The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (54 page)

[May He shed upon you the spirit of counsel] and everlasting might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of God; may righteousness be the girdle [of your loins] and may your reins be girdled [with faithfulness]!

May He make your horns of iron and your hooves of bronze; may you toss like a young bull [and trample the peoples] like the mire of the streets!

For God has established you as the sceptre. The rulers ... [and all the kings of the] nations shall serve you. He shall strengthen you with His holy Name and you shall be as a [lion; and you shall not lie down until you have devoured the] prey which naught shall deliver ...

(4Q
280, 286-90
)

Five fragmentary copies of a text containing liturgical blessings and curses, each unit ending with ‘Amen, amen', have survived in Cave 4. Of these 4QBerakhot
^a
(4Q286), preserved on three photographic plates (PAM 43-311-13), provides continuous passages. They parallel Community Rule II and War Rule XIII, and the style of 4Q286 I also recalls the Songs of the Holocaust for the Sabbath (4Q400-407). I agree with Bilhah Nitzan that 4QBerakhot is probably an independent version of part of the ceremony of the renewal of the covenant included in 1QS 11, 3-17. 4Q280 depends mainly on Community Rule ii, but reveals Satan's specific name,
Melkiresha'
(My king is wickedness), the counterpart of
Melchizedek
(My king is justice), chief of the Army of Light (cf. below, pp. 532, 571).

For the
editio princeps,
see B. Nitzan,
DJD,
XI, 1-74 (4Q286-90), and
DJD,
XXIX, 1-8 (4Q280).

II
The seat of Thy splendour and the footstool of Thy glory in the [h]eights of Thy standing and Thy holy stepping-place. And Thy glorious chariots, their cherubim and their wheels and all [their] companies; foundations of fire and flames of brightness and shinings of majesty and str[eam]s of fire and wonderful luminaries; [majes]ty and splendour and glorious height, holy foundation and sou[rce of] majesty and height of glory, ma[rvel of than]ksgivings and reservoir of might, splendour of praises and great in wonderful things and healing[s] and miraculous deeds, foundation of wisdom and pattern of knowledge and source of understanding, source of prudence and holy counsel and true foundation, treasure-house of intelligence, building of righteousness and place of upright[ness, great] in loving-kindness and in meekness and true loving-kindness and everlasting mercies and mysteries of mar[vels] in [the]ir reve[lations] and holy weeks in their appointed time and squads of months ... [... of ye]ars in their circuits and glorious festive seasons in [their] ... fixed moments ... and the sabbatical years of the land in [their] divi[sions, ap]pointed times for libe[rty ... eternity ... [l]ight and dar[kness ... ]

... [thei]r ... in the strength of their majesty and all the [sp]irits of those who bring to the Sanctua[ry] ... in [their] comp[anies and in] their [do]minions, the mighty of the ‘gods' with power.
vacat
... zeal for judgement with strength.
vacat
... [they shall] all [bless in com]munity Thy holy name.... [Ho]ly of Holies [they] will curse ... knowledge of understanding ...
vacat
... joyous cry ...

... ru[ling] angels ... in (a]ll their services ... [sp]arks and lightnings ... the angels of rain cl[oud]s, and heavy clouds and thick [clouds] and dew-drops ... and all the spirits of dominations ... when they were created ... [suc]ceed one another ...

I
... and all their elect ... ... and all who know the song of ... and the blessings of truth in the fe[stive] times ... and the kingdom shall be lifted up among the p[eople]s ... the assembly of the pure ‘gods' and all who possess everlasting knowledge to prai[se and to bl]ess Thy glorious name in all the [everlasting ages]. Amen, amen.

[Every one should rebuke his fellow in truth, and virtuous humility and with] righteous [intenti]on [in the Community of God. And whoever] has erred when returning [to the truth], they shall rebuke him [according to] their [commandments]. They shall rebuke him and have mercy [on him if he transgr]esses. Let no [man] bear gru[dge against his fellow from one day] to [ano]ther. [Let him] not hate him in his heart [so as n]o[t to bear guilt because of him. And whatever is revealed to the men] of the Community let him instruct [him with] his mer[ciful love] and with the spirit [of humility he shall distance him from the deeds of] deceitfulness. The [Guardian of the Congregation shall ad]monish him regarding all [the regulations] perfecting his deeds from all [sin through re]buking him before wi[tnesses. Let no man take revenge] on his own behalf in any matter for he will be punished [for six months/one year (?)] ... Let no one take the law [in his own hand, disobeying the order of his fellow. Let him not speak to him] in anger or out of envy prompted by the spirit of wickedness, disregarding the dignity of his colleague with [heated] anger, standing up against him without [justification].

... and they shall bless Thy holy name with benedictions of... the Holy of Holies. And all the creatures of flesh [shall bl]ess Thee, all of them that Thou has crea[ted] ... the beasts and the birds and the worms and the fish of the sea and all ... Thou hast created them all renewing ...

... against the anointed ones of [His] hol[y] spirit ...

II
council of the Community shall all 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, am[en].

[Cursed be a]ll those who practi[se] their [wicked designs] and establish [in their heart] their (evil) devices, [plotting against Go]d'[s Covenant] ... to exchange the judgemen[ts of truth for folly.]

[May God set him apart] for evil from the midst of the Sons of Li[ght because he has turned away from following Him.

