As we know from the prophet Isaiah, the idea of a heavenly temple and cult is very ancient. Normally, the cult in the earthly temple was thought to harmonize with the heavenly liturgy, and so the two were complementary. In the case of Qumran, however, the cult of the earthly temple in Jerusalem was judged invalid, and so the heavenly liturgy functioned in effect as a replacement for it. The sectarians could not participate in the sacrifices in the temple. Instead they recited their songs about the