Random DSS Snippets

  • Thread starter Thread starter patrick457
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
P

patrick457

Guest
Just for fun. 😃

‘And they will know that I am the Lord] who redeems My people, giving them the Covenant.’ vacat [And I said, ‘Lord,] I have seen many from Israel who have loved Thy name and walked [in] the ways [of righteousness (?), and] when will [these] things come to pass? And how will their piety be rewarded? And the Lord said to me, ‘I will make the sons of Israel see and they will know that I am the Lord.’ vacat [And He said,] ‘Son of man, prophesy concerning the bones, and say, “Come together, a bone to its bone, and a bit [to its bit.”’ And] s[o it came to pas]s. And He said a second time, ‘Prophesy, and let sinews come on them, and skin spread over them above.’ [And] s[o it came to pas]s. And He said again, ‘Prophesy concerning the four winds of heaven and let the win[ds of heaven] blow [on them and they shall live].’ And a great crowd of men revived and blessed the Lord of hosts wh[o made them live.] And I said, ‘Lord, when will these things come to pass?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘… a tree will bend and stand up …’
  • Pseudo-Ezekiel (4Q385, fr. 2 (=4Q386, fr. 1 i, 4Q388, fr. 7))
Compare with:

Likewise again he narrates concerning the cross in another prophet, who says: And when will these things be consummated? The Lord says: When the tree shall lean over and stand up, and when blood shall flow from the tree. You have again a note concerning the cross and he who was to be crucified.
  • Epistle of Barnabas 12.1 (also cf. 4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 5.1-5)
For everything is possible for God and therefore it thus says in scripture: “The son of man prophesied to each of the bones. And you said to the bone: ‘Bone (be) to bones in limbs, tendons and nerves, and flesh and skin and hair on it.’” And soul and spirit the great Uriel will give at the command of God, for him God has appointed over his resurrection of the dead at the day of judgment.
  • Apocalypse of Peter 4.7-9
 
I … [the spirit of God] dwelt on him, he fell down before the throne … O [K]ing, you are angry for ever and your years … your vision and all. For ever you … [the gre]at ones. An oppression will come to the earth … a great massacre in the provinces … the king of Assyria [and E]gypt … he will be great on earth … will make and all will serve … he will be called (or: call himself) [gran]d … and by his name he will be designated (or: designate himself). II The son of God he will be proclaimed (or: proclaim himself) and the son of the Most High they will call him. Like the sparks of the vision, so will be their kingdom. They will reign for years on the earth and they will trample all. People will trample people (cf. Daniel 7:23) and one province another province vacat until the people of God will arise and all will rest from the sword. Their (the people of God’s) kingdom will be an eternal kingdom (cf. Daniel 7:27) and all their path will be in truth. They will jud[ge] the earth in truth and all will make peace. The sword will cease from the earth, and all the provinces will pay homage to them. The Great God (cf. Daniel 2:45) is their helper. He will wage war for them. He will give peoples into their hands and all of them (the peoples) He will cast before them (the people of God). Their dominion will be an eternal dominion (Daniel 7:14) and all the boundaries of …
  • Aramaic Apocalypse (4Q246)
 
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 judgment 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

XXVIII 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 sons 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.

…]

Psalm 151A
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 the,
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] …
Compare with:

(1) This Psalm is autographical. Regarding Dauid and outside the number.

I was small among my brothers
and the youngest in the house of my father;
I would shepherd the sheep of my father.
(2) My hands made an instrument;
my fingers tuned a harp.
(3) And who will report it to my lord?
The Lord himself, it is he who listens.
(4) It was he who sent his messenger
and took me from the sheep of my father,
and anointed me with the oil of his anointing.
(5) My brothers were handsome and tall,
and the Lord did not take delight in them.
(6) I went out to meet the allophyle,
and he cursed me by his idols.
(7) But I, having drawn the dagger from him,
I beheaded him
and removed reproach from Israel’s sons.
  • Psalm 151 (Septuagint, NETS)
 
