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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT IN QUMRAN LITERATURE BlLHAH NlTZAN Tel-Aviv University I During the first decades of Dead Sea Scrolls research, the concept of the covenant in Qumran literature attracted great interest, specifically in relation to the Christian theological concept of the 'new covenant,' because of both the Qumran community's explicit self-definition as a 'new covenant' (CD 6:19, 8:21, 19:34; 1QpHab 2:3-4) and the wide range of covenant vocabulary found in the scrolls. This research, conducted mainly between the 1950s and 1980s, clarified that the Qumran concept of the covenant was based upon the religious ideology inherent in the biblical idea of the covenant between God and Israel. But while the biblical ideology of the covenant was emphasized as the basic theme of Israelite religion, at Qumran this idea was embodied in the socio-religious life of the community. 1 A reconsideration of the concept of the covenant in Qumran literature is justified by the availability in this decade of the entire corpus of Qumran scrolls. However, this reexamination should be based on the principal Qumran writings that deal with the covenant between God and Israel. 1 K. Baltzer, The Covenant Formulary in Old Testament and Early Christian Writings (Oxford: Blackwell, 1971); J. Licht, The Rule Scroll: A Scroll of the Wilderness of Judaea (Jerusalem: Bialik Institute, 1965), 51-80 (Hebrew); A. S. Kapelrud, "Der Bund in den Qumran-Schriften," in Bibel und Qumran, ed. H. Bardtke (Berlin: Evangelische Haupt-Bibelgesellschaft, 1966), 137-49; J. A. Huntjens, "Contrasting Notions of Covenant and Law in the Texts from Qumran," RevQ 8 (1972/75): 361-80; N. Ilg, "Uberlegungen zum Verstandnis von in den Qumrantexten," in Qumran: Sa piete, sa theologie et son milieu, ed. M. Delcor, BETL 46 (Paris: Duculot, 1978), 257-63; J. Murphy-O'Connor, "The New Covenant in the Letters of Paul and the Essene Documents," in To Touch the Text: Biblical and Related Studies in Honor of Joseph A. Fitzmyer, ed. M. P. Morgan and P. J. Kobelski (New York: Crossroad, 1989), 194-204; H. Lichtenberger, "Alter Bund und Neuer Bund," NTS 41 (1995): 400-14; H. Stegemann, The Library of Qumran (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 149-65.
86 BILHAH NITZAN The religious concept of the covenant is characterized as a continual, ongoing relationship between God and Israel, a relationship that was a motivating factor in biblical and post-biblical historiography. Hence this subject may be examined from a historical perspective. Eichrodt's claim that the biblical concept of the covenant was a revolutionary factor in the relationship between human beings and their deity is noteworthy. He noted that the covenant detached religious faith from the feelings of anxiety and insecurity that characterized pagan religions, in which the human being was a plaything of various deities and of blind fate. The covenantal relationship regulated human life according to fixed laws of retribution given by a single divine authority, thereby providing hope for peace and security to those who kept the laws of the covenant. 2 As demonstrated by Mendenhall, the concept of a covenantal relationship between God and human beings, realized in monotheistic religions, was derived from Hittite treaties between sovereign and vassal (fourteenth century BCE), transforming their forensic character into a religious one. 3 This type of borrowing and adaptation was demonstrated in the Decalogue and in biblical historiography, prophecy, and liturgy; 4 its influence on Qumran theology and liturgical practice has been demonstrated as well. 5 The intensified use of the concept of the covenant in Qumran theology may be understood in light of the continuity and renewal of the covenant relationship, even following a violation of the original stipulations, as promised to Israel in the deuteronomic literature (Deut. 4:29-31, 30:1-10; cf. also the expression of this idea in Lev. 26:39-46) and in biblical prophecy (especially Jer. 31:30-36, 32:36-41, Ezek. 36:24-28 and 37:21-28). The Qumran concept of the conti- 2 W. Eichrodt, The Theology of the Old Testament (London: SCM, 1961), 36-45; W. Eichrodt, "Covenant and Law," Interpretation 20 (1966): 302-21. 3 G. E. Mendenhall, "Covenant," The Interpreters' Dictionary of the Bible 1 (1962): 714-23; G. E. Mendenhall, "Ancient Oriental and Biblical Law," BA 17 (1954): 26-46; G. E. Mendenhall, "Covenant Forms in Israeli Tradition," BA 17 (1954): 50-76. 4 Mendenhall, "Covenant Forms," 62-76; Mendenhall, "Covenant," 719-21. D. J. McCarthy, Old Testament Covenant (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1972), 10-21, 24-30; D. J. McCarthy, Treaty and Covenant, Analecta biblica 21 (Rome: Pontificio Instituto Biblico, 1981), 157-242; Baltzer, Covenant Formulary, 39-62. 5 Mendenhall, "Covenant," 721-22; D. F. Baumgartel, "Zur Liturgie in der 'Sektenrolle' von Toten Meer," ZAW 65 (1954): 263-65; Baltzer, Covenant Formulary, 99-122, 189-91. B. Nitzan, Qumran Prayer and Religious Poetry, trans. J. Chipman, STDJ 12 (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1994), 121-24.
