Discerning Wisdom: The Sapiential Literature of the Dead Sea Scrolls (Supplements to Vetus Testamentum)

Discerning Wisdom

Supplements to

Vetus Testamentum Edited

by the Board of Quarterly

H . M . BARSTAD - R . P . GORDON - A . HURVITZ G . KNOPPERS - A . VAN DER KOOIJ - A . LEMAIRE C . NEWSOM - H . SPIEGKERMANN J . TREBOLLE BARRERA - H . G . M . WILLIAMSON

VOLUME

116

Discerning Wisdom The Sapiential Literature of the Dead Sea Scrolls

by

Matthew J . Goff

BRILL

LEIDEN • B O S T O N 2007

This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data

Detailed Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data are available on the Internet at http://catalog.loc.gov

ISSN 0083-5889 ISBN-13: 978 90 04 14749 2 ISBN-10: 90 04 14749 7 © Copyright 2007 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS

FOR RUTH BARBOUR

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction

xi xiii 1

I. A Wisdom Text with an Apocalyptic Worldview: 4QInstruction (1Q26;4Q415-18,423) 9 1. Introduction 9 2. The Text of 4QInstruction 10 3. The Wisdom of 4QInstruction 12 3.1 The Theme of Revelation: The Raz Nihyeh 13 3.1.1 Revelation and Determinism 16 3.1.2 Revelation and Creation 17 3.1.3 Revelation and Instruction .22 3.1.3.1 The Mystery That Is To Be and Judgment 23 3.1.3.2 The Mystery That Is To Be and Soteriological Knowledge 23 3.1.3.3 The Mystery That Is To Be and Family Relations 25 3.1.3.4 The Mystery That Is To Be and Farming 26 3.1.3.5 The Pedagogical Mysteries of 4QInstruction 27 3.1.4 Is the Mystery That Is To Be a Cipher for the Torah? 28 3.2 Revelation and the Vision of Hagu 29 3.2.1 The Elect Status of the Addressee and the Garden of Eden 36 3.2.2 The Elect Status of the Addressee, the Angels and Eternal Life . . . 38 4. Eschatological Judgment 44 5. The Intended Audience of 4QInstruction 47 5.1 Farmers, Artisans and Servants 48 5.2 Women 49 5.3 The Social Location of 4QInstruction 53 5.3.1 Poverty and Debts 54 5.3.2 The Addressee's Poverty, Ethics and His Elect Status 59 5.4 4QInstruction and the Teacher Movement 61 5.5 The Date of 4QInstruction 65 6. Conclusion 67 II. Eschatological Wisdom: The Book of Mysteries (1Q27; 4Q299301) 1. Introduction 2. The Text of the Book of Mysteries and the Question of 4Q301 3. The Eschatological Transformation of the World 3.1 Creation, Eschatology and the Mystery That Is To Be 3.2 Determinism 3.3 Revelation, Licit and Illicit 3.4 The Elimination of the Wicked 4. The Status and Use of the Torah in the Book of Mysteries

69 69 71 73 74 80 82 86 89

VIII

CONTENTS

5. The Genre of the Book of Mysteries 6. The Date and Social Setting of the Book of Mysteries 7. Conclusion

93 99 102

III. Gendered Wisdom: 4QWiles of the Wicked Woman (4Q184) 1. Introduction 2. The Woman of 4Q184 and Eroticism 3. The Woman, Darkness and Death 4. The Woman's Prey 5. Misogyny and Female Allegory 6. Conclusion

104 104 106 Ill 116 118 121

IV. The Rewards of Wisdom: 4QSapiential Work (4Q185) 1. Introduction 2. Divine Judgment and the Inevitability of Human Death 3. The Torah and the Pursuit of Wisdom 3.1 Lady Wisdom in 4Q185? 3.2 The Yoke of Wisdom in 4Q185? 4. Lessonsfromthe History of Israel 5. Conclusion

122 122 124 130 135 139 140 145

V. Wisdom for the Yahad: 4Q Words of the Maskil to All Sons of Dawn (4Q298) 1. Introduction 2.4QWords of the Maskil to All Sons of Dawn 2.1 4QWords of the Maskil and the Wisdom Tradition 2.2 4QWords of the Maskil and the Dead Sea Sect 2.2.1 The Maskil 2.2.2 The Sons of Dawn 3. Conclusion

146 146 147 147 149 150 154 158

VI. Wisdom and Halakhah: 4QWays of Righteousness (4Q420-21)... 1. Introduction 2.4QWays of Righteousness 2.1 Righteousness, Study and Speech 2.2 The Yoke of Wisdom and Sabbath Halakhah 2.3 4QWays of Righteousness and the Dead Sea Sect 3. Conclusion

160 160 161 162 165 173 177

VII. Practical Wisdom: The Instruction of 4Q424 1. Introduction 2. Negative Types of People 2.1 Instruction on Judges and Lawyers 2.2 Instruction on Hiring Managers 2.3 Other Teachings on Unreliable Employees 3. Positive Types of People

179 179 180 181 185 188 191

CONTENTS

IX

3.1 The Opponent of "All Who Move the Boundary Marker" 3.2 Compassion for the Poor 4. Conclusion

191 193 196

VIII. Wisdom and the Torah: 4QBeatitudes (4Q525) 1. Introduction 2. A Pedagogical Prologue 3. The Beatitude Collection 3.1 The Structure of the Beatitude Collection in 4Q525 3.2 The Beatitudes of 4Q525 and the Gospels 4. The Pursuit of Wisdom in 4QBeatitudes 5. The Personification of Wisdom 6. Wrath, Rewards and the Issue of Eschatology 7. Practical Wisdom and the Social Setting of 4QBeatitudes 8. Conclusion

198 198 200 201 203 205 207 214 217 223 229

IX. Songs of Wisdom: Wisdom Psalms in the Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls 1. Introduction 2. Wisdom Psalms in the Hebrew Bible—A Chasing After Wind? 3. The Cave 11 Psalms Scroll (1 lQPs ) 3.1 Scholarship on the Psalms Scroll 3.2 1 lQPs and the Wisdom Tradition 3.2.1 HQPs 18 (Psalm 154) 3.2.2 HQPs 21:11-17 and 22:1 (Sir 51:13-30) 3.2.3 1 lQPs 26:9-15 (Hymn to the Creator) 4. Conclusion: The Cave 11 Psalms Scroll and the Issue of Wisdom Psalms a

a

a

a

a

X. The Minor Wisdom Texts 1. Introduction 2.4Q302: An Instructional Text with a Parable 3.4Q303-05: Texts with MotifsfromGenesis 1-3 4.4Q412: Remnants of an Instruction 5.4Q413: Instruction on the Role of God in History 6.4Q419: A Priestly Composition 7.4Q425: Remnants of a Work of Practical Wisdom 8. Small Sapiential-Hymnic Texts 8.1 4Q411 8.2 4Q426 8.3 4Q528 9. Conclusion

230 230 231 236 237 239 240 247 257 260 264 264 265 268 270 272 277 280 281 281 283 284 286

Conclusion: The Qumran Wisdom Texts and the Sapiential Tradition . 287 1. Introduction 287 2. Correspondences 287

X 3. Absences 4. Departures 4.1 Wisdom and Apocalypticism 4.2 Wisdom and Torah 4.3 Wisdom and Piety 5. Function and Milieu 6. Genre Bibliography Index of Authors Index of Texts

CONTENTS

289 2 9 2

292 298 301 303 3 0 6

3 0 9 3 3 7 3 4 3

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Several people deserve credit for their assistance with this project. First and foremost thanks go to Leo Perdue, for inviting me to contribute a volume to this new Brill series. He has been very supportive of my scholarship and I have enjoyed working with him. John Collins read much of the manuscript in draft form and provided numerous helpful comments. I also thank Eibert J.C Tigchelaar for giving detailed responses to several textual questions. Shani Berrin and Greg Goering read drafts of several chapters and provided useful suggestions. Matthew Neujahr read much of the work as well. I am also grateful to two Florida State students. Scott Cason, a Ph.D. student, and Glenn Anderson, who recently finished his undergraduate degree, proofread the entire manuscript with care and attention. Ted Chaffin at Strozier Library was always eager to help me with Interlibrary Loan requests. Benjamin G. Wold provided me with a copy of his manuscript on 4QInstruction before it was officially published. The efforts of these people improved the overall quality of the project. I began this book in 2004. The bulk of the writing was completed in Savannah, Georgia, during my time at Georgia Southern University. Chapter 3 was written in New Zealand and the entire manuscript was revised in Jerusalem. Most of the editing was done in Tallahassee, Florida, where I moved to start working at Florida State University. My department, in particular the chair, John Kelsay, has been supportive of this project. A grant from Florida State's Council on Research and Creativity enabled me to travel to Israel in May 2006 to examine some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. I thank the university for this assistance. This book would not have been possible without the love and companionship of my wife, Diane Rixon. I am also grateful for the support from Brill's editorial staff, especially Mattie Kuiper. Unless otherwise noted, translations of 1 Enoch and Ben Sira are from, respectively, G.W.E. Nickelsburg and J.C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch: A New Translation (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004) and

XII

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A.A. Di Leila and Patrick W. Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira (AB 39; New York: Doubleday, 1987). Tallahassee, Florida June 30, 2006

ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviations of primary texts follow the guidelines given in Patrick H. Alexander et al., The SBL Handbook ofStyle (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1999). AB ABRL AcOr AGJU AID AnBib ANTZ AOAT ATM BAR BASOR BBB BETL Bib BIS BJS BS BZ BZAW BZNW CahRB CBQ CBQMS CBR CHANE CRBS CRINT DCLY DJD DSD DSSR DSSSE

Anchor Bible Anchor Bible Reference Library Acta orientalia Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des Urchristentums Aramaic Levi Document Analecta biblica Arbeiten zur neutestamentlichen Theologie und Zeitgeschichte Alter Orient und Altes Testament Altes Testament und Moderne Biblical Archaeology Review Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research Bonner biblische BeitrSge Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium Biblica Biblical Interpretation Series Brown Judaic Studies Biblical Series Biblische Zeitschrift Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fttr die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft Cahiers de la Revue biblique Catholic Biblical Quarterly Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series Currents in Biblical Research Culture and History of the Ancient Near East Currents in Research: Biblical Studies Compendia rerum iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Yearbook Discoveries in the Judaean Desert Dead Sea Discoveries The Dead Sea Scrolls Reader (6 vols.; ed. D.W. Parry and E. Tov; Brill, 2004). The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition (2 vols.; F. Garcia Martinez and EJ.C. Tigchelaar; Brill, 1997-98).

XIV DTT ECDSS EDSS EstEcl FAT FOTL HBS Hen HSS HTR HTS HUCA IEJ ISDCL JANESCU JBL JJS JNES JQR JR JSJ JSJSup JSNTSup JSOT JSOTSup JSP JSPSup JSS JTS MasSir McCQ MT MU NovTSup NTS OBO OTL PAM par PEQ

ABBREVIATIONS

Dansk Teologisk Tidsskrift Eerdmans Commentaries on the Dead Sea Scrolls Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls (2 vols.; ed. L.H. Schiffinan and J.C. VanderKam; Oxford, 2000). Estudios eclesidsticos Forschungen zum Alten Testament Forms of the Old Testament Literature Herders Biblische Studien Henoch Harvard Semitic Studies Harvard Theological Review Harvard Theological Studies Hebrew Union College Annual Israel Exploration Journal International Society for the Study of Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society of Columbia University Journal of Biblical Literature Journal ofJewish Studies Journal ofNear Eastern Studies Jewish Quarterly Review Journal ofReligion Journal for the Study ofJudaism Journal for the Study of Judaism: Supplement Series Journal for the Study of the New Testament: Supplement Series Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Journal for the Study of the Old Testament: Supplement Series Journalfor the Study of the Pseudepigrapha Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha: Supplement Series Journal ofSemitic Studies Journal of Theological Studies The Masada scroll of Ben Sira McCormick Quarterly Masoretic Text Mainzer Universitatsreden Novum Testamentum Supplements New Testament Studies Orbis biblicus et orientalis Old Testament Library Palestine Archaeological Museum parallel (text or fragment) Palestine Exploration Quarterly

ABBREVIATIONS

PVTG QC RB RevQ RevScRel RHPR SBLDS SBLEJL SBLMS SBLSCS SBLSP SBLSymS ScrB SEA Sent SH SIJD SR SSU STDJ SVTP TANZ TBN Text TSAJ TynBul TZ VT VTSup WJ WUNT YJS ZAH ZAW ZKT ZNW ZTK

XV

Pseudepigrapha Veteris Testamenti Graece Qumran Chronicle Revue biblique Revue de Qumran Revue des sciences religieuses Revue d'histoire et de philosophic religieuses Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series Society of Biblical Literature Early Judaism and Its Literature Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series Society of Biblical Literature Septuagint and Cognate Studies Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers Society of Biblical Literature Symposium Series Scripture Bulletin Svensk exegetisk arsbok Semitica Studia Hellenistica Schriften des Institutum Judaicum Delitzschianum Sciences Religieuses/Studies in Religion Studia Semitica Upsaliensia Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah Studia in Veteris Testamenti Pseudepigrapha Texte und Arbeiten zum neutestamentlichen Zeitalter Themes in Biblical Narrative Textus Texte und Studien zum antiken Judentum Tyndale Bulletin Theologische Zeitschrift Vetus Testamentum Vetus Testamentum Supplements Women in Judaism Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament Yale Judaica Series Zeitschrift fur Althebraistik Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft Zeitschrift fur katholische Theologie Zeitschrift fur die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft Zeitschrift fur Theologie und Kirche

INTRODUCTION Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, there were no extant wisdom texts in Hebrew from the time of Ben Sira (ca. 175 BCE) until the compilation of the Mishnah (ca. 200 CE). Most of the Qumran scrolls are from the second and first centuries BCE. They contain portions of at least eight previously unknown writings which are widely considered to be wisdom texts: 4QInstruction (1Q26; 4Q415-18, 423), the book of Mysteries (1Q27; 4Q299-301), 4QWiles of the Wicked Woman (4Q184), 4QSapiential Work (4Q185), 4QWords of the Maskil (4Q298), 4QWays of Righteousness (4Q42021), 4QInstruction-like Composition B (4Q424), and 4QBeatitudes (4Q525). In the late 1990s the bulk of these writings were published. Some appeared earlier, most notably 4Q184 and 4Q185. The scrolls may include other sapiential works, as reflected in their official titles, such as 4Q411 (4QSapiential Hymn) and 4Q425 (4QSapientialDidactic Work B), but they are often too fragmentary to decide their genre conclusively. In 1964 James Sanders observed that "no work has been done ... on Wisdom thinking generally in Qumran literature." One could not make this complaint today. Interest in this material has grown, particularly during the last few years. But Qumran wisdom literature 1

2

3

4

1

T. E l g v i n et al., Qumran Cave 4.XV: Sapiential Texts, Part 1 ( D J D 2 0 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 1997); J. Strugnell and D.J. Harrington, Qumran Cave 4.XXIV: Sapiential Texts, Part 2. 4QInstruction (Musdr Le Mebin): 4Q415ff With a re-edition of 1Q26 ( D J D 3 4 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 1999). J. A l l e g r o , Qumran Cave 4.1 (4Q158-4Q186) ( D J D 5; Oxford: Clarendon, 1 9 6 8 ) ; J. Strugnell, "Notes en marge du v o l u m e V d e s ' D i s c o v e r i e s in the Judaean Desert o f Jordan,'" RevQ 7 ( 1 9 7 0 ) 1 6 3 - 2 7 6 . J . A Sanders, " T w o N o n - C a n o n i c a l P s a l m s in H Q P s , " ZAW 7 6 ( 1 9 6 4 ) 5 7 - 7 5 (esp. 6 5 ) . S e e also W . L . L i p s c o m b and J.A. Sanders, " W i s d o m at Qumran," in Israelite Wisdom (Missoula: Scholars Press, 1 9 7 8 ) 2 7 7 - 8 5 (esp. 2 7 7 ) . J.J. Collins, " W i s d o m Reconsidered, in Light o f the Scrolls," DSD 4 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 2 6 5 8 1 ; D.J. Harrington, Wisdom Texts from Qumran (London: Routledge, 1996); idem, "Ten R e a s o n s W h y the Qumran W i s d o m Texts are Important," DSD 4 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 2 4 5 5 5 ; J. K a m p e n , "The D i v e r s e A s p e c t s o f W i s d o m at Qumran," in The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment ( 2 v o l s . ; ed. P.W. Flint and J.C. VanderKam; Leiden: Brill, 1998) 1.211-43; S. White Crawford, "Lady W i s d o m 2

3

4

a

2

INTRODUCTION

is still in the early stages of research. James Crenshaw's authoritative introduction to wisdom literature includes only two pages on material from Qumran, and Roland Murphy's Tree of Life never engages these texts. To date Daniel Harrington is the only author who has written a book-length survey of Qumran wisdom literature. His excellent book, Wisdom Texts from Qumran (1996), is presented as "only a beginning" in the study of this material. This monograph is approximately one hundred pages in length, and much of it consists of translations. At the time this approach made sense, since these writings were not widely available. They are officially published 5

6

and D a m e F o l l y at Qumran," DSD 5 ( 1 9 9 8 ) 3 5 5 - 6 6 ; A . Lange, Weisheit und Predestination: Weisheitliche Urordnung und Prddestination in den Textfunden von Qumran ( S T D J 18; Leiden: Brill, 1995); idem, " D i e Weisheitstexte aus Qumran: E i n e Einleitung," in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran and the Development of Sapiential Thought (ed. C. H e m p e l , A . Lange and H. Lichtenberger; B E T L 159; Leuven: L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 2 0 0 2 ) 3 - 3 0 . This v o l u m e has m a n y other articles on Qumran w i s d o m literature. T w o other relevant v o l u m e s o f collected e s s a y s h a v e been published: F. Garcia Martinez, ed., Wisdom and Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in the Biblical Tradition ( B E T L 168; Leuven: L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 2 0 0 3 ) ; J J . Collins, G.E. Sterling and R A . Clements, ed., Sapiential Perspectives: Wisdom Literature in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium of the Orion Center, 20-22 May 2001 ( S T D J 5 1 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 4 ) . S e e also P. Callaway, "Remarks o n S o m e Sapiential Texts from Qumran," OC 8 ( 1 9 9 8 ) 1 2 1 - 2 7 ; A . Caquot, "Les Textes de s a g e s s e d e Qoumran (Aper9u preliminaire)," RHPR 7 6 ( 1 9 9 6 ) 1-34; A S . van der W o u d e , " W i s d o m at Qumran," in Wisdom in ancient Israel: Essays in honour of J. A. Emerton (ed. J. D a y et al.; Cambridge: University o f Cambridge Press, 1 9 9 5 ) 2 4 4 - 5 6 ; D.J. Harrington, " W i s d o m at Qumran," in The Community of the Renewed Covenant: The Notre Dame Symposium on the Dead Sea Scrolls (ed. E. Ulrich and J. VanderKam; Notre D a m e : University o f N o t r e D a m e Press, 1 9 9 4 ) 1 3 7 - 5 3 ; idem, " W i s d o m Texts," EDSS, 2 . 9 7 6 - 8 0 . J.C. VanderKam, "Mantic W i s d o m in the D e a d Sea Scrolls," DSD 4 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 3 3 6 - 5 3 , f o c u s e s o n divinatory texts such as 4 Q 1 8 6 . Earlier investigations o f w i s d o m at Qumran include M . Kuchler, Friihjudische Weisheitstraditionen ( O B O 2 6 ; Freiburg: Universitatsverlag, 1 9 7 9 ) 8 8 - 1 1 3 ; C. Romaniuk, "Le T h e m e de la s a g e s s e dans les d o c u m e n t s de Qumran," RevQ 9 ( 1 9 7 8 ) 4 2 9 - 3 5 ; J. Worrell, "Concepts o f W i s d o m in the D e a d S e a Scrolls" ( P h . D . diss., Claremont Graduate S c h o o l , 1968). J.L. Crenshaw, Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction (rev. ed.; Louisville: Westminster John K n o x , 1 9 9 8 [orig. pub., 1 9 8 1 ] ) 1 7 8 - 7 9 ; R.E. Murphy, The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature (3 ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2 0 0 2 [orig. pub., 1990]). J.J. Collins, Jewish Wisdom in the Hellenistic Age (OTL; Louisville: Westminster John K n o x , 1 9 9 7 ) is at present the o n l y survey o f the sapiential tradition that includes a section o n Qumran w i s d o m literature (pp. 1 1 2 31) Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 9 1 . L a n g e ' s Weisheit und Prddestination examines s o m e o f the Qumran w i s d o m texts as w e l l as other documents, such as the D a m a s c u s D o c u m e n t and the Hodayot, that can b e related to the sapiential tradition. 5

r d

3

INTRODUCTION

7

now, and translations abound. Therefore I do not include translations or critical editions of entire texts. Rather the focus is interpretation. Each chapter presents a summary overview of a composition and identifies its main themes and concerns. Issues such as genre classification and provenance are also treated. The texts covered in this book are examined in chapters according to the following format: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

4QInstraction(lQ26;4Q415-18,423) The book of Mysteries (1Q27; 4Q299-301) 4QWilesofthe Wicked Woman (4Q184) 4QSapiential Work (4Q185) 4QWords of the Maskil (4Q298) 4QWays of Righteousness (4Q420-21) 4QInstruction-like Composition B (4Q424) 4QBeatitudes (4Q525) Wisdom psalms from the Cave 11 Psalms Scroll (1 lQPs ) Smaller wisdom texts a

The concluding chapter gives an overview of the core themes and issues in this corpus and its contribution to our understanding of Jewish wisdom. The texts covered in this study are commonly identified as sapiential. But there is a great deal of variety among them and not everyone agrees that they are all wisdom texts. It has been argued, for example, that the book of Mysteries is an eschatological, rather than sapiential, composition. This book does not discuss every Qumran document that has been considered a wisdom text. There is no consensus on how many sapiential writings the caves of Qumran actually contained. John Kampen includes 4Q370 (4QExhortation Based on the Flood) in his survey of Qumran wisdom. Geza Vermes classifies 4QBarki Nafshi (4Q434-438) and 4Q444 (4QIncantation) as wisdom literature. One could perhaps 8