Fr. 2

III … [the hea]vens and the earth will listen to His Messiah, and none therein will stray from the commandments of the holy ones.
Seekers of the Lord, strengthen yourselves in His service!
All you hopeful in (your) heart, will you not find the Lord in this?
For the Lord will consider the pious (hasidim) and call the righteous by name.
Over the poor His spirit will hover and will renew the faithful with His power.
And He will glorify the pious on the throne of the eternal Kingdom.
He who liberates the captives, restores sight to the blind, straightens the b[ent] (Ps. cxlvi, 7-8).
And f[or] ever I will clea[ve to the h]opeful and in His mercy…
And the f[ruit …] will not be delayed for anyone
And the Lord will accomplish glorious things which have never been as [He …]
For He will heal the wounded, and revive the dead and bring good news to the poor (Isa. lxi, 1).
… He will lead the uprooted and make the hungry rich …

Fr. 7

… [the ear]th and all that is on it;
and the sea [and all that is in it] and all the ponds of water and rivers …
who are doing good before the Lor[d] …
… like those who curse and are (destined) for death [when] the Life-giver will raise the dead of His people.
And we will thank and proclaim to you the righteousness of the Lord, who …
  • Messianic Apocalypse (aka Resurrection Fragment, 4Q521)
 
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

**** spoke to Moses saying:

You have heard the words which this people have spoken to you; all they have said is right. O that their heart were always like this, to fear me and to keep my commandments always, so that it might go well with them and their children for ever! (Deut. v, 28-29) I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren. I will put my words into his mouth and he shall tell them all that I command him. And I will require a reckoning of whoever will not listen to the words which the Prophet shall speak in my Name (Deut. xviii, 18-19)

He took up his discourse and said:
Oracle of Balaam, son of Beor. Oracle of the man whose eye is penetrating. Oracle of him who has heard the words of God, who knows the wisdom of the Most High and sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls and his eyes are opened. I see him but not now, I behold him but not near. A star shall come out of Jacob and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel; he shall crush the temples of Moab and destroy all the children of Sheth (Num. xxiv, 15-17).

And of Levi he said:
*Give Thy Tummim to Levi, and Thy Urim to Thy pious one whom Thou didst test at Massah, and with whom Thou didst quarrel at the waters of Meribah; who said to his father or mother, ‘I know you not,’ and who did not acknowledge his brother, or know his sons. For they observed Thy word and kept Thy Covenant. They shall cause Thy precepts to shine before Jacob and Thy Law before Israel. They shall send up incense towards Thy nostrils and place a burnt-offering upon Thine altar. Bless his power, ***, and delight in the work of his hands. Smite the loins of his adversaries and let his enemies rise no more (Deut. xxxiii, 8-11).

When Joshua had finished offering praise and thanksgiving, he said:
Cursed be the man who rebuilds this city! May he lay its foundation on his first-born, and set its gate upon his youngest son (Josh. vi, 26). Behold, an accursed man, a man of Belial, has risen to become a fowler’s net to his people, and a cause of destruction to all his neighbours. And [his brother] arose [and ruled in li]es, both being instruments of violence. They have rebuilt [this city and have set up for it] a wall and towers to make of it a stronghold of ungodliness in Israel, and a horror in Ephraim and Judah. … They have committed an abomination in the land, and a great blasphemy among the children [of Jacob. They have shed blo]od like water upon the ramparts of the daughter of Zion and within the precincts of Jerusalem.
 
