The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (90 page)

To these four outstanding Essenes we may now add possibly the name of a Bursar or Guardian, Eleazar son of Nahmani, mentioned in one of the Qumran ostraca (cf. below, p. 634), and the three imperfect members, Yohanan and two men called Hananiah mentioned in 4Q
477
. See above, pp. 31-2.

Another metaphorical use of Lebanon (= the foreign nations) is implied in the quotation of Isa. x, 34 in the Rule of War (4Q285 fr. 5).

4Q268 adds: to me.

4Q266 fr. 2 ii, 3 adds: so that from all the paths of the sin[ners you shall keep away].

Or: men called (4Q266, fr. 2 ii, II).

Or: when he acted wickedly against Israel the first time (4Q266, fr. 3 ii, 6-7).

4Q266, fr. 3 ii, 10 adds: of which Moses said:

MS. B continues: by the hand of the prophet Zechariah:
Awake, O Sword, against my shepherd, against my companion, says God. Strike the shepherd that tbe flock may be scattered and I will stretch my hand over the little ones
(Zech. xiii, 7). The humble of the flock are those who watch for Him. They shall be saved at the time of the Visitation whereas the others shall be delivered up to the sword when the Anointed of Aaron and Israel shall come, as it came to pass at the time of the former Visitation concerning which God said by the hand of Ezekiel:
They shall put a mark on tbe forebeads of those who sigh and groan
(Ezek. ix, 4). But the others were delivered up to the avenging sword of the Covenant.

MS. B inserts: they have entered the Covenant of repentance but they have not turned, etc.

MS. B adds: bore witness against the people, so will He love, etc.

The end of the Exhortation of CD is followed in 4Q266, fr. 4, lines 11-12, by a badly preserved allusion to the Messiah: ‘God [will set up] a shep[herd for His people] and he will feed [them] in [pastures] ...'

4Q
266
, fr. 8 i, 6 adds: and (then) draw near.

4Q266, fr. 8 ii, 8; 270, fr. 6 iii, 15 add: And that which He said:

Or: through (4Q270, fr. 6 iii, 18).

(4Q267, fr. 9 i,i) adds: and from one month to another.

Or: in any (4Q270, fr. 6 iv, 21).

Or: his field (4Q266).

Or: show bitterness to (4Q271, fr. 5 i, 7).

4Q270, fr. 6 v, 17 adds: day.

Or: transgress (4Q267, fr. 9 v, 5).

4Q266, fr. 10 i, 4 adds: to the congregation.

This reading (
yolid
), which has been queried by many, including myself, seems to be confirmed by computer image enhancement. E. Puech (
RQ
16, 1994, 361) prefers to read
yitgalleh,
‘will be revealed'.

For the contents of the badly damaged columns III-XII, see p. 191.

Reading
dglyw
(standards = divisions) with the Samaritan Pentateuch against the traditional
rglyw
(feet). Computer enhancement, initiated by George Brooke, has made this reading certain.

The inclusion of these documents in the 1997 edition was made possible by the kindness of F. M. Cross and Esther Eshel, who generously put at my disposal in advance their decipherment of the two inscribed potsherds.

If the editors' reading is correct, line 8 may also be understood as alluding to the completion of a year of initiation in the Community, at the end of which the novice had to hand over his property to the Bursar of the sect according to Community Rule (1QS VI, 18-20): ‘And if it be his destiny, according to the judgement of the Priests and the multitude of the men of their Covenant, to enter the company of the Community, his property and earnings shall be handed over to the Bursar of the Congregation who shall register it to his account and shall not spend it for the Congregation.' ‘El'azar son of Nahmani, mentioned in line 2, may have been the Bursar (or the Overseer/Guardian) of the Community in the first century CE.