9

10

7

G. V e r m e s , The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English ( N e w York: Penguin, 2 0 0 4 ) ; F. Garcia Martinez and E J . C . Tigchelaar, The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition ( 2 v o l s . ; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 7 - 9 8 ) ; D . W . Parry and E. T o v , Calendrical and Sapiential Texts ( D S S R 4 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 4 ) . G. Ibba, "II 'Libro dei Misteri' ( 1 Q 2 7 , £ 1 ) : testo e s c a t o l o g i c o , " Hen 2 1 / 1 - 2 (1999) 73-84. K a m p e n , "Diverse A s p e c t s , " 2 3 4 . V e r m e s , The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls, 4 4 4 - 5 0 . S e e also D . Dimant, "The Qumran Manuscripts: Contents and Significance," in Time to Prepare a Way in the 8

9

1 0

4

INTRODUCTION

make a similar case for 4QTime of Righteousness (4Q215a) and 4QSongs of the Sage (4Q510-511). Wisdom is an admittedly vague category. There is a great deal of diversity within the sapiential tradition. From the standpoint of form and content, Job and Proverbs are very different works but both are considered wisdom literature. There are, however, widely agreed upon criteria for identifying sapiential texts. They include a search for order in the natural world and human society, a eudemonistic devotion to the addressee, and practical advice. Wisdom is discerned by a family of resemblances, a combination of compatible ideas and forms. Crenshaw has defined sapiential literature in the following manner: 11

formally, wisdom consists of proverbial sentence, or instruction, debate, intellectual reflection; thematically, wisdom comprises selfevident intuitions about mastering life for human betterment, gropings after life's secrets with regard to innocent suffering, grappling with fmitude, and quest for truth concealed in the created order and manifested in a feminine persona. 12

While there is much debate on how wisdom should be defined, there is core agreement on the biblical texts that constitute sapiential literature: Proverbs, Job, Qoheleth and, among the deutero-canonical works, Ben Sira and the Wisdom of Solomon. With so-called wisdom psalms such as Pss 1 or 119, there is less agreement as to Wilderness (ed. D . D i m a n t and L.H. Schiffman; STDJ 16; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 5 ) 2 3 - 5 8 (esp 4 3 - 4 4 ) . For 4 Q 2 1 5 a , see A . Justnes, " 4 Q 2 1 5 a (Time of Righteousness) in Context," in Sapiential Perspectives, 1 4 1 - 6 9 ; T. E l g v i n , "The Eschatological H o p e o f 4 Q T i m e o f R i g h t e o u s n e s s , " in Wisdom and Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 89-102; E.G. Chazon, "A Case o f M i s t a k e n Identity: Testament of Naphtali ( 4 Q 2 1 5 ) and Time of Righteousness ( 4 Q 2 1 5 ) , " in The Provo International Conference on the Dead Sea Scrolls (ed. D . W . Parry and E. Ulrich; STDJ 3 0 ; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 9 ) 1 1 0 2 3 . In the s a m e v o l u m e as C h a z o n ' s article, s e e the preliminary publication o f 4 Q 2 1 5 a l ii (pp. 1 2 4 - 2 5 ) . A c c o r d i n g to the official classification o f the D e a d S e a Scrolls, 4QInstruction, Mysteries, B e n Sira ( 2 Q 1 8 ; MasSir), 4 Q 4 1 2 , 4 Q 4 2 6 and 4 Q 5 2 5 are "Sapiential Instructions," 4 Q 4 2 4 is a "Collection o f Proverbs," the Treatise o f the T w o Spirits ( 1 Q S 3 : 1 3 - 4 : 2 6 ) , 4 Q 1 8 5 and 4 Q 2 9 8 are "Didactic S p e e c h e s , " 4 Q 4 1 1 is a "Sapiential Poetic Text" and the f o l l o w i n g are "Sapiential Texts T o o Fragmentary for Further Classification": 4 Q 1 8 4 , 4 Q 3 0 2 , 4 Q 3 0 3 , 4 Q 3 0 5 , 4 Q 4 1 3 , 4 Q 4 2 5 and 4 Q 4 7 3 . S e e E. T o v et al., The Texts from the Judaean Desert: Indices and an Introduction to the D i s c o v e r i e s in the Judaean Desert Series ( D J D 3 9 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 2 0 0 2 ) 140. The rationale for not devoting a chapter to the Treatise is discussed b e l o w . Crenshaw, Old Testament Wisdom, 11. a

1 2

5

INTRODUCTION

whether they should be considered sapiential literature or not and, if so, which hymns should be placed in this category. There are similar issues with some of the material covered in this book. Because of the fragmentary nature of the scrolls and the ambiguous nature of wisdom as a genre, the task of deciding whether a given Qumran text is sapiential or not is somewhat subjective. In this procedure I have followed several guidelines. 1. Pedagogical Intent. Wisdom literature is by nature educational. It typically contains lessons devoted to the formation of character, given by a teacher to a student. Pedagogical intent by itself, however, is not sufficient in indicating whether a work is sapiential or not. Many non-sapiential biblical books are instructional, as is the Torah itself. 13

14

2. Thematic Affinity. If the work has several themes or concerns that are important in biblical wisdom, the text may be sapiential. Prov 3:19, for example, asserts that God made the world with wisdom, and creation theology is an important motif in the sapiential tradition. But prominent ideas in the wisdom tradition are often not restricted to wisdom texts. Creation is a major sapiential theme but is not limited to this corpus (e.g., Ps 104). 3. Key Phrases and Motifs. Every text with terms such as rDDn or nin is not necessarily sapiential. Aside from widely used terminology, there are cases in which a text employs a specific image or motif that suggests continuity with traditional wisdom. 4Q Wiles of the Wicked Woman adapts the depiction of the promiscuous woman in Prov 7. Both 4QInstruction and 4Q424 utilize the image of moving a boundary marker, a motif prominent in Prov 22-24. 4. Innovation in the Wisdom Tradition. Some of the Qumran sapiential texts contain appeals to revelation, proclamations of final judgment, promises of life after death for the elect, and an interest in the angelic realm, all of which are more in keeping with apocalypticism than traditional wisdom. Such motifs are prominent 1 3

Ibid., 3 ; Collins, " W i s d o m Reconsidered," 2 8 1 . D . M . Carr, Writing on the Tablet of the Heart: Literature ( N e w York: Oxford University Press, 2 0 0 5 ) . 1 4

Origins

of Scripture

and

6

INTRODUCTION

in 4QInstruction and Mysteries. In this book I argue that these texts attest a trajectory of wisdom in the Second Temple period that is characterized by influence from the apocalyptic tradition. It is possible for a sapiential composition to be in continuity more with the wisdom of Early Judaism than that of the Hebrew Bible. It is also important to attempt to understand such material as wisdom on the basis of its formal and rhetorical features, aside from its content. Some Qumran sapiential texts identify wisdom with the Torah, most notably 4QBeatitudes and 4Q185. This immediately calls to mind Ben Sira, not Proverbs. As is well known, Ben Sira and the Wisdom of Solomon combine the traditional wisdom of Proverbs with Torah piety and an interest in the history of Israel. Some, but not all, of the Qumran wisdom texts confirm this development. This book is not a comprehensive study of the impact of the wisdom tradition on the Dead Sea Scrolls. The sapiential tradition exerted a significant formative influence on the yahad. The Teacher of Righteousness himself can be understood as a wisdom teacher. The Community Rule (1QS) is a rulebook but contains several different types of literature. The Treatise of the Two Spirits (3:13-4:26) identifies itself at the outset as an instruction. It can be considered, distinct from the rest of 1QS, a wisdom text with an apocalyptic worldview, like 4QInstruction and Mysteries. The present study 15

16

17

1 5

M. H e n g e l , Judaism and Hellenism (2 vols.; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973) 1.221-22; Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 7 5 - 8 0 ; C. H e m p e l , "The Qumran Sapiential T e x t s and the R u l e B o o k s , " in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran, 2 7 7 - 9 5 . M a n y earlier investigations into w i s d o m at Qumran focus almost entirely o n core C a v e 1 d o c u m e n t s such as the C o m m u n i t y R u l e or the Hodayot. This is the case, for example, in Worrell, "Concepts o f W i s d o m , " 4 0 5 , w h o argues that the D e a d S e a sect was a "wisdom community." S e e further L i p s c o m b and Sanders, " W i s d o m at Qumran," 2 8 1 - 8 2 . Collins, " W i s d o m Reconsidered," 2 8 0 ; C A . N e w s o m , "The S a g e in the Literature o f Qumran: T h e Functions o f the Maskil," in The Sage in Israel and the Ancient Near East (ed. J.G. G a m m i e and L.G. Perdue; W i n o n a Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1 9 9 0 ) 3 7 3 - 8 3 ; van der W o u d e , " W i s d o m at Qumran," 2 5 5 - 5 6 . S. M e t s o concludes that the Treatise d e v e l o p e d independently from the rest o f the C o m m u n i t y Rule. 4 Q S m a y attest an older version o f the Treatise than 1QS. S e e her The Textual Development of the Qumran Community Rule (STDJ 2 1 ; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 7 ) 137, 145. B . Otzen understands the dualism o f the Treatise in relation to Prov 1-9. S e e his "Old Testament W i s d o m Literature and Dualistic Thinking in Late Judaism," in Congress Volume: Edinburgh, 1974 ( V T S u p 2 8 ; Leiden: Brill, 1975) 1 4 6 - 5 7 . Consult further J. D u h a i m e , "Coherence structurelle et t e n s i o n s internes dans 1 6

1

a

INTRODUCTION

7

could have included a chapter on the Treatise. Many of my assessments would have been similar to those of Armin Lange. Other non-wisdom texts contain passages that resonate with the wisdom tradition. Column 2 of the Damascus Document contains an exhortation to acquire wisdom. The Aramaic Levi Document concludes with a didactic poem that praises the teaching of wisdom (cf. 4Q213 1 i 14). Several hymns of the Hodayot combine 18

19

20

lTnstruction sur les D e u x Espirits ( 1 Q S III 13 - IV 2 6 ) , " in Wisdom and Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 1 0 3 - 3 1 ; L.T. Stuckenbruck, " W i s d o m and H o l i n e s s at Qumran: Strategies for D e a l i n g with Sin in the C o m m u n i t y Rule," in Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?: Wisdom in the Bible, the Church and the Contemporary World (ed. S.C. Barton; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1999) 4 7 - 6 0 (esp. 4 8 - 5 1 ) ; P. Wernberg-M0ller, "A Reconsideration o f the T w o Spirits in the Rule of the Community ( l Q S e r e k III, 13 - IV, 2 6 ) , " RevQ 3 ( 1 9 6 1 - 6 2 ) 4 1 3 - 4 1 . Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 121-70. A . - M . D e n i s , Les Themes de connaissance dans le document de Damas ( S H 15; Louvain: Publications universitaires de Louvain, 1967); W . D . D a v i e s , " ' K n o w l e d g e ' in the D e a d S e a Scrolls and Matthew 11:25-30," HTR 4 6 ( 1 9 5 3 ) 1 1 3 - 3 9 . T w o n e w editions o f this work argue that it c o n c l u d e s with a sapiential p o e m . S e e J.C. Greenfield et al., The Aramaic Levi Document ( S V T P 19; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 4 ) ; H. Drawnel, An Aramaic Wisdom Text from Qumran: A New Interpretation of the Levi Document (JSJSup 86; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 4 ) . The text in question, classified by Greenfield as ALD chapter 13 and by Drawnel as lines 8 3 b - 9 8 , contains instruction from Levi to his children. This p o e m is aptly designated as a sapiential composition. It is similar to exhortations to acquire w i s d o m such as Sir 14:20-15:10. F o l l o w i n g the translation o f Greenfield, ALD 13:4-5 reads: "And n o w , m y sons, reading and writing and teaching < o f > w i s d o m to your children and m a y w i s d o m b e eternal glory for y o u . For he w h o learns w i s d o m will (attain) glory through it, but he w h o despises w i s d o m will b e c o m e an object o f disdain and scorn." The study o f w i s d o m is endorsed ( 1 3 : 7 ) and the man w h o has w i s d o m is praised, b e i n g placed "on the seat < o > f honor in order to hear his w i s e w o r d s " ( 1 3 : 1 0 ) . This line also e x t o l s w i s d o m itself: " w i s d o m is a great wealth o f honor (or: glory) for those familiar with it and a fine treasure to all w h o acquire it." Traditionally ALD has been understood as a testament, but this has been called into question in recent years. Greenfield, The Aramaic Levi Document, 1, states that "it is not clear the work is a testament," but understands the work in relation to the testaments (pp. 2 5 - 3 2 ) . ALD stresses "the sapiential characteristics o f the priesthood," in that it contains instruction o f Levi colored by the w i s d o m tradition (p. 3 4 ) . Greenfield never claims that ALD as a w h o l e is a w i s d o m text. This assertion is at the core o f D r a w n e l ' s book. H e overemphasizes the extent to w h i c h this work can be considered sapiential. For example, he characterizes a lengthy section o f the text (11. 11-61) as a " w i s d o m instruction" (p. 2 5 4 ) . This section contains teachings from Isaac to L e v i on cultic topics, frequently using the expression "my son" in reference to Levi. Isaac teaches h i m the "law o f the priesthood" (1. 13). H e should, for e x a m p l e , avoid fornication (1. 16) and repeatedly w a s h his hands and feet before sacrificing at the T e m p l e (1. 2 0 ) . The teaching often contains very specific and detailed instruction regarding the cultus. Levi is told to split w o o d before sacrificing it and the t w e l v e types o f acceptable trees are listed (1. 2 4 ) . The order o f the portions o f the butchered animal to be sacrificed is specified (11. 2 8 - 3 0 ) , as are the proper 1 8

1 9

2 0

8

INTRODUCTION

21

sapiential vocabulary with a pedagogical intent. Manuscripts of biblical wisdom texts have also been found at Qumran. The focus of this book is the non-biblical sapiential texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls. They constitute crucial evidence for understanding the wisdom of the late Second Temple period and the reception of traditional wisdom in Early Judaism. 22

proportions o f oil and flour to be offered with different types o f animals (11. 3 2 - 4 7 ) . W h i l e w i s d o m texts can incorporate priestly topics, the content o f ALD 11-61 has more in c o m m o n with L e v i t i c u s than Proverbs. ALD as a w h o l e is not easily considered a w i s d o m text. The Aramaic Levi Document d o e s not neatly fit into established genre categories. A s Greenfield recognizes, the work is influenced by both the testamentary and sapiential traditions. Neither Greenfield nor Drawnel m a k e substantial u s e o f the Qumran w i s d o m literature. The question o f h o w ALD should be understood in relation to the w i s d o m tradition o f Early Judaism has not yet b e e n thoroughly examined. M.J. Goff, "Reading W i s d o m at Qumran: 4QInstruction and the Hodayot," DSD 11 ( 2 0 0 4 ) 2 6 3 - 8 8 ; S. Tanzer, "The S a g e s at Qumran: W i s d o m in the H o d a y o t " ( P h . D . diss., Harvard University, 1 9 8 7 ) . S e e also A . Lange, " l Q G e n A p X E X - X X 3 as Paradigm o f the W i s d o m D i d a c t i v e Narrative," in Qumranstudien: Vortrdge und Beitrdge der Teilnehmer des Qumranseminars auf dem internationalen Treffen der Society of Biblical Literature, Munster, 25.-26. Mi 1993 (ed. H.-J. Fabry et al.; SIJD 4; Gottingen: V a n d e n h o e c k & Ruprecht, 1 9 9 6 ) 1 9 1 - 2 0 4 . The D e a d S e a Scrolls include fragments o f Proverbs ( 4 Q 1 0 2 - 1 0 3 ) , Job ( 4 Q 9 9 101), Qoheleth ( 4 Q 1 0 9 - 1 0 ) , and B e n Sira ( 2 Q 1 8 ) . T h e large P s a l m s Scroll from C a v e 11 ( 1 1 Q 5 ) includes a version o f Sir 5 1 : 1 3 - 3 0 ( s e e section 3 . 2 . 2 o f Chapter 9 ) . There are also t w o targums o f Job ( 4 Q 1 5 7 , 11Q10). 2 Q 1 5 is fragmentary but m a y contain part o f Job 3 3 : 2 8 - 3 0 . N o t e a l s o 4Q4681 (4QFragment M e n t i o n i n g Q o h 1:89). S e e S.J. Pfann et al., Qumran Cave 4 XXVI: Cryptic Texts and Miscellanea, Part I ( D J D 3 6 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 2 0 0 0 ) 4 2 2 ; Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 1 4 - 2 2 ; H. Eshel, " 6 Q 3 0 , a Cursive Sin, and Proverbs 11," JBL 122 ( 2 0 0 3 ) 5 4 4 - 4 6 ; E. Puech, "Qumran e il Libro dei Proverbi," in Libro dei Proverbi: Tradizione, redazione, teologia (ed. G. B e l l i a and A . Passaro; Casale Monferrato [Alessandria]: P i e m m e , 1 9 9 9 ) 1 6 9 - 8 9 ; M.G. A b e g g , Jr., et al., ed., The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1 9 9 9 ) 5 9 0 - 6 2 1 ; E. Ulrich, "An Index o f the P a s s a g e s in the Biblical Manuscripts from the Judean Desert (Part 2 : Isaiah-Chronicles)," DSD 2 ( 1 9 9 5 ) 8 6 - 1 0 7 (esp. 104-5); J.A. Fitzmyer, "The First-Century Targum o f Job from Qumran C a v e X I , " in A Wandering Aramean, 1 6 1 - 8 2 ; repr. in The Semitic Background of the New Testament (Grand Rapids/Livonia: E e r d m a n s / D o v e , 1 9 9 7 ) ; J. Muilenberg, "A Qoheleth Scroll from Qumran," BASOR 135 ( 1 9 5 4 ) 2 0 - 2 8 . 2 1

1 0

2 2

2

CHAPTER ONE

A WISDOM TEXT WITH AN APOCALYPTIC WORLDVIEW: 4QINSTRUCTION (1Q26; 4Q415-18, 423)

1. I N T R O D U C T I O N

4QInstruction was published in 1999 by John Strugnell and Daniel Harrington. Portions of at least six manuscripts of this document have survived (1Q26; 4Q415-18, 423). The work contains practical instruction on topics such as marriage, the payment of debts and the moderation of food. 4QInstruction often uses the admonition form. It constantly refers to its addressee as mebin Op IE), or "understanding 1

1

J. Strugnell and D.J. Harrington, Qumran Cave 4.XXW: Sapiential Texts, Part 2. 4QInstruction (Musar Le Mebin): 4Q415jf. With a re-edition of 1Q26 ( D J D 3 4 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 1 9 9 9 ) . T h e y entitle the text "Musar L e - M e v i n " ("Instruction for a Maven"). The work w a s often called "Sapiential Work A " before the publication o f DJD 34. S o m e scholars use designations such as 1Q/4Q Instruction. This study u s e s the c o m m o n title 4QInstruction. E l g v i n is the official editor o f 4 Q 4 2 3 . R e c e n t scholarship o n 4QInstruction includes F. Garcia Martinez, "Marginalia o n 4QInstruction," DSD 13 ( 2 0 0 6 ) 2 4 - 3 7 ; E. Puech, "Les Fragments e s c h a t o l o g i q u e s de 4QInstruction ( 4 Q 4 1 6 i et 4 Q 4 1 8 6 9 ii, 8 1 - 8 1 a , 127)," RevO 22 ( 2 0 0 5 ) 8 9 - 1 1 9 ; B . Nitzan, "The Ideological and Literary Unity o f 4QInstruction and its Authorship," DSD 12 ( 2 0 0 5 ) 2 5 7 - 7 9 ; B.G. W o l d , Women, Men and Angels: The Qumran Wisdom Document 'Musar leMevin' and its Allusions to Genesis Creation Traditions (WUNT 2 / 2 0 1 ; Tubingen: M o h r Siebeck, 2 0 0 5 ) ; M.J. Goff, The Worldly and Heavenly Wisdom of 4QInstruction (STDJ 5 0 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 3 ) ; D . Jefferies, Wisdom at Qumran: A Form-Critical Analysis of the Admonitions in 4QInstruction (Gorgias Dissertations, N e a r Eastern Studies 3 ; Piscataway: Gorgias Press, 2 0 0 2 ) ; E.J.C. Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning for the Understanding Ones: Reading and Reconstructing the Fragmentary Early Jewish Sapiential Text 4QInstruction (STDJ 4 4 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 1 ) ; T. Elgvin, "An A n a l y s i s o f 4QInstruction" ( P h . D . diss., H e b r e w University o f Jerusalem, 1 9 9 7 ) ; D.J. Harrington, Wisdom Texts from Qumran (London: Routledge, 1 9 9 6 ) 4 0 - 5 9 ; A . Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination: Weisheitliche Urordnung und Prddestination in den Textfunden von Qumran (STDJ 18; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 5 ) 4 5 - 9 2 . S e e also D.J. Harrington, "Recent Study o f 4QInstruction," in From 4QMMT to Resurrection: Melanges qumraniens en hommage a Emile Puech (ed. F. Garcia Martinez, A . Steudel and E.J.C. Tigchelaar; STDJ 6 1 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 6 ) 1 0 5 - 2 3 .

10

CHAPTER ONE 2

one." 4QInstruction is eudemonistic and has a pedagogical ethos. There is a teacher-student relationship between author and addressee, although the office of teacher is never mentioned in the composition. In terms of genre it is a wisdom text. But 4QInstruction differs from traditional wisdom in several ways. The composition often appeals to supernatural revelation in the form of the raz nihyeh (rrnj n), which can be translated as "the mystery that is to be." The raz nihyeh is the main tool by which the addressee acquires wisdom. The work includes other themes, such as eschatological judgment, that are more in keeping with apocalypticism than Proverbs. 4QInstruction can be considered the best example available of a wisdom text with an apocalyptic worldview.

