The

DEAD SEA SCROLLS

in English

Geza Vermes

Revised and Extended

Fourth Edition

First published 1962

Second edition 1975

Third edition 1987

Fourth edition 1995

Copyright © G. Vermes 1962, 1965, 1968, 1975, 1987, 1995

All rights reserved

Fourth edition published in hardback by Sheffield Academic Press Ltd

Mansion House

19 Kingfield Road

Sheffield, S11 9AS

England

Vermes, Geza

The Dead Sea Scrolls in English.—4th ed.

I. Title

296.1’55

BM487.A3

ISBN 1-85075-563-9

Contents

PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION

INTRODUCTION

SCROLL CATALOGUE

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

I. THE COMMUNITY

appendix: the essenes and the qumran community

II. THE HISTORY OF THE COMMUNITY

III. THE RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF THE COMMUNITY

NOTE ON THE TEXTS

A. The Rules

1. The Community Rule (1QS)

2. The Community Rule (4QSd = 4Q258)

3. The Community Rule (4QSe = 4Q259)

4. The Damascus Document (CD)

5. The Damascus Document: Skin Disease (4QDa/g = 4Q266/272)

6. The Damascus Document: Penal Code (4QDa/e = 4Q266/270)

7. The Damascus Document: Renewal of the Covenant Ritual (4QDa/e = 4Q266/270)

8. The Messianic Rule (1QSa = 1Q28a)

9. The War Rule (1QM)

10. The War Rule from Cave 4 (4Q491, 4Q493)

11. The Rule of War (4Q285, 11Q14)

12. The Temple Scroll (11QT = 11Q19)

13. * MMT (Some Observances of the Law): Peroration (4Q399)

14. The Wicked and the Holy (4Q181)

15. 4QTohorot (Purities) A (4Q274)

16. Curses of Satan and His Lot (4Q286–7)

17. Curses of Melkireshaʿ (4Q280 = 4QTohorot Db)

B. HYMNS, LITURGIES AND WISDOM POETRY

18. The Thanksgiving Hymns (1QH)

19. The Apocryphal Psalms (11QPsa = 11Q5)

20. A Messianic Apocalypse (4Q521)

21. Poetic Fragments on Jerusalem and ‘King’ Jonathan (= 4Q448)

22. Lamentations (4Q179, 4Q501)

23. The Words of the Heavenly Lights (4Q504)

24. Songs for the Holocaust of the Sabbath (4Q400–407, 11Q5–6)

25. Liturgical Prayer (1Q34 and 34bis)

26. Prayers for Festivals (4Q507–9)

27. Daily Prayers (4Q503)

28. Blessings (1QSb = 1Q28b)

29. Purification Ritual (4Q512)

30. The Triumph of Righteousness (1Q27)

31. The Seductress (4Q184)

32. Exhortation to Seek Wisdom (4Q185)

33. A Liturgical Work (4Q392)

34. A Sapiential Work (4Q424)

35. Bless, My Soul (4Q434)

36. Songs of the Sage (4Q510–11)

37. Beatitudes (4Q525)

C. BIBLE INTERPRETATION

Introductory Note

38. The Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen)

39. A Genesis Commentary (4QpGena = 4Q252)

40. A Flood Apocryphon (4Q370)

41. The Ages of the Creation (4Q180)

42. The Testament of Levid (4Q541)

43. The Testament of Naphtali (4Q215)

44. A Joseph Apocryphonb (4Q372)

45. The Testament of Qahat (4Q542)

46. The Testament of Amram (4QAmram = 4Q543–8)

47. The Words of Moses (1Q22)

48. A Moses Apocryphon (4Q375)

49. Pseudo-Mosese (4Q390)

50. The Samuel Apocryphon (4Q160)

51. Commentaries on Isaiah (4Q161–4)

52. The New Jerusalem (4Q554–5, 5Q15)

53. Second Ezekiela (4Q385)

54. The Prayer of Nabonidus (4QprNab = 4Q242)

55. The Pseudo-Danielic Writings (4QpsDan ...