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60 THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS AND THE HISTORICAL JESUS<br />

within <strong>the</strong> particular structure <strong>and</strong> dynamics of power-relations in<br />

ancient Judea <strong>and</strong> Galilee under Roman rule, <strong>and</strong> it was part <strong>and</strong> parcel<br />

of <strong>the</strong> historical meaning context in which Jesus’ actions <strong>and</strong> sayings can<br />

become historically intelligible.<br />

Assuming that this covenantal component is not a distinctively scribal<br />

feature, <strong>the</strong> <strong>scrolls</strong> thus flesh out <strong>the</strong> prophetic script of a restored<br />

covenantal Israel in a way that gives us greater confidence in identifying<br />

many of Jesus’ teachings <strong>and</strong> exhortations (such as those in Q/Luke<br />

6:20–49 or Mark 10) as part of a new or renewed covenant pattern. We<br />

may thus discern suggestive information from careful exploration of <strong>the</strong><br />

prophetic script evident in <strong>the</strong> DSS, information that may illuminate<br />

<strong>the</strong> prophetic script that informs portrayals <strong>and</strong> teachings of Jesus in<br />

Gospel traditions—so long as we keep in mind <strong>the</strong> differences between a<br />

scribal-priestly (even Zadokite) circle <strong>and</strong> its concerns <strong>and</strong> a popular<br />

movement <strong>and</strong> its concerns. Whereas <strong>the</strong> Righteous Teacher had<br />

revealed all <strong>the</strong> mysteries of God’s wisdom to <strong>the</strong> wise scribes <strong>and</strong> priests<br />

at Qumran, Jesus (in Q/Luke 10:21) thanked “<strong>the</strong> Lord of heaven <strong>and</strong><br />

earth” that he had “hidden <strong>the</strong>se things from <strong>the</strong> wise <strong>and</strong> intelligent <strong>and</strong><br />

revealed <strong>the</strong>m to infants.”

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