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

JOHN R. LEVISON 191
By isolating two clusters of characteristic terminology and demonstrating
that only one of them exhibited affinities with 1QS 3–4, Kuhn strengthened
the emerging consensus communis that the Dead Sea Scrolls contain a
variety of conceptions of the spirit. Betz had demonstrated that the teaching
on the two spirits in 1QS 3–4 was measurably different from conceptions
of the spirit in the remainder of the Community Rule, in the
Damascus Document, and in the Qumran Hymns. Kuhn took this perspective
a step farther by observing that diversity existed within the corpus of
Qumran Hymns. The next step would be taken by P. von Osten-Sacken,
who contended that there is diversity even within the teaching of the two
spirits in 1QS 3.13–4.26.
Diversity Within 1QS 3–4
Because Osten-Sacken intended to trace the history of dualism in the
Qumran community, he naturally dealt extensively with the teaching on
the two spirits. He regarded the War Scroll (1QM) as the earliest representative
of dualism because of its intense eschatological expectation of a
final battle and its clear opposition between Israel and the nations. This
form of dualism, suggested Osten-Sacken, fits well the situation of the
Maccabean Rebellion, when some of the Jews, incensed by the political
and religious violations of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, fought for liberation
from Seleucid Rule.
The fundamental structure of 1QS 3.20–25, contended Osten-Sacken,
is the same as the beliefs in the War Scroll. The contrast between the sons
of light and darkness, the enmity of the angel of darkness or Belial toward
the children of light, the appointed time for the defeat of Belial and his
angelic entourage, and God’s help in the face of overwhelming opposition
are elements which 1QM 1 and 1QS 3.20–25 have in common. Even the
name of God, “God of Israel,” occurs eleven times in the War Scroll and
otherwise only in 1QS 3.24.
Although 1QS 3.13–4.14, which contains 3.20–25, reflects this early
form of dualism, the teaching of the two spirits actually belongs to a later
stage in the development of Qumran dualism than the War Scroll. There
is a lessening of eschatological and military dualism that would reflect a
period of relative political stability; the cosmic battle now is seen from an
ethical perspective as the ongoing opposition between good and evil.
Dualism was instead associated with creation: “the editor of the teaching,
1QS 3.13–4.14, assimilated alongside the eschatological-dualistic tradition