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The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls: The ... - josephprestonkirk

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HAROLD W. ATTRIDGE 215<br />

messiah, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> ambiguous wording of <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r major witness to dual<br />

messianism, <strong>the</strong> Damascus Document. 51 To account for <strong>the</strong> evidence from<br />

<strong>the</strong> scrolls, scholars have proposed various developmental <strong>the</strong>ories, none<br />

without significant problems. 52 However <strong>the</strong> scrolls are related, it is clear,<br />

as Collins forcefully argues, 53 that <strong>the</strong> sectarians who produced <strong>the</strong>m did<br />

indeed anticipate that a priestly figure would play a leading role in <strong>the</strong><br />

drama of <strong>the</strong> end times. His prominence is clear in <strong>the</strong> “Messianic Rule”<br />

of 1QSa [= 1Q28] 2.12–20, where <strong>the</strong> priest must bless <strong>the</strong> banquet<br />

before <strong>the</strong> Messiah of Israel eats. Traces of a priestly messianism may<br />

also be found in fragmentary texts. Of particular interest are <strong>the</strong> intriguing<br />

fragments of <strong>the</strong> Visions of Amram, in literary terms a testament of<br />

Amram, son of Qahat, son of Levi, which probably offers predictions<br />

about <strong>the</strong> Levitical line. 54 One fragment of Visions of Amram e ar (4Q547<br />

frag. 1) speaks about <strong>the</strong> general importance of priests in this lineage:<br />

5 […] great upon <strong>the</strong> bronze altar […] 6 […] <strong>the</strong> priest will be exalted<br />

among all my sons for ever. <strong>The</strong>n […] 7 […] <strong>and</strong> his sons after him for all<br />

generations in tru[th …]<br />

Visions of Amram c ar (4Q545 frag. 2 lines 3–6) hints at a particularly important<br />

priestly figure:<br />

I will show you <strong>the</strong> mystery of his service, holy judgment […] 4 holy for<br />

him will be all his descendants for all [eternal] generations […] 5 <strong>the</strong> seventh<br />

of <strong>the</strong> men of His will [<strong>and</strong> he will] can <strong>and</strong> he will […] 6 he will choose as<br />

eternal priest.<br />

<strong>The</strong> even more fragmentary Visions of Amram a ar (4Q543 frag. 3 lines<br />

1–4) apparently predicts <strong>the</strong> heavenly installation of this “eternal priest.”<br />

You will be God, <strong>and</strong> angel of God will you be cal[led] 2 […] <strong>and</strong> you will<br />

do in this l<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> a judge […] 3 […] …your name for all […] 4 […] for<br />

eternal generations.<br />

<strong>The</strong> special priest may simply be Levi, exalted to heaven as part of his<br />

installation as priest, as in T. Levi 8. 55 At <strong>the</strong> very least, <strong>the</strong>se texts illustrate<br />

51. A dual messianism was suspected before <strong>the</strong> discovery of <strong>the</strong> scrolls on <strong>the</strong> basis<br />

of CD 12.23; 14.19; <strong>and</strong> 19.10–11, which refer to “<strong>the</strong> messiah [sg.] of Aaron <strong>and</strong><br />

Israel”; <strong>and</strong> CD 20.1, which refers to “a messiah from Aaron <strong>and</strong> from Israel.”<br />

52. For a review of such <strong>the</strong>ories, see Collins, ibid., 77–83.<br />

53. Ibid., 74–77.<br />

54. <strong>The</strong> preliminary edition was Jozef T. Milik, “4Q Visions de ‘Amram et une citation<br />

d’Origene,” RB 79 (1972): 77–97. See <strong>the</strong> treatment of part of <strong>the</strong> Visions of Amram<br />

in Paul J. Kobelski, Melchizedek <strong>and</strong> Melchires ]a( (CBQMS 10; Washington, DC:<br />

Catholic Biblical Association, 1981), 24–36.<br />

55. See OTP 1:791.

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