Click on picture to enlarge
A SUMMARY OF DEAD SEA SCROLL CONCLUSIONS
A Summary of Dead Sea Scroll Conclusions – Last February I wrote about Essenes and that the Dead Sea Scrolls were written by a people who called themselves “Yahad.” This means unity. Today I’ll discuss what “Essenes” likely means, whether Jesus had much to do with Essenes, or even if Jesus referred much to any of the contents of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
As I started blogging about the DSS I was skeptical that the DSS authors were Essenes. I’ll have to revisit this subject in a future blog. For now, I’ll also summarize how the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls interpreted scripture and what their key beliefs were.
THE PUZZLE PIECE FOR WHO WROTE THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS
The Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) make important contributions to the study of NT letters that are very Jewish in their orientation….three of them, Hebrews, James and Jude…. In the commentary on Habakkuk, we read of “those who do the law”…. We also read about the “poor ones” and “the simple of Judah, doer(s) of the Torah” …James, brother of Jesus, places similar emphasis on doing the Law. He admonishes his readers to “be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Interestingly, the Greek word James uses for “doers” may reflect the Hebrew word meaning “those who do,” which when spoken aloud in Greek or Latin could sound like “Essenes.”
From The Dead Sea Scrolls
This made sense to me. Before reading this book, I had difficulty reconciling many theories about the DSS to what we know. This bit about the Essenes is to me another valuable puzzle piece for this reconciliation. Josephus and Philo were the two main historians describing the “Essenes” that most scholars think wrote the DSS. Josephus and Philo wrote their history in Greek or Latin. But the Essenes themselves were Jewish and primarily spoke Hebrew or Aramaic. The Qumran sect which likely wrote the DSS called themselves “Yahad” because that reflected their focus and identity. But Josephus and Philo viewed them as doers of their religion perhaps even more than the Pharisees.
What are the key beliefs of the authors of the DSS?
The men of Qumran were very critical of the aristocratic priesthood in Jerusalem. They refused to worship at the temple and anticipated a coming judgment and destruction of this priesthood. They anticipated the coming of the Messiah, who will support the true high priest, a priest likely hailing from the ranks of the Essenes. At this time there would be a great battle in which the Romans would be defeated. Indeed, the Messiah will kill the Roman emperor. The Essenes also interpreted Scripture in a very strict manner. They evidently regarded the Pharisees as liberal and “wishy-washy” in their understanding of the law.
How is Scripture Interpreted in the DSS?
Scripture is often interpreted in a futuristic and allegorical way. In their commentaries (called pesharim) the men of Qumran believed that the prophets spoke of their (the Essenes’) time, a time on the very brink of coming judgment.
From The Dead Sea Scrolls
DID JESUS HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH THE ESSENES?
Generally not.
Was Jesus an Essene? Very unlikely. Jesus’ remarkably open teaching and surprisingly inclusive lifestyle, especially with regard to tax collectors and…”sinners,” were completely at variance with the teaching and sequestered lifestyle of the men of Qumran…. Did Jesus borrow ideas from the Essenes? There is no evidence that Jesus borrowed any ideas…. Overlap between Jesus…teaching and…the Essenes was likely due to the common pool of Jewish beliefs. After all, both Jesus and Essenes took Scripture seriously….
From The Dead Sea Scrolls
DO THE DSS HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH US AND THE NEW TESTAMENT?
They handed down many traditions from their Jewish heritage that didn’t make it into the scriptures. Among these traditions, there is some overlap of parallels and references to the DSS found in the scriptures, like last week’s blog about Melchizedek. More background from the DSS will make more things in the New Testament resonate with us, things that currently seem odd or mysterious.
The scrolls attest the existence of long strings of beatitudes, just as we find in Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount…the expectation of healing, raising the dead, and proclaiming good news in the messianic age…. The DSS also help us understand why Jude quotes from the book of Enoch.
The scrolls…clarify prophetic and messianic expectations…help us understand…issues surrounding the interpretations of the law…why the men of Qumran broke with the Jerusalem establishment…. The scrolls show how well Jesus, his movement, and the…New Testament authentically fit into the world of first-century Israel.From The Dead Sea Scrolls
In the future, I’ll explore more of these. For now, let’s thank God for the many insights scholars and ancient writings give to us.
The above pictures were scanned from birds’ eye-view of Qumran, close-up of Qumran excavations, a mikvah at Qumran and a birds’ eye-view of Qumran including one of the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
