Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered - The Preterist Archive

The surviving portions of the Qumran version of the work, presented here, will doubtless fuel the
debate still further. Column 2 preserves the Hebrew form of the Greek Testament of Naphtali 1:9, 11-
12, along with previously unknown details. Column 4 does not parallel any portion of the Greek, and
has an eschatological thrust not found in the Greek Testament of Naphtali.
The text, as reconstructed from two separate fragments - and again the reconstruction is not certain -
follows the pattern of the Testament of Amram. Here, a more or less straightforward historical
narrative is followed by an eschatological presentation of the most intense nature. In fact, this one
develops, even in the portion which is extant, into outright Messianism, so that this text, like several
others above, could be added to Chapter 1. The prosaic narrative of Column 2 is followed by the
ecstatic visionary recital in Column 4.
Only Lines 1-5 in Column 2 parallel Greek Naphtali text 1:9-12. The latter then returns to a rather
humdrum admonition, while the present text develops as below. We have inserted the name Rotheos
from the Greek text for Bilhah's father in Line 7 for purposes of exposition and not because it actually
appears in the Hebrew text. The name itself may have been a comparatively late invention without a
Hebrew original, but some name probably does appear in the original.
Here one encounters the usual Messianic vocabulary of 'the Pit' (CD,vi.3-9), Hassidav ('His Pious
Ones'), 'Knowledge', 'Righteousness', 'Truth', and that predestination implicit in recitals like this in, for
instance, the Damascus Document and throughout the already published Qumran Hymns. Here in 4.8,
the actions of 'the Righteous' (those 'saved' at the end of time) are known or prepared 'before ever they
were created' (see CD,iv.4-7 on 'the sons of Zadok' and IQH,ix.33-35). Both Paul and James are
familiar with this sort of language, and early church literature preserves the tradition that James 'was
consecrated ('Holy') from his mother's womb' (E.H. 2.23.4). For his part, Paul is familiar with the
vocabulary of 'the Service of Righteousness', applying it in the passage from 2 Cor. 11-12 we have
already noted above to his opponents among the 'Hebrew' 'archapostles', whom he calls Satan's
'servants' and 'dishonest workmen disguised as apostles of Christ'.
In addition to noting 'the Ways of God' in 4.6, language we shall encounter in the Mystery of
Existence text in Chapter 7, the text also draws attention to 'His mighty works'. These 'works' or
'mighty wonders of God' are to a certain extent delineated in the War Scroll. Recast in the New
Testament as curings, raisings, speaking in tongues, exorcisms, and the like, at Qumran, in keeping
with its more apocalyptic and yet this-wordly approach, they are the battles and final eschatological
actions that God has undertaken or will undertake on behalf of his chosen ones, those He 'loves'.
The text very definitely looks forward to the Messianic era, and in doing so, in 4.4ff., turns more and
more ecstatic. This material is not paralleled in the extant Greek version, which turns, as noted, more
prosaic at this point. In the first place the text introduces in 4.1 another new expression, 'the Elect of
Righteousness', paralleled in Hymns, ii. 13 in a section referring to 'the Way', 'zeal' and 'marvellous
Mysteries'. Except for the use of the term 'Wicked" or 'Evil', the era of which is now past, the text is
strictly positive. With the arrival of 'the time of Righteousness', 'the era of Peace' has come, when 'the
Laws of Truth' and 'the Ways of God' will be observed to 'all Eternity' (4.4-5).
Connected with this one gets the evocation of the ubiquitous 'Throne' imagery encountered throughout