http://www.imj.org.il/images/news/all/10/members1-large.jpg

(XXI) Before these days, Kedorlaomer king of Elam had set out with Amrafel king of Babylon, Ariok king of Kaptok, and Tidal king of the nations which lie between the rivers; and they waged war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Sheimabad king of Zeboim, and against the king of Bela. All these had made ready for battle in the valley of Siddim, and the king of Elam and the other kings with him had prevailed over the king of Sodom and his companions and had imposed a tribute upon them.
For twelve years they had paid their tribute to the king of Elam, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. And in the fourteenth year, the king of Elam placed himself at the head of all his allies and went up by the Way of the Wilderness; and they smote and pillaged from the river Euphrates onward. They smote the Refaim who were at Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zumzamim who were at Ammon, the Emim [who were at] Shaveh ha-Keriyyoth, and the Horites who were in the mountains of Gebal, until they came to El Paran which is in the Wilderness. And they returned … at Hazazon Tamar.
The king of Sodom went out to meet them, together with the king [of Gomorrah], the king of Admah, the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela, [and they fought] a battle in the valley [of Siddim] against Kedorlaomer [king of Elam and the kings] who were with him. But the king of Sodom was vanquished and fled, and the king of Gomorrah fell into the pits … [And] the king of Elam [carried off] all the riches of Sodom and [Gomorrah] … and they took Lot the nephew XXII of Abram who dwelt with them in Sodom, together with all his possessions.
Now one of the shepherds of the flocks which Abram had given to Lot escaped from captivity and came to Abram; at that time Abram dwelt in Hebron. He told him that Lot his nephew had been taken, together with all his possessions, but that he had not been slain and that the kings had gone by the Way of the Great Valley (of the Jordan) in the direction of their land, taking captives and plundering and smiting and slaying, and that they were journeying towards the land of Damascus.
Abram wept because of Lot his nephew. Then he braced himself; he rose up and chose from among his servants three hundred and eighteen fighting men trained for war, and Ornam and Eshkol and Mamre went with him also. He pursued them until he came to Dan, and came on them while they were camped in the valley of Dan. He fell on them at night from four sides and during the night he slew them; he crushed them and put them to flight, and all of them fled before him until they came to Helbon which is north of Damascus. He rescued from them all their captives, and all their booty and possessions, and he brought back all the captives which they had taken.
When the king of Sodom learned that Abram had brought back all the captives and all the booty, he came out to meet him; and he went to Salem, which is Jerusalem.
Abram camped in the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king, the valley of Beth-ha-Kerem; and Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out food and drink to Abram and to all the men who were with him. He was the Priest of the Most High God. And he blessed Abram and said, ‘Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, Lord of heaven and earth! And blessed be the Most High God who has delivered your enemies into your hand!’ And Abram gave him the tithe of all the possessions of the king of Elam and his companions.
Then the king of Sodom approached and said to Abram, ‘My lord Abram, give me my souls which are mind, which you have delivered from the king of Elam and taken captive, and you may have all the possessions.’
Then said Abram to the king of Sodom, ‘I raise my hand this day to the Most High God, Lord of heaven and earth! I will take nothing of yours, not even a shoe-lace or shoe-strap, lest you say, Abram’s riches come from my possessions! I will take nothing but that which the young men with me have eaten already, and the portion of the three men who have come with me. They shall decide whether they will give you their portion.’ And Abram returned all the possessions and all the captives and gave them to the king of Sodom; he freed all the captives from this land who were with him, and sent them all back.
 
