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INTRODUCTION

Dive into the ancient mysteries of the Old Testament, revealed through the lens of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Learn how these historical artifacts illuminate biblical interpretation, providing a deeper understanding of Scripture.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered between 1947 and 1956, are a rich treasure trove of manuscripts that provide significant insight into the text of the Old Testament. They were found in eleven caves around the archaeological site of Qumran, on the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea. The collection comprises approximately 900 documents, including biblical manuscripts, apocryphal texts, and sectarian writings.

Among these, the biblical manuscripts hold special importance for understanding the Old Testament text, as they represent the oldest known copies of these books, dating from 250 B.C.E. to 68 C.E. The Dead Sea Scrolls encompass nearly the complete Hebrew Bible, with the sole exception of the book of Esther.

The texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls corroborate our understanding of the Old Testament and are instrumental in verifying the high degree of accuracy in its transmission over centuries. It is awe-inspiring that despite the thousands of years and countless scribes involved, the Bible remains remarkably consistent, underscoring the divine inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). The divine origin of the biblical text is further evidenced by its prophecies which are meticulously fulfilled, including apocalyptic utterances with eschatological themes focused on the return of Christ and the final judgment.

An example of the Scrolls’ significance is seen in the book of Isaiah. The Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaᵃ), one of the most complete scrolls found, contains the entire 66 chapters of Isaiah. Comparing the Great Isaiah Scroll with the Masoretic text, from which most modern Old Testaments are translated, reveals incredible consistency, with 95% of the texts being identical.

Minor differences, mainly involving spelling and grammar, do not affect the interpretation or understanding of the text. For instance, in Isaiah 53, a chapter that details the suffering and glory of the Servant of Jehovah, the two versions are nearly identical, offering consistent portrayal of the Messiah’s sacrificial role.

The Dead Sea Scrolls’ significance becomes evident when considering their relevance to interpreting the creation account in Genesis 1. These ancient documents, among the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, reinforce the understanding that the Hebrew word “yom,” translated “day,” can signify more than a literal 24-hour period.

This corroborates the interpretation that the “days” in the Genesis creation account can refer to extended periods or epochs, potentially lasting thousands of years each. This understanding harmonizes with numerous other biblical passages, such as 2 Peter 3:8, which states that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.”

Moreover, the contextual analysis of Genesis 1 and 2 suggests that these “days” are not confined to 24-hour periods. Notably, the process of Adam naming all the animals, which took place during the sixth “day,” would have required considerable time for careful observation and thoughtful deliberation, further supporting this view. Moreover, the account says Adam grew lonely from this task. Does that sound like a literal 24 hours?

The interpretation of these “days” as extended periods aligns the Genesis creation account with a scientific understanding of the Earth’s formation while also maintaining the biblical view of God’s hand in orchestrating life. Thus, the Dead Sea Scrolls lend weight to this broader understanding of “day” in the creation account, underscoring their pivotal role in biblical interpretation and understanding.

Furthermore, the Scrolls reinforce important theological truths. Psalm 22 in the Dead Sea Scrolls, like the Masoretic text, vividly prophesies the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, with its detailed description of the Messiah’s suffering and eventual glory. The faithful rendering of this text underscores the truth of Jesus’ propitiatory death and resurrection.

The Dead Sea Scrolls also elucidate our understanding of the book of Daniel, a text rich with prophetic imagery. The Scrolls confirm the early dating of Daniel, a point often disputed. With portions of Daniel found in the Scrolls dated to the second century B.C.E., it is clear that Daniel’s prophecies were written centuries before their fulfillment. This substantiates the divine inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, as no human author could predict the future with such precision.

Lastly, the Dead Sea Scrolls provide insight into the cultural and religious context of the Second Temple period, which aids in interpreting the New Testament. The understanding of the worldviews and beliefs of that time significantly influences our grasp of the cultural backdrop of the New Testament, contributing to a more informed reading of the text.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are invaluable in authenticating the faithful transmission of the Old Testament. They bear witness to the inspired and inerrant nature of the Bible, upholding the fundamental belief in the reliability of the Scriptures as the Word of God. The Scrolls enlighten our understanding of Old Testament prophecies, enhancing our grasp of their fulfillment in the New Testament. By reaffirming central theological truths, they fortify the foundation of our faith in the God of the Bible, the Creator of all things, and the Savior of mankind.