And they shall continue saying: Be cur]sed, Melkiresha‘, in all the thou[ghts of your guilty inclination. May] God [deliver you up] for torture at the hands of the vengeful Avengers. May God not heed [when] you call on Him. [May He raise His angry face] towards you. May there be no (greeting of) ‘Peace' for you in the mouth of all those who hold fast to the Father[s. May you be cursed] with no remnant, and damned without escape.

Cursed be those who practi[se their wicked designs] and [es]tablish in their heart your (evil) devices, plotting against the Covenant of God ... , seers of [His] truth.

[Who]ever refuses to enter [His Covenant, walking in the stubbornness of his heart] ...

(4Q
393
)

Fragmentary remains of a communal confession of sins, spoken in the first person plural, recall the language of Psalm li, Jeremiah and Deuteronomy, and resemble confession prayers in Ezra ix, 5-15; Daniel ix, 4-19; 1QS 1, 24-11, 1. In the latter text, the parallel confession is part of the ceremony of the renewal of the Covenant. The script is dated to mid-first century BCE.

For the
editio princeps,
see Daniel Falk,
DJD,
XXIX, 45-61.

 

I
... in order that Thou be justified by Thy wor[ds] ... we were poured out through our iniquities ... they [stiff]ened the neck. Our God, hide Thy face from [our] si[ns and] blot out [al]l our iniquities and create in us a new spirit, O Lord.... [do not] withhold faithfulness and to rebels ... and bring back sinners to Thee. And [do not] reject from Thee the broken [spir]it, O God. According to Thy people in order to ... and always on ... nations and kingdoms ... their word[s] ... to Thy peoples in order to ...

II
... the faithful God who keep [the] covenant and loving-kindness to those who love [Thee and who keep Thy commandments which Thou didst command] to Moses. Do not forsake Thy people [and] Thine [in]heritance. And let no man walk in the stubbornness of his [evil] heart. O God, in Thy goodwill ... Thy people and Thine inheritance shall not be forsa[k]en and let no man walk in the stubbornness of his evil heart. And where is Strength? And on whom shalt Thou cause Thy face to shine without his being purified? And they shall be sanctified and exalted above everything. It is Thou O Lord who hast chosen our fathers from of old. Thou hast caused us to stand for them as a remnant to give us (the covenant) which Thou hast established with Abraham for Israel that they might possess the proud ... mighty men, the hosts of those who are powerful, giving us houses filled with ... water, vineyards and olive trees [and] an inheritance of the people ...

(4Q
512
)

Badly worn papyrus fragments from Cave 4 (4Q
512
) contain prayers: to be recited to obtain purification from various kinds of ritual uncleanness. M. Baillet (
DJD,
VII, 263-86) suggests an early first-century BCE date for the script.

VII
And he will bless there [the God of Israel. Answering, he will say: Blessed art Thou, God of Israel. And I stand] before Thee on the feas[t] ... Thou hast ... me for purity ... and his burnt-offering and he will bless. Answering he will say: Blessed art Thou, [God of Israel, who hast delivered me from al]l my sins and purified me from impure indecency and hast atoned so that I come ... purification and the blood of the burnt-offering of Thy goodwill and the pleasing memorial ...

X
[And on completin]g [his] seven days of puri[fication] ... and he shall wash his clothes with w[ater and cleanse his body] and he shall put on his garments and shall bless ag[ain] ... the God of Isra[e]l ...

(4Q
4]14
)

Thirty-six badly damaged fragments, written on the verso of 4Q
415
, represent a purificatory ritual and prayers. The script dates to the turn of the era. Some lines are parallel to 4Q
512
, frs. 42-44 ii, 2—5.

For the
editio princeps,
see E. Eshel,
DJD,
XXXV, 135-54.

... and thou shalt purify us according [to] Thy precepts of holiness for the first, the third and the seventh ... by the truth of Thy covenant ... to be purified from the impurity of ... And then he shall enter the water ... Answering, he shall say, ‘Blessed a[rt Thou, God of Israel] for from the utterance of Thy mouth is declared the purity of all: to be separated from all the guilty men of uncleanness who cannot be purified by the purifying water ....

(4Q
392-3
)

This is a religious text, possibly liturgical, but strongly reminiscent of the language of the Thanksgiving Hymns. For the
editio princeps,
see D. Falk,
DJD,
XXIX, 23-44.

... each to be united with [G]od and not to depart from a[ll] ... and their soul will cling to His Covenant and ... the words of the mouth of ... The Go[d] ... the heaven above and to search out the ways of the sons of man (leaving) no secret [in their heart(?)]. He created darkness [and l]ight is His, and in His dwelling is the most perfect light, and all gloominess ceases before Him. It is not for Himself the distinction between light and darkness, for He has distinguished them for the sons of man: light during the day by means of the sun; (and during the) night (by means of) moon and stars. The inscrutable light is with Him, and His knowledge is without [end, f]or all the works of God are multiple (?). We who are flesh, should we not consider this? With us ... for countless signs and wonders ... [wi]nds and lightnings ... [s]ervants of the most holy pla[ce]. From before Him proceed the lu[minaries] ...

... [they did not lis]ten to the signs and wonders ... plagues [which no kingdom has seen] until this day and ... He has brought us out [of the land of Egypt] without being counted. In the mighty waters he made a path ... the great [abyss] [and He made] him [sin]k like stone in the deep ...