Frs. 1-4

II … And concerning that which He said, In [this] year of Jubilee [each of you shall return to his property (Lev. xxv, 13); and likewise, And this is the manner of release:] every creditor shall release that which he has lent [to his neighbour. He shall not exact it of his neighbour and his brother], for God’s release [has been proclaimed] (Deut. xv, 2). And it will be proclaimed at the end of days concerning the captives as [He said, To proclaim liberty to the captives (Isa. lxi, 1). Its interpretation is that He] will assign them to the Sons of Heaven and to the inheritance of Melchizedek; f[or He will cast] their [lot] amid the po[rtions of Melchize]dek, who will return them there and will proclaim to them liberty, forgiving them [the wrong-doings] of all their iniquities.
And this thing will [occur] in the first week of the Jubilee that follows the nine Jubilees. And the Day of Atonement is the e[nd of the] tenth Jubilee, when all the Sons of [Light] and the men of the lot of Mel[chi]zedek will be atoned for. [And] a statute concerns them to provide them with their rewards. For this is the moment of the Year of Grace for Melchizedek. [And h]e will, by his strength, judge the holy ones of God, executing judgement as it is written concerning him in the Songs of David, who said, ELOHIM has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgement (Psalms 82:1). And it was concerning him that he said, (Let the assembly of the peoples) return to the height above them; EL (god) will judge the peoples (Psalms 7:7-8). As for that which he s[aid, How long will you] judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah (Psalms 82:2), its interpretation concerns Belial and the spirits of his lot [who] rebelled by turning away from the precepts God to … And Melchizedek will avenge the vengeance of the judgements of God … and he will drag [them from the hand of] Belial and from the hand of all of the sp[irits of] his lot. And all the ‘gods [of Justice]’ will come to his aid [to] attend to the de[struction] of Belial. And the height is … all the sons of God … this … This is the day of [Peace/Salvation] concerning which [God] spoke through Isaiah the prophet, who said, [How] beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who proclaims peace, who brings good news, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion: Your ELOHIM [reigns] (Isa. iii, 7). Its interpretation; the mountains are the prophets … and the messenger is the Anointed one of the spirit, concerning whom Dan[iel] said, Until an anointed one, a prince (Dan. ix, 25)] … [And he *who brings] good [news, who proclaims [salvation]: it is concerning him that it is written. … To comfort all who mourn, to grant to those who mourn in Zion] (Isa. lxi, 2-3). To comfort [those who mourn: its interpretation], to make them understand all the ages of t[ime] … In truth … will turn away from Belial … by the judgement of God, as it is written concerning him, [who says to Zion]; your ELOHIM reigns. Zion is …, those who uphold the Covenant, who turn from walking [in] the way of the people. And your ELOHIM is [Melchizedek, who will save them from] the hand of Belial.
As for that He said, Then you shall send abroad the trump[et in] all the land (Lev. xxv, 9)
 
Curses of Belial

…
II council of the Community shall say together, Amen, amen. Afterwards [they] shall damn Belial and all his guilty lot. They shall answer and say, Cursed be B]elial in his hostile design, and damned in his guilty dominion. Cursed be all the spirits of his [lo]t in their wicked design, and damned in their thoughts of unclean impurity. For they are the lot of darkness and their visitation is for eternal destruction. Amen, amen.
Cursed be the Wicke[d One in all the ages] of his dominions, and may all the sons of Belial be damned in all the works of their service until their annihilation [for ever, Amen, amen.]
And [they shall continue to say: Be cursed, Ang]el of Perdition and Spir[it of Dest]ruction, in all the thoughts of your g[uilty] inclination [and all your abomina]ble [plots] and [your] wicked design, [and] may you be [da]mned … Amen, amen.
[Cursed be a]ll those who practi[se] their [wicked designs] and establish [in their heart] their (evil) devices, [plotting against God’s Covenant] … to exchange the judgemen[ts of truth for folly.]
  • Benedictions (4Q286 (4Q287, fr. 6) = 4QBerakhot[sup]b[/sup], fr. 7 ii)
 
Glorification Hymn A
(4Q491, fr. 11)

… the righ[teous] 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] desire is not according to the flesh, [and] all that I value is in the glory of … … the pl]ace of holiness.
Who is counted as 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 * 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 …

Glorification Hymn B
(4Q471b)

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 …*
 
[All this is] for the transgression [of Jacob and for the sins of the House of Israel. What is the transgression of Jacob?] Is it not [Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem? I will make of Samaria a ruin in the fields, and of Jerusalem a plantation of vines] (i, 5-6).
Interpreted, this concerns the Spouter of Lies [who led the] Simple astray.

And what is the high place of Judah? [Is it not Jerusalem?] (i, 5).
[Interpreted, this concerns] the Teacher of Righteousness who [expounded the law to] his Council and to all who freely pledged themselves to join the elect of [God to keep the Law] in the Council of the Community, who shall be saved on the Day [of Judgement] …
  • Commentary on Micah (1Q14)
 
Commentary on Nahum
(4Q169, frs. 1-2)

[In the whirlwind and storm is his way and] the cloud is the d[ust of his feet (i, 3).
Its interpretation] … The [whirlwinds and storm]s are (from) the fir[mam]ents of his heaven and of his earth which he has cre[ated].

