Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered - The Preterist Archive

jokingly contends that they received this epithet because of 'the poverty of intellect they exhibited', i.e.
in following such a primitive Christology.
He knows that they considered Christ born by 'natural' means, 'a plain and ordinary man, who was
justified by his advances in Righteousness only . . . They also insisted on the complete observance of
the Law, nor did they think one could be saved only by faith in Christ and a corresponding life.' Rather
'they evinced great zeal to observe the literal sense of the Law . . . They observed the Sabbath and
other ceremonies just like Jews.' Paul they considered 'an apostate from the Law' (italics ours).
This description of the Ebionites is crucial to our understanding of these texts and the widespread use
of the 'Poor' terminology at Qumran. Though there is more material from other sources about these
Ebionites, they are certainly the community that held the memory of James in the highest regard,
whereas Paul they considered 'the Enemy' or Anti-Christ (compare this with the terminology Mastema
we are encountering in these texts). Such a stance is not unparalleled in crucial passages from the letter
in James' name in the New Testament. We have already shown that this letter, in responding to some
adversary who believes that Abraham was justified only by faith, states that by making himself 'a
friend of man', this adversary has turned himself into 'the Enemy of God'. This 'Enemy' terminology is
also known in Matt. 13:25-40's 'parable of the tares', perhaps the only anti-Pauline parable in the
Gospels, where an 'Enemy' sows the 'tares' among the good seed. At the 'harvest' these will be uprooted
and thrown into 'the burning'.
The use of Ebionim as a term of self-designation at Qumran is widespread, most notably in the
pesharim, but also, as we have seen, in the interpretation of the Star Prophecy in Column xi of the War
Scroll. Here it is stated that by 'the hand of the Poor Ones whom You have redeemed by Your Power
and the peace of Your Mighty Wonders . . . by the hand of the Poor Ones and those bent in the dust,
You will deliver the Enemies of all the lands and humble the mighty of the Peoples to bring upon their
heads the reward of the Wicked and justify the judgement of Your Truth on all the sons of men . . .'
There is no need to quote further.
The terminology is also used in crucial constructions in the Habakkuk Pesher, though it does not
appear in the underlying text at all. However its variation, 'Ant ('Meek') does, but not until Hab. 3:14.
Regardless of this, for the pesher, the Ebionim are the rank and file of the Community led by the
Teacher of Righteousness, whose fate they share (xii.6ff). Where scriptural exegesis at Qumran
generally is concerned, this is one of the terms from Psalms and Prophets looked for by the exegetes.
In the Qumran Hymns, v.23 the term Ebionei-Hesed ('the Poor Ones of Piety') occurs as a particularly
telling form of self designation. It combines, as we can see, two important Qumran terminologies: the
Ebionim and the Hassidim.
Found in five identifiable copies, the Hymns of the Poor are delicate poetic creations of considerable
beauty. Stylistically, they are similar to the Hymns from Cave 1. They derive their name from the
widespread use of the term Ebionim and its variants 'Anavim and Dal, 'the Meek' and 'the
Downtrodden' throughout. The familiar vocabulary of 'Knowledge', 'Glory', 'Piety', 'the judgements of
the Way', 'the Ways of Truth', 'the Way of His heart', 'zeal', 'anger', 'Light', 'Darkness', 'Gentiles' and
'Violent Ones' again appears.
The interchangeability of the usages 'the Poor', 'the Meek' and 'the Downtrodden' is paralleled in the