, Thine elect.
Prayer for Deliverance
XIX
For no worm thanks Thee, nor a maggot recounts Thy loving-kindness.
Only the living thank Thee, all they whose feet totter, thank Thee, when Thou makest known to them Thy loving-kindness, and causest them to understand Thy righteousness.
For the soul of all the living is in Thy hand; Thou hast given breath to all flesh.
O Lord, do towards us according to Thy goodness, according to the greatness of Thy mercies, and according to the greatness of Thy righteous deeds.
The Lord listens to the voice of all who love his name and does not permit his loving-kindness to depart from them.
Blessed be the Lord, doer of righteous deeds, who crowns his pious ones with loving-kindness and mercies.
My soul shouts to praise Thy name, to praise with jubilation Thy mercies, to announce Thy faithfulness; there is no limit to Thy praises.
I belonged to death because of my sins, and my iniquities had sold me to Sheol.
But Thou didst save me, O Lord, according to the greatness of Thy mercies, according to the greatness of Thy righteous deeds.
I, too, have loved Thy name, and have taken refuge in Thy shadow.
When I remember Thy power, my heart is strengthened and I rely on Thy mercies.
Forgive my sins, O Lord, and purify me of my iniquity.
Grant me a spirit of faithfulness and knowledge; let me not be dishonoured in ruin.
Let not Belial dominate me, nor an unclean spirit; let pain and the evil inclination not possess my bones.
For Thou, O Lord, art my praise, and I hope in Thee every day. My brethren rejoice with me and the house of my father is astounded by Thy graciousness.
... for ever I will rejoice in Thee.
Apostrophe to Zion
XXII
I will remember you, O Zion, for a blessing;
with all my might I love you;
your memory is to be blessed for ever.
Your hope is great, O Zion;
Peace and your awaited salvation will come.
Generation after generation shall dwell in you,
and generations of the pious shall be your ornament.
They who desire the day of your salvation
shall rejoice in the greatness of your glory.
They shall be suckled on the fullness of your glory,
and in your beautiful streets they shall make tinkling sounds.
You shall remember the pious deeds of your prophets,
and shall glorify yourself in the deeds of your pious ones.
Cleanse violence from your midst;
lying and iniquity, may they be cut off from you.
Your sons shall rejoice within you,
and your cherished ones shall be joined to you.
How much they have hoped in your salvation,
and how much your perfect ones have mourned for you?
Your hope, O Zion, shall not perish,
and your expectation will not be forgotten.
Is there a just man who has perished?
Is there a man who has escaped his iniquity?
Man is tried according to his way,
each is repaid according to his deeds.
Your oppressors shall be cut off from around you, O Zion,
and all who hate you shall be dispersed.
Your praise is pleasing, O Zion;
it rises up in all the world.
Many times I will remember you for a blessing;
I will bless you with all my heart.
You shall attain to eternal righteousness,
and shall receive blessings from the noble.
Take the vision which speaks of you,
and the dreams of the prophets requested for you.
Be exalted and increase, O Zion;
Praise the Most High, your Redeemer!
May my soul rejoice in your glory!
Hymn to the Creator
XXVI The Lord is great and holy, the Most Holy for generation after generation.
Majesty goes before him, and after him abundance of many waters. Loving-kindness and truth are about his face; truth and judgement and righteousness are the pedestal of his throne.
He divides light from obscurity; he establishes the dawn by the knowledge of his heart.
When all his angels saw it, they sang, for he showed them that which they had not known.
He crowns the mountains with fruit, with good food for all the living.
Blessed be the master of the earth with his power, who establishes the world by his wisdom.
By his understanding he stretched out the heaven, and brought forth [wind] from his st[ores].
He made [lightnings for the rai]n, and raised mist from the end [of the earth].
An Account of David's Poems
XXVII
David son of Jesse was wise and brilliant like the light of the sun; (he was) a scribe, intelligent and perfect in all his ways before God and men.
YHWH gave him an intelligent and brilliant spirit, and he wrote 3,600 psalms and 364 songs to sing before the altar for the daily perpetual sacrifice, for all the days of the year; and 52 songs for the Sabbath offerings; and 30 songs for the New Moons, for Feast-days and for the Day of Atonement.
In all, the songs which he uttered were 446, and 4 songs to make music on behalf of those stricken (by evil spirits).
In all, they were 4,050.
All these he uttered through prophecy which was given him from before the Most High.

Other books

Hit & Mrs. by Lesley Crewe
Catch a Rising Star by Tracey Bateman
Hunter by Chris Allen
Heat in the Kitchen by Sarah Fredricks
Solarversia: The Year Long Game by Mr Toby Downton, Mrs Helena Michaelson
The Swap - Second Chances: Second Chances by Hart, Alana, Claire, Alana
Bash, Volume III by Candace Blevins
Heart of Danger by Capri Montgomery
Necropolis by Santiago Gamboa