He rebu[kes] the sea and dri[es it up] (i, 4a).
Its [int]erpretation: the sea is all the K[ittim who are] … to execut[e] judgement against them and destroy them from the face [of the earth,] together with [all] their [com]manders whose dominion shall be finished.

[Bashan and] Carmel have withered, and the sprout of Lebanon withers (i, 4b).
Its interpretation … [will per]ish in it, the summit of wickedness for the … Carmel and to his commanders. Lebanon and the sprout of Lebanon are [the priests, the sons of Zadok and the men of] their council and they shall perish from before … the elect … [a]ll the inhabitants of the world.

The mo[untains quake before him] and the hills heave and the earth [is lifted up] before him, and [the world and all that dwell in it. Who can stand before his wrath? And who can arise] against his furious anger? (I, 5-6a).
[Its] in[terpretation] …

I [Where is the lion’s den and the cave of the young lions?] (ii, 11).
[Interpreted, this concerns] … a dwelling-place for the ungodly of the nations.

Whither the lion goes, there is the lion’s cub, [with none to disturb it] (ii, 11b).
[Interpreted, this concerns Deme]trius king of Greece who sought, on the counsel of those who seek smooth things, to enter Jerusalem. [But God did not permit the city to be delivered] into the hands of the kings of Greece, from the time of Antiochus until the coming of the rulers of the Kittim. But then she shall be trampled under their feet…

The lion tears enough for its cubs, and it chokes prey for its lionesses (ii, 12a).
Interpreted, this concerns the furious young lion who strikes by means of his great men, and by means of the men of his council.

[And it chokes prey for its lionesses; and it fills] its caves [with prey] and its dens with victims (ii, 12a-b).
Interpreted, this concerns the furious young lion [who executes revenge] against on those who seek smooth things and hangs men alive, … formerly in Israel. Because of a man hanged alive on [the] tree, He proclaims, ‘Behold, I am against [you, says the Lord of Hosts’].

, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will [cut off] your prey [from the earth]* (ii, 13).
[Interpreted] … your multitude is the bands of his army … and his young lions are … his prey is the wealth which [the priests] of Jerusalem have [amassed], which … Israel shall be delivered …

[And the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard] (ii, 13b).
[Interpreted] II … his messengers are his envoys whose voice shall no more be heard among the nations.

Woe to the city of blood; it is full of lies and rapine. (iii, 1a-b).
Interpreted this is the city of Ephraim, those who seek smooth things during the last days, who walk in lies and falsehood.

The prowler is not wanting, noise of whip and noise of rattling wheel, prancing horse and jolting chariot, charging horsemen, flame and glittering spear, a multitude of the slain and a heap of carcasses. There is no end to the corpses; they stumble upon their corpses (iii, 1c-3).
Interpreted, this concerns the dominion of those who seek smooth things, from the midst of whose assembly the sword of the nations shall never be wanting. Captivity, looting and burning shall be among them, and exile out of dread for the enemy. A multitude of guilty corpses shall fall in their days; there shall be no end to the sum of their slain. They shall also stumble upon their body of flesh because of their guilty counsel.

Because of the many harlotries of the well-favoured harlot, the mistress of seduction, she who sells nations through her harlotries and families through her seductions (iii, 4).
Interpreted, this concerns those who lead Ephraim astray, who lead many astray through their false teaching, their lying tongue, and deceitful lips – kings, princes, priests, and people, together with the stranger who joins them. Cities and families shall perish through their counsel; honourable men and rulers shall fall through their tongue’s [decision].

Behold, I am against you – oracle of the Lord of Hosts – and you will lift up your skirts to your face and expose your nakedness to the nations and your shame to the kingdoms (iii, 5).
Interpreted … cities to the east. For the skirts are … III and the nations shall … among them their filthy idols.

