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

ÉMILE PUECH 275
scholars thought they have found explicit mention of the resurrection in
a particularly laconic passage. But here at 12.6 instead of: “Those who
will raise from the earth when your judgments will be disputed,” we read
further, “in the war [against all those p]unished of the earth disputing
your judgments” (Cr) ymq[n lwk l(]). 35
However, the improved reading of this line does not invalidate a faith
in the resurrection of the just, of which the author obviously knew, developing
the theme of the final war in Daniel 10–12. The sons of light are
victorious but no one of the enemy will escape death, but will be delivered
to the fire of Abaddon just as the just shine forever. As in Daniel 12 the
prince Michael is placed “over the sons of your people” (1QM 12.4–5;
13.10, 15–16; 14.16; 17.6; 18.1–3, 10–11) for the chosen moment
(13.14–15, cf. )yhh t(b of Dan 11:40; 12:1, 4), which is the day of the
great battle (17.1). A hymnic section of the War Scroll (13 and 14) 36 presents
this eschatological war according to a collective eschatology presenting
great affinities with the closing of the book of Daniel. Like a liturgy,
the war of extermination, lead by the sons of light and aided by the hand
of God, the sword of God, and his angelic armies, will strike all the impious,
uprooting evil and preparing the way of a new era in a transformed
world. The just whose names are inscribed in the heavenly books are to
be the vanquishers, without casualties in their ranks, whereas not one in
the ranks of the enemy will be rescued or survive. Some will be delivered
into eternal fire that will devour them, the others will be brilliant and
resplendent in light, in joy, and eternal peace. Belial and his spirits will be
enchained in dark places of perdition (17.17–18). That is to say, the radical
change expected in the victory of the just at the time of judgment.
Does the transformation-glorification of the just and their ascension to
God (1QM 14.14) give evidence in favor of a belief in the immortality of
the soul or, tied to the notion of Final Judgment and of the conflagration
of the world, are they at the same time one of the facets of a belief in
resurrection within a collective and personal eschatology? In spite of the
absence of a precise vocabulary with regard to this subject (a good third
of the scroll is lost) the second solution presents itself as reflecting the
understanding of the author of the War Scroll—an understanding that is
indeed dependent upon Daniel and quite comparable to the notions in
the Thanksgiving Hymns and the Rule of the Community. In fact, the concept
of an eschatological war does not have a meaning in an eschatology
invoking the notion of the immortality of the soul alone.
35. See ibid., 443–98 (esp. 452).
36. See ibid., 454–79, where we propose a clearly improved reading of these columns.