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

CHAPTER NINE
DUALISM IN THE ESSENE COMMUNITIES
Elisha Qimron
A. INTRODUCTION: DUALISM AT QUMRAN
Typical of the Dead Sea Scrolls is the dualistic division of mankind into
righteous and wicked. The former share the lot of God, while the latter
are consigned to Belial (or Mastema). This concept is explicitly stated in
e.g., 1QS 3.20–25:
dybw wklhty rw) ykrdbw qdc ynb tl#mm Myrw) r# dyb lwk
tl#mm lwk K#wx K)lm
wtm) K)lmw l)r#y l)w … wklhty K#wx ykrdbw lw( ynb
.rw) ynb lwkl rz(
All the righteous ones are ruled by the Angel of Light and walk in the ways
of light, while all the wicked ones are ruled by the Angel of Darkness and
walk in the ways of darkness…But the God of Israel and His Angel of
Truth will help all the sons of light.
Only those who observe the commandments of God are considered
righteous. Since the community alone knows the exact way of performing
these commandments, only those who join it will survive, while the
others will be annihilated. Those who join the community are considered
as belonging to God and protected by Him (and His angels), while those
who do not are consigned to Belial (or Mastema). The former will be
saved, while the latter will be annihilated (on the Day of Judgment).
Entering the covenant of the community means joining the lot of God.
Those who enter the covenant commit themselves to God’s commandments.
As soon as one takes the oath obliging him to follow God’s commandments,
he is no longer under the control of Belial (or Mastema).
This covenant is mutual. God is obliged to protect the covenanter from
Belial (and thus from annihilation) as long as the latter keeps his obligation
to follow the Divine commandments, as we find in CD 16.4–6:
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