I will cast filth upon you and treat you with contempt and render you despicable, so that all who look upon you shall flee from you (iii, 6-7a).
Interpreted, this concerns those who seek smooth things, whose evil deeds shall be uncovered to all Israel at the end of time. Many shall understand their iniquity and treat them with contempt because of their guilty presumption. When the glory of Judah shall arise, the simple of Ephraim shall flee from their assembly; they shall abandon those who lead them astray and shall join Israel.*
 
(continued)

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/5718/nahum1.gif

They shall say, Nineveh is laid waste: who shall grieve over her? Whence shall I seek comforters for you? (iii, 7b).
Interpreted, this concerns those who seek smooth things, whose council shall perish and whose congregation shall be dispersed. They shall lead the assembly astray no more, and the simple shall support their council no more.

Are you better than Amon which lay among the rivers? (iii, 8a).
Interpreted, Amon is Manasseh, and the rivers are the great men of Manasseh, the honourable men of …

Which was surrounded by waters, whose rampart was the sea and whose walls were waters? (iii, 8b).
Interpreted, these are her valiant men, her almighty warriors.

Ethiopia and Egypt were her [limitless] strength (iii, 9a).
[Interpreted] …

[Put and the Lybians were your helpers] (iii, 9b).
IV Interpreted, these are the wicked of [Judah], the House of Separation, who joined Manasseh.

Yet she was exiled, she went into captivity. Her children were crushed at the top of all the streets. They cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains (iii, 10).
Intepreted, this concerns Manasseh in the final age, whose kingdom shall be brought low by [Israel …] his wives, his children, and his little ones shall go into captivity. His mighty men and honourable men [shall perish] by the sword.

[You shall be drunk] and shall be stupefied (iii, 11a).
Interpreted, this concerns the wicked of E[phraim …] whose cup shall come after Manasseh …

[You shall also seek] refuge in the city because of the enemy (iii, 11b).
Inter[preted, this concerns …] their enemies in the city …

[All your strongholds shall be: like fig trees with newly ripe figs (iii, 12a).*
 
Just to give credit where credit is due: these translations are all from Geza Vermes’ The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English. A slightly misleading title, since not all of the discovered fragments are translated as Vermes himself admits: only meaningful texts were included, to the exclusion of biblical fragments and fragments which are too fragmented to be translated. The biblical texts are translated by Martin G. Abegg, Peter Flint, and Eugene Ulrich as The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: The Oldest Known Bible Translated for the First Time into English. So far I have attempted to be faithful to the printed text - excepting the typos, which are entirely my fault 😊 - except for the translation of the Testimonia (4Q175): where Vermes translates “the Lord” I have changed them into four asterisks in lieu of the four dots (a euphemistic substitute for the Tetragrammaton) present in the original text.
 
And when will these things be consummated? The Lord says: When the tree shall lean over and stand up, and when blood shall flow from the tree.
Click to expand...
IOW, when George RR Martin gets an HBO series. 😃

Hey, it’s as good a time as any of the others…
 
To introduce the texts, which I haven’t done (drawing again mainly from Vermes’ book):

Pseudo-Ezekiel (4Q385-6, 385b, 388, 385c)

An apocryphal work based on the book of Ezekiel, surviving in five manuscripts from Cave 4 in Qumran, which consists of exchanges between God and Ezekiel. The material in 4Q385 (paleographically dated to the late Hasmonean or the early Herodian era, i.e. roughly mid-1st century BC) includes Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones (cf. Ezekiel 28) and the vision of the cherubim. There is nothing obviously sectarian in the document. 4Q386 deals with the vision of the dry bones and the future of the land of Israel. 4Q385b builds upon the prophecy against Egypt (cf. Ezekiel 30:1-3), while 4Q388 alludes once more to the vision of the dry bones and the final battle. 4Q385c consists of seven unidentified scraps.

Aramaic Apocalypse (4Q246)



Dated to the final decades of the 1st century BC, this document is also known as the ‘Son of God fragment’ after its references to a figure dubbed only the ‘son of God’ and the ‘son of the Most High’. Different competing interpretations of this figure have been proposed: the late J.T. Milik thought that it referred to the Seleucid ruler Alexander Balas (150-146 BC); Fr. Joseph Fitzmyer proposed that it refers to a Jewish, possibly Hasmonean ruler with a possible ‘messianic undertone’; David Flusser had in mind an Antichrist figure; Florentino García Martínez argued in favor of an angelic/semi-divine identity, namely either the heavenly Melchizedek or Michael; the editor of the fragment, Emile Puech applies the title to either the future Davidic Messiah or a historical Seleucid pretender; Vermes sees in the figure the last historico-apocalyptic sovereign of the ultimate world empire who will proclaim himself and be worshipped as a god a la Antiochus Epiphanes.

