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

MOSHE WEINFELD 69
27). The xk and Nwh that the members of the sect are obliged to bring
to the l) dxy are rendered by Kd)m lk.
d)m in the sense of property, wealth, and money appears in Sirach
(Ben Sira) and in the Qumran Scrolls. Sirach says, “Love your maker
with all your might Kd)m and do not abandon his servants, honor God
and respect the priests and give them their dues as you are commanded”
(Sir 7:30–31). According to this context, it is clear that d)m means gifts
given to the priests. Indeed, there is a close relationship in content and in
form between this instruction and the one in Prov 3:9, “Honor God with
your wealth Nwh and with the firstlings of your harvest,” only that instead
of the Nwh of Proverbs we find d)m in Sirach. Similarly we read in the
Damascus Document about stealing the d)m of the camp, i.e., the property
of the camp (9.11), and one is commanded not to sell from whatever he
possesses wdw)m lkb—his animals, his threshing floor and wine press—
to the Gentiles (12.10).
Worship of God by t(d, xk, and Nwh is expressed by the members
of the Qumran sect in a practical manner; i.e., the member is obliged to
contribute to the sect from his knowledge, his strength, and his property.
The obligation of the member concerning these things is clearly
expressed in the Rule of the Community: “the lesser one shall obey the
greater with respect to work and money” (1QS 6.2) and “both his
property and his possession shall be given to the hand of the man who is
the Examiner over the possession of the many” (1QS 6.19). The member
is commanded to deliver his possession and the produce of his hand to
the sect.
Finally, we thus find at the sect a concrete interpretation of Kbbl lkb
and of Kd)m lkb. What then is the meaning of K#pn lkb, which is also
found in the Qumran Scrolls (1QS 5.8–9; 6.15; CD 15.8)? K#pn lkb
was apparently interpreted as the sages also conceived of it: “even if he
takes your life (K#pn l+wn wlyp)).” Indeed Josephus tells us that the
Essenes would not betray their sect even at pains of death (J.W. 2.141).
Loyalty to the company, which is l) dxy, is like loyalty to God himself,
that should be Kd)m lkb, K#pn lkb, Kbbl lkb (Deut 6:5). Knowledge,
strength, and wealth are the practical interpretation of bl and of
d)m of Deuteronomy, in the Qumran sect.