Page 2 and 3:
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES: FROM THE H
Page 4 and 5:
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES: FROM THE H
Page 6 and 7:
CONTENTS Preface vii Abbreviations
Page 8 and 9:
PREFACE After the first three Orion
Page 10 and 11:
ABBREVIATIONS AB Anchor Bible ANRW
Page 12 and 13:
HISTORY OF THE JEWS AND JUDAISM
Page 14 and 15:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM IN THE LIGHT OF
Page 16 and 17:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 5 The absence of
Page 18 and 19:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 7 was not a vagu
Page 20 and 21:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 9 'tribal' natur
Page 22 and 23:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 1 1 rnon culture
Page 24 and 25:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 13 Anderson emph
Page 26 and 27:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 15 Jews of antiq
Page 28 and 29:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 17 we find refer
Page 30 and 31:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 19 The evidence
Page 32 and 33:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 21 cannot learn
Page 34 and 35:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 23 the removal o
Page 36 and 37:
12 Community Rule 13 Leviticus 14 E
Page 38 and 39:
JUDEAN NATIONALISM 27 dence from ot
Page 40 and 41:
THE KITTIM IN THE WAR SCROLL AND IN
Page 42 and 43:
KITTIM IN THE WAR SCROLL AND IN THE
Page 44 and 45:
KITTIM IN THE WAR SCROLL AND IN THE
Page 46 and 47: KITTIM IN THE WAR SCROLL AND IN THE
Page 56 and 57: ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES IN JERUSALEM
Page 58 and 59: ANTIOGHUS IV EPIPHANES IN JERUSALEM
Page 68 and 69: SHELAMZION IN QUMRAN: NEW INSIGHTS
Page 70 and 71: SHELAMZION IN QUMRAN 59 Pharisees,
Page 72 and 73: SHELAMZION IN QUMRAN 61 also alludi
Page 74 and 75: SHELAMZION IN QUMRAN 63 ["If you wi
Page 76 and 77: SHELAMZION IN QUMRAN 65 the same va
Page 78 and 79: SHELAMZION IN QUMRAN 67 pesher was
Page 80 and 81: DESCRIPTIONS OF THE JERUSALEM TEMPL
Page 94 and 95: COMMUNITY AND COVENANT
Page 98 and 99: THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT 87 nuit
Page 100 and 101: THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT 89 refo
Page 102 and 103: THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT 91 the
Page 104 and 105: THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT 93 cove
Page 106 and 107: THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT 95 ment
Page 108 and 109: THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT 97 puni
Page 110 and 111: THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT 99 "who
Page 112 and 113: THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT 101 nam
Page 114 and 115: THE CONCEPT OF THE COVENANT 103 it"
Page 116 and 117: "[T]HE[Y] DID NOT READ IN THE SEALE
Page 138 and 139: COMMUNAL FASTS IN THE JUDEAN DESERT
Page 140 and 141: COMMUNAL FASTS 129 The word (also t
Page 142 and 143: COMMUNAL FASTS 131 the time of Hero
Page 144 and 145: COMMUNAL FASTS 133 It is clear that
Page 146 and 147:
COMMUNAL FASTS 135 snares of Belial
Page 148 and 149:
COMMUNAL FASTS 137 Priest persecute
Page 150 and 151:
COMMUNAL FASTS 139 law-breakers in
Page 152 and 153:
COMMUNAL FASTS 141 It may also be r
Page 154 and 155:
COMMUNAL FASTS 143 These excerpts s
Page 156 and 157:
COMMUNAL FASTS 145 to suggest other
Page 158 and 159:
THE COMMUNITY OF GOODS AMONG THE FI
Page 160 and 161:
COMMUNITY OF GOODS 149 The two Gree
Page 162 and 163:
COMMUNITY OF GOODS 151 summary repe
Page 164 and 165:
COMMUNITY OF GOODS 153 no buying or
Page 166 and 167:
COMMUNITY OF GOODS 155 Although the
Page 168 and 169:
COMMUNITY OF GOODS 157 her husband,
Page 170 and 171:
COMMUNITY OF GOODS 159 makes use of
Page 172 and 173:
4:36-37 to each as any might have n
Page 174 and 175:
NATURAL SCIENCES AND THE SCROLLS
Page 176 and 177:
THE GENETIC SIGNATURE OF THE DEAD S
Page 178 and 179:
GENETIC SIGNATURE OF THE DEAD SEA S
Page 180 and 181:
Page 182 and 183:
Page 184 and 185:
ANALYSIS OF MICROSCOPIC MATERIAL AN
Page 186 and 187:
ANALYSIS OF MICROSCOPIC MATERIAL 17
Page 188 and 189:
ANALYSIS OF MICROSCOPIC MATERIAL 17
Page 190 and 191:
HOW NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS CAN
Page 192 and 193:
NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS 181 Met
Page 194 and 195:
NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS 183 tai
Page 196 and 197:
NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS 185 tai
Page 198 and 199:
INDEX OF MODERN AUTHORS Abegg, M. G
Page 200 and 201:
Lauterbach, J. Z. 114 n. 30 Lehnard
Page 202 and 203:
Genesis 9:4 10:4 Exodus 14:13 19:8
Page 204 and 205:
8:13-14 9-10 1 Chronicles 3:3 12:39
Page 206 and 207:
Pseudo-Philo, LAB 8-9 Testament of
Page 208 and 209:
CD (Damascus Document) 1:7 1:10-13
Page 210 and 211:
. Baba Batra 21a b. B Mesi'a 104a b
Page 212 and 213:
Aristotle, Me. Eth. 19.8.1168b Cice
Page 214 and 215:
STUDIES ON THE TEXTS OF THE DESERT
Page 216 and 217:
37. Goodblatt, D., A. Pinnick & D.R
show all

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?