Overall, the text recalls the apocalyptic sections of Daniel. A Daniel-like person is to explain to a king seated on a throne a vision or dream alluding to wars involving Assyria and Egypt, and the arrival of a final universal ruler, who is called (by either himself or his subjects) ‘son of God’. But the triumph of peace is not attributed to this ‘son of God’ figure - his reign is characterized rather by internecine struggle between nations and princes - but to the ‘Great God’, whose dominion over mankind is declared eternal (cf. Daniel 7:14) and free from the sword.

It is worth mentioning that while the Qumran Community has been dubbed as an ‘apocalyptic community’ by many authors due to their particular worldview, the corpus of actual apocalypses from Qumran is quite scanty: aside from famous works like 1 Enoch or Daniel, the only other possible representatives of the genre are fragments in Aramaic from Cave 4, of which this is one. And even then, we cannot classify this work with certainty since the beginning and the end of the book is lost.
 
Apocryphal Psalms (11QPs[sup]a[/sup] = 11Q5, 4Q88)



Seven apocryphal Psalms are found interpersed together with the 150 canonical ones in the Psalms Scroll from Cave 11 (11QPs[sup]a[/sup]): one is (or more accurately, two are) equivalent to Psalm 151 from the Greek (Septuagint) Psalter, two figure as Psalms 154 and 155 found in the Syriac, and three (dubbed the Hymn to the Creator, the Apostrophe to Zion, and the Prayer for Deliverance) are previously unknown. An extract from the Hebrew version of Sirach 51 also features in the scroll.

Psalm 151A and B retells the story of the election of David as ruler of Israel and his victory over Goliath. Psalm 151A from the Psalms Scroll is reflected in verses 1-5 of the Greek Psalm 151, while verses 6 onward are derived from a separate psalm, known as Psalm 151B (which is only partially preserved). The Greek translator has brought the two Hebrew psalms together in a manner that significantly changes their meaning and structure (the Greek version was often criticized as not making any good sense - especially when compared to the original Hebrew), but the influence of the Hebrew originals is still readily apparent. Psalm 154 is a sapiential hymn, the beginning and end of which is extant only in Syriac, but 4Q448 (col. A, lines 17-20) preserves a few words in Hebrew corresponding to 154:17-20. Psalm 155, an amalgam of individual complaint and thanksgiving, is partly an alphabet acrostic, i.e. the lines begin with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. As for the ‘new’ compositions, Plea for Deliverance (the beginning of which is lost) is an individual thanksgiving hymn, the Zion Psalm (lines 1-3 and 8-15 or which also partly attested in another fragment from Cave 4: 4Q88, vii-viii) is another alphabetic acrostic hymn praising Jerusalem, and the Psalm of Creation is another sapiential hymn. These psalms are commonly dated to the 2nd century BC at the latest, but may date earlier to the 3rd century BC.

A prose midrashic account of the poetic activities of David is also included in column 27 of 11Q5, which credits him with 4,050 compositions, subdivided into psalms, songs for the daily sacrifice, songs for the Sabbath sacrifice, festival songs, and songs of exorcism. This section is overtly sectarian: the mention of fifty-two Sabbaths and the 364 days indicates that the author of the section envisaged the solar year of the Qumran calendar. The figure of 4,050 should be viewed against the prolific literary achievement claimed for David’s son Solomon in 1 Kings 5:12 (3,000 proverbs + 1,005 songs as per the Hebrew text; 3,000 proverbs and 5,000 songs according to the Septuagint). As for Josephus (Antiquities 8.44), he attributes to Solomon 1,005 books of poems and 3,000 books of parables.