2. THE TEXT OF 4QINSTRUCTION

4QInstruction is a large composition in fragmentary condition. Over 425 fragments have been classified as part of this document. They are in Herodian script. The majority of the fragments belong to 4Q418, which itself may have once been as long as the Hodayot or even the Temple Scroll. The largest 4QInstruction text is 4Q416 2, 3

4

2

4 Q B e a t i t u d e s u s e s this term o n c e to describe its addressee ( 4 Q 5 2 5 14 ii 18). The w o r d b e g i n s 4 Q 3 0 3 and m a y occur in the b o o k o f M y s t e r i e s ( 4 Q 2 9 9 3 4 3 ) , but the text in question is highly fragmentary. E.J.C. Tigchelaar, "The A d d r e s s e e s o f 4QInstruction," in Sapiential Liturgical and Poetical Texts from Qumran: Proceedings of the Third Meeting of the International Organization for Qumran Studies, Oslo 1998 (ed. D . Falk et al.; STDJ 3 5 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 0 ) 6 2 - 7 5 (esp. 6 2 ) . DJD 34, 2. F i v e fragments b e l o n g to 1Q26, 3 2 to 4 Q 4 1 5 , and 2 2 to 4 Q 4 1 6 , w h i l e 4 Q 4 1 7 and 4 Q 4 2 3 h a v e 2 9 and 2 4 , respectively. 3 0 3 are associated with 4 Q 4 1 8 . A portion o f these are very small and grouped according to their physical similarity, without full certainty that they are part o f 4QInstruction. S e e ibid., 2 1 2 . This edition also lists three other manuscripts, 4 Q 4 1 8 a - c , the first o f w h i c h comprises 2 5 fragments, with the "b" text h a v i n g t w o and the "c" text one. Tigchelaar offers an alternative reconstruction o f 4 Q 4 1 8 material into 4 Q 4 1 8 , 4 Q 4 1 8 a and 4 Q 4 1 8 * . S e e his To Increase Learning, 61-139. T h e different options in reconstructing this material d o not h a v e a major impact o n the interpretation o f 4QInstruction. O n e minor fragment o f 4QInstruction has b e e n identified since the publication o f DJD 34. The text is classified as X Q 7 and appears in DJD 36 as "XQUnidentified Text." S e e E. P u e c h and A . Steudel, " U n N o u v e a u Fragment du manuscrit 4QInstruction ( X Q 7 = 4 Q 4 1 7 o u 4 Q 4 1 8 ) , " RevQ 19 ( 2 0 0 0 ) 6 2 3 - 2 7 ; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 125. 3

4

11

4QINSTRUCTI0N

which retains a substantial portion of four columns. Other fragments that preserve a sizable amount of text include 4Q416 1, 4Q417 1-2, 4Q418 55 and 4Q418 69 ii. The manuscripts of 4QInstruction occasionally overlap. These copies are essential to the reconstruction of certain passages. For example, fragmentary parts of 4Q417 1 i are safely reconstructed with the help of overlapping sections of 4Q418 43. The overlaps contain some variants that are of value to the interpreter. The fragmentary condition of 4QInstruction makes it difficult to ascertain its original structure. Strugnell and Harrington do not attempt to reconstruct the work as a whole. Tigchelaar, a premier expert on the reconstruction of 4QInstruction, concludes "we do not have sufficient materials and evidence to place the Instruction fragments in subsequent columns of a manuscript or of the composition." He contends, however, that a "relative 5

6

7

8

9

5

T h e editors of DJD 34 re-arranged the classification o f 4 Q 4 1 7 1 and 2 ( s e e pp. 1 5 1 , 172). Older scholarship often identifies 4 Q 4 1 7 1 as 4 Q 4 1 7 2 and vice versa. Overlaps a m o n g the fragments o f 4QInstruction include 4 Q 4 1 5 11 -> 4 Q 4 1 8 167; 4 Q 4 1 6 1 4 Q 4 1 8 1-2; 4 Q 4 1 6 2 i-ii -> 4 Q 4 1 7 2 i-ii; 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iv -> 4 Q 4 1 8 10; 4 Q 4 1 8 6 9 ii -> 4 Q 4 1 7 5; 4 Q 4 1 8 81 - » 4 Q 4 2 3 8; 4 Q 4 2 3 3 -> 1 Q 2 6 2 ; 4 Q 4 2 3 4 -> 1 Q 2 6 1. S e e Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 148-50. For e x a m p l e , 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 16 includes the tautological statement "For as a father (DKD) is to a man, s o is h i s father and as the Lord is to a person, s o is his mother." The parallel text 4 Q 4 1 8 9 17 reads S o for 31©. This produces a more coherent text: "For as G o d ( b i o ) is to a man, so is his father and as the Lord is to a person, s o is his mother." DJD 34, 17-19. Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 161. S e e also idem, "Towards a Reconstruction o f the B e g i n n i n g o f 4QInstruction ( 4 Q 4 1 6 Fragment 1 and Parallels)," in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran and the Development of Sapiential Thought (ed. C. H e m p e l , A . L a n g e and H. Lichtenberger; B E T L 159; L e u v e n : L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 2 0 0 2 ) 9 9 - 1 2 6 . T. E l g v i n has applied the reconstruction m e t h o d s o f H. S t e g e m a n n to 4QInstruction. C h a n g e s in distance o f wear patterns a l l o w speculation into the number o f turns o f the scroll, and thus its original number o f c o l u m n s . Elgvin suggests that there w e r e four c o l u m n s b e t w e e n 4 Q 4 1 7 2 ii and 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i. H e c o n c l u d e s that 4QInstruction originally had 2 3 c o l u m n s . This is p o s s i b l e but speculative. S e e T. E l g v i n , "The Reconstruction o f Sapiential Work A , " RevQ 16 ( 1 9 9 5 ) 5 5 9 - 8 0 ; H. Stegemann, " M e t h o d s for the Reconstruction o f Scrolls from Scattered Fragments," in Archaeology and History in the Dead Sea Scrolls (ed. L.H. Schiffman; Sheffield: Sheffield A c a d e m i c Press, 1990) 1 8 9 - 2 2 0 ; W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 3 0 - 3 8 . 6

7

8

9

12

CHAPTER ONE

reconstruction" is possible. Reconstructing 4QInstruction is not a major issue in terms of the interpretation of the work. Wisdom texts often have a loose organizational format, if any at all. The extant content of 4QInstruction does not appear to be arranged in any organized pattern. 4Q416 1 is an important exception. It is regarded as the beginning of the work. This is the best way to explain its wide right margin (3.3 cm). The main theme of this fragment is divine judgment. 4Q416 1 provides an eschatological horizon against which subsequent instruction is to be understood. The first fragment of 4QInstruction to be published was 1Q26, which appeared in 1955. In 1956 Strugnell reported that four Cave 4 manuscripts were reminiscent of this fragment. The editors eventually realized that they possessed different portions of a larger composition. In 1992 Daniel Harrington joined John Strugnell as co-editor of 4QInstruction, leading to its publication seven years later. 11

12

13

14

15

3. THE WISDOM OF 4QINSTRUCTION

Strugnell and Harrington argue that 4QInstruction is a "'missing link' in the history of the common (i.e., non-sectarian) Jewish wisdom traditions, datable between Proverbs and Sirach." The composition's teachings on mundane topics regarding ordinary 16

For example, he suggests that m o s t o f 4 Q 4 1 8 4 6 - 5 9 originally w a s located b e t w e e n 4 Q 4 1 7 1 and 2 , a v i e w based in part o n the overlaps b e t w e e n 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i-ii and 4 Q 4 1 8 4 3 , 4 4 and 4 5 i. S e e his To Increase Learning, 162. S e e section 4 o f this chapter. D . Barthelemy and J.T. Milik, Qumran Cave 1 (DJID 1; Oxford: Clarendon, 1 9 5 5 ) 1 0 1 - 2 . S e e also J.A. Sanders, " T w o N o n - C a n o n i c a l Psalms in H Q P s , " ZAW 7 6 ( 1 9 6 4 ) 5 7 - 7 5 (esp. 6 5 ) ; idem, The Psalms Scroll of Cave 11 ( D J D 4; Oxford: Clarendon, 1 9 6 5 ) 6 9 ; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 5 - 1 3 . J. Strugnell, "Le Travail d'edition d e s fragments de Qumran: C o m m u n i c a t i o n de J. Strugnell," RB 6 3 ( 1 9 5 6 ) 6 4 - 6 6 . DJD 34, xiii. Pre-ZX/D 34 publications o f 4QInstruction include B.Z. Wacholder and M . G . A b e g g , A Preliminary Edition of the Unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls: The Hebrew and Aramaic Texts from Cave Four (Washington, D . C . : Biblical A r c h a e o l o g y Society, 1 9 9 2 ) 2 . 4 4 - 1 5 4 , 1 6 6 - 7 1 ; R. E i s e n m a n and M . O . W i s e , The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered ( N e w York: Barnes and N o b l e , 1 9 9 2 ) 2 4 1 - 5 5 . S e e also J. Strugnell and D.J. Harrington, "Qumran C a v e 4 Texts: A N e w Publication," JBL 112 ( 1 9 9 3 ) 4 9 1 99. DJD 34,31. See also Harrington, "Recent Study," 122. 1 1

1 2

a

1 3

1 4

1 5

1 6

4QINSTRUCTI0N

13

spheres of life such as family and finances accord with this assessment. But the editors' perspective does little to explain aspects of 4QInstruction that are reminiscent of the apocalyptic tradition. They include themes such as supernatural revelation, appeal to a heavenly book (the vision of Hagu), eschatological judgment, the elect status of the addressee and the prospect of eternal life after death. 4QInstruction combines traditional wisdom with an apocalyptic worldview.

3.1 THE THEME OF REVELATION: THE R A Z NIHYEH

The enigmatic expression raz nihyeh (irrti H) constitutes an appeal to heavenly revelation that is at the core of 4QInstruction. The phrase can be translated as "the mystery that is to be," but different translations are possible. The expression occurs over 20 times in the composition. The phrase is used twice in one passage of the book of Mysteries and once in the Community Rule. In Mysteries the term is associated with eschatological judgment. The wicked do not know the raz nihyeh and will not save themselves "from" this mystery (T")D 17

18

19

E.R. W o l f s o n , " S e v e n Mysteries o f K n o w l e d g e : Qumran E/Sotericism R e c o v e r e d , " in The Idea of Biblical Interpretation: Essays in Honor of James L Kugel (ed. H. Najman and J.H. N e w m a n ; JSJSup 8 3 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 4 ) 1 7 7 - 2 1 3 ; M . Kister, " W i s d o m Literature and Its Relation to Other Genres: From B e n Sira to Mysteries," in Sapiential Perspectives: Wisdom Literature in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium of the Orion Center, 20-22 May 2001 (ed. J.J. Collins, G.E. Sterling and R.A. Clements; STDJ 5 1 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 4 ) 13-47 (esp. 3 1 - 3 2 ) ; J.J. Collins, "The Mysteries o f God: Creation and E s c h a t o l o g y in 4QInstruction and the W i s d o m o f S o l o m o n , " in Wisdom and Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in the Biblical Tradition (ed. F. Garcia Martinez; B E T L 168; L e u v e n : L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 2 0 0 3 ) 2 8 7 - 3 0 5 (esp. 2 8 8 - 9 1 ) ; M. B o c k m u e h l , Revelation and Mystery in Ancient Judaism and Pauline Christianity (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990); R.E. B r o w n , The Semitic Background of the Term "Mystery" in the New Testament ( B S 2 1 ; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1 9 6 8 ) ; B . R i g a u x , "Revelation d e s mysteres et perfection a Qumran et dans le N o u v e a u Testament," NTS 4 ( 1 9 5 8 ) 2 3 7 - 6 2 ; E. V o g t , "'Mysteria' in textibus Qumran," Bib 3 7 ( 1 9 5 6 ) 2 4 7 - 5 7 . Goff, The Worldly and Heavenly Wisdom, 3 3 - 3 4 . S e e , for example, 4 Q 4 1 5 6 4; 4 Q 4 1 6 2 i 5 (par 4 Q 4 1 7 2 i 10); 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 9, 14, 18, 21 (par 4 Q 4 1 8 9 8, 15; 4 Q 4 1 8 10 1, 3 ) ; 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 3 , 6, 8, 18, 21 (par 4 Q 4 1 8 4 3 2 , 4, 6, 14, 16); 4 Q 4 1 7 1 ii 3 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 7 7 2 , 4; 4 Q 4 1 8 123 ii 4; 4 Q 4 1 8 172 1; 4 Q 4 1 8 184 2 ; and 4 Q 4 2 3 4 1 , 4 (par 1 Q 2 6 1 1, 4 ) . The phrase is reasonably reconstructed in 4 Q 4 1 5 2 4 1; 4 Q 4 1 6 17 3 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 179 3 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 190 2 - 3 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 2 0 1 1; 4 Q 4 1 8 c 8; 4 Q 4 2 3 3 2; 4 Q 4 2 3 5 2; and 4 Q 4 2 3 7 7. 1 8

1 9

14

CHAPTER ONE

20

mm) (1Q27 1 i 3 [par 4Q300 3 3]). In 1QS 11:3-4 the speaker uses the term to describe his reception of revelation: "For from the source of his knowledge he has disclosed his light, and my eyes have observed his wonders, and the light of my heart the JTTti TV The word raz is of Persian provenance. It occurs numerous times in Second Temple literature, often referring to higher revelation. The only book of the Hebrew Bible that attests this word is Daniel, primarily its second chapter (2:18-19, 27-30, 47 [2x]; 4:6). The content and interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream are "mysteries" that are revealed to Daniel. The Aramaic fragments of 1 Enoch use the word H in reference to knowledge revealed to Enoch by the angels: "I know the mysteries of (T")) that the holy ones have revealed and shown to me" (7 En. 106:19; cf. 4QEn° 5 ii 26-27). The term is employed elsewhere in the Dead Sea Scrolls in a similar fashion. For example, 1QH 10:13 reads: "you have set me like a banner for the elect of justice, like a knowledgeable 23 mediator of wondrous mysteries (K^D '•n)." 21

22

S e e section 3 o f Chapter 2 . The term m a y occur in Isa 2 4 : 1 6 (cf. Zeph 2:11). This verse includes the phrase -h - n -b T I . This is a l o n g standing interpretative crux, - n could be derived from the root m i , "to b e lean." T h e N R S V , for example, renders the phrase "I pine away, I pine away." B l e n k i n s o p p translates "I have m y secret, I h a v e m y secret!" N o t i n g that the expression d o e s not appear in the L X X , h e suggests *h T I -h T I "may be a marginal g l o s s imparting a more explicitly apocalyptic color to the passage." This is possible. The phrase remains enigmatic and cannot b e interpreted with confidence. S e e J. B l e n k i n s o p p , Isaiah 1-39 ( A B 19; N e w York: D o u b l e d a y , 2 0 0 0 ) 3 5 3 - 5 4 ; J.J. N i e h a u s , "Raz-Pesar in Isaiah X X I V , " J T 3 1 ( 1 9 8 1 ) 3 7 6 - 7 8 . This f o l l o w s the reconstruction in G.W.E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 1-36, 81-108 (Hermeneia; M i n n e a p o l i s : Fortress Press, 2 0 0 1 ) 5 3 7 . 4 Q E n G i a n t s ar 9 3 reads: "[be bljessed because [you] k n o [ w ] all mysteries ( K T I ) " (cf. 4 Q E n 1 iv 5; 1 En. 8:3). The word "mystery" signifies revealed k n o w l e d g e in texts o f 1 Enoch that have not survived in Aramaic. S e e , for e x a m p l e , 1 En. 4 1 : 3 ; 5 2 : 2 ; 1 0 4 : 1 0 - 1 2 . For m o r e o n the Aramaic E n o c h texts, s e e S.J. Pfann et al., Qumran Cave 4.XXVI: Cryptic Texts and Miscellanea, Part 1 ( D J D 3 6 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 2 0 0 0 ) 3 - 1 7 1 (esp. 3 4 , 3 6 ) ; J.T. Milik, The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4 (Oxford: Clarendon, 1976); M . Knibb, "The B o o k o f E n o c h in the Light o f the Qumran W i s d o m Literature," in Wisdom and Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 1932 1 0 (esp. 2 0 3 - 4 ) ; idem, The Ethiopic Book of Enoch (2 v o l s . ; Oxford: Clarendon, 1 9 7 8 ) ; F. Garcia Martinez, Qumran and Apocalyptic ( S T D J 9; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 2 ) 45-96. 1QH 9 : 2 1 ; 1 2 : 2 7 - 2 8 ; C D 3:18; l Q p H a b 7:4-5. B e n Sira u s e s the word raz with regard to secrets that are not divinely revealed (8:18; 12:11). 2 1

2 2

a

a

2 3

15

4QINSTRUCTI0N 24

mnj is a Niphal participle of the verb mn, "to be." This form of the verb often signifies the entire scope of history—the past, present and future. 1QS 11:11, for example, reads: "By his knowledge everything will come into being (mm) and all that is ( m n *7D) he establishes with his calculations." Lines 17-18 of this column similarly assert: "You have taught all knowledge and all that exists (mmn *7D) is so by your will." The Treatise of the Two Spirits (1QS 3:13-4:26) begins by declaring "From the God of Knowledge stems all there is and all there will be (n^mi mm ^D)" (3:15). m^m has a future sense but the passage asserts that all of history, not just the future, is a product of the knowledge of God. 4QInstruction associates the mystery that is to be with a tripartite division of time: "Everything that exists in it, from what has been to what will be in it Co nai mn r\nb na mmn bv) ... His period which God revealed to the ear of the understanding ones through the mystery that is to be" (4Q418 123 ii 3-4; cf. 4Q417 1 i 3-4; Wis 7:18). In 4QInstruction the raz nihyeh signifies God's dominion over all of history, from beginning to end. 25

26

2 4

A . Schoors, "The L a n g u a g e o f the Qumran Sapiential Works," in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran, 6 1 - 9 5 (esp. 8 6 - 8 8 ) . rpru m a y refer to the future in 11:8-9, in w h i c h the intended audience is described as an "eternal planting throughout all future a g e s (rrrn pp SID)." Cf. 10:4-7; C D 2 : 9 - 1 0 ; 13:7-8; 4 Q 4 0 2 4 12; 1QH 5 : 1 7 - 1 8 ; 1 9 : 1 3 - 1 4 ; Sir 4 2 : 1 9 ; 4 8 : 2 5 ; 1 Q M 1:11-12; 17:4-5; W i s 8:8. This participle has b e e n plausibly reconstructed in the b o o k o f Mysteries ( 4 Q 2 9 9 3 a ii-b 11). Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 6 0 ; L.H. Schiffman, " 4 Q M y s t e r i e s : A Preliminary Edition," RevQ 16 ( 1 9 9 3 ) 2 0 3 - 2 3 (esp. 2 0 4 ) ; Kister, " W i s d o m Literature," 3 0 - 3 2 ; T. E l g v i n , " W i s d o m and A p o c a l y p t i c i s m in the Early S e c o n d Century B C E — T h e E v i d e n c e o f 4QInstruction," in The Dead Sea Scrolls Fifty Years After Their Discovery: Proceedings of the Jerusalem Congress, July 20-25, 1997 (ed. L.H. Schiffman et al.; Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society/Shrine o f the B o o k , Israel M u s e u m , 2 0 0 0 ) 2 2 6 - 4 7 (esp. 2 3 5 ) ; J.J. Collins, Jewish Wisdom in the Hellenistic Age (OTL; L o u i s v i l l e : Westminster John K n o x , 1 9 9 7 ) 1 2 2 . D.J. Harrington has argued that the mystery that is to b e refers to texts that c o m p r i s e a "body o f teaching." S e e h i s "The R a z N i h y e h in a Qumran W i s d o m T e x t ( 1 Q 2 6 , 4 Q 4 1 5 - 4 1 8 , 4 2 3 ) , " RevQ 17 ( 1 9 9 6 ) 5 4 9 - 5 3 ; idem, Wisdom Texts, 4 9 . W h i l e the raz nihyeh is an important aspect o f the educational program o f 4QInstruction, it is n e v e r treated as a physical document. The chronological s c o p e o f the rrm n p o s e s difficulty in translating the expression. A translation has to d e c i d e u p o n o n e tense. B u t rrna refers to all o f t i m e (the past, present and future), w h i c h can n o t be properly expressed in a s i n g l e tense. For this reason translations that a v o i d a single tense should not be d i s m i s s e d . Translations in this category include "the mystery o f existence" and " G e h e i m n i s des W e r d e n s . " S e e , respectively, DSSSE, 1.67; Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 97. 2 5

2 6

b

16

CHAPTER ONE

3.1.1 Revelation and Determinism The dominion of God is manifested in a deterministic divine plan according to which reality unfolds: He has [exjpounded for their un[der]standing every d[ee]d (ETi[S] ri[ra]0 biDb anr[3]6b) so that one may walk in [the inclination] of their understanding ... in proper understanding were made [known the secrjets of his plan (irQEnn "nn[o: ir]T)°3), along with his walking [perfectly [in all] his [de]eds ( 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 10-12). 27

This larger "plan" guiding history can be understood through the raz nihyeh: "And you, understanding son, gaze into the mystery that is to be and know [the path]s of all life" (4Q417 1 i 18-19; cf. Prov 10:5). A similar perspective may have been put forward in 4Q418 77 2: "... the mystery that is to be, and grasp the nature of [m]an (nH^in D-I[K]) (cf. 1QS 3:13). 4QInstruction teaches that the fate of all creatures is an "inheritance" allotted by God: "For God has distributed the inheritance (hbhl) of [eve]iy [living being]" (4Q418 81 20). The wicked have received an "inheritance": "according to his inheritance (in^nb) in it he (a wicked person) will be tr[eated as wicked]" (4Q417 1 i 24). The eternal life enjoyed by the angels is understood as their "inheritance." They are "the so[ns of] heaven, whose inheritance is eternal life (unbm 0^117 D"n)" (4Q418 69 ii 12-13; cf. 1 En. 103:3). The "inheritance" of the addressee is much better than that which is accorded to most people. The determinism of 4QInstruction is compatible with that of the book of Mysteries and the Treatise of the Two Spirits. Similar to 4QInstruction's claim that there is a "plan" (rDBITO) orchestrating events, 4Q299 3a ii-b 11 reads: "... every mystery and establishes every plan (rOEra bis fOlil TI b*)3). He causes everything [which 28

W

29

30

31

Regarding the s e c o n d attestation o f onraa ("their understanding"), Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 5 2 , prefers a singular suffix rather than a plural o n e . I f o l l o w DJD 34, 153. For this reconstruction, see ibid., 166. Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 96. 4 Q 4 2 3 5 3 reads: "[H]e divided the [pjortion o f all rulers and fashioned every [dee]d by his hand, and the w a g e s o f [their deeds h e k n e w ] " (cf. 4 Q 4 1 6 3 2 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 81 2 - 3 ) . S e e DJD 34, 5 1 8 ; Nitzan, "The Ideological and Literary U n i t y o f 4QInstruction," 2 6 8 - 7 4 . Garcia Martinez, "Marginalia," 2 9 - 3 6 . T h e elect status o f the addressee is e x a m i n e d in sections 3 . 2 . 1 - 2 and 5.3.2 below. 2 8

