Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered - The Preterist Archive
Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered - The Preterist Archive
Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered - The Preterist Archive
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interesting and complements the reference in the Aemilius text, also to 'Arabs'.<br />
But James the just (note the parallel to Honi's cognomen) was also reckoned as one of these<br />
primordial rainmakers. This is described in a notice from the fifth-century AD historian Epiphanius,<br />
probably based on a lost work about James which he mentions - the Anabathmoi Jacobou (<strong>The</strong><br />
Ascents of James; Haeres. 78:14. Note too the possible allusion to the Mysticism of Heavenly<br />
Ascents). Also the letter ascribed to James' name abounds with the imagery of 'rainmaking' in its<br />
apocalyptic and climactic final Chapter, evoking one of the first archetypes in this tradition connected<br />
to apocalyptic 'Judgement', Elijah (Jas. 5:7-18).<br />
This evocation of rain and its connection with eschatological judgement is strong as well in the War<br />
Scroll from Cave 1 at Qumran, where it is again connected to the exegesis of 'the Star Prophecy' and<br />
combined with the famous eschatological allusion from Dan. 7 of 'the Son of Man coming on the<br />
clouds of Heaven'. <strong>The</strong> 'clouds of Heaven' here, as we have seen, are the Heavenly Hosts or all the<br />
Kedoshim / 'Holy Ones’ - the 'rain' being the judgement they bring (see Eisenman, 'Eschatological<br />
Rain Imagery in the War Scroll from Qumran and the Letter of James', JNES, 1990). Josephus,<br />
perhaps sums the situation up very incisively when he observes that it was 'Imposters and magicians'<br />
of this type who were more dangerous even than the violent revolutionaries, because they were<br />
scheming to bring about both 'innovation' (religious reform) and 'change in government' (War 2.259).<br />
One should also note the relationship of 'thunder' symbolism to the two 'twins', John and James, called<br />
in the New Testament 'Boanerges' / 'Sons of Thunder' (Mark 3:17). Whether this epithet has any<br />
relevance to the issue we are discussing is difficult to assess, but since the same two apostles were<br />
represented as having asked Jesus to be allowed to sit on his 'right hand' (Matt. 20:21; see too Mark<br />
14:62's 'sitting on the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of Heaven'), one can assume<br />
that it does.<br />
<strong>The</strong> supernatural aspects of the 'sons of Zadok' or 'the Elect of Israel' have also been discussed at<br />
length in this work. <strong>The</strong>re is no doubt that these have a role to play in the Last Judgement. <strong>The</strong><br />
Messiah himself has 'Heaven and Earth' at his disposal in the text by this title with which we begin the<br />
work. <strong>The</strong> Zaddikim were 'the Pillars' that upheld the earth; so were presumably 'Pillar' apostles like<br />
James (Gal. 2:9). '<strong>The</strong> Son of Man' was to come 'on the clouds of Heaven' and the Heavens were 'to<br />
rain down Judgement'. Elijah, referred to in the Letter of James, and Phineas, apparently too, before<br />
him, were archetypical rainmakers; so was Honi, called 'the Circle-Drawer', because of the circles he<br />
drew to bring the rain. James, too, was to bring the rain – ‘rain’ taken both in its mundane sense and<br />
eschatologically.<br />
<strong>The</strong> zodiacal dimension of the notation 'twins' is in a certain sense reinforced by the name in Aramaic<br />
of one of the astronomical zodiacal signs mentioned in this text, Thomiah, i.e. Gemini. This in turn<br />
relates to the name of another of the disciples of Jesus, with regard to whom the 'brother' signification<br />
is prominent as well, Judas Thomas / 'Thomas the Twin'. <strong>The</strong> 'brother' signification with regard to<br />
either or both of the two James mentioned above is also clear.