religious and social beliefs, which define the sect and distinguish it from the rest of the Jewish people. The classic formulation of this worldview is found in the third and fourth column of the Manual of Discipline. The sectarian view is ultimately based on a doctrine of dualism, which divides the world into two warring factions: the faction of light and the faction of darkness. According to the Qumran authors, every divine act is guided by this duality (1QS 3.25). The faction of light is led by