2 9

3 0

3 1

17

4QINSTRUCTI0N

comes into being]" (cf. 1. 13; cf. 4Q299 5 5). The Treatise uses related terminology to make a similar point: Before they [all things] existed he established their entire design (•mora T D ) . And when they have come into being, at their appointed time, they will execute all their works according to his glorious design, without altering anything (1QS 3:15-16). The Treatise attributes the history of humankind to spirits of light and darkness: "in their (two) divisions all their armies have a share (iSnr) for their generations" (4:15). 4QInstruction never mentions angelic forces of light and darkness. Both compositions, however, use the root to underscore that the destiny of each human being is established by God. 32

33

3.1.2 Revelation and Creation Gerhard von Rad proposed that the great didactic poems of Prov 8, Sir 24 and Job 28 testify to the "self-revelation of creation." The wisdom immanent in the world, exemplified by the figure of Lady Wisdom, must "signify something like the 'meaning' implanted by God in creation, the divine mystery of creation." If the world bears the imprint of God, observing the cosmos conveys his nature. The statement of Lady Wisdom in Prov 8:22-31 regarding the creation of the world assumes this perspective. This 'natural theology' is explicit in the creation hymns of Ben Sira (39:12-35; 42:15-43:33). In a sense 4QInstruction does not disagree with this perspective. This 34

35

36

3 2

1QS 4:16 states that each deed falls into one o f these divisions in accordance with the "inheritance o f m a n " (STK r6m). The Treatise states that the deterministic divine plan guiding reality w a s established before anything w a s created ( 1 Q S 3:15). This idea is never directly affirmed in 4QInstruction. T h e v i e w that G o d established an overarching plan for the w o r l d before h e created it is explicit in the Treatise and implicit in 4QInstruction. G. v o n Rad, Wisdom in Israel (LondonA^alley Forge: S C M Press Ltd/Trinity Press International, 1 9 7 2 ) 1 4 4 - 1 7 6 . Ibid., 148. S e e also L.G. Perdue, "Revelation and the Problem o f the Hidden G o d in S e c o n d T e m p l e W i s d o m Literature," in Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What is Right?: Studies on the Nature of God in Tribute to James L. Crenshaw (ed. D . Penchansky and P.L. Redditt; W i n o n a Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2 0 0 0 ) 2 0 1 - 2 2 ; idem, " C o s m o l o g y and the Social Order in the W i s d o m Tradition," in The Sage in Israel and the Ancient Near East (ed. J.G. G a m m i e and L.G. Perdue; W i n o n a Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1 9 9 0 ) 4 5 7 - 7 8 . For e x a m p l e , Sir 4 2 : 1 6 reads: "As the shining sun is clear to all, so the glory o f the Lord fills his works." 3 3

3 4

3 5

3 6

18

CHAPTER ONE

Qumran text affirms that the world has a rational structure that can be perceived through empirical observation/ But the mebin is urged to trust in the knowledge given to him through revelation more than his own senses. 4Q417 1 i 25-27 declares: "O wise son, understand your mysteries ... you shall not search out aftefr] you[r] own heart, and ^ your own e[y]es" (cf. Num 15:39). In this text creation itself is a raz, or mystery. 4Q417 1 i 6-9 reads: 7

38

[Day and night meditate upon the mystery that is] to be. Inquire constantly. Then you will know truth and iniquity, wisdom and [foll]y you will [recognize] ... Then you will distinguish between [goo]d and [evil according to their] works, for the God of Knowledge is a foundation of truth. By means of the mystery that is to be he has laid out its foundation and its works (rrraoi m &na mna m ) ... [with all wisd]om and all [cleverness he has fashioned it (n&[r>n bzb] niT

no[-W

39

]bDb\).

4 Q 4 1 8 6 9 ii 3 - 4 , for e x a m p l e , teaches that the regular m o t i o n o f the w a v e s attests "truth": " D o not all their [waters] flow with truth and with k n o w l e d g e all their w a v e s ? " (cf. 4 Q 4 2 3 5 5-6; 1 En. 101:6). Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 184; P u e c h , "Les Fragments e s c h a t o l o g i q u e s , " 100. M.J. Goff, "The M y s t e r y o f Creation in 4QInstruction," DSD 10 ( 2 0 0 3 ) 1 6 3 - 8 6 . S e e also F. Garcia Martinez, "Creation in the D e a d S e a Scrolls," in The Creation of Heaven and Earth: Re-interpretations of Genesis 1 in the Context of Judaism, Ancient Philosophy, Christianity, and Modern Physics (ed. G.H. van K o o t e n ; T B N 8; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 5 ) 4 9 - 7 0 ; B. N i t z a n , "The Idea o f Creation and Its Implications in Qumran Literature," in Creation in Jewish and Christian Tradition (ed. H.G. R e v e n t l o w and Y . Hoffman; Sheffield: Sheffield A c a d e m i c Press, 2 0 0 2 ) 2 4 0 - 6 4 ; K. K o c h , "Das G e h e i m n i s der Zeit in Weisheit und Apokalyptik u m die Z e i t e n w e n d e , " in Wisdom and Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 3 5 - 6 8 . DJD 34, 1 5 1 , 158; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 5 2 - 5 3 . T h e w o r d rrcnx ("its foundation") can b e transcribed as :TCPK ("woman"). This reading is advocated b y W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 9 9 , w h o argues that "the description o f laying truth's foundation in w i s d o m and fashioning it with craftiness" s e e m s "implausible" ( s e e also pp. 1 9 7 - 9 9 ) . In his opinion this situation is resolved b y reading riant. Thus the line "refers to the separation o f w o m a n from m a n in G e n e s i s 2 . 2 0 - 2 5 . " This v i e w merits consideration. The letter in question can b e transcribed as either a waw or a yod. W o m e n are an important topic o f 4QInstruction and the creation o f humankind is rooted in an understanding o f G e n 1-3 in 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 1 3 - 1 8 ( s e e sections 3.2 and 5.2). But W o l d d i s m i s s e s the "foundation" reading t o o readily. It is not just a matter o f c h o o s i n g b e t w e e n rrarK and rrariK. The issue is the creation t h e o l o g y o f 4QInstruction. 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 8-9 is a crucial text for understanding this theme. The raz nihyeh is integral t o the presentation o f the natural order in 4QInstruction. The gender-oriented reading o f these lines should not b e presented as alternative to o n e rooted in creation t h e o l o g y . It d o e s not make s e n s e to say that the creation o f w o m a n k i n d is associated with the mystery that is to be but the creation o f the world is not. This is particularly the case g i v e n that Proverbs e n v i s i o n s the w i s d o m inherent 3 8

3 9

19

4QINSTRUCTI0N

The statement of 4Q417 1 i 9 that God created "[with all wisd]om and all [cleverness" refers to the formation of the world. This is suggested by the claim that God laid out the "foundation" and "works." Elsewhere 4QInstruction associates the nature of the cosmos with divine wisdom. 4Q418 126 ii 4-5 reads: "He has spread them out; truthfully he has established them ... Furthermore, they do not exist without his will, and apart from [his] wis[dom] (Xlb D31 [ i n n p i r a i m s n Ki^n rru) ..."(cf.4Q4i8 55 5-6). 4QInstruction and Proverbs use the term HQDn to refer to God's innate intelligence which he used when making the world, explaining its orderly structure. In 4QInstruction the mystery that is to be also signifies the fashioning of the world. God created "by means of the mystery that is to be" (rrrfl r Q ) (4Q417 1 i 8-9), using the preposition bet in an instrumental sense, as does Prov 3:19 with regard to "wisdom" (rDDro). In 4QInstruction the mystery that is to be refers not only to the disclosure of revelation but also to the content of what is revealed. The raz nihyeh represents God's act of creation. 4Q417 1 i proclaims: "Then you will know the glory of 40

41

42

in the created order as a w o m a n . A l s o , the statement o f 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 8 that G o d is a "foundation o f truth" (nm T D ) supports the v i e w that G o d laid out the "foundation" (»IK) o f creation through the mystery that is to be. T h e k e y word in question should b e understood as rraiK, w h i l e a c k n o w l e d g i n g that it is o p e n to a gender-based d o u b l e m e a n i n g . C o l l i n s , Jewish Wisdom, 122, writes that reading "foundation" is "more satisfactory" than " w o m a n , " noting that the proper transcription is disputed. See further Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 5 3 ; Goff, "The M y s t e r y o f Creation," 1 7 0 - 7 1 ; B . G . W o l d , "Reading and Reconstructing 4 Q 4 1 6 2 II 2 1 : C o m m e n t s o n M e n a h e m Kister's Proposal," DSD 12 ( 2 0 0 5 ) 2 0 5 - 1 1 (esp. 2 0 8 - 9 ) ; Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 50. T h e f e m i n i n e suffixes o f these w o r d s probably refer to the w o r d "truth," as s u g g e s t e d in DJD 34, 154. 4 Q 4 1 8 148 ii 6 reads: "[To] understanding the former things (nro-imp) set [your m i n d ] . " J.L. Crenshaw has s u g g e s t e d that 4 Q 4 1 7 2 i 2 0 m a y appeal to G o d ' s creation o f the world (personal correspondence). T h e first portion o f this line reads: " [ B y ] his mouth everything c o m e s into b e i n g (bv r r r r ) . A n d that w h i c h h e provides for y o u , eat." In B e n Sira Lady W i s d o m c l a i m s that she c a m e forth from G o d ' s mouth ( 2 4 : 3 ) , and the W i s d o m o f S o l o m o n m a y also attest this trope (7:25; cf. Prov 2:6). But 4 Q 4 1 7 2 i 2 0 , unlike Sir 2 4 : 3 , is more about G o d sustaining the w o r l d than the first m o m e n t s o f creation. G o d creates life, thus providing the mebin w i t h food. 4QBirth o f N o a h ar ( 4 Q 5 3 4 ) 1 i 7-8 u s e s " w i s d o m " and "mystery" together: "Counsel and prudence will b [ e ] with h i m [and] h e will k n o w the secrets o f m a n ( n KEHN). A n d his w i s d o m (nnnsin) will reach all the p e o p l e s . A n d h e will k n o w the secrets o f all living things (K-TI T I ) " (cf. 1QH 9 : 7 - 1 9 ; 17:23; 4 Q 5 3 6 2 i + 3 8 - 1 2 ) . S e e E. Puech, Qumran Grotte 4.XXII: Textes Arameens, Premiere Partie (4Q529549) ( D J D 3 1 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 2 0 0 1 ) 132, 140; DSSSE, 2 . 1 0 7 1 . 4 0

1

4 2

a

s

20

CHAPTER ONE

[his] m[ight, together wi]th his wondrous mysteries (D[tf 1T1]U TOD and the mighty acts of his deeds (V»»B n r a ) (1. 13; cf. 1. 2). The word TI is parallel to m m By presenting the act of creation as a "mystery," 4Q417 1 i 8-9 declares that it demonstrates God's overwhelming power. 4QInstruction does not offer the "self-revelation of creation" that von Rad discerned in Proverbs and Ben Sira. In 4QInstruction the speaker does not call out like Lady Wisdom, urging all passers-by to understand the nature of the world (Prov 8:4-5). Rather the structure of creation is itself a revealed truth available only to the elect (cf. 1 En. 61:13). This combines traditional wisdom and apocalypticism. Creation is a prominent theme in wisdom literature; it is also present in some apocalypses (e.g., 1 En. 2-5). For Lange the JTro n represents the "praexistente Ordnung des Seins." The mystery that is to be is thus in direct continuity with the sapiential idea in Proverbs that the world has an inherent order. In Lange's view the rational structure of the cosmos has been elevated to the status of divine knowledge because of the putative "crisis of wisdom" exemplified by Job and Qoheleth. Elgvin contends instead that "4QInstruction's understanding of the world and man is determined more by apocalypticism than by traditional wisdom." He proposes that the work comprises two distinct literary layers. One is an older work of practical instruction akin to Prov 10-31. This was then substantially w

IK^D

43

4 4

45

46

47

4 3

T h e reconstruction o f the w o r d [in]i? is not certain. T h e transcription I u s e f o l l o w s DJD 34, 160, and Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 5 2 . The phrase *6s - n ("wondrous mysteries") often refers to revealed k n o w l e d g e . S e e , for e x a m p l e , 1QS 9 : 1 2 - 1 3 , 1 8 - 1 9 ; 11:4-5; 1QH 9 : 2 1 ; 15:6; 19:10; 11Q11 3 7-8. Prov 8:14; 4 Q 2 9 9 5 2 ; 4 Q 2 9 9 6 i 7; C D 13:8; Sir 4 2 : 2 1 ; 1QS 4:3; 1 1 : 1 9 - 2 0 . Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 62. Ibid., 9 1 . Job and Qoheleth challenge the traditional v i e w o f Proverbs that righteousness and w i s d o m w i l l be rewarded and w i c k e d n e s s and folly punished. It is not clear, h o w e v e r , that these t w o b o o k s represent a broader revolution in sapiential thought. S e e v o n Rad, Wisdom in Israel, 231' R.E. Murphy, The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature (3 ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2 0 0 2 [orig. pub., 1990]) 5 5 . E l g v i n , " W i s d o m and A p o c a l y p t i c i s m , " 2 3 9 . S e e also K . B . Larsen, " V i s d o m o g apokalyptik i Musar l e M e v i n (lQ/4QInstruction) [ W i s d o m and A p o c a l y p t i c in Musar l e M e v i n ( l Q / 4 Q I n s t r u c t i o n ) ] , " DTT 65 ( 2 0 0 2 ) 1-14; D.J. Harrington, " W i s d o m and A p o c a l y p t i c in 4QInstruction and 4 Ezra," in Wisdom and Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 3 4 3 - 5 5 . 4 4

4 5

4 6

4QINSTRUCTI0N

21

expanded by people who had an apocalyptic worldview. Lange and Elgvin agree that the mystery that is to be refers to a divine plan that gives order to history and creation. They also recognize that 4QInstruction represents a shift from traditional wisdom. It is not clear that this development should be related to Job or Ecclesiastes, since the work never shows any interest in these books. There is no unambiguous evidence in 4QInstruction that the work can be divided into separate sapiential and apocalyptic strata. Elgvin's thesis implies that wisdom and apocalypticism are mutually exclusive traditions. But 4QInstruction provides evidence for the exact opposite view. The raz nihyeh is the basis of the inherent order of the world which in Proverbs is associated with wisdom, as Lange has stressed. The association of this order with revelation represents a departure from biblical wisdom that is reasonably attributed to influence from the apocalyptic tradition. Traditional wisdom and apocalypticism should be understood as complementary influences in 4QInstruction. Its author's knowledge of the apocalyptic tradition can be plausibly ascribed to familiarity with a version of I Enoch, although this cannot be confirmed. 49

50

51

52

Elgvin, " W i s d o m and A p o c a l y p t i c i s m , " 2 4 6 . S e e also N i t z a n , "The Ideological and Literary U n i t y o f 4QInstruction," 2 5 9 . L a n g e ' s v i e w that 4QInstruction, Mysteries and part o f Q o h 12 have a c o m m o n provenance is e x a m i n e d b e l o w . J.J. Collins, " W i s d o m , A p o c a l y p t i c i s m and Generic Compatibility," in Seers, Sibyls and Sages in Hellenistic-Roman Judaism (JSJSup 5 4 ; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 7 ) 3 8 5 404. Goff, "The Mystery o f Creation," 164. E l g v i n argues that specific phrases and sections o f 4QInstruction are inspired by E n o c h i c material. H e c l a i m s "The Epistle of Enoch is a main source for the compiler o f 4QInstruction." S e e his "The Mystery to C o m e : Early E s s e n e T h e o l o g y o f Revelation," in Qumran between the Old and New Testaments (ed. F.H. Cryer and T.L. T h o m p s o n ; J S O T S u p 2 9 0 ; Sheffield: Sheffield A c a d e m i c Press, 1 9 9 8 ) 1 1 3 - 5 0 (esp. 138). H e also equates the mystery that is to be with the "sevenfold w i s d o m " d i s c l o s e d to the elect in 1 En. 9 3 : 1 0 . W h i l e the claim o f direct literary d e p e n d e n c e is unpersuasive, it is plausible that the author o f 4QInstruction borrowed apocalyptic ideas and c o n c e p t s from an E n o c h i c source. For m o r e o n this issue, consult L.T. Stuckenbruck, "4QInstruction and the Possible Influence o f Early E n o c h i c Traditions: A n Evaluation," in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran, 2 4 5 - 6 1 ; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 2 1 2 - 1 7 ; Knibb, "The B o o k o f E n o c h , " 1 9 3 - 2 1 0 . S e e also A . Y o s h i k o Reed, Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity: The Reception of Enochic Literature (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2 0 0 5 ) . 4 9

5 0

5 1

5 2

22

CHAPTER ONE

3.1.3 Revelation and Instruction 4Qlnstruction emphasizes the study of the mystery that is to be. The mebin is told to "gaze" (M3) upon, "examine" QDH), "meditate" (nan) upon, and "grasp" (npb) the raz nihyeh. This mystery has already been revealed to him (e.g., 4Q418 184 2), and he is to contemplate it. In Daniel typically a mystery (raz) is disclosed to the seer by a heavenly figure who then interprets it. The mebin of 4QInstruction has a more arduous task. No angel explains the raz nihyeh to him. He is told what he can learn from this mystery and it is his responsibility to acquire the knowledge himself. The combination of the raz nihyeh with the admonition form is characteristic of the composition. 4QInstruction emphasizes the study of revealed wisdom to a greater extent than Daniel or other apocalypses. This can be understood as a combination of the theme of supernatural revelation drawn from the apocalyptic tradition with a pedagogical intent informed by traditional wisdom. Learning and study are advocated throughout 4QInstruction. Like Prov 1:1-7, the work seeks to instill a love of learning in the addressee: "Increase in understanding greatly, and from all of your teachers (rD^DQJD blD) get ever more instruction" (4Q418 81 17). 4Q418 221 2-3 is fragmentary but also stresses pedagogical goals: "to make all the simple ones (D^ms) understand ... [And to in]crease learning for the intelligent ones ( D T M ) " The term "simple ones" is also a designation for students in Proverbs and 4Q185. 4QInstruction evokes the angels for pedagogical purposes. They are depicted as tirelessly studying "the works of truth." They are ideal students whom the mebin should emulate (4Q418 69 ii 13-14; cf. 53

54

55

56

57

5 3

4 Q 4 1 6 2 i 5 (par 4 Q 4 1 7 2 i 10); 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 3 , 18 (par 4 Q 4 1 8 4 3 2 , 14). Cf. 4 Q 4 1 8 123 ii 5. 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 9 (par 4 Q 4 1 8 9 8); 4 Q 4 1 8 4 3 4 (par 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 6 ) ; 4 Q 4 1 8 7 7 4. N o t e also the fragmentary 4 Q 4 1 5 6 4: "By the mystery that is to b e test (]na) these things." M.J. Goff, " W i s d o m , A p o c a l y p t i c i s m , and the P e d a g o g i c a l E t h o s o f 4QInstruction," in Conflicted Boundaries in Wisdom and Apocalypticism (ed. L. W i l l s and B . G . Wright; S B L S y m S 3 5 ; Atlanta: Society o f Biblical Literature, 2 0 0 5 ) 57-67. S e e also E. P u e c h , "Apports des textes apocalyptiques et sapientiels d e Qumran a l ' e s c h a t o l o g i e du judaTsme ancien," in Wisdom and Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 1 3 3 - 7 0 (esp. 165). N o t e the fragmentary expression "to make your heart [ u n d e r s t a n d " ( 4 Q 4 2 3 7 7; cf. 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 13; 4 Q 4 1 8 126 ii 10; 4 Q 4 1 8 169 + 170 3). Prov 1:22; 8:5; 4 Q 1 8 5 1-2 i 14. Cf. 1 l Q P s 18:3; 4 Q 5 2 5 2 6 2. 5 4

5 6

5 7

a

4QINSTRUCTI0N

23

4Q418 55 8-10)/* Through the raz nihyeh the addressee can understand "[the path]s of all life" and the "nature" (miSin) of humankind (4Q417 1 i 19; 4Q418 77 2). 4Q417 1 i 6 and 4Q416 2 iii 14-15 promise that one who studies this mystery will understand truth and iniquity. 4Q417 1 i 6-8 states further that wisdom and folly can be learned in this way, as can the knowledge of good and evil (cf. 11. 17-18). By connecting this knowledge to the raz nihyeh, the comprehension of good and evil represents more than the ability to make moral decisions. This knowledge signifies comprehension of the broader divine framework guiding human life that has been revealed to the mebin (cf. 1QS 4:2526; 4Q300 3 2). 59

3.1.3.1 The Mystery That Is To Be and Judgment Through the mystery that is to be the addressee can learn about the final judgment: "[Day and night meditate upon the mystery that is] to be ... in all their ways with their reckoning for all the periods of eternity, and the eternal reckoning (na imps'! ublS b*ob)" (4Q417 1 i 6-8). Thefinaljudgment is understood in relation to "all the periods," referring to the full spectrum of history from beginning to end (cf. 4Q418 123 ii 6). The raz nihyeh is also associated with judgment in 4Q423 5 1-2. This fragmentary text reads: "... the judgment of Korah. And as he opened your ear [to the mystery that is to be] ..." This refers to the biblical figure of Korah, who is swallowed by the earth in Num 16 for his rebelliousness (cf. 4Q418 126 ii 7-8; 4Q418 201 2). 4Q418 77 2-3 urges the addressee to grasp the mystery that is to be and then promises that he can "discern the judgment of humankind (ETON CDSIM)." 60

61

3.1.3.2 The Mystery That Is To Be and Soteriological Knowledge The mystery that is to be enables the addressee to know a person's ultimate destiny. 4Q417 2 i 10-11 exhorts: "[Gaze upon the mystery] 5 8

S e e section 3 . 2 . 2 . This perspective explains 4 Q 4 2 3 5 6, w h i c h relates raising crops t o understanding g o o d and evil: " [ U n d e r s t a n d all your crops. In your labor pay attentio[n t o the k n o w l e d g e o f ] g o o d and evil." T h e main j u d g m e n t s c e n e s o f 4QInstruction ( 4 Q 4 1 6 1; 4 Q 4 1 8 6 9 ii), w h i c h never appeal to the mystery that is to be, are e x a m i n e d in section 4. J.M. Scott, "Korah and Qumran," in The Bible at Qumran: Text, Shape, and Interpretation (ed. P.W. Flint; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2 0 0 1 ) 1 8 2 - 2 0 2 . 5 9

