the-bible-and-the-dead-sea-scrolls

HEINZ-WOLFGANG KUHN 163
2. The Community as “Children of Light”
Paul
1 Thessalonians 5:4–9: “For you are all children of light” (v. 5, in a dualistic
and eschatological framework typical for texts of the Qumran
library, as well as for texts of the community and for texts that originated
outside the community), “not in darkness” (v. 4) or “of darkness” (genitive
case, v. 5). For predestination in 1 Thess 5:9, see below (B 4).
Qumran
“Children of light” (rw) ynb and once rw)h ynb): 1QS (including the
apparently pre-Qumranian 34 instruction on the two spirits in 3.13–4.26,
and esp. 3.13, 24–25; also see 1.9; 2.16); 4QD a (4Q266) frag. 1 a–b line
1 (the original beginning of CD); 1QM (only in col. 1; see 1.1, 3, 9, 11,
13, and mainly reconstructed in line 14; to be reconstructed also in 1QM
13.16?); and quite a few other texts (a total of 22 times in eight different
writings, as far as the two words are not fully restored; including the two
Aramaic occurrences). The “children of light” are often found in opposition
to “children of darkness” (K#wx ynb). They appear mainly in
texts of the community with an ethic orientation or some ethical background:
besides (1) 1QS, see (2) 4QD a (cf. the ethically oriented context,
speaking of “ways” in 4Q266 frag. 1 a–b line 1) and (3) 1QM (cf. esp.
“righteousness” in 1.8), a writing with a tradition that probably begins
outside the community (1–3 cited above). The metaphor also appears in
(4) the Midrash on Eschatology which originated in the Community (4Q174
+ 177), here in 3.8–9, 9.7, 11.12, 16 (4Q174 frags. 1–2 1.8–9; 4Q177
frags. 10–11 line 7; frags. 12–13 1.7, 11; see the verb “to stumble/fall” in
3.8 [4Q174 frags.1–2 1.8] and in 1QS 3.24); and further in (5) the Curses
of the community (4Q280 frag. 2 line 1; see the term “children of light”
and the curses in 1QS 2.4–25); in (6) the Songs of the Maskil/Master, originating
in the community (4QShir a [4Q510] frag. 1 line 7; 4QShir b
[4Q511] frag. 10 line 4; see especially “those of perfect behavior” in
4Q510 frag. 1 line 9; and in 1QS 4.22); and finally in (7) the thematic
community midrash Melchizedek (11Q13 2.8, with rw) restored).
Ruprecht, 1971); Christoph G. Müller, Gottes Pflanzung—Gottes Bau—Gottes Tempel: Die
metaphorische Dimension paulinischer Gemeindetheologie in 1 Kor 3, 5–17 (Fuldaer Studien 5;
Frankfurt: Knecht, 1995).
34. See n9, above.