THE PESHARIM

and

QUMRAN HISTORY

Chaos or Consensus?

JAMES H. CHARLESWORTH

with appendixes by

Lidija Novakovic

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.

© 2002 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

All rights reserved

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 / P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The pesharim and Qumran history: chaos or consensus? / James H. Charlesworth; with appendixes by Lidija Novakovic.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8028-3988-6 (pbk.)

1. Dead Sea scrolls. 2. Bible. O.T.—Criticism, interpretation, etc., Jewish. 3. Qumran community. 4. Qumran community—Historiography.

I. Novakovic, Lidija. II. Title.

BM487.C43 2002

296.1′55—dc21

2002069679

www.eerdmans.com

Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

Illustrations

THE HERMENEUTICS OF THE PESHARIM

Chaos Regarding History Camouflaged as Hermeneutics?

Qumran Hermeneutics

The Sociology of Qumran Hermeneutics

The Pesharim as Fulfillment Hermeneutics

THE PESHARIM AND QUMRAN HISTORY: CHAOS OR CONSENSUS?

Introduction

Sources for Qumran History

Synopsis of Qumran History

Phase I (Archaeological Period Ia)

How to Translate מורה הצדק?

Who Was the Righteous Teacher?

Who Was the “Man of Lies”?

Who Was “the Wicked Priest”?

The Exodus of the Righteous Teacher

Reactions to Archaeological Period Ia

Phase II (Archaeological Period Ib)

Phase III (Archaeological Period of Abandonment)

Phase IV (Archaeological Period II)

Were Qumranites Conservative Essenes?

Chaos or Consensus?

Phase V (Archaeological Period III)

Results for Reflections

Was Qumran a Celibate Monastery?

Summary

The Pesharim and Qumran History

What Is a Pesher?

Methodology

Summary

The Date of the Pesharim

Historical Allusions in the Pesharim

Historical Allusions within Palestinian Judaism

The Unparalleled Authority of the Righteous Teacher

The Righteous Teacher Was a Priest

Faith in the Righteous Teacher

The Persecution of the Righteous Teacher and the Calendar of His Group

The Wicked Priest

The Rise and Fall of the Wicked Priest

The End of the Wicked Priest

The Man of the Lie (= Scoffer, the Spouter of the Lie)

The Crucifixion of Some Seekers-After-Smooth-Things

Alexander Jannaeus

Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh

Historical Allusions Outside Palestinian Judaism: The Greeks and Romans

The Kittim

Demetrius

Conclusion

APPENDIXES BY PROFESSOR LIDIJA NOVAKOVIC

Index of Biblical Quotations in the Pesharim, Other Commentaries, and Related Documents

Text-critical Variants in the Pesharim, Other Commentaries, and Related Documents

Bibliography

INDEXES

Biblical Texts

Dead Sea Scrolls

Other Ancient Writings

Modern Authors

Subjects

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About The Pesharim and Qumran History: Chaos or Consensus?

Since their discovery among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Pesharim have sparked intense debate. Are these ancient documents biblical commentary, or are they historiographies alluding to figures and events of the time? James H. Charlesworth demonstrates that these 16 books do indeed contain historical allusions and relates these references to a synopsis of Qumran history. This book also includes appendixes by Lidija Novakovic giving an index of biblical quotations as well text-critical variants in the Pesharim, other commentaries, and related documents.

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