6 0

6 1

24

CHAPTER ONE

that is to be, grasp the birth-times of salvation (UEP "H'TIB) and know who is inheriting glory and who ini[qu]ity." The term "glory," given the reference to salvation, probably refers to a blessed afterlife. This suggests that "ini[qu]ity" signifies the fate of the wicked. The expression J7EP *lblD probably refers to the times of year in which the elect, who can receive salvation, are born. The term iblQ is prominent in 4QHoroscope. This text offers an astrological understanding of human origins, using the word ibvs to situate the birth of the individual within a broader deterministic conception of the cosmos. 4Q416 2 iii 9-10 employs the term in relation to a deterministic understanding of human birth. This text, like 4Q417 2 i 10-11, associates this word with the raz nihyeh: "If he restores you to glory, walk [in it], and with the mystery [that] is to be examine one's origins (TH^E BIT!). Then you will know his inheritance" (cf. 4Q418 9 8). The phrase "If he restores you to glory" assumes that the addressee has experienced some lack of understanding about his elect status and its ultimate rewards but can regain that focus. He can then "examine one's origins" and understand "his inheritance." The mebin can perceive a person's ordained allotment in the divine plan that orchestrates the flow of history—the exact same prospect discussed in 4Q417 2 i 10-11. 4Q415 2 ii 9 attests the phrase Dn^O ma, 62

63

64

65

E l g v i n , "An A n a l y s i s o f 4QInstruction," 196; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 5 5 . For the w o r d "ini[qu]ity" (b[i]b) Strugnell and Harrington, DJD 34, 1 7 3 , transcribe bhb ("toil"). For the r e c o m p e n s e o f the righteous and the w i c k e d , s e e section 3 . 2 . 2 . 4 Q 1 8 6 1 ii 8 reads, for e x a m p l e , "this is the sign (iS-inn) in w h i c h h e w a s born (-rfr)" (cf. 4 Q 1 8 6 2 i 8; 4 Q 2 9 9 3 a ii-b 13; 1QH 2 0 : 8 ) . S e e F. Schmidt, "Ancient Jewish A s t r o l o g y : A n Attempt to Interpret 4QCryptic ( 4 Q 1 8 6 ) , " in Biblical Perspectives: Early Use and Interpretation of the Bible in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls (ed. M . E . Stone and E.G. C h a z o n ; STDJ 2 8 ; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 8 ) 1 8 9 - 2 0 5 . 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 2 0 m a y express the s a m e idea: "you h a v e taken a w i f e in your poverty; take [ n J - ^ i D " (cf. 4 Q 4 1 8 2 0 2 1). Strugnell and Harrington, DJD 34, 123, understand -bio as "offspring." T h u s the line is about the w i f e bearing children. W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 9 4 - 9 5 , argues that instead [nJ-nS-iD refers to her "origins," that is, the "birth-times" o f the wife. R e a d this w a y , 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 2 0 urges the addressee to a s s e s s the fate G o d has allotted to his prospective wife. I am inclined towards W o l d ' s position. In section 5.2 I argue that the mebin is to marry a w o m a n w h o is considered a m o n g the elect. But the interpretation put forward in DJD 34 cannot b e d i s m i s s e d . 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 2 0 b e g i n s a s e c t i o n on marriage; a reference t o h a v i n g children w o u l d b e entirely appropriate (cf. 4 Q 4 1 5 9 2 ) . A l s o , 4 Q 4 1 5 11 11 m a y associate the w o r d -bin with pregnancy. 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 2 0 is fragmentary and unfortunately d o e s not provide e n o u g h e v i d e n c e to d e c i d e w h i c h interpretation o f [nfnbia is superior. N o t e that 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 2 0 , like 4 Q 4 1 7 2 i 11 (and 6 3

6 4

6 5

25

4QINSTRUCTI0N

probably referring to the house in which a woman was bora. 4QInstruction shows no familiarity with the astronomical lore contained in 4QHoroscope. But the wisdom text has the analogous perspective that the fate of the individual has an established place in the overarching divine plan guiding history and creation. The allotted destiny of a person can be perceived by understanding the time of his/her birth. 3.1.3.3 The Mystery That Is To Be and Family Relations The mystery that is to be is related to the addressee's practical and daily life. 4Q416 2 iii 20 begins a section that discusses his marriage. He is told to continue his study of the raz nihyeh "while you keep company with her (nD"12nnri3)" (1. 21). The mebin is to balance his education with the demands of his family. 4QInstruction does not have the same view as Paul, who doubts that a married man can devote himself sufficiently to God (1 Cor 7:32-35). The mystery that is to be is connected to the addressee's relationship with his parents: Honor your father with your poverty (rDETia) and your mother with your lowly status (rD'HJJSM). For as God is to a man, so is his father and as the Lord is to a person, so is his mother, for they are the crucible (i.e., womb) that bore you. And as he gave them authority over you, and the inclination over the spirit, so serve them; and as he revealed to you through the mystery that is to be, honor them for the sake of your glory and with [reverence] honor them for the sake of your life and the length of your days (4Q416 2 iii 15-19; cf. 4Q418 9 17). 67

Honoring one's parents is advocated throughout wisdom literature. For example, Prov 30:17 reads: "The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley

perhaps 4 Q 4 1 5 11 11), c o m b i n e s the word I S D with the verb npb in the imperative form. Strugnell and Harrington, DJD 34, 4 7 , transcribe "house o f [your] orig[ins]" in line 7 o f this fragment. This reconstruction is not endorsed in Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 3 2 . M. Morgenstern relates the expression to human birth. S e e his "The M e a n i n g o f n-i'ra rra in the Qumran W i s d o m Texts," JJS 51 ( 2 0 0 0 ) 1 4 1 - 4 4 . The word ronrxB o f 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 16 could b e transcribed as ns-nrxB ("your steps"). I favor the " l o w l y status" reading because o f the w o r d ' s parallelism with rowra (cf. 4 Q 4 1 7 2 i 10). S e e DJD 34, 120; Elgvin, "An A n a l y s i s o f 4QInstruction," 222. 6 6

6 7

26

CHAPTER ONE

58

and eaten by the vultures." Like Sir 3:6-7, 4Q416 2 iii 18-19 posits that one who respects his/her parents will enjoy a long life. Aspects of 4Q416 2 iii 15-19 diverge from traditional wisdom. No other sapiential text connects the theme of filial piety to poverty. 4QInstruction bases its exhortation to honor one's parents on an appeal to esoteric revelation to the elect. The raz nihyeh does not reveal that parents should be honored. This was presumably selfevident. The mystery that is to be provides incentive for such conduct. This mystery discloses the breadth of God's dominion to the addressee. Comprehending this theological truth demands that one act in accordance with this knowledge. The revelation of the raz nihyeh encourages worldly wisdom that is eudemonistic and grounded in daily life. 69

70

71

72

3.1.3.4 The Mystery That Is To Be and Farming Farming is associated with the mystery that is to be. 1Q26 1 4-6 reads in part: "As he revealed to your ear through the mystery that is to [be] ... Take care lest she honor you more than him ... and (lest) you be cursed in all your crops, and be [asha]med for all your deeds" 73

6 8

Prov 2 0 : 2 0 ; 2 3 : 2 2 , 2 5 ; 2 8 : 2 4 ; 2 9 : 1 5 . Filial piety is also a t h e m e in covenantal lawfExod 20:12; Deut5:16). Elgvin, "An A n a l y s i s of 4QInstruction," 2 3 0 . S e e also J.L. Kugel, " S o m e Instances o f Biblical Interpretation in the H y m n s and W i s d o m Writings o f Qumran," in Studies in Ancient Midrash (ed. J.L. K u g e l ; Cambridge: Harvard University Center for Jewish Studies, 2 0 0 1 ) 1 5 5 - 6 9 (esp. 1 6 6 - 6 7 ) . T h e t h e m e o f poverty in 4QInstruction is examined in section 5 . 3 . B e n Sira's teaching o n the subject ( 3 : 1 - 1 6 ) is highly dependent o n the D e c a l o g u e and thus connected to the revelation at Sinai. S e e A . A . D i Leila and P . W . Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira ( A B 3 9 ; N e w York: D o u b l e d a y , 1 9 8 7 ) 1 5 4 - 5 7 . In section 3 . 1 . 4 I critique t h e claim that the mystery that is to b e should b e equated with the Torah. Compare the instruction o f P s e u d o - P h o c y l i d e s , w h i c h offers primarily ethical exhortations and practical advice. T h e epilogue summarizes t h e teachings o f the work: "These are the mysteries o f righteousness (SLKaioouvng u-uonpia); living thus m a y y o u live o u t a g o o d life, right up to the threshold o f old age" (11. 2 2 9 - 3 0 ) . There is nothing in t h e work that s u g g e s t s it reveals h e a v e n l y k n o w l e d g e to the elect. T h e Similitudes of Enoch appears t o u s e the expression "mysteries o f righteousness" in this w a y (cf. 1 En. 4 9 : 1 ; 5 8 : 5 ; cf. 7 1 : 3 ) . P. van der Horst r e a s o n a b l y suggests that with t h e term "mystery" P s e u d o - P h o c y l i d e s " s e e m s t o say: the secret o f life is t o live SIKOCIGX;, as it is described in m y p o e m . " S e e h i s The Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides (Leiden: Brill, 1978) 2 6 1 ; J.J. Collins, Between Athens and Jerusalem ( 2 ed.; Grand Rapids/Livonia: E e r d m a n s / D o v e , 2 0 0 0 [orig. pub., 1983]) 1 6 8 - 7 4 ; W . T . W i l s o n , The Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2 0 0 5 ) . S e e also section 5 . 1 . 7 0

7 1

7 2

n d

7 3

4QINSTRUCTI0N

27

(cf. 4Q423 4 1-2). The fragment appears to warn the addressee to ensure that his wife knows that God is responsible for any agricultural success, not his own labor in the fields. This knowledge is available through the mystery that is to be (1. 4). Both the man and woman are to understand that the dominion of God impacts their lives. Otherwise they risk the prospect of a poor yield. 4Q423 3 2 is fragmentary but relates the raz nihyeh to a bountiful harvest: "... [through the mystery] that is to be. Thus you will walk, and al[l your] cfrops will multiply]." The connection between this mystery and farming in this text has not survived. Perhaps the fragment construed success in farming as a practical benefit of understanding how God has structured the world, as attained through the mystery that is to be. 4Q423 5 5-6 teaches that the addressee will succeed at farming by understanding the agricultural seasons: "observe the appointed times of the summer, gather your crops in their time and the season [of harvest in its appointed time]" (cf. 4Q418 123 ii 6; 4Q418 172 7-12). The raz nihyeh is plausibly supplemented in line 2. Presumably 4Q423 5 originally associated this mystery with farming in a manner similar to 4Q423 3 2. 74

75

3.1.3.5 The Pedagogical Mysteries of 4QInstruction 4QInstruction is inconsistent in its use of the mystery that is to be. While several types of knowledge are explicitly connected to this mystery, other important teachings never mention the raz nihyeh. This is the case with the two main judgment scenes of 4QInstruction (4Q416 1; 4Q418 69 ii) and the lesson on the elect status of the addressee in 4Q418 81. 4Q416 2 ii 14-21 contains a series of vetitives (negative admonitions) on topics such as social relations and financial affairs. This pericope does not discuss revelation. The legitimacy of these admonitions is rooted in their inherent common sense, as in Proverbs. It is reasonable to posit that 4QInstruction as a whole presumes the revelatory authority of the mystery that is to be. This is implied by the frequency of the term and the comprehensive nature of this revelation. The expression signifies knowledge regarding history and creation in general. Furthermore, 4QInstruction connects the raz DJD 34,511. Ibid., 5 1 8 ; Tigchelaar, To Increase

Learning,

142.

28

CHAPTER ONE

nihyeh to its teachings by calling them "mysteries": "O wise son, understand your mysteries (rrrrD pnnn)" (4Q417 1 i 25). 4Q418 177 7a exhorts the mebin to "know his mysteries (VD)." The book of Mysteries similarly refers to its intended audience as "those who hold fast to mysteries" (4Q299 43 2; 4Q300 8 5; cf. 4Q299 3a ii-b 9). In other texts the term "mystery" describes the content of an esoteric teaching. For example, 1 En. 104:10-13 reads: "And now I know this mystery, that sinners will alter and copy the words of truth ... And again I know a second mystery, that to the righteous and pious and wise my books will be given for the joy of righteousness and much wisdom" (cf. 103:2). Paul uses the word "mystery" in a similar way: "Listen, I will tell you a mystery (|iuarr|piov)! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet" (1 Cor 15:51). In 4Q417 1 i 25 and 4Q418 177 7a the term "mystery" signifies instruction that assumes the revelation of the raz nihyeh. In this sense all the teachings of 4QInstruction can be understood as "mysteries." But not every statement in the work should be considered revealed knowledge. Because the mystery that is to be discloses knowledge about history and the created order, in principle the mebin can learn about any topic by studying this mystery. 76

77

3.1.4/5 the Mystery That Is To Be a Cipher for the Torah? One can associate the mystery that is be with the revelation at Sinai. This position is advocated by Armin Lange. 4Q416 2 iii 15-19 connects the mystery that is to be to the theme of filial piety, as does the Decalogue (e.g., Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16). This allows Lange "rPH3 H mit der Thora zu identifizieren." He likens the status of the Torah in 4QInstruction to its treatment in Bereshit Rabbah, which interprets the figure of Lady Wisdom in Proverbs as a reference to the 78

7 6

Goff, The Worldly and Heavenly Wisdom, 4 9 - 5 0 . For example, I argued a b o v e that 4 Q 4 1 6 2 iii 1 5 - 1 9 d o e s not present filial piety as a revealed truth. Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 58. S e e also J.T. Sanders, "When Sacred Canopies Collide: T h e R e c e p t i o n o f the Torah o f M o s e s in the W i s d o m Literature o f the S e c o n d - T e m p l e Period," JSJ 32 ( 2 0 0 1 ) 121-36; G. Sauer, "Weisheit und Tora in qumranischer Zeit," in Weisheit ausserhalb der kanonischen Weisheitsschriften (ed. B . Janowski: Gtitersloh: Kaiser, 1 9 9 6 ) 1 0 7 - 2 7 ; Elgvin, "The Mystery to C o m e , " 1 3 3 , 136. 7 7

7 8

29

4QINSTRUCTI0N

Torah. Elgvin, by contrast, understands the mystery that is to be as available only to the elect, whereas the Torah is a public source of knowledge. 4QInstruction asserts, Elgvin suggests, that "true wisdom is not found in the Torah but in raz nihyeh.''' The author of 4QInstruction used the Torah and considered it a source of wisdom. This Qumran text incorporates biblical figures such as Korah and Adam into its teaching. Lange could be correct that there is a connection between the mystery that is to be and the Torah. 4Q416 2 ii 8-9 uses the word "mysteries" in parallelism with "statutes": "And do not abandon your statutes. Carefully observe your mysteries." "Statutes" may signify the Torah but could refer more generally to the teachings of 4QInstruction. Two unfortunately fragmentary texts attest the phrase "through the hand of Moses" (T2 HOB) (4Q418 184 1; 4Q423 11 2). It is possible that 4QInstruction appealed to the Torah as an authoritative source. But there is simply not enough evidence for this position. The composition never mentions the Torah by name. The wisdom text never praises the Mosaic covenant or explicitly bases its instruction on its authority, in contrast to Ben Sira. The Torah is not a theme in its own right. 1 Enoch similarly appeals to revelation in a way that does not invoke the Torah. It is not clear that the Torah and the mystery that is to be should be equated in 4QInstruction. At the very least the raz nihyeh and the revelation at Sinai are compatible forms of revelation. The author of 4QInstruction is obsessed with the mystery that is to be. While he shows surprisingly little interest in thematizing the Torah, he assumes its validity as a source of teaching. 19

80

81

82

3.2 Revelation and the Vision ofHagu The other term in 4QInstruction that signifies heavenly revelation is

E l g v i n , " W i s d o m and A p o c a l y p t i c i s m , " 2 3 7 . N e h 8 u s e s the word p a several times in relation to the Torah. V e r s e 7, for example, asserts that the Levites "helped the p e o p l e to understand ( e r a s ) the law" (cf. vv. 2 , 9). In 4QInstruction the w o r d p a is never explicitly associated with the Torah in the manner o f N e h 8. I thank A . L a n g e for pointing out this reference to m e . Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch, 5 0 - 5 4 . S e e further section 4.2 o f the c o n c l u s i o n to this book. 8 0

8 1

8 2

30

CHAPTER ONE

the "vision of Hagu" ("nann |"ITn). While the raz nihyeh is found throughout the composition, this vision occurs only twice, in a lesson regarding the "spiritual people" and the "fleshly spirit" in 4Q417 1 i 13-18. This passage reads: 83

84

13. And you, 14. understanding one, inherit your reward by remembering the mi[ght because] it is coming. Engraved is the statute, and ordained is all the punishment, 15. because engraved is that which has been ordained by God against all the iniquities of] the sons of Sheth. The book of remembrance is written before him 16. for those who keep his word—that is, the vision of Hagu for the book of remembrance. He bequeathed it to together with a spiritual people, be[cau]se 17. he fashioned it (lit. "him") according to the likeness of the holy ones. Moreover, he did not give Hagu to the fleshly spirit because it did not distinguish between 18. [go]od and evil according to the judgment of its [sp]irit. 85

The addressee can "inherit (his) reward" (ron^UD BP1) by remembering God's "mi[ght]" (1. 14). Since the line states "ordained is all the punishment," "mi[ght]" is presumably a reference to divine judgment. God has established a decree against "the iniquities of] the sons of Sheth" (JVC [nhl]S) which is probably a designation for the wicked. If he lives in an upright way, he will attain the 9

86

This phrase can be translated in various w a y s . In DJD 34, 155, for example, it is rendered as "the appearance/vision o f the meditation." I prefer the translation "vision o f Hagu." It can also b e transcribed "Haguy" or "Hagi." GofT, The Worldly and Heavenly Wisdom, 8 0 - 1 2 6 ; W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 1 2 4 - 4 9 ; J.J. Collins, "In the L i k e n e s s o f the H o l y O n e s : T h e Creation o f Humankind in a W i s d o m Text from Qumran," in The Provo International Conference on the Dead Sea Scrolls (ed. D . W . Parry and E. Ulrich; STDJ 3 0 ; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 9 ) 6 0 9 - 1 9 ; Elgvin, "An A n a l y s i s o f 4QInstruction," 8 5 - 9 4 ; idem, "The Mystery to C o m e , " 1 3 9 - 4 7 ; Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 80-90. For discussion o f the transcription upon w h i c h this translation is based, see Goff, The Worldly and Heavenly Wisdom, 8 4 - 8 8 . N o t e that the reading "the m i f g h t ] " ([n]»n) is not entirely certain and that it has b e e n reconstructed as [ m ^ n . S e e DJD 34, 1 6 2 - 6 6 ; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 5 2 - 5 4 ; A . Caquot, "Les T e x t e s de s a g e s s e de Qoumran (Apercu preliminaire)," RHPR 7 6 ( 1 9 9 6 ) 1-34 (esp. 17-19). The phrase "sons o f Sheth" has b e e n interpreted as a reference to the patriarch Seth. Early Jewish literature generally portrays the patriarch Seth in a positive light. 8 4

8 5

8 6

4QINSTRUCTI0N

31

"reward" that God has established for him, which is probably eternal life with the angels after death. The final judgment is presented as an inevitable truth. It is understood in deterministic terms. The phrase "ordained is all the punishment" is in parallelism with "engraved is the statute" (JTHn pinn). This suggests that the "statute" is another reference to divine judgment. Line 15 affirms that the fate ordained against the "sons of Sheth" is "engraved" ( m i n ) as well. The image of the decree written down underscores its authority and inevitability. Exod 3 2 : 1 6 describes the Mosaic tablets as "engraved" (riTin). The engraved statute of 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 1 4 may allude to the Torah. But, if one grants this position, the image of the Torah is used to underscore that divine judgment will take place. The emphasis is on judgment more than the Torah itself. 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 15 mentions a "book of remembrance" QTDT 1 D 0 ) . It is written "for those who keep his word." It is probably intended for the elect, or at least the righteous (cf. Mai 3:16). The text is "written before him," referring to God. It is a heavenly book that can be compared to those of 1 Enoch and Jubilees (e.g., I En. 9 0 : 2 0 ; 9 3 : 2 ; Jub. 6 : 3 1 ; 15:25). This book, inscribed with divine knowledge, 87

88

89

90

91

Josephus and Philo, for example, praise the "virtue" o f Seth {Ant, 1.68; Post. 173), and the figure is represented in the Animal Apocalypse as a white bull (7 En. 85:9; cf. T. Ben. 10:6). The "sons o f Sheth," clearly a negative expression, is more likely an allusion to N u m 2 4 : 1 7 , w h i c h m e n t i o n s the "Shethites," a M o a b i t e tribe (cf. Jer 4 8 : 4 5 ) . This text proclaims the destruction o f the Moabites, asserting that a scepter "shall crush the borderlands o f M o a b , and the territory o f all the Shethites (•» rra-M)." B o t h the War Scroll and the D a m a s c u s D o c u m e n t allude to this verse to describe t h o s e w h o will be destroyed ( 1 Q M 11:6-7; C D 7:21). 4QInstruction u s e s the expression "sons o f the Sheth" in a similar way. S e e Collins, "In the L i k e n e s s o f the H o l y O n e s , " 6 1 1 - 1 2 ; S.D. Fraade, Enosh and His Generation: Pre-Israelite Hero and History in Postbiblical Interpretation ( S B L M S 3 0 ; Chico: Scholars Press, 1984); A.F.J. Klijn, Seth in Jewish, Christian and Gnostic Literature ( N o v T S u p 4 6 ; Leiden: Brill 1 9 7 7 ) . * S e e section 3 . 2 . 2 . E x o d 17:14; Jer 17:1; 1 En. 3 9 : 2 ; 9 0 : 1 7 . Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 8 3 ; Elgvin, "The Mystery T o C o m e , " 1 4 1 . P u e c h suggests reconstructing this expression in 4 Q 4 1 8 81 14. S e e h i s "Les Fragments eschatologiques," 109. T h e phrase is attested nowhere e l s e in the c o m p o s i t i o n (cf. 4 Q 4 1 8 4 3 - 4 5 i 12). Collins, Jewish Wisdom, 123; Elgvin, "An A n a l y s i s o f 4QInstruction," 8 8 ; Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 6 9 - 7 9 ; C. Werman, "'The r m n and the rm»n' Engraved o n the Tablets." DSD 9 ( 2 0 0 2 ) 7 5 - 1 0 3 ; S. Paul, "Heavenly Tablets and the B o o k o f Life," JANESCU 5 ( 1 9 7 3 ) 3 4 5 - 5 3 . 1