The Dead Sea Scrolls – Their Importance to You

Historically, the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Scriptures were derived from approximately the ninth and tenth centuries C.E. Given that the creation of the Hebrew Scriptures was concluded over one thousand years prior to this, the question arises: can these manuscripts be trusted as accurate transcriptions of God’s Word? Professor Julio Trebolle Barrera, a member of the team of international editors for the Dead Sea Scrolls, maintains that the Isaiah Scroll from Qumran presents “indisputable evidence that the transmission of the biblical text over a period of more than one thousand years by Jewish scribes has been exceedingly precise and careful.”

Barrera’s reference pertains to a scroll that contains the complete book of Isaiah. Up to this point, more than 200 biblical manuscripts have been discovered at Qumran, with identified portions of every Hebrew Scriptures book, except for the book of Esther. Contrary to the Isaiah Scroll, most are represented by mere fragments, encompassing less than one tenth of any given book. The books that held the most popularity in Qumran were Psalms (36 copies), Deuteronomy (29 copies), and Isaiah (21 copies). These are also the books most often cited in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

While the scrolls bear witness that the Bible hasn’t undergone radical changes, they also disclose that during the Second Temple period, Jews used different versions of Hebrew Bible texts, each with its own deviations. Not all the scrolls are identical to the Masoretic text in terms of spelling or phrasing. Some are closer to the Greek Septuagint. Previously, scholars speculated that the Septuagint’s discrepancies might be due to errors or even deliberate alterations by the translator. Now, however, the scrolls reveal that many of these discrepancies were actually the result of variations in the Hebrew text. This could account for instances where early Christians quoted Hebrew Scripture texts using wording different from the Masoretic text (Exodus 1:5; Acts 7:14).

Thus, this wealth of Biblical scrolls and fragments provides an excellent basis for studying the transmission of the Hebrew Bible text. The Dead Sea Scrolls validate the usefulness of both the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch for textual comparison. They offer an additional resource for Bible translators to contemplate possible emendations to the Masoretic text. In several cases, they affirm decisions by the Updated American Standard Version to reinstate Jehovah’s name to places where it had been removed from the Masoretic text.

Scrolls delineating the principles and beliefs of the Qumran sect distinctly show that during Jesus’ time, Judaism was not a monolithic entity. The Qumran sect’s traditions diverged from those of the Pharisees and Sadducees. These differences likely precipitated the sect’s withdrawal to the wilderness. They mistakenly identified themselves as the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3, which speaks of a voice in the wilderness preparing the way for Jehovah. A number of scroll fragments refer to the Messiah, whose arrival the authors perceived as imminent. This holds a particular interest in light of Luke’s commentary that “the people were in expectation” of the Messiah’s coming (Luke 3:15).

The Dead Sea Scrolls offer us some understanding of the context of Jewish life during Jesus’ ministry. They supply comparative data for the study of ancient Hebrew and the Bible text. However, many of the Dead Sea Scrolls still require more thorough analysis. Consequently, new insights may still be forthcoming. Indeed, as we continue into the 21st century, the Dead Sea Scrolls, deemed the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century, continue to enthuse scholars and Bible students alike.

The Enigmatic Essenes and their Monastic Nature

Have you encountered the Essenes in your historical inquiries? If not, that’s understandable. This modest sect, inhabiting Palestine in the era of Christ, is seldom mentioned in the Scriptures, primarily due to their limited size and influence. Much of our knowledge about the Essenes is derived from the works of Josephus, Philo, and Pliny the Elder. However, due to the contested reliability of these writers, it is not uncommon to find discrepancies among scholars regarding the Essenes.

We lean significantly on Josephus for our understanding of the Essenes, as he possessed firsthand experience with them. Interestingly, although Josephus himself was a Pharisee, and the Essenes only boasted a modest membership of around four thousand, he dedicated considerably more writing space to the Essenes compared to the Pharisees and Sadducees. It seems peculiar that the Essenes were ignored by Biblical writers yet heavily featured by Josephus. This discrepancy can be attributed to their different objectives; Bible authors focused on documenting important events of their time, while Josephus, living in a Rome heavily influenced by Greek culture, sought to make a favorable impression on the Romans using the Essenes, who were the most Hellenized among the Jewish sects.

It is noteworthy that the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls, particularly the scroll of Isaiah found near the Dead Sea in 1947, are believed to be Essenes. This view arises from the discovery of a manual describing their customs and activities that closely resembles Josephus’ descriptions of the Essenes. Any noticeable differences can be rationalized as Josephus’ attempts to portray the Essenes as more Hellenized than they actually were.

