VftSW: Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls

First, let me say, “Wow!” As a reader, I truly appreciate an anthology with over a dozen authors and still consistently top quality writing throughout! Which is what you get with this

“Understandingthe Dead Sea Scrolls” edited by Hershel Shanks.

In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd found the first six of the “Dead Sea” Scrolls.  In the literary land-rush that followed scholars and shepherd discovered hundreds upon hundreds of scrolls.  The vast majority of which were in hundreds and hundreds of fragments.  They were stored in eleven caves somewhere around 70 A.D.  The essays in “Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls” start with the history of the find, literary genealogy of scrolls, the cloak and dagger business of antiquities, the Israeli war for independence, the cut-throat politics of academia, the controversy, reconstruction and conspiracy theories surrounding the scrolls.  Somewhere in there, the authors manage to discuss various finds and their significance.  The editor wisely arranged the articles to build on the reader’s growing knowledge on these topics in preparation for the ever-growing complexity and controversy of the Dead Sea Scroll discussions.

Now for some tid-bits, I found along the way.

·        Dead Sea Scroll 3Q15 is a treasure map written on a sheet of almost pure copper.  The treasure?  The treasure of the Temple in Jerusalem, hidden before the destruction of the Temple by the Romans. 

·        One of the first scrolls found is the  Temple Scroll which some scholars believe was a sixth book of the Pentateuch on  the same level of authority as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

·        Whenever a scriptural passage is repeated, it is because of some new point contained in it.

·        The Dead Sea Scrolls might contain  the lost books of the Bible referenced in 1 Chronicles 28:19.

·        There are copies sometimes several copies of every book in the Old Testament, except Esther.  Esther is the only book of the Hebrew Bible that does not mention God. 

Oh and by the way, the custodians of all these desert libraries were “monks” of a Jewish sect called the Essene.  There is no mention of Jesus, John the Baptist or the Gospels.  Nevertheless, the Dead Sea Scrolls and this marvelous book, provide plenty of insights into scripture, Christianity, Judaism and to the world into which Our Lord was born.  

TLtS: Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls

I’ve been reading “Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls” edited by Hershel Shanks.  First, let me clarify that the Dead Sea Scrolls consist of six mostly intact scrolls and hundreds of manuscripts in two thousand year old, brittle, desert-seared fragile fragments.  You’d think a book about these literary shards would be dry.  No!  It’s an amazing anthology!  Parts read like an adventure novel; how the shepherds found the scrolls in a cave high up on a cliff, the “cloak and dagger” world of antiquities and the bombshells for a layman like me.

Various articles cover the standardization of the Pentateuch under Ezra and the Old Testament under Hillel.  I’ve learned a lot of interesting things about the Pharisees, Sadducees and Essene.  The latter occupied the monastery amidst the 11 caves used as libraries.  

Now for a few things that amazed me;

First, 1 Chronicles 28:19 “All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.”  King David is referring to the blue prints for the Temple.  So, where are they?  Why aren’t they part of the Old Testament?  How did the blueprints get lost?  They didn’t.  All this is covered in the Temple Scroll found amidst the Dead Sea Scrolls.  And there are several copies of it.  Who knew there was lost books of the Bible?   

Second, in the eleven “libraries” amongst the hundreds of books there are copies of ever book in the Old Testament except one.  There is not one copy of Esther.  Know why?  Because God is not mentioned in the Book of Esther.  I guess I knew that, but truth is fleeting. 

Third, in re-reading Esther this weekend I noticed something else.  There’s a scene missing between Esther 7-8. 

“ ⁷And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.                                          ⁸ Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.”

So, what happen when the king went outside to cool off?  All of the sudden Haman was over powered by lust for Esther?  He tripped and just happen to be straddled on the queen when the king returned?  Esther tripped him and “rent her garments” when she saw her husband returning?  Whatever happen Esther’s servants were quick to cover Haman’s mouth so his side of the story couldn’t come out before he was promptly hung. 

What particularly confuses me is that Moses Maimonides comment on Esther.  Maimonides is  a philosopher and scholar whom I much admire.  To quote his commentary  on Laws of the Scroll (of Esther) 2:18, "When Messiah comes, the other books may pass away, but the Torah (Old Testament ) and Esther will abide forever."  Moses was much wiser and better educated in Biblical matters than I so I guess I’ll take his work for it.  Still I wonder.  I looked at some of the allegorical interpretation of the book and they reek of desperation.  So I guess I’ll accept the Esther at face value.  Maybe even follow Normandi Ellis advice in “Awakening Osiris” and contemplate a “bit of legend fallen from the lips of a slave girl”. 

All in all, I highly recommend “Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls”

PS: The Dead Sea Scrolls do not include any Christian writings.