8 8

8 9

9 0

32

CHAPTER ONE

represents an appeal to revelation. The tome is associated with memory ("remembrance"; p " D T ) , and in the previous line the addressee is told to remember (]1"DT3) that divine judgment will arrive. Divine judgment has been written down ("engraved"; 4Q417 1 i 15). The "book of remembrance" emphasizes further that God's inevitable punishment of the wicked is a revealed truth. The book may also signify the Torah. If this is the case, the Torah is used to emphasize the theme of judgment, not unlike the phrase "engraved is the statute" of line 14. The "book of remembrance" is equated with the "vision of Hagu" in 4Q417 1 i 16. This "vision" remains obscure. The expression "vision of Hagu" is not attested elsewhere. The Damascus Document and the Rule of the Congregation stipulate that group leaders must be familiar with a "book of Hagu" (CD 10:6; 14:6-8; lQSa 1:6-7). This expression is also enigmatic. The vision is introduced without elaboration in 4Q417 1 i 16, unlike the "book of remembrance." The author probably assumed that his audience knew what the "vision of Hagu" meant. If the heavenly "book of remembrance" was inscribed with a decree of judgment, the "vision of Hagu" reinforces the motif of judgment with an additional appeal to revelation. The revealed content of the "vision of Hagu" is probably similar to the revealed content of the raz nihyeh. The vision is associated with divine judgment. One can also learn about this topic from the mystery that is to be (4Q417 1 i 6-8). The "fleshly spirit" is denied the "vision of Hagu" because it does not possess the knowledge of good and evil (4Q417 1 i 17-18) (see below). It is implied that the vision was considered a source for this knowledge. One can know good and evil through the mystery that is to be (11. 6-8). 4Q417 1 i 6 92

93

Hab 2:2 associates a "vision" with writing: "Write the v i s i o n (pm); make it plain o n tablets." There h a v e been numerous attempts to identify the "book o f H a g u . " It m a y refer to the texts o f the Torah revered b y the D e a d S e a sect. For this v i e w s e e I. Rabinowitz, "The Qumran A u t h o r ' s spr hhgw/y," JNES 2 0 ( 1 9 6 1 ) 1 0 9 - 1 4 . T h e "vision o f H a g u " m a y b e the inspiration o f the title o f the "book o f Hagu." T h e "vision o f H a g u " is associated with a b o o k ( 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 16). The rulebooks treat the "book o f H a g u " as if it were an actual text, w h i c h is never the c a s e in 4QInstruction with regard to the "vision o f H a g u " or the "book o f remembrance." Consult further D . Steinmetz, "Sefer H e H a g o : T h e C o m m u n i t y and the B o o k , " JJS 5 2 ( 2 0 0 1 ) 4 0 - 5 8 ; C. H e m p e l , "The Qumran Sapiential Texts and the R u l e B o o k s , " in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran, 2 7 7 - 9 5 (esp. 2 8 5 - 8 6 ) ; C. Werman, "What is the B o o k o f H a g u ? " in Sapiential Perspectives, 125-40. 9 3

33

4QINSTRUCTI0N

urges the addressee to "meditate" (run) on the raz nihyeh, an imperative with the same root as "Hagu" (cf. 4Q418 43 4). It is reasonable to suppose that the vision of Hagu, like the raz nihyeh, signifies an overarching divine plan that endows history and creation with a rational structure. There is no direct evidence for this view, but it can be inferred from the affinities between this vision and the mystery that is to be. There are differences between the two expressions. 4QInstruction never exhorts the mebin to study or contemplate the vision of Hagu, as is so often the case with the mystery that is to be. The composition never tells the addressee that this vision has already been revealed to him, whereas such reminders occur several times with regard to the raz nihyeh (e.g., 4Q418 123 ii 4). 4QInstruction is more interested in the issue of access to the vision of Hagu than its content. This vision is given to the "spiritual people" (mi DI7) and not to the "fleshly spirit" (*W2 mi). This is a relatively early example of a flesh-spirit dichotomy. The expression "spiritual people" is not attested elsewhere in 4QInstruction but "fleshly spirit" is. In 4Q416 1 12 "every fleshly spirit will be laid bare," or destroyed, during the final judgment. 4Q418 81 1-2 tells the addressee that he has been separated from the "fleshly spirit" in order to remove him "from all that he (God) hates" (cf. 4Q417 1 ii 14; 4Q416 1 16). The "fleshly spirit" will not survive God's judgment. It does not know good from evil and presumably has a predisposition towards wickedness. But it is never directly stated that the "fleshly spirit" is wicked. If one compares designations for evil-doers in the Qumran rulebooks, such as those who follow the "spirit of deceit" (1QS 4:9) or the "congregation of traitors" (CD 1:12-2:1), 4QInstruction exhibits substantially less scorn and disdain towards the "fleshly spirit." In the Hodayot the speaker refers to himself as a "fleshly spirit." He asks "In the mysteries of your insight [you] have apportioned all these things ... [However, what is] the fleshly spirit 94

95

96

9 4

4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 2 1 - 2 2 , w h i c h is fragmentary, u s e s the terms "mystery that is to be" and "every v i s i o n " (prn b-o). J. Frey, "Flesh and Spirit in the Palestinian Jewish Sapiential Tradition and in the Qumran Texts: A n Inquiry into the Background o f Pauline U s a g e , " in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran, 3 6 7 - 4 0 4 . Puech, "Les Fragments eschatologiques," 9 1 , supplements the phrase "spiritual p e o p l e " in 4 Q 4 1 6 1 13. 9 5

9 6

34

CHAPTER ONE

(ien m i ) to understand all these matters?" (5:19-20; cf. v. 4; 18:23; 1QS 11:9). The poet refers to his base humanity with the term "fleshly spirit" and he acknowledges its tension with his reception of revelation. In 4QInstruction the "fleshly spirit" is denied revelation. It is a general designation for people not among the elect. While the "fleshly spirit" is associated with humankind, the "spiritual people" are like the angels. God "fashioned it (the "spiritual people") according to the likeness of the holy ones (rrjnrD D^ttnnp)" (4Q417 1 i 17). Collins has proposed that the expression D ^ H p JTOSrD is a paraphrase of the expression "in the image of God" (OTI^K nbx2) from Gen 1:27, "taking D'TlS* in its angelic sense." The vision is also possessed by ETtfX (4Q417 1 i 16). This can be interpreted as a reference to Adam. The Treatise of the Two Spirits uses the same word to denote this figure: "He created Adam (BUN) to rule the world" (1QS 3:18). The OTK of 4QInstruction could signify the patriarch Enosh or humankind in general. Since ETttK is given revelation which is not granted to the "fleshly spirit," it is not clear that the term refers to people in a universal sense. The "Enosh" reading is adopted by Lange and the 97

98

99

T h e word MY can be translated as a n o u n with a pronominal suffix, in w h i c h case the "inclination'' o f the spiritual p e o p l e w o u l d be similar to that o f the h o l y o n e s . Semantically there is not a major difference b e t w e e n understanding this word as a verb or a noun. Collins, "In the Likeness o f the H o l y Ones," 6 1 3 , 6 1 5 ; DJD 34, 166. There m a y be a parallel in 4 Q 3 0 1 . 4 Q 3 0 1 2 b 5 has the phrase "the image o f a male" ( m a n -DT). T h e context o f this phrase regards angels: " W h o a m o n g y o u s e e k s the presence o f light and the lum[inary]?" (1. 4 ) . S e e also W.R. Garr, In His Own Image and Likeness: Humanity, Divinity, and Monotheism ( C H A N E 15; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 3 ) ; S. Bunta, "The L i k e n e s s o f the Image: A d a m i c Motifs and o^s A n t h r o p o l o g y in Rabbinic Traditions about Jacob's Image Enthroned in H e a v e n , " JSJ 3 7 ( 2 0 0 6 ) 5 5 84. W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 1 3 5 - 4 1 , endorses reading BTUK as a reference to all o f humankind. H e is critical o f m y translation (in The Worldly and Heavenly Wisdom, 8 4 ) o f the phrase -ran in 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 17 as "moreover." H e translates "but n o more d o e s he g i v e H a g u y to a spirit o f flesh" (p. 139). Thus all o f humanity w a s g i v e n the v i s i o n o f H a g u but it w a s taken a w a y from s o m e p e o p l e , the "fleshly spirit." This interpretative option is intriguing but simply d o e s not h a v e e n o u g h support. T o maintain that 4QInstruction taught that all p e o p l e were g i v e n revelation but that it w a s taken a w a y from s o m e at a later point is a tremendous claim that relies on a brief expression, vrb -run o f 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 17. The other occurrences o f the "fleshly spirit" in 4QInstruction ( 4 Q 4 1 6 1 12; 4 Q 4 1 8 81 1-2) are negative; there is n o u n a m b i g u o u s statement that the "fleshly spirit" ever p o s s e s s e d revelation. 4 Q 4 1 8 81 1-2 e m p h a s i z e s the separation b e t w e e n the "fleshly spirit" and the addressee, not that 9 8

9 9

35

4QINSTRUCTI0N

editors of DJD 34. Enosh is nowhere else in Second Temple literature depicted as a recipient of revelation. The "humanity" and "Enosh" readings are difficult, but not impossible, to endorse. Considering "according to the likeness of the holy ones" an allusion to Gen 1:27 is supported by the reference to the knowledge of good and evil, which evokes Adam (4Q417 1 i 17-18). The vision of Hagu pericope roots a conception of two different kinds of humanity in Gen 1-3. These chapters contrast Adam's creation in the image of God (1:27) and his formation from the dust of the earth (2:7). If EnJK is understood as Adam, it is implied that he, like the "spiritual people," is similar to the angels. The "vision of Hagu" pericope is intentionally enigmatic. It is addressed to the niebin (4Q417 1 i 14). It is a teaching for him to study. He had to figure out how to understand it. One important lesson for him, in my opinion, is to identify with the "spiritual 101

102

103

104

there w a s originally n o distinction b e t w e e n the "fleshly spirit" and the rest o f humankind. S e e also The Worldly and Heavenly Wisdom, 9 9 . Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 87; DJD 34, 165. Elgvin, "An A n a l y s i s o f 4QInstruction," 88. The "Enosh" interpretation is easier to uphold if o n e understands the phrase rrra m o f 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 15 as a reference to the patriarch Seth, the father o f E n o s h ( G e n 4:26). This v i e w is critiqued above. Collins, "In the Likeness o f the H o l y Ones," 6 1 7 . Philo resolved the tension b e t w e e n Gen 1:27 and 2:7 by arguing that G e n e s i s attests a "double creation" o f humankind, based o n t w o different A d a m s , o n e heavenly, the other worldly (Opif. 134; Alleg. Interp. 1.31). This is similar to the distinction b e t w e e n "spiritual" and "fleshly" p e o p l e in 4QInstruction. Collins, "In the Likeness o f the H o l y O n e s , " 6 1 7 , s u g g e s t s that the "double creation" e x e g e s i s b y Philo appropriates Palestinian sapiential traditions. S e e further T. Tobin, The Creation of Man: Philo and the History of Interpretation ( C B Q M S 14; Washington, D . C . : T h e Catholic Biblical A s s o c i a t i o n , 1983); J.R. L e v i s o n , Portraits of Adam in Early Judaism from Sirach to 2 Baruch (Sheffield: JSOT, 1 9 8 8 ) ; J.T.A.G.M. van Ruiten, "The Creation o f M a n and W o m a n in Early Jewish Literature," in The Creation of Man and Woman (ed. G.P. Luttikhuizen; T B N 3; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 0 ) 3 4 6 2 ; J.J. Collins, "Before the Fall: The Earliest Interpretations o f A d a m and E v e , " in The Idea of Biblical Interpretation: Essays in Honor of James L. Kugel (ed. H. N a j m a n and J.H. N e w m a n ; JSJSup 8 3 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 4 ) 2 9 3 - 3 0 8 . Cf. Jub. 3:15 and L X X G e n 3:15. The Treatise o f the T w o Spirits associates the reception o f angelic w i s d o m with A d a m , proclaiming to "make those o f perfect behavior understand the w i s d o m o f the s o n s o f heaven" so that they can r e c e i v e the "glory o f A d a m " (CIK TOD) ( 1 Q S 4 : 2 2 - 2 3 ) . This phrase may signify eternal life for the elect. The "glory o f A d a m " is associated with eternal life in C D 3:20 and 1QH 4:15 (cf. 1QS 4:7; 4 Q 1 7 1 3 1-2). S e e further C.H.T. Fletcher-Louis, All the Glory of Adam: Liturgical Anthropology in the Dead Sea Scrolls (STDJ 4 2 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 2 ) 9 5 - 9 7 ; K.P. Sullivan, Wrestling With Angels: A Study of the Relationship Between Angels and Humans in Ancient Jewish Literature and the New Testament (AGJTJ 5 5 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 4 ) 8 5 - 9 0 . 1 0 0

1 0 1

1 0 2

1 0 3

1 0 4

36

CHAPTER ONE

people." They signify the elect who are given revelation. The "spiritual people" possess the "vision of Hagu," as the addressee has the mystery that is to be. He is in the lot of the angels; the "spiritual people" are in the likeness of the holy ones. Like the "spiritual people," the mebin is distinguished from the "fleshly spirit" (4Q418 81 1-2). The "spiritual people" represent an ideal to which the addressee is to aspire. 3.2.1 The Elect Status of the Addressee and the Garden of Eden Like the "spiritual people," the mebin is described in ways that recall Adam. The first three lines of 4Q423 1 read: ... every fruit that is produced and every delightful tree, pleasing to give knowledge (ryorb nam p bD). Is [it] not a plefasant] garden [and pleasing] to gi[ve] g[re]at knowledge? He put you in charge of it to till it and keepit (TIOB'TI rinsb ra^TOn 13) ... [the earth,] thorns and thistles ("i-nii yip) it will sprout for you, and its strength will not yield to you ... 105

This passage makes the extraordinary claim that the addressee has been given authority over the garden of Eden. The garden represents his acquisition of wisdom. He can obtain the knowledge of good and evil through the raz nihyeh (4Q417 1 i 6-8). This motif occurs in 4Q423 as well. All the trees in the garden can provide knowledge. The prohibition of Gen 2:17 is not acknowledged. The situation is similar with Sir 17:7 (cf. 4Q305 2 2). Presenting the mebin as a steward of Eden implies that the divine revelation 106

107

DJD 34, 5 0 7 - 8 ; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 1 4 1 . S e e further idem, "Eden and Paradise: The Garden M o t i f in S o m e Early J e w i s h Texts," in Paradise Interpreted: Representations of Biblical Paradise in Judaism and Christianity (ed. G.P. Luttikhuizen; T B N 2; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 9 ) 3 7 - 5 7 ; E.G. Chazon, "The Creation and Fall o f A d a m in the D e a d S e a Scrolls," in The Book of Genesis in Jewish and Oriental Christian Interpretation: A Collection of Essays (ed. J. Frishman and L. van R o m p a y ; L e u v e n : Peeters, 1997) 1 3 - 2 4 . T h e term "Eden" m a y occur in 4 Q 4 1 8 7 7 5. The w o r d is in poor condition and its immediate context has not survived. 4 Q 4 2 3 2 i 7 reads "[rejecting] the evil and k n o w i n g the g o o d . " Unfortunately not enough o f the immediate context o f this statement has survived. DJD 34 presents 4 Q 4 2 3 1 and 2 as a single text. A distant j o i n connects these fragments. Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 1 4 1 , d o e s not present the t w o texts as a single c o l u m n . 1

6

1 0 7

37

4QINSTRUCTI0N

disclosed to him is knowledge once possessed by Adam. 4Q423 1 1-3 adapts phrases and motifs from Gen 1-3. The expression "every delightful tree, pleasing to give knowledge" of line 1 combines language from Gen 2:9 and 3:6. In line 2 the verb ^ E B N signifies the bestowal of authority over the garden to the mebin. This probably alludes to the grant of dominion of Gen 1:28. Retellings of this verse in ancient Jewish literature generally use this word rather than the verb R M of Gen 1:28. 4Q422 (4QParaphrase of Genesis and Exodus) 1 i 9-10, for example, reads: "he set him (Adam) in charge ( L ^ O O N ) to eat the frui[t of the soil,] that he shoulfd n]ot eat from the tree that gives knowledge of good and evil]." The verb ^ O D N is employed elsewhere in 4QInstruction in reference to the elect status of the mebin. 4Q416 2 iii 11-12 reads: "he has given you authority (HD^EJEn) over an inheritance of glory" (cf.4Q418 813). 4Q423 1 2 exhorts the addressee to "till" and "keep" the garden (TlBBbl TQtfb). Gen 2:15 commands Adam to "till it and keep it" ( M B C B L RTDTFB). The bestowal of elect status and revelation upon the mebin are not gifts outright. They demand effort and study. The call to nurture the garden conveys to him that significant labor is required to obtain wisdom. 4Q423 1 3 includes the fragmentary statement that the earth will produce "thorns and thistles" ("nTtl yip). This appropriates Gen 3:18: "thorns and thistles (T7TT1 f 1p) it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field" (cf. 4:12). In Genesis the expression signifies Adam's toil in the land once he has left Eden. 4QInstruction reinterprets this phrase to envision the garden itself falling into disarray (cf. 1QH 16:24-25). Whereas tilling Eden 109

110

1 1 1

112

113

1 0 8

For a different formulation o f a similar idea, see Fletcher-Louis, All the Glory of Adam, 117. 4 Q 4 2 3 1 1 reads b^mrb NAM c-ra p bD. G e n 2:9 includes the phrase -nam pir^D and 3:6, *TO©r6 p n i»RU. S e e DJD 34, 5 0 9 ; W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 114. H. Attridge et al., Qumran Cave 4. VIII: Parabiblical Texts, Part 1 ( D J D 13; Oxford: Clarendon, 1994) 4 2 1 - 2 2 . S e e also P s 8:7; 1QS 3 : 1 7 - 1 8 ; 4 Q 2 8 7 4 2; 4 Q 3 8 1 1 7 ; 4 Q 5 0 4 8 4-6. Cf. W i s 10:2; 4 Q 2 9 9 13b 2. Chazon, "The Creation and Fall o f A d a m , " 18. A parable about a tree in 4 Q 3 0 2 m a y h a v e a similar lesson. S e e section 2 o f Chapter 10. " DJD 34, 5 1 0 , 5 1 4 ; J. Dochhorn, " ' S i e wird dir nicht ihre Kraft g e b e n ' — A d a m , Kain und der Ackerbau in 4 Q 4 2 3 2 und A p e M o s 2 4 , " in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran, 3 5 1 - 6 4 ; W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 116. 1 0 9

1 1 0

1 1 1

1 1 2

3

3

38

CHAPTER ONE

represents the addressee's development and education, the decline of the garden's beauty symbolizes choosing the wrong path. 3.2.2 The Elect Status of the Addressee, the Angels and Eternal Life The "spiritual people" are similar to the angels. 4Q418 81 1-5 reads:

114

The mebin is too.

He has opened up your lips as a fountain in order to bless the holy ones ( • ^ n p "["13*?). And you, like an eternal fountain, praise [his name. Long ag]o, he separated you from every fleshly spirit. And you, keep yourself separate from all that he hates, and keep apart from every abomination of [his] soul. [Fo]r he has made everyone and has given each man his own inheritance. He is your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Adam. [And over] his [in]heritance he has set you in authority. And you, with this honor him: by consecrating yourself to him, as he has established you as (the) most holy one [of all] the world (*?3n [bob] ••'ttrnp vmpb). With all the [div]ine being[s] he has cast your lot. Your glory he has magnified greatly and he has established you for himself as a first-born son among ... 11

This passage describes the elect status of the addressee. He is separated from "every spirit of flesh" (11. 1-2). The statement "He is your portion and your inheritance" of 4Q418 81 3 is reasonably considered an allusion to Num 18:20. This text recounts the special allotment accorded to priests (cf. Ezek 44:28). Strugnell and Harrington suggest that the intended audience of 4QInstruction possesses "a priestly or quasi-priestly authority." There is not enough evidence to conclude that the mebin is a priest. An interest in cultic and halakhic issues is present in the composition. The 116

117

1 1 4

For angels in S e c o n d T e m p l e literature, consult Sullivan, Wrestling With Angels, 2 2 7 - 3 6 ; L.T. Stuckenbruck, Angel Veneration and Christology: A Study in Early Judaism and in the Christology of the Apocalypse of John ( W U N T 2 / 7 0 ; Tubingen: J.C.B. M o h r [Paul S i e b e c k ] , 1995); M. Mach, Entwicklungsstadien des judischen Engelglaubens in vorrabbinischer Zeit (TSAJ 3 4 ; Tubingen: J.C.B. M o h r [Paul S i e b e c k ] , 1992); M.J. D a v i d s o n , Angels at Qumran: A Comparative Study of 1 Enoch 1-36, 72-108 and Sectarian Writings from Qumran (JSPSup 11; Sheffield: Sheffield A c a d e m i c Press, 1992). DJD 34, 3 0 0 - 1 ; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 2 3 2 . The phrase "[Long a g ] o " (T[KB]) is in poor material condition and should b e regarded as a legitimate possibility rather than a c o n c l u s i v e reading. This reconstruction is not endorsed in Puech, "Les Fragments eschatologiques," 108. E l g v i n , "The Mystery to C o m e , " 121. DJD 34, 2 0 . 1 1 5

1 1 6

1 1 7

4QINSTRUCTI0N

39

instruction on farming in 4Q418 103 ii incorporates the law of diverse kinds of Lev 19 and Deut 22. The document appears to encourage participation in the Temple cultus (4Q418 103 ii 3; 4Q423 3 4-5). But such concerns are by no means prominent. Topics such as ritual purity or liturgical prayer are conspicuously absent. It is more likely, as Elgvin argues, that 4QInstruction uses priestly tropes to describe the elect status of the addressee. His "inheritance" is holy and superior to that of most people. 4Q418 81 5 declares that God has established the mebin as his "first-born son" ("113)3) (cf. 1Q26 3 2). This term traditionally denotes the son who is to receive his father's inheritance. The addressee is among the "sons of God," a designation for angels. 4Q418 81 also claims that "With all the [div]ine being[s] he has cast 118

119

120

121

122

your lot (rD*ma ^ a n [ t r ] ^ * ] ^ M ) " (U. 4-5; cf. 1 En. 69:11).