Messianic Apocalypse (4Q521)

Also dubbed the ‘Resurrection Fragment’, this document consists of sixteen fragments and is dated to the 1st century BC, based on the script. According to Vermes, “[w]hether the designation ‘apocalypse’ is fully justified is a moot point: the writing comes across as a composition in verse akin to the poetry of the late biblical period.” The work do not appear to include any patently sectarian: the term ‘Messiah’, probably in the singular, is used without the additional adjectives of ‘Aaron’ and ‘Israel’ (as in some other sectarian works), and the noun ḥasidim (the ‘pious’), absent from the big scrolls and little attested elsewhere, figures in lines 5 and 7. Vermes’ translation of “Lord” here does not represent the Tetragrammaton, but the word 'Adonai (four times). The poem incorporates Psalm 146:6-7 and Isaiah 41:1 into its structure. The interesting thing about this scroll is the similarity it bears with some Christian ideas: as in the gospels, healing and resurrection are linked in this document to the kingdom of God (note also that Luke 4:18 cites Isaiah 41:1). Line 12 of fragment 2 furnishes the most explicit evidence concerning the belief in the resurrection of the dead. Fragment 7, line 6, repeats the same idea, referring to God as “the Life-giver” who “will raise the dead of His people.”
 
patrick457 said:
Just for fun. 😃

‘And they will know that I am the Lord] who redeems My people, giving them the Covenant.’ vacat [And I said, ‘Lord,] I have seen many from Israel who have loved Thy name and walked [in] the ways [of righteousness (?), and] when will [these] things come to pass? And how will their piety be rewarded? And the Lord said to me, ‘I will make the sons of Israel see and they will know that I am the Lord.’ vacat [And He said,] ‘Son of man, prophesy concerning the bones, and say, “Come together, a bone to its bone, and a bit [to its bit.”’ And] s[o it came to pas]s. And He said a second time, ‘Prophesy, and let sinews come on them, and skin spread over them above.’ [And] s[o it came to pas]s. And He said again, ‘Prophesy concerning the four winds of heaven and let the win[ds of heaven] blow [on them and they shall live].’ And a great crowd of men revived and blessed the Lord of hosts wh[o made them live.] And I said, ‘Lord, when will these things come to pass?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘… a tree will bend and stand up …’
  • Pseudo-Ezekiel (4Q385, fr. 2 (=4Q386, fr. 1 i, 4Q388, fr. 7))
Compare with:

Likewise again he narrates concerning the cross in another prophet, who says: And when will these things be consummated? The Lord says: When the tree shall lean over and stand up, and when blood shall flow from the tree. You have again a note concerning the cross and he who was to be crucified.
  • Epistle of Barnabas 12.1 (also cf. 4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 5.1-5)
For everything is possible for God and therefore it thus says in scripture: “The son of man prophesied to each of the bones. And you said to the bone: ‘Bone (be) to bones in limbs, tendons and nerves, and flesh and skin and hair on it.’” And soul and spirit the great Uriel will give at the command of God, for him God has appointed over his resurrection of the dead at the day of judgment.
  • Apocalypse of Peter 4.7-9
Click to expand...
You seem to have a lot of access to ancient or lost resources. Could you enlighten me, by any chance, on the differences between the different sources of Judith 8? The Vulgate is vastly different than modern translations of that passage, but I’ve noticed that 1 Cor. 10:9,10 seems to line up with Vulgate Judith 8:25, as if Paul borrowed from whatever source Jerome used in translating the Vulgate. Got anything that could confirm or deny that?
 
dmar198 said:
You seem to have a lot of access to ancient or lost resources. Could you enlighten me, by any chance, on the differences between the different sources of Judith 8? The Vulgate is vastly different than modern translations of that passage, but I’ve noticed that 1 Cor. 10:9,10 seems to line up with Vulgate Judith 8:25, as if Paul borrowed from whatever source Jerome used in translating the Vulgate. Got anything that could confirm or deny that?
Click to expand...
Simple answer for now: Jerome’s translation of Judith is, like Tobit, made from an Aramaic version that is different from the Greek version which is commonly used in modern translations. Like Tobit, Greek Judith exists in a few textual versions.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top