Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered - The Preterist Archive

these documents, and the text announces that 'the Rule of Goodness and Righteousness has come' and
God has 'raised up the Throne of his Messiah' (4.9). No more triumphant proclamation could be
imagined. It is for this reason that we have called the movement responsible for these works 'the
Messianic Movement in Palestine'. There is no way this can be gainsaid and we stand by this
determination.
That the so-called 'Zealot' movement was also permeated by Messianism is confirmed by Josephus at
the end of the Jewish War, when he contends that the thing that most moved the Jews to revolt against
Rome in AD 66-70 was an obscure and ambiguous prophecy ambiguous because it was capable of
multiple interpretations, one Pharisaic like his own and one like that at Qumran - that a World Ruler
would come out of Palestine, i.e. the Star Prophecy (6.312-14).
The term 'Elect of Righteousness' in this text is also interesting. Again, in the Damascus Document the
'sons of Zadok' are defined as 'the Elect of Israel, called by name, who will stand at the end of time . . .
and justify the Righteous and condemn the Wicked' (iv. 3-7; italics ours). The notion of 'the Elect' is
an important one at Qumran. This portion of the Testament of Naphtali draws the links between 'the
sons of Zadok' and 'the Righteous Elect' even closer. It is, of course, also a variation of 'the sons of
Righteousness' terminology.
The usage 'hearts' or 'heart' (4.7) is also an important one at Qumran often connected with these kinds
of allusions, denoting ideological purity. 'The Ways of God and the mightiness of His Works' in Line
4.6 are those that will reign in the Messianic era; they have their counterpart both in this document
and in others in the 'works' expected of man. This is 'works Righteousness' with a vengeance.