123

Line 1 encourages the mebin to bless the "holy ones" (D^OVIp), a common term for angels in Second Temple literature. Similarly lines 11-12 exhort: "Before you receive your inheritance from his hand, glorify his holy ones (VETnp ... begin [with] a song ( n n s

L.H. Schiffman, "Halakhic E l e m e n t s in the Sapiential Texts," in Sapiential Perspectives, 8 9 - 1 0 0 (esp. 9 4 - 9 9 ) . 4 Q 4 2 3 5 l a m e n t i o n s "Levi the prie[st]" in a fragmentary context. T. E l g v i n , "Priestly S a g e s ? T h e M i l i e u s o f Origin o f 4 Q M y s t e r i e s and 4QInstruction," in Sapiential Perspectives, 67-87. Cf. 4 Q 4 1 6 4 3 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 8 8 ii 8; 4 Q 4 1 8 102 5; 4 Q 4 1 8 172 5. Fletcher-Louis, All the Glory of Adam, 1 7 9 , contends that 4 Q 4 1 8 81 is written t o Aaronic priests w h o b l e s s the "holy o n e s , " w h o m h e understands as the "laity o f Israel." But 4QInstruction never m a k e s a distinction b e t w e e n "priest" and "laity." The c o m p o s i t i o n is intended for p e o p l e with differing professions ( s e e section 5 ) , but this social diversity i s never expressed in a hierarchical sense. S e e also Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 2 3 6 ; L.T. Stuckenbruck, " ' A n g e l s ' and ' G o d ' : Exploring t h e Limits o f Early Jewish M o n o t h e i s m , " in Exploring Early Jewish and Christian Monotheism (ed. L.T. Stuckenbruck and W . E . S . North; J S N T S u p 2 6 3 ; N e w York/London: Continuum, 2 0 0 4 ) 4 5 - 7 0 . Elgvin, ^ A n A n a l y s i s o f 4QInstruction," 1 4 0 ; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 2 3 3 . T h e transcription o f the w o r d [ D ^ M is not fully certain. It has a poor material basis. N e v e r t h e l e s s it is a reasonable reconstruction since 4 Q 4 1 8 8 1 1 - 5 explains the addressee's special relationship with G o d and the angels. S e e DJD 34, 3 0 5 ; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 9 4 ; A . Lange, "The Determination o f Fate b y the Oracle o f the L o t in the D e a d S e a Scrolls, the H e b r e w B i b l e and A n c i e n t M e s o p o t a m i a n Literature," in Sapiential, Liturgical and Poetical Texts from Oumran, 39-48. 1 2 0

1 2 1

1 2 2

1 2 3

40

CHAPTER ONE

124

]) of all the holy ones." 4Q418 81 4 uses the verb 123 when urging the addressee to give glory to God. 4Q416 2 iii 11 tells him to "praise his name constantly" (cf. 4Q417 1 ii 6, 9). Praise of God by the angels is a widespread trope in Early Jewish writings. It is a core element, for example, in Dan 7 and the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice (cf. Ps 103:20-21; 148:1-2; 1 En. 61:12). By exalting God the mebin acts in a way that is similar to the angels. The Hodayot also associates the placement of the elect in the "lot of the holy ones" with the praise of God (1QH 19:6-12; cf. 1QS 11:7-8; 4Q511 2 i 8). 4Q418 81 underscores the similarity between the addressee and the "holy ones" by teaching that the mebin himself is holy. Lines 3-4 read: "And you, with this glorify him: by consecrating yourself to him, as he has established you as (the) most holy one [of all] the world (bin [bvb] n^vrnp vnpby (cf. 4Q423 8 3; llQPs 26:9). The Community Rule describes the establishment of the "Community Council" as "the Holy of Holies for Aaron" QTinK*? D ^ T i p ttmp), claiming that the elect community has assumed the atoning function of the Temple (1QS 8:5-6). 4Q418 81 3-4 has been understood as an analogous description of the elect as "the Holy of Holies." 1QS 8:5 calls the elect an "eternal planting" (ublX ntftDB); this phrase occurs in a fragmentary context in 4Q418 81 13. But caution is required when using 1QS 8 to interpret 4Q418 81 3-4. In 4QInstruction the elect group never assumes any intercessory role. The wisdom text never polemicizes against the Temple (cf. CD 6:11-12). onp D^cmp should be interpreted in a superlative sense ("most holy") rather than as a direct reference to the Holy of Holies. The phrase nevertheless brings the Holy of Holies to mind. The line alludes to the Temple to underscore the holiness of the addressee. His holiness is a prominent theme throughout 4QInstruction. 4Q416 2 ii 6-7 125

3

126

127

128

Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 9 4 , offers a more cautious transcription o f this passage than DJD 34, 3 0 1 . T h e version in DJD 34, w h i c h I use above, d o e s not have a strong material basis but is plausible on semantic grounds. S e e also Puech, "Les Fragments eschatologiques," 109. A fragmentary passage o f 4 Q 4 1 8 126 ii could refer to angels praising God: "Continually they praise his n a m e " (1. 10). DJD 34, 3 0 2 ; DSSSE, 2 . 8 7 1 . Cf. 1 En. 10:16; 9 3 : 1 0 ; C D 1:6-7. S e e Stuckenbruck, " ' A n g e l s ' and ' G o d , ' " 6 3 - 6 6 ; P.A. Tiller, "The 'Eternal Planting' in the Dead Sea Scrolls," DSD 4 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 312-35. P u e c h , "Les Fragments eschatologiques," 112. 1 2 5

1 2 6

1 2 7

1 2 8

41

4QINSTRUCTI0N

affirms that the mebin has a holy spirit (cf. 1QS 3:7). 4Q415 probably mentions his "holy seed." Fragmentary texts declare that he possesses an "inheritance of holifness]" and a "ho[ly] heart," and that he should not depart from the "ways of holiness." The angels are presented as models for conduct. They never cease searching for truth: "Indeed, would they say: 'We are tired of works of truth, [we] are weary of ...' Do [they] not wal[k] in eternal light? ... [gl]ory and an abundance of splendor are with them" (4Q418 69 ii 13-14). 4Q418 55 8-10 also describes the angels as a pedagogical ideal: 129

130

[Do] you [not k]now, or have you not heard, that the angels of holiness are h[is] (God's) in heaven? ... They pursue after all the roots of understanding and are vigilant for ... [according to their knowledge they are glorified, each more than his neighbor, and according to one's intelligence his splendor is increased. The addressee's establishment among the "lot" of the angels is not guaranteed. Rather he must nurture and improve it over time, through the study of the raz nihyeh. This lesson is similar to the exhortation of 4Q423 1 that he should till the garden. If the addressee acts like the angels he will join them after death. This is not stated directly but can be inferred. According to 4Q418 69 ii 12-13, the angels live forever: the so[ns of] heaven, whose inheritance is eternal life" (cf. 1. 7). The addressee is reminded that he will die. 4Q418 103 ii 9 teaches that neither a person's property nor body will last: "[More]over your wealth is together with your flesh. [When the days of] your life [come to an end], they (also) will come to an end together" (cf. 4Q416 2 iii 7-8; 4Q418 55 l l ) . 4Q418 69 ii 6 claims that "the foolish of heart" will return "to the eternal pit (0*711} nTO)" (cf. 4Q418 126 ii 7-8). This probably refers to punishment after death. 6C

131

132

A c c o r d i n g to DJD 34, 4 5 , 4 Q 4 1 5 2 i + 1 ii 4-5 attests the phrase "your h o l y seed" (rora-np ani). T h e first w o r d is on fragment 2 i and the second is o n 1 ii. T h e t w o texts are connected b y a distant j o i n . Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 226, considers this j o i n "virtually certain" because the t w o fragments, w h e n placed together, make coherent statements on both the recto and verso, on w h i c h is written 4Q414. S e e , respectively, 4 Q 4 1 8 2 3 4 1, 4 Q 4 1 8 2 3 6 3 and 4 Q 4 2 3 9 3 . DJD 34, 3 3 1 ; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 9 9 . If the author o f 4QInstruction w a s familiar with a version o f 1 Enoch ( s e e section 3.1.2), h e could h a v e read accounts o f the fiery torment o f the w i c k e d after 1 3 0

1 3 1

1 3 2

42

CHAPTER ONE

When the addressee is told he can learn about who will inherit glory and who iniquity in 4Q417 2 i 10-12, the lesson makes a distinction between mourning and joy: Do not rejoice in your mourning lest you toil in you[r] life. [Gaze upon the mystery] that is to be, grasp the birth-times of salvation and know who is inheriting glory and who ini[qu]ity. Is not [joy established for those contrite of spirit?] Or eternal joy (D^II? nnBE?) for those who mourn? "Mourning" is associated with the present. "Eternal joy" appears to be something that the addressee will enjoy in the future. 4Q418 102 5 reads: "[from the] iniquity of abomination you will be innocent, and in the joy of truth (DBK n n » M ) you will ..." In this text the term "joy" describes being spared from divine judgment. 4Q416 4 3 associates joy with the special inheritance allotted to the mebin, who is urged to "rejoice in the inheritance of truth" (DDK n^naa nroiB) (cf. 4Q416 2 iii 8). In 1 Enoch joy has an eschatological sense in reference to the fate of the righteous. The Epistle of Enoch, for example, promises that "you will have great joy like the angels of heaven" (7 En. 104:4). In 4QInstruction "eternal joy" probably signifies eternal life with the angels, which the addressee can attain after death. He is urged to protect his "holy spirit" by following the teaching of the composition (e.g., 4Q416 2 ii 6). Having preserved this spirit, it continues to exist after the death of the body. In 133

134

135

death such as 1 En. 1 0 : 1 3 - 1 4 and 103:7-8. The Treatise o f the T w o Spirits u s e s the phrase "eternal pit" (u^bus nnrc) in reference to the punishment o f the w i c k e d after death ( 1 Q S 4:12). T h e "dark regions" (c-oona) o f 1QS 4:13 are associated with anguish, whereas the D-SOTTO o f 4 Q 4 1 8 6 9 ii 7 are unaccompanied b y any description o f punishment after death (cf. P s 143:3; 4 Q 5 2 5 21 1). It is reasonable to posit that the author o f 4QInstruction w a s familiar with a conception o f punishment after death for the w i c k e d . H o w e v e r , this idea is never explicit in the text and he s h o w s minimal interest in this motif. Cf. 1 En. 5 1 : 4 - 5 ; Jub. 2 3 : 3 0 - 3 1 ; 1QS 4:6-8. N o t e the phonetic similarity b e t w e e n the contrasting fates o f the "eternal pit" (pbvs nno) and "eternal j o y " (c*?i» mora). The Treatise o f the T w o Spirits also distinguishes b e t w e e n the "eternal pit" ( c n ^ i s TWO) and "eternal j o y " (p^nbiss m a c ) (1QS 4:6-14). E l g v i n has argued that 4QInstruction affirms the resurrection o f the righteous. In "An A n a l y s i s o f 4QInstruction," 2 4 9 , for example, h e translates 4 Q 4 1 8 6 9 ii 7 as "the seekers o f truth will w a k e up to the j u d g m e n t s [ o f G o d ? ] . " H e understands this statement along the lines o f 1 En. 9 1 : 1 0 , w h i c h asserts that "the righteous w i l l arise from his sleep." S e e also his "Early E s s e n e Eschatology," 1 4 3 - 4 4 . E. P u e c h has argued at length that 4 Q 4 1 8 6 9 ii 7 attests a b e l i e f in resurrection. S e e his "La 1 3 3

1 3 4

1 3 5

43

4QINSTRUCTI0N

4Q417 2 i 10-12 the present, construed as a state of mourning, contrasts with the "joy" the addressee will receive after death. This grim assessment of his life accords with his poverty. Other texts depict the life of the mebin in a different manner. 4Q416 2 iii 11-12 reads: "He (God) has raised your head out of poverty (rDfflto o n n W i n ) . With the nobles (D^ITHJ) he has placed you, and he has given you authority over an inheritance of glory (rD^TOn T D D n^TOD)" (cf. 4Q415 6 2; 4Q418 126 ii 8; 4Q418 177 5). This statement occurs between reminders that the addressee is "poor" (4Q416 2 iii 8, 12). Many members of the intended audience of 4QInstruction struggled financially, as discussed below. Therefore the claim that the mebin has been lifted out of poverty should be understood metaphorically. The assertion that he has been seated with the "nobles" is in parallelism with his "inheritance of glory," a reference to his elect status. It is reasonable to understand the "nobles" as angels. Admittedly, the word D'O'Ha does not have this meaning elsewhere in Second Temple literature. 4Q416 2 iii 11-12 gives the impression of realized eschatology, as if joining the angels were possible during the life of the addressee. But 4Q417 2 i 10-12, with its distinction between "mourning" and 136

137

138

Croyance a la resurrection des justes dans un texte qumranien de s a g e s s e , " in Sefer Moshe: The Moshe Weinfeld Jubilee Volume. Studies in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, Qumran, and Post-Biblical Judaism (ed. C. C o h e n et al.; W i n o n a Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2 0 0 4 ) 4 2 7 - 4 4 ; idem, "Les Fragments eschatologiques," 1 0 0 - 3 ; idem, "La C o n c e p t i o n de la v i e future dans le livre de la S a g e s s e et les manuscrits de la M e r Morte: U n Apercu," RevQ 21 ( 2 0 0 3 ) 2 0 9 - 3 2 (esp. 2 2 8 - 2 9 ) ; idem, "Apports des textes apocalyptiques et sapientiels," 1 4 0 - 4 4 . A c c o r d i n g to 4 Q 4 1 8 6 9 ii 7, "the seekers o f truth" "exist forever." This section is addressed to the "foolish o f heart" w h o are j u d g e d . Line 13 affirms that the angels have eternal life. In line 7 the "seekers" "rouse t h e m s e l v e s " ( m r ) for "your" j u d g m e n t , referring to the "foolish o f heart." This suggests that the "seekers" are not the righteous w h o are resurrected but angels w h o participate in the divine j u d g m e n t o f the w i c k e d . S e e also Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 2 1 1 ; J.J. Collins, "The E s c h a t o l o g i z i n g o f W i s d o m in the D e a d S e a Scrolls," in Sapiential Perspectives, 496 5 (esp. 56). * S e e section 5 . 3 . 1 . 4 Q 4 2 7 7 ii 8-9 reads: "(God) casts d o w n the haughty spirit s o that there is no remnant and lifts up the poor from the d u s t . . . and to the clouds he magnifies h i m in stature and (he is) with the h e a v e n l y b e i n g s in the a s s e m b l y o f the c o m m u n i t y " (cf. 1 Sam 2:6-7; 1QH 2 6 : 1 - 2 ; 4 Q 5 2 5 14 ii 3). S e e also W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 155-56. N o t e , h o w e v e r , 1QH 14:14: "They will be your princes (ns-nc) in the lo[t o f your h o l y o n e s ] . " Cf. Sir 11:1; C D 6 : 2 - 1 1 ; 4 Q 5 2 5 2 ii + 3 9. 36

1 3 7

1 3 8

44

CHAPTER ONE

"eternal joy," suggests that 4Q416 2 iii 11-12 does not make the exact same claim as the Self-Glorification Hymn. The speaker of this aptly named text boldly asserts that he is with the angels: "I am counted among the gods" (4Q491c 1 7). The Hodayot similarly asserts that the elect have been purified from sin "to become united wi[th] the sons of your truth and in the lot with your holy ones" (1QH 19:11-12; cf. 11:19-22). 4Q416 2 iii 11-12 promotes the deterministic view that the elect status of the mebin and its eternal rewards have been established by God. For this to take place he must live in a way that is characterized by piety, righteousness and wisdom. 4QInstruction can be understood to have a "realized eschatology," but in a weaker sense than how the expression is often understood. Fellowship with the angels is not fully realized until death. 139

140

4. ESCHATOLOGICAL JUDGMENT 141

Eschatological judgment is an important theme in 4Qlnstruction. It is a prominent motif in the "vision of Hagu" pericope and the composition is filled with brief allusions to this topic. 4Q416 1, considered to be the beginning of the composition, establishes the 142

1 3 9

M . G . A b e g g , Jr., " W h o A s c e n d e d to H e a v e n ? 4 Q 4 9 1 , 4 Q 4 2 7 , and the Teacher o f R i g h t e o u s n e s s , " in Eschatology, Messianism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls (ed. C A . E v a n s and P . W . Flint; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1 9 9 7 ) 6 2 - 7 0 ; E. Eshel, " 4 Q 4 7 1 b : A Self-Glorification H y m n , " RevO 17 ( 1 9 9 6 ) 1 7 5 - 2 0 3 ; M . O . W i s e , " D ^ K S T T M -a: A Studv o f 4 Q 4 9 1 c , 4 Q 4 7 1 b , 4 Q 4 2 7 7 and l Q H 2 5 : 3 5 - 2 6 : 1 0 , " DSD 7 ( 2 0 0 0 ) 1 7 3 - 2 1 9 . B . Frennesson, "In a Common Rejoicing": Liturgical Communion with Angels in Qumran ( S S U 14; Uppsala: University o f Uppsala Press, 1999); D . Dimant, "Men as A n g e l s : T h e S e l f - i m a g e o f the Qumran Community," in Religion and Politics in the Ancient Near East (ed. A . Berlin; Bethesda: University Press o f Maryland, 1 9 9 6 ) 9 3 - 1 0 3 ; Sullivan, Wrestling With Angels, 147'-67; J.H. Charlesworth, "The Portrayal o f the R i g h t e o u s as an A n g e l , " in Ideal Figures in Ancient Judaism: Profiles and Paradigms (ed. J.J. Collins and G . W . E . Nickelsburg; S B L S C S 12; Chico: Scholars Press, 1 9 8 0 ) 1 3 5 - 5 1 . T. Elgvin, "Early E s s e n e Eschatology: Judgment and Salvation according to Sapiential Work A , " in Current Research and Technological Development on the Dead Sea Scrolls: Conference on the Texts from the Judean Desert, Jerusalem, 30 April 1995 (ed. D . W . Parry and S.D. R i c k s ; STDJ 2 0 ; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 6 ) 1 2 6 - 6 5 ; Collins, "The E s c h a t o l o g i z i n g o f W i s d o m , " 4 9 - 6 5 . S e e , for example, 4 Q 4 1 7 1 i 2 4 ; 4 Q 4 1 7 1 ii 11; 4 Q 4 1 7 4 ii 4 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 6 8 2 - 3 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 7 7 3 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 113 1 - 2 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 121 1; 4 Q 4 1 8 c 5; 4 Q 4 2 3 4 3a; and 4 Q 4 2 3 6 4. a

1

0

1 4 1

1 4 2

45

4QINSTRUCTI0N

theological horizon for the teachings that follow.

Lines 10-13 read:

F r o m h e a v e n he will j u d g e over the work o f w i c k e d n e s s .

B u t all t h e

s o n s o f his truth w i l l b e a c c e p t e d w i t h f a v o r . . . T h e y (the w i c k e d ) w i l l b e i n terror.

A n d all t h o s e w h o d e f i l e d t h e m s e l v e s i n it ( w i c k e d n e s s )

w i l l cry out. depths will be ("Kzn

rrn

F o r the h e a v e n s w i l l b e afraid . . . T h e [ s ] e a s a n d the i n terror a n d e v e r y

fleshly

spirit w i l l b e

laid

bare

bD rijniHT). B u t t h e s o n s o f h e a v e [ n w i l l r e j o i c e o n t h e d a y

o f ] its [ j u d g ] m e n t a n d all i n i q u i t y w i l l c o m e t o a n e n d , a n d t h e p e r i o d o f t r u [ t h ] w i l l b e c o m p l e t e d (cf. 4 Q 4 1 6 3 3 ; 4 Q 4 1 6 4 l ) .

