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

DONALD H. JUEL 67
CHILDREN OF LIGHT/CHILDREN OF DARKNESS:
THE FOURTH GOSPEL
It is interesting that some of the earliest studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls
pointed to similarities in outlook and vocabulary with the Fourth Gospel,
a work that might argue against the thesis that the New Testament
belongs within the boundaries of Jewish literature. The world of the
Fourth Gospel is divided between “children of light” and “children of
darkness,” throughout the narrative identified as “the Jews” (67 times).
The fierceness of the polemic against “the Jews” is matched in the
Qumran Scrolls by antipathy toward the Wicked Priest, the Purveyor of
Lies, and the “Seekers of smooth things,” presumably members of Israel’s
family responsible for ousting the priestly group that made up the community,
forcing them into exile, and even persecuting the Righteous
Teacher. The followers of this teacher anticipated the punishment and
destruction of their opponents within the family with a vehemence that
matches anything in the Fourth Gospel. Yet this polemic does not suggest
that the Qumran covenanters regarded themselves as anything but
children of Israel.
Is the case different in the Fourth Gospel? The Prologue, with its striking
statement that “the law indeed was given through Moses; grace and
truth come through Jesus Christ” (1:17 NRSV), draws heavily on
Wisdom imagery that had centuries earlier been employed by members
of Israel’s family to interpret the creation story in Genesis 1. That God
created the heavens and the earth is not in dispute. That God’s creative
word has become embodied and accessible is likewise not an issue of disagreement.
The central question is where that Word is to be found, and
on that there is a crucial difference of opinion. “All this is the book of the
covenant of the Most High God, the Law which Moses commanded us,”
writes the author of Sirach (24:23 NRSV). “The Word became flesh and
lived [lit.: tented] among us” (John 1:14 NRSV) is a different claim.
For the Fourth Gospel, as for the Qumran Scrolls, Israel’s Scriptures
are authoritative. The questions thus become “Who is an authorized
interpreter?” and “What may be expected from interpretation?”
The problem, as conceived by both communities, is that those who
are not among the chosen are blocked from understanding the words of
the Scriptures as interpreted by respective “Teachers” and their careers.
The “bread from heaven” discourse in John 6 not only illustrates the
point but also offers an experience of it. The crowd hurls “He gave them
bread from heaven to eat” at Jesus as a challenge: Moses gave our ancestors