The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (49 page)

For the
editio princeps,
see Esther Eshel, Hanan Eshel and Ada Yardeni,
DJD,
XI, 403-25; see also G. Vermes, ‘The So-called King Jonathan Fragment (4Q
448
)',
JJS
44 (1993), 294-300.

Halleluiah. Psal[m ... ] Thou hast loved as a father ... Thou hast acted as a prince over ...
vacat
And those who ha[te Thee... ] fear ... The many announce... fear ... And for those who are perfect... [Behold the eyes of the Lord have compassion on the good, and His mercy] is [great] over those who glorify Him. [From an evil time He saves their soul. He redeems] the poor from the hand of oppressors, [and delivers the perfect from the hand of the wicked. He desires] his tabernacle in Zion, (and) ch[ooses Jerusalem for ever].

Holy City for King Jonathan and for all the congregation of Thy people Israel, who are in the four corners of heaven. May the peace of them all be on Thy kingdom! May Thy name be blessed.

I will ... [in] Thy love ... during the day and until the evening... to draw near to be ... to visit them for a blessing... on Thy name which is invoked ... kingdom to be blessed... [o]n t[he] day war... to King Jonathan (?) ...

(4Q
491
, fr. 11—4Q
471b
)

Two different versions of the same poem have been preserved. The first was originally thought to be part of the War Scroll (M
^a
, 4Q491, fr. 11) and was identified as ‘The Song of Michael and the Just' by its editor, M. Baillet. The editor of the second text, Esther Eshel, proposes the more likely interpretation that the speaker of the hymn is the eschatological high priest, first humiliated by his opponents before sharing the glory of the ‘gods' or ‘holy ones'. The troubled career of the last priest is also alluded to in the Aramaic Testament of Levi (4Q541, fr. 9).

For the editio princeps, see M.
Baillet,
DJD,
VII, 26-30 (4Q491) and E. Eshel,
DJD,
XXI, 421-32 (4Q471b).

... the righ[teo]us exult [in the streng]th of His might and the holy ones rejoice in ... in righteousness ... He has established it in Israel

Since ancient times His truth and the mysteries of His wisdom (have been) in al[l] ... power

... and the council of the poor into an eternal congregation

... the perfect... [et]ernity a throne of strength in the congregation of ‘gods' so that not a single king of old shall sit on it, neither shall their noble men...

My glory is incomparable, and apart from me none is exalted.

None shall come to me for I dwell in ... in heaven, and there is no...

I am reckoned with the ‘gods' and my dwelling-place is in the congregation of holiness.

[My] des[ire] is not according to the flesh, [and] all that I value is in the glory of... [... the pl]ace of holiness.

Who is counted despicable on my account, and who is comparable to me in my glory?

Who is like... the young (?) like me?

Is there a companion who resembles me? There is none!

I have been taught and no instruction resembles [my instruction] ...

Who shall attack me when [I] op[en my mouth]? And who can contain the issue of my lips?

Who shall summon me to be destroyed by my judgement? ...

[F]or I am reckoned with the ‘gods', and my glory is with the sons of the King.

No pure gold or gold of Ophir ...

I am reckoned with the ‘gods' and my dwelling-place is in the congregation of holiness.

Who is counted as me to be despised and who is despised as me?

And who is like me, forsaken [by men (Isa. liii, 3), and is there] a companion who resembles me?

And no instruction resembles my instruction. [For] I sit...

Who is like me among the ‘gods'?

[And who shall attack me when I open my mouth]?

And who can contain the issue of my lips?

And who [shall summon me to be destroyed by my judgement]?

[For I am] the beloved of the King and the friend of the ho[ly ones].

[No-one] ... and no-one is comparable [to my glory].

For I [have my station with the ‘gods', and my glory is with the sons of the King].

I will not be cr[owned with pure gold nor with the gold of Ophir] ... Sing...

‘Phases of the Moon',
Israel Antiquities Authority

(
4Q320-30
,
337
)

Twelve fragmentary manuscripts from Cave 4, palaeographically dated to the late second century BCE, present in various forms the peculiar ‘solar' calendar - constructed in six-year sequences - of the Qumran Community. Their year consisted of twelve months of thirty days each, plus four extra days added to each of the four seasons (cf. above, pp. 78-9). Some documents from 4Q (320 and 321) attempt to combine this calendar with the various priestly courses which served in turn in the Temple for a week at a time from one sabbath to the following Friday. They also combine it with the dates of the full moon given according to the days of the week of duty of the priestly course, the date of the solar month and the equivalent date of the lunar calendar of mainstream Judaism (a year of twelve months of 29 or 30 days = 354 days). E.g. (The full moon falls): ‘On the 5th (day) in the week of Jedaiah, corresponding to the 29th day of the lunar month, which falls on the 30th day of the 1st solar month.' 4Q
321
records in addition the occurrence of the New Moon. E.g. ‘And the New Moon is on the third day in the week of Mijamin which is on the twelfth day in the eighth month.' An alternative interpretation suggests that the term in question (
duqah
) designates the day after the full moon. 4Q
321a
is very fragmentary, but it seems almost identical to 4Q
321
.

