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

200 DUALISM IN THE ESSENE COMMUNITIES
Finally, one should note that both of the expressions in the 1QS passage,
denoting the sharing of the common fate on the one hand and the rebellion
against God on the other, are also found in the long discussion of
CD preceding the passage under discussion: hdwb(bw Nwhb wm( tw)y l)
19.7 and Mbl twryr#b wklyw 9–10. (Note also the mentioning of the
Messiahs in 19.1.)
C. JURISPRUDENCE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY
In order to establish my interpretation of the passage in 1QS, I must deal
with the various usages of the hymr (y#n)) and glp tyb in the Dead
Sea Scrolls.
The first term occurs in a juridical context in 1QS 8.21–24:
hymrb w) hmr dyb h#wm trwtm rbd rb(y r#) hmhm #y) lwk
dxyh tc(m whxl#y
wtc( M(w wnwhb #dwqh y#n)m #y) br(ty )wlw .dw( bw#y )wlw
hgg#b M)w .rbd lwkl
)wl r#) +p#mh w#rdw hc(h Nmw hrh+h Nm ldbwhw h#(y
l( l)#y )wlw #y) +wp#y
Mymy Mytn# hc( lwk
Every man among them who deliberately or through negligence transgresses
any precept of the Law of Moses, shall be expelled from the
Council of the Community and shall never again return. No one among
the men of holiness shall be associated in his property or his counsel in any
way whatsoever. But if he has acted inadvertently, he shall be excluded
from the Meal and from the Council and they shall interpret the rule (as
follows): for two years he shall take no part in judgment or be asked for
advice on any matter.
Surely, this text bears on the passage under discussion. It too deals with
three kinds of transgressions: intentional transgressions, unintentional
transgressions, and transgressions by hymr. Vermes translates hymrb
here: “through negligence.” This understanding is very appealing and
philologically suits my interpretation of y#n) hymrh in 1QS 9. Yet
here transgressors through negligence are excluded from the congregation,
while in 1QS 9 they are not. How can one explain this apparent
contradiction?
I hereby suggest the following solution: each of these two passages
deals with different kinds of commandments. Column 8 apparently
deals with the commandments of the Torah that are not controversial;