Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered - The Preterist Archive

Column 4 (or later) (1) [they used] to listen to Fratervana your father . . . (2) to the servants of the
royal wardrobe in [al]l . . . to do (3) the business of the king in all that he recei[ved . . .] in that very
year (4) the king's patience . . . his fat[h]er . . . before him; among (5) the books was found a cer[tain]
scroll [sea]led by seven seals (impressed by) the signet ring of Darius his father. The matter (6) . . .
'[Dar]ius the king to the servants of the kingdom of a[ll] the [e]arth: Peace.' It was opened and read.
(The following) was found written in it: 'Darius the king (7) [wrote to all] kings after myself, to the
servants of the kingdom: Pe[ac]e. Let it be known to you that all oppression and falsehood . . .
Column 6 (or later) (1) . . . for you know . . . for the sins of my fathers (2) that they sinned aforetime
and . . . and I followed after . . . (3) a Jew from among the k[ing]'s officials stood in front of him and .
. . [the] good [ma]n. (4) The good man did . . . What shall I do with you? You know [that] it is
poss[ible] (5) for a man like [you to hasten (?) everything. A man] of your household (once) stood
where you (now) stand . . . (6) Command me (to do) any[thi]ng that you wa[n]t, and when you have
[spo]ken, I will bury you in . . . (7) he dwells in all. It is possible that he will bring in my service
be[fore . . . and everything that . . .
Column 8 (or later) (1) the highest (God) whom you fear and serve, he is ruler over the [ear]th. It is
easy for him to [d]o anything that he desires, (2) [and] anyone who speaks an [e]vil word against
Bagasri . . . shall be killed, because there is no . . . (3) Good forever . . . that he saw . . . two. And he
said, 'Let the king write . . . (4) he saw . . . to the k[ing . . .] them in the great ro[y]al court . . . (5) and
after (the story of) Badgers, they read in thi[s] book . . . (6) Evil, his Evil shall return upon his . . .
Column 9 (or later) (1) [the] k[ing]'s decree . . . they went . . . (2) [to] writ[e . . .] he went . . . in the
clothing . . . (3) a gold[en] crown [weighing one hundred and fi[f]ty. He went . . . (4) apart from him .
. . he went and sai[d . . .] (5) (he returned the?) [si]lver and [g]old and [possession]s that [bel]ong to
Bagose in a double measure . . . (6) he entered the king's court in the name of Bagasri . . . (7) [ki]lled.
Then [B]agasri entered the king's co[ur]t . . . (8) the chief butler answered and said, 'Bagasri, Bagasri,
from . . .'
Notes
(14) A Genesis Florilegium (4Q252)
Previous Discussions: J. M. Allegro, 'Further Messianic References in Qumran Literature', Journal of
Biblical Literature 75 (1956) 174-6; H. Stegemann, Weitere Stücke von 4QpPsalm 37, von 4Q
Patriarchal Blessings and Hinweis auf eine unedierte Handschrift aus Hôhle 4Q mit Exzerpten aus
dem Deuteronomium', Revue de Qumran 6 (1967-69) 211-17; Milik, MS, 138. Photographs: PAM
43.253 and 43.381, ER 1289 and 1375.
We supply the following technical information to help the reader appreciate the author's arguments