Why refer to the Essenes as monastic? They demonstrated a structure akin to monastic institutions that would come later, cultivating a lifestyle of ascetic mysticism, self-discipline, and interpreting Scriptures through a mystical or allegorical lens. Their origins remain enigmatic, with their first mention around the time of the Maccabees, approximately 150 years before Christ. Their religious beliefs, heavily influenced by Greek or Persian philosophy, included concepts like the immortality of the soul and predestination.

According to sources like McClintock & Strong’s Cyclopædia, the Essenes were essentially extreme Pharisees who primarily practiced celibacy and strictly adhered to Pharisaical teachings. They shared numerous practices with the Pharisees, such as regarding meals as sacraments, bathing before meals and after natural functions, dressing modestly during bathing, categorizing purity into four grades within their sect, acknowledging an assembly for worship as sacred with ten present members, and abstaining from oaths and manual labor on the Sabbath.

Essene Customs

The term “Essenes” itself has been a point of debate, with roughly twenty different explanations tied to their distinctive customs. The Essenes primarily resided in rural communities under the leadership of an elected president who also functioned as a judge. They were self-sufficient, engaging in agriculture, making their own clothes, and refusing to acquire anything from outsiders, which they believed would defile them. They held all property communally, disapproved of slavery and war, and often adopted children since they had none of their own.

Their daily routine started with a prayer towards the rising sun, suggestive of sun worship. They observed a strict regimen where secular conversation was forbidden until after morning worship. Their workday was broken by a communal meal at the fifth hour, during which they donned white robes and maintained silence except for the priest’s prayers. They resumed their work after the meal and continued until day’s end.

Besides farming, the Essenes were keen on medicinal practices, particularly using roots for treatment. They emphasized charity, and since they had no personal wealth, they relied on community stewards to provide food and clothing when traveling.

Their Sabbath observance was strict, with gatherings primarily for Scriptural reading and discussion. Any breach of decorum, such as laughing, spitting, or speaking out of turn, was severely penalized. They refused to anoint themselves with oil, considering it unclean and appeared to take pride in their body odors. Their white clothing and shoes were worn until they fell apart.

Admission into the Essene community required surrendering all personal wealth and adhering to the sect’s rules, even while living separately for the first year. Following this, the initiate could partake in the communal bathing ritual but had to complete two more probationary years before being allowed to dine with the community. Full initiation, after three years of stringent adherence to rules, was marked by taking “tremendous oaths” of honesty, purity, loyalty, and secrecy, especially about the “names of the angels.”

The Pitfalls of Self-Righteousness

Despite Josephus’ praise for the Essenes’ piety, charity, and discipline, it is worth remembering the Biblical warning that our righteousness or good deeds are like “filthy rags” or a polluted garment (Isaiah 64:6). The Essenes seemed to place undue confidence in such “filthy rags”. They bypassed the Mosaic law’s sacrificial system for atonement, ignored the symbolic cleansing represented by John the Baptist’s baptism, and overlooked Christ’s sacrifice, which alone could confer righteousness before God.

While some speculate a connection between the Essenes and John the Baptist’s austere lifestyle, these parallels are superficial at best. Some even suggest that Jesus and Paul’s references to celibacy allude to the Essenes (Matthew 19:11,12; 1 Corinthians 7:37), but this overlooks the fundamental differences in their aims. The Essenes missed the crucial truths about mankind’s hope in God’s kingdom and the Messiah.

The majority of Essenes avoided marriage, believing themselves too righteous to be involved with women, and assumed women to be temptresses. This perspective reflects an unhealthy over-righteousness that appears nonsensical to rational minds. Would God really concern Himself with their meticulous bathing habits, avoidance of Sabbath activities, clothing wear, or the intricate grades of purity they recognized within their sect?

The Essenes are a prime example of the self-righteous attitude condemned in Isaiah 65:5,6, where they claimed superior holiness and demanded social distance. While Josephus and others lauded the Essenes, Jesus’ rebuke to the Pharisees fits them aptly: “You are those who declare yourselves righteous before men, but God knows your hearts; because what is lofty among men is a disgusting thing in God’s sight” (Luke 16:15).

Josephus dedicated substantial text to the Essenes compared to his coverage of Christ and Christians. However, history ultimately shows the lasting impact of what Christ and his followers accomplished, despite the relative obscurity of the Essenes.

The Reading Culture of Early Christianity

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).