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historical perspectives: from the hasmoneans to bar kokhba in light ...

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"[T]HE[Y] DID NOT READ IN THE SEALED BOOK" 109<br />

And <strong>the</strong>y unders<strong>to</strong>od <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>in</strong>iquity and knew that <strong>the</strong>y were guilty<br />

men. And <strong>the</strong>y were as bl<strong>in</strong>d as those who grope for a way for twenty<br />

years. But God considered <strong>the</strong>ir works, that <strong>the</strong>y had sought Him<br />

wholeheartedly, and He raised up for <strong>the</strong>m a Teacher of Righteousness<br />

<strong>to</strong> guide <strong>the</strong>m <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> way of His heart (CD 1:10-13). 14<br />

How this Teacher of Righteousness was <strong>to</strong> lead <strong>the</strong> group <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> way<br />

of God is not stated here. Never<strong>the</strong>less, a few columns later, when<br />

try<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> expla<strong>in</strong> and justify K<strong>in</strong>g David's polygynous marriage, 15<br />

which, accord<strong>in</strong>g <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> author, was not only <strong>in</strong> contrast <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> foundation<br />

of Creation but also <strong>in</strong> contrast <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> explicit demand of <strong>the</strong><br />

Torah ("He shall not multiply wives," Deut. 17:17), <strong>the</strong> author argues<br />

David — he did not read <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> sealed book which was <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> ark, for<br />

it was not opened <strong>in</strong> Israel s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> day of <strong>the</strong> death of Eleazar and<br />

Joshua and <strong>the</strong> elders . . . until Zadok arose (CD 5:2-5).<br />

In o<strong>the</strong>r words, David did not act <strong>in</strong> accordance with <strong>the</strong> law simply<br />

because he was ignorant of <strong>the</strong> law; <strong>the</strong> Book of <strong>the</strong> Torah was<br />

sealed <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> ark and <strong>the</strong>refore <strong>in</strong>accessible <strong>to</strong> him.<br />

Who is "Zadok"? This question is difficult <strong>to</strong> answer. Although<br />

many scholars identify him with a biblical figure, it seems <strong>to</strong> me<br />

18-21 March 1991, ed. J. Trebolle Barrera and L. Vegas Montaner, STDJ 11<br />

(Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1992), 571-76.<br />

14 I follow <strong>the</strong> translation of J. M. Baumgarten and D. R. Schwartz, "Damascus<br />

Document," <strong>in</strong> The Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts with English<br />

Translations, vol. 2, Damascus Document, War Scroll, and Related Documents, ed. J. H.<br />

Charlesworth (Tub<strong>in</strong>gen: J. C. B. Mohr [Paul Siebeck] and Louisville: John Knox<br />

Press, 1996). A similar <strong>the</strong>me might be reflected <strong>in</strong> 1 Enoch 90:6-17 and Jub.<br />

23:16-20; see Kister, "Concern<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> His<strong>to</strong>ry of <strong>the</strong> Essenes," 1-15.<br />

15 Though it is not explicitly stated here that David is accused of marry<strong>in</strong>g many<br />

women, and though one could th<strong>in</strong>k of an accusation for marry<strong>in</strong>g two sisters,<br />

Michal and Merav (see t. Sot. 11:18 [ed. Lieberman, 224]), it is clear <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> context<br />

that polygynous marriage is <strong>the</strong> issue under discussion. See my "Qumran<br />

Polemic on Marital Law: CD 4:20-5:11 and Its Social Background," <strong>in</strong> The Damascus<br />

Document: A Centennial of Discovery. Proceed<strong>in</strong>gs of <strong>the</strong> Third International Symposium of <strong>the</strong><br />

Orion Center for <strong>the</strong> Study of <strong>the</strong> Dead Sea Scrolls and Associated Literature, 4-8 February<br />

1998, ed. J. M. Baumgarten, E. G. Chazon, and A. P<strong>in</strong>nick; STDJ 34 (Leiden:<br />

Brill, 1999), 160 n. 26.

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