For the
editio princeps,
see S. Talmon with J. Ben-Dov,
DJD
, XXI, 1-156.

The following table will help readers understand the relationship between the priestly courses on weekly duty, the ‘solar' dates, the moon's phases and the feast-days falling in the month in question.

First month of the first year in a six-year cycle
Sigla: bold number=feast;
^t
=New Moon;
^††
=full moon

I ... to show it from the east. [And] to cause it to shine [in] the middle of heaven, in the foundation [of the creat]ion, from evening till morning.

(There is full moon)

On the 4th (day) in the week [of the sons of G]amul in the first month of [
the firs
]
t year.

[On the 5th (day) in (the week of) Jedai]ah, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month, which falls) on the 30th (day) of the 1st (solar month).

[On the sabbath in (the week of) Hak]koz, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month, which falls) on the 30th of the second (solar month).

[On the 1st (day) in (the week of) Elia]shib, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month), (which falls) on the 29th (day) in the third (solar month).

[On the 3rd (day) in (the week of) Bilg]ah, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month, which falls) on the 28th day in the fourth (solar month).

[On the 4th (day) in (the week of) Peta]hiah, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 27th day in the fifth (solar month).

On the 6th (day) in (the week of) Delaiah, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 27th (day) in the sixth (solar month).

[On the sabbath in (the week of) Seori]m, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 25th (day) in the seventh (solar month).

[On the 2nd (day) in (the week of) Abiah, (corresponding) to the 3]oth (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 25th (day) in the eighth (solar month).

[On the 3rd (day) in (the week of) Jakim, (corresponding) to the 2]9th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 24th (day) in the ninth (solar month).

II
On the 5th (day) in (the week of) Immer, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 23rd (day) in the tenth (solar month).

On the 6th (day) in (the week of) Jehezekel, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 22nd (day) in the eleventh (solar) month.

On the 1st (day) in (the week of) Jeiarib, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 22nd (day) in the twelfth (solar) month.

 

The second year
:

On the 2nd (day) in (the week of) Malchiah, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 20th (day) in the first (solar month).

On the 4th (day) in (the week of) Jeshua, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 20th (day) in the second (solar month).

On the 5th (day) in (the week of) Huppah, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 19th [in the third] (month).

On the sabbath in (the week of) Pizzez, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 18th in the f[ourth] (month).

On the 1st (day) in Gamul, (corresponding) to the [29th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 17th day in the fifth] (solar month).

On the 3rd (day) in (the week of) Jedaiah, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month which falls) [on the 17th (day) in the sixth] (solar month).

On the 4th (day) in (the week of) Mijamin, (corresponding) to the 2 [9th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 15th day] in the seventh (solar month).

On the 6th (day) in Shecaniah, (corresponding) to the 3[oth (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 15th (day) in the eighth] (solar month).

On the sabbath in (the week of) Bil[gah, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 14th (day) in the ninth] (solar month).

[On the 2nd (day) in (the week of) Petahiah, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 13th (day) in the tenth] (solar month).

On the 1st (day) in (the week of) Je[shua, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 5th (day) in the seventh] (solar month).

On the 3rd (day) in (the week of) Huppah, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 5th (day) in the eighth (month).

On the 4th (day) in (the week of) Hezir, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 4th (day) in the ninth (solar month).

On the 6th (day) in Jachin, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 3rd (day) in the tenth (solar month).

On the sabbath in (the week of) Jedaiah, (corresponding) to the 29th (day of the lunar month which falls) on the 2nd (day) of the eleventh (solar) month.

On the 2nd (day) [of Mijami]n, (corresponding) to the 30th (day of the lunar month which falls on) the second day in the twelfth (solar) month.

II ...
the days, the sabbaths [and] the months [for] years and for sabbatical years and for jubilees. On the 4th (day) of the week of the sons of Gamul.

III
The first year: its feasts.
On the third (day in the week of) Meoziah: the Passover.

On the 1st (day) [in (the week of) Jeda[iah]: the Waving of the [Sheaf].

On the 5th (day) in (the week of) Seorim: the [Second] Passover.
vacat

On the 1st (day) in (the week of) Jeshua: the Feast of Weeks.