1 4 4

Divine judgment is depicted as a mighty act that overwhelms the natural world. This text is similar to theophanies of the Hebrew Bible such as Judg 5:4-5. Theophanic proclamations of judgment are prominent in the biblical prophets (e.g., Hab 3:10), and the author of 4QInstruction may have been familiar with this tradition. I Enoch also begins with a declaration of theophanic judgment. Some will be punished and others rewarded. The expression "sons of his truth" probably refers to the elect (4Q416 1 10; cf. 4Q418 81 10; 1QS 4:6). According to 4Q416 1 12, the "fleshly spirit" will be destroyed. The phrase denotes people who are not among the elect. They do not have the revealed knowledge necessary for salvation, which is available to the "sons of his truth." "The period of tru[th]" ( [ n j O K H f p) probably refers to the time during which iniquity is vanquished (4Q416 1 13; cf. 4Q418 123 ii 4). This period is understood in relation to "all the periods of eternity" (10 Sp bD) in a text that is unfortunately too fragmentary to interpret sufficiently (4Q416 1 14; cf. 4Q417 1 i 7-8). 4QInstruction does not enumerate different periods of history or recount the events that take place in each one in the manner of the Enochic Apocalypse of Weeks. There is no sense that the author considers himself to be living in the final period. But 4Q416 does understand history as 145

146

n

1 4 3

Collins, Jewish Wisdom, 126; Puech, "Les Fragments eschatologiques," 8 9 . Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 174, 180, j o i n s material from 4 Q 4 1 8 2 1 2 to 4 Q 4 1 6 1 1 1 . H i s version o f this line states: "For the h e a v e n s shall fear, and the earth shall b e shaken from [its p l a c e ] . " T h e extra s e c o n d phrase fits w e l l with the theophanic tenor o f the passage. Strugnell and Harrington, DJD 34, 8 6 , consider the difficult verb runyrr in 4 Q 4 1 6 1 1 2 "obscure." It may b e a Hithpalpel o f the root T W , "to m a k e bare" (cf. Jer 5 1 : 5 8 ) . Puech, "Les Fragments eschatologiques," 9 0 - 9 1 , 9 7 , reconstructs 4 Q 4 1 6 1 13 as attesting discussion o f divine praise. Collins, "The E s c h a t o l o g i z i n g o f W i s d o m , " 5 2 . J.C. VanderKam, "The Theophany o f E n o c h 1 3 B - 7 , 9," in From Revelation to Canon (JSJSup 6 2 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 0 ) 3 3 2 - 5 3 . 1 4 4

1 4 5

1 4 6

46

CHAPTER ONE

divided into periods, a common motif in the apocalyptic tradition. A fragmentary portion of 4Q416 1 affirms the regulated nature of the cosmos: "season upon season ... according to their host to r[ule by dominion ... for kingdom] and kingdom, for pr[ovince and province, for each and every man ... the judgment of all of them belongs to him]" (11. 3-6; cf. 1 En. 2-5; 100:10-11). The ordered nature of reality underscores the extent of divine control and the inevitability of judgment. The other major judgment scene of 4QInstruction is in 4Q418 69 ii, part of which reads: 148

... and your return will be to the eternal pit (pb\3 nnwb), for it will awaken [to condemn] you[r] sin ... its dark regions will roar against your case (Man) and all who exist forever, those who seek truth, will rouse themselves for yo[ur] judgment. [And then] all the foolish of heart will be destroyed (nb 'bm b*D HOttr), the sons of iniquity will be found no more [and a]ll who seize wickedness will wither [away. And then] at your judgment the foundations of the firmament will shout and all... will thunder ... (11. 6-9). 149

This passage, like 4Q416 1, has theophanic elements, such as thunder and the shouting of the firmament. Use of the word m suggests familiarity with prophetic tradition (cf. Mic 6:1-8; 1Q26 1 7; 4Q423 4 3a). 4Q418 69 ii 4-9 is addressed to the "foolish of heart" and lines 10-15 to the "truly chosen ones." The former are told of their destruction and the latter are urged to pursue the truth. No other text of 4QInstruction affirms an opposition between these two groups. 4Q418 69 ii favors the second person plural, as does 4Q418 55, whereas the composition in general uses the second person singular. Some commentators have suggested that these two fragments have a provenance distinct from the rest of the composition. This is possible. But there is not enough evidence to endorse this opinion. A 150

J.J. Collins, The Apocalyptic Imagination (2 ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1 9 9 8 [orig. pub., 1 9 8 4 ] ) 6 3 - 6 5 . DJD 34, 8 2 . Tigchelaar's reconstruction o f this passage is slightly different from that o f DJD 34. S e e To Increase Learning, 176-77. Puech, "Les Fragments eschatologiques," 9 9 , offers a slightly different reconstruction o f this passage. H e plausibly suggests that line 6 states that the pit will a w a k e and expose your sin (italics m i n e ) . H e supplements the line so that it claims that the "[inhabitants of] its dark regions" will contend against the foolish o f heart. B a s e d o n a visible sade, h e m a k e s the interesting proposal that the eternal host (KDS) thunders in line 9. DJD 34, 14; Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 2 1 1 - 1 2 . 1 4 9

1 5 0

4QINSTRUCTI0N

47

shift in person is not necessarily an indication of different authors. The "truly chosen ones" are to study, following the model of the angels (4Q418 69 ii 12-14; cf. 4Q418 55 8-11). The education of the elect is emphasized throughout the work, as is their affinity with the angels. 4QInstruction emphasizes the wickedness of the "foolish of heart." The expression is parallel to phrases such as "the sons of iniquity" and "[a]ll who seize wickedness." The "fleshly spirit" is not associated with wickedness in the same manner. If the "fleshly spirit" represents all people not among the elect, the "foolish of heart" can be understood more specifically as those who are wicked. Both expressions refer to those who will be destroyed in the final judgment. The addressee is told about the fate of such people in order to encourage him not to join their ranks. 4QInstruction appeals to judgment to foster ethical conduct. Proverbs teaches that the wicked and the foolish will meet an untimely death. Their demise is presented as a natural consequence of their own actions (e.g., Prov 26:27), eliminating any need for God to intervene to destroy the wicked. The form of retribution in 4QInstruction is more in keeping with prophecy and apocalypticism than traditional wisdom. 151

152

5. THE INTENDED AUDIENCE OF 4QINSTRUCTION

4QInstruction typically refers to its addressee in the second person singular. The document was, however, intended for a group. The word mebin is used several times in the plural. 4Q418 123 ii 4, for example, asserts that the mystery that is to be has been revealed to the

1 5 1

K. K o c h has termed this the "Tat-Ergehen-Zusammenhang" (deedc o n s e q u e n c e relationship). S e e his "Gibt e s ein V e r g e l t u n g s d o g m a i m A l t e n Testament?" ZTK 5 2 ( 1 9 5 5 ) 1-42; idem, "Is There a Doctrine o f Retribution in the Old Testament?" in Theodicy in the Old Testament (ed. J.L. Crenshaw; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1 9 8 3 ) 5 7 - 8 7 . Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination, 1 8 8 - 9 0 , c o m p e l l i n g l y s u g g e s t s that the t h e m e o f j u d g m e n t in 4QInstruction represents the 'eschatologizing' o f the TatErgehen-Zusammenhang. This proposal makes sense since 4QInstruction c o m b i n e s traditional w i s d o m with an apocalyptic w o r l d v i e w . 1 5 2

48

CHAPTER ONE

153

meUinim (cf. 4Q415 11 5; 4Q418 221 3). The composition uses other group designations in relation to the elect, such as "sons of his truth" and "men of favor" (4Q416 1 10; 4Q418 81 10). These expressions probably refer to the intended audience of 4QInstruction. The composition may prefer the singular in order to address each mebm more directly. 5.1 Farmers, Artisans and Servants Several professions are represented among the intended audience of 4QInstruction. 4Q423 3 2, 4Q423 4 1-2 (par 1Q26 1 5-6), and 4Q423 5 5-6 assume the addressee is a farmer. 4Q418 103 ii urges that one not mix crops of different kinds together (cf Lev 19; Deut 22). 4Q418 81 15 proclaims that the mebin has been given •"'T riEDn, "manual skill." The phrase is used in relation to an artisan in Sir 9:17 (cf. Wis 7:16). This may also be the case in 4Q424 3 7. 4Q418 81 19 extols manual wisdom as a way to achieve an abundance of good things. This suggests some of the target group had skills as craftspeople. Other texts present the mebm as a kind of tradesman (4Q417 2 i 17-18; cf. 4Q418 126 ii 15). These passages probably refer to the sale of his own agricultural goods or crafts that he made. 4Q416 2 ii 9-18 recommends that the addressee work diligently as a "servant" (1317). The exact form of work is not specified, but the circumstances are difficult. He may "hate" his employer (1. 14). Line 17 states that he should work without wages, attending to his "oppressors freely." Since there is no payment, this could be instruction designed for a debt-slave. 4Q416 2 ii 9-18 154

155

156

157

The plural form o f this w o r d has been reconstructed in 4 Q 4 1 6 1 16 by Puech, "Les Fragments eschatologiques," 9 1 . The phrase is attested in fragmentary texts ( 4 Q 4 1 8 102 3 ; 4 Q 4 1 8 137 2; 4 Q 4 1 8 139 2). S e e section 2.1 o f Chapter 7. Strugnell and Harrington, DJD 34, 3 0 3 , 3 0 9 , interpret 4 Q 4 1 8 81 15 as claiming that the addressee has authority over manual artisans rather than manual skill. R e a d in this w a y , the text is directed towards a scribe w h o s e superiority o v e r physical laborers is affirmed, as in Sir 3 8 : 2 4 - 3 4 . This reading is unlikely, g i v e n the social location o f the addressee (see b e l o w ) . This interpretation is supported by the prominence o f instruction regarding debts and surety, w h i c h is e x a m i n e d in section 5 . 3 . 1 . S e e Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 46. 1 5 4

1 5 5

1 5 6

1 5 7

4QINSTRUCTI0N

49

envisions an addressee who is in some sort of low level domestic position. 5.2 Women 158

The intended audience of 4QInstruction includes women. 4Q415 2 ii is exceptional among wisdom texts, and ancient Jewish literature in general, because it addresses women. The fragment has not survived well, but it discusses the authority of the husband over the wife versus that of her father. Its first legible phrase reads "like (your) father honor 0122)) ..." (1. 1). The father's authority over his recently married (or soon to be married) daughter is transferred to her husband. This interpretation is suggested by the fragmentary material of lines 7 and 9, which probably mention the household in which the woman was born. The transfer of control to the husband from the woman's parents is stressed in 4Q416 2 iv 3: "From her mother he has separated her, but towards you [shall be her desire]." This perspective is applied to the daughter of a male addressee: "Your daughter he will separate unto another man" (1. 4). 4Q415 11 also offers advice to a father regarding the marriage of his daughters. Ben Sira recommends that a father be intensely vigilant over his 159

160

161

162

W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 183-240. S e e also T. Han, Integrating Women into Second Temple History (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2 0 0 1 ) . B.G. Wright, " W i s d o m and W o m e n at Qumran," DSD 11 ( 2 0 0 4 ) 2 4 0 - 6 1 (esp. 2 5 2 - 5 3 ) ; D.J. Harrington, "Ten R e a s o n s W h y the Qumran W i s d o m Texts are Important," DSD 4 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 2 4 5 - 5 5 (esp. 2 5 2 ) . W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 8 6 . A s suggested in DJD 34, 125, lines 2-3 are reasonably reconstructed as attesting a parallel statement: "[Her father] he has not set in authority over her." Line 6 reads: "[A]ll her b l e m i s h e s recount to him, and m a k e [him] understand her bodily defects." 4 Q D ( 4 Q 2 7 1 ) 3 7-9 stipulates that a father should d i s c l o s e the b l e m i s h e s o f h i s daughter to the m a n she is about to marry (cf. D e u t 2 7 : 1 8 ) . It is not clear h o w "blemishes" should b e interpreted in 4 Q 4 1 5 11 6. This could refer to her appearance. Line 4 attests the w o r d "beauty" in an incomplete context. Her "blemishes" could relate to childbirth. 4 Q 4 1 5 11 6 m a y urge the father to report to the g r o o m w h e n the bride is in her menstrual cycle, with an e y e towards the conception o f a child. 4 Q 4 1 5 9 2 stresses that the addressee is to acquire children from his w i f e (cf. 4 Q 4 1 5 11 11). In 4 Q 2 7 1 3 the "blemishes" o f the w i f e refer to her promiscuity and loss o f virginity (11. 12-13). S e e DJD 34, 5 9 ; W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 2 2 6 - 3 0 . 1 5 9

1 6 0

1 6 1

1 6 2

f

50

CHAPTER ONE

daughters. 4QInstruction does not teach a father to remain in a state of anxiety over his female children. Ben Sira has a caustic attitude towards daughters, and women in general, that is not found in 4QInstruction. Marriage is an important topic in 4QInstruction. According to 4Q415 2 ii 4, a woman is not to neglect the "ho[ly] covenant" (cf. 1. 7). This could refer to her observance of the Torah. Since the passage is on gender relations, it is more likely that "covenant" refers to marriage, as in Prov 2:17. 4Q415 2 ii 4 exhorts the female mebin to obey the bonds of marriage, which, for 4QInstruction, includes deferring to her husband. Such a woman is apparently praised as an ideal wife, who will become "a subject of praise [on the mou]th of all men" (1. 8). 4QInstruction alludes to the Torah to emphasize the importance of marriage: "Walk together with the helper of your flesh (rD~)ED ")TI7) (4Q416 2 iii 21). This recalls Eve by conflating material from Gen 2. She is Adam's "helper" ( I T S ) (2:18) and they are "one flesh" ( l E D n n « ) (2:24; cf. 4Q418 126 ii 9). 4Q423 1 models the elect status of the addressee after Adam. 4Q416 2 iii 21 is a practical application of this trope. As the mebin is to maintain the garden, as Adam did, he is, also like Adam, to take a wife. 4Q416 2 iv 1 preserves part of a 164

W

165

166

167

1 6

Sir 4 2 : 9 - 1 1 , for example, reads: "A daughter is a treasure that k e e p s her father wakeful and worry over her drives a w a y sleep: lest in her youth she remain unmarried, or w h e n she is married, lest she be childless ... M y son, keep a c l o s e watch on your daughter, lest she make y o u the sport o f your e n e m i e s " (cf. 2 2 : 3 - 5 ; 2 6 : 1 0 - 1 2 ) . S e e further Collins, Jewish Wisdom, 6 4 - 7 0 ; W . C . Trenchard, Ben Sira's View of Women (Chico: Scholars Press, 1982); C. Camp, "Understanding a Patriarchy: W o m e n in S e c o n d Century Jerusalem Through the E y e s o f B e n Sira," in "Women Like This": New Perspectives on Jewish Women in the Greco-Roman Period (ed. A.-J. Levine; S B L E J L 1; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1991) 1-39. B e n Sira considers daughters more trouble than they are worth. Their marriage is presented as a source o f relief: "Giving your daughter in marriage is an end to anxiety" ( 7 : 2 5 ) . S e e Trenchard, Ben Sira's View of Women, 165. 4QInstruction never g i v e s a d v i c e regarding a "bad wife," unlike B e n Sira and Proverbs (cf. Sir 2 5 : 1 6 - 2 6 ; Prov 12:4). Cf. 4 Q 4 1 8 a 16b + 17 3. A l s o note 4 Q 3 0 3 1 0 - 1 1 : "He m a d e for him a helper fit [for h i m ... H e g a v e her] to him for a wife, because from h i m [she w a s taken]." DJD 34, 123; W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 9 5 - 9 7 ; Wright, " W i s d o m and Women," 252. There is a parallel in Tobit. Shortly after Tobias takes Sarah as a w i f e ( 7 : 1 3 ) , h e says a prayer, part o f w h i c h reads: " Y o u made A d a m , and for him y o u m a d e his w i f e E v e as a helper and support ... Y o u said 'It is not g o o d that the man should b e 1 6 4

1 6 5

1 6 6

1 6 7

51

4QINSTRUCTI0N

statement that a man should leave his "father [and] his mother and should cl[eave to his wife]," alluding to Gen 2:24. The assertion of Gen 2:24 that Adam and Eve are "one flesh" has been understood as an affirmation of their equal status, at least before their expulsion from Eden. 4QInstruction is less ambiguous on this point. 4Q416 2 iv 4 tells a man that his wife will be "for you one flesh." The following line asserts "you will become a unity with the wife of your bosom, for she is the flesh of [your] nak[edness] ([rDm]'")!?)." This is addressed to a man. They are one flesh—his. 4Q415 9 2 expresses the same idea. Addressing a male (cf. 1. 8), it states: "Your womb is to conceive for y[ou]." The term "womb" presumably refers to the wife, pars pro toto. Her ability to bear children, and her body in general, is considered the domain of her husband. The verb bwft, used in 4Q423 1 2 to claim that the mebm has been entrusted with Eden, is employed several times to assert his 168

169

m

5

alone; let u s m a k e a helper for h i m like himself. I n o w am taking this k i n s w o m a n o f m i n e , not b e c a u s e o f lust, but with sincerity" ( 8 : 6 - 7 ) . 168 p T } b i Q} > Rhetoric of Sexuality (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1 9 7 8 ) 101. S e e also J.J. Collins, The Bible after Babel: Historical Criticism in a Postmodern Age (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2 0 0 5 ) 8 6 - 9 6 . The pronominal suffix o f [ r o m ] ^ has b e e n supplemented. This addition m a k e s s e n s e g i v e n the rest o f the line but d o e s not h a v e a material basis. This reconstruction is endorsed b y Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning, 4 8 . W o l d , Women, Men and Angels, 190, s u g g e s t s [ r o D ^ n s . T h e expression "flesh o f [your] n a k [ e d n e s s ] " resonates with Gen 1-3. T h e w o r d "naked" ( d t i » ) is important in these chapters ( 2 : 2 5 ; 3:1). 4 Q 4 1 6 2 ii 21 probably refers to the w i f e o f the addressee in a similar w a y . A c c o r d i n g t o Strugnell and Harrington, DJD 34, 9 0 , this line attests the phrase: r o p ^ n ] ^b2, w h i c h they translate as " ' v e s s e l ' o f your b o s o m . " T h i s has b e e n related t o the w o r d ok€0o. S e e E. T o v , Scribal Practices and Approaches Reflected in the Texts Found in the Judean Desert (STDJ 5 4 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 4 ) 2 3 2 . Cf. 4 Q 4 1 2 1 10; 4 Q 4 2 6 10 4; 1 1 Q 5 1 8 : 1 1 ; 19:6. Tigchelaar, "More o n 4Q264A," 4 5 6 . 4 6

4 7

172

C H A P T E R SIX

Tigchelaar that the "yoke of wisd[om]" in 4Q421 la ii-b 10 is an allusion to the law. But this does not refute the classification of the composition as a wisdom text. On the contrary, it supports this designation. As mentioned above, both Ben Sira and the Pirke Avot associate Torah with a yoke. The Qumran wisdom texts 4Q185 and 4Q525 associate wisdom with the Torah and this is also the case with the apocryphal work Baruch and the New Testament Letter of James. With regard to 4QWays of Righteousness, the identification of wisdom with the Torah in Ben Sira is especially interesting. Sir 24 poetically describes the Torah as the product of the descent of Lady Wisdom to Israel. There is nothing like this in 4QWays of Righteousness. Ben Sira's mode of persuasion is more reminiscent of Proverbs than Leviticus. He offers no instruction on the Sabbath. The Jerusalem sage promulgates general ethical guidelines rather than halakhot. This is the case even when he teaches on cultic topics. For example, Sir 34:21-35:22 discusses unacceptable and acceptable sacrifices. The opening lines of this section read: "Tainted his gift who offers in sacrifice ill-gotten goods! Presents from the lawless do not win God's favor" (34:21-22). Ben Sira does not offer his students detailed legislation regarding their participation in the Temple cult. Rather the general thrust of his teaching is that sacrifices should be accompanied by high ethical standards. The general viewpoint of Ben Sira is that the Torah is an important source of wisdom, and that the eudemonistic goals endorsed by the sapiential tradition can be achieved by heeding the commandments. 4Q420-21 is compatible 48

49

4 8

Tigchelaar, "Sabbath Halakha," 3 7 0 . H e writes that the attestation o f this phrase "is not e n o u g h e v i d e n c e to characterize the first part o f 4Q421 l a ii-b as an admonition to submit to the y o k e o f w i s d o m . " H e disparages the sayings on moderation and deliberation, w h i c h as discussed in section 2 . 1 . represent instruction squarely in the sapiential tradition. In his opinion the sayings "hardly g i v e concrete guidelines for life." Bar 3:9-4:4; Jas 2 : 8 - 1 2 . Avot 6:7 praises the Torah with a string o f citations from Prov 1-9. S e e further section 4.2 o f the conclusion to this book. Consult also T.C. Penner, The Epistle of James and Eschatology: Re-reading an Ancient Christian Letter ( J S N T S u p 1 2 1 ; Sheffield: Sheffield A c a d e m i c Press, 1996); M . A . JacksonM c C a b e , Logos and Law in the Letter of James: The Law of Nature, the Law of Moses, and the Law of Freedom ( N o v T S u p 100; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 1 ) ; C. B e n n e m a , "The Strands o f W i s d o m Tradition in Intertestamental Judaism: Origins, D e v e l o p m e n t s and Characteristics," TynBul 52 ( 2 0 0 1 ) 6 1 - 8 1 (esp. 6 8 - 7 0 ) ; Schnabel, Law and Wisdom, 6 9 - 1 6 5 . 4 9

4QWAYS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

(4Q420-21)

173

with this perspective. It teaches that Sabbath observance should be accompanied by ethical righteousness. But the work does not celebrate or thematize the Torah as Ben Sira does. The theme of the law in 4QWays of Righteousness is expressed through the promotion of halakhah, which is not the case in Ben Sira. Halakhah is more important in 4Q420-21 than Lady Wisdom. These texts attest two different ways the Torah was incorporated into the wisdom tradition during the late Second Temple period.

2.3 4QWays of Righteousness and the Dead Sea Sect Elgvin argues in the official edition of 4QWays of Righteousness that the sectarian movement associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls expanded the text into its final form. This view has in general been endorsed. It is reasonable to claim that members of this group played some role in the production of this text. Above I pointed out terminological similarities between 4Q420 la ii-b 3-4 and 1QS 1:5. The points of contact between the Sabbath halakhah of 4Q421 11 and 13 and the Damascus Document are also discussed above. 4Q421 la i has affinities with the rulebooks as well. One of its best-preserved passages is in lines 2-3: "[he shall bring all] his [wi]sdom and knowledge and understanding and good things [into the Community OirTQ) of God]." The "sectually explicit" expression *irP3 is supplemented by Elgvin. It is not an entirely unreasonable addition since this line is similar to the well-known stipulation that new members of the yahad "will convey all their knowledge, their energies, and their riches to the Community of God" (1QS 1:11-12; cf. 3:2; CD 13:11). The only attribute in both texts is "knowledge" 50

51

52

53

54

50

DJD 20, 173, 202. Tigchelaar, "Sabbath Halakha," 371-72; Kampen, "Diverse Aspects," 231; Murphy, Wealth in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 254-55; G.J. Brooke, "Biblical Interpretation in the Wisdom Texts from Qumran," in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran, 201-20 (esp. 217). Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 63, treats the claim with caution. DJD 20, 186; Elgvin, "Admonition Texts," 185. C.A. Newsom, "'Sectually Explicit' Literature from Qumran," in The Hebrew Bible and Its Interpreters (ed. W. Propp et al.; Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1990) 167-87. For the theme of wealth in the Community Rule, see Murphy, Wealth in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 117-62. 51

52

5 3

5 4

174

C H A P T E R SIX

(nin). The crucial issue of bringing wealth is not explicit in this 4Q421 text, although money may be implicit in the expression "his good things" (ifno) (cf. 1. 15; 4Q421 5 2). It is possible that 4Q421 la i 2 offers a more general version of the basic idea emphasized in 1QS 1:11-12 that members should wholeheartedly devote themselves to the group. 4QWays of Righteousness does not highlight the donation of wealth but rather that the addressees should shape their intelligence and knowledge according to the education offered by the group. This is a plausible, but not certain, interpretation. Elgvin's view that 4Q421 la i 2-3 should be interpreted in light of the rulebooks is suggested by the statement that follows. Line 3 reads: "to muster everyone, each before [his] neighbfor]" Cpob [in]m *)*b EPK blSTl). While none of these terms are particularly rare, this statement is a near verbatim match with part of 1QS 5:23: "And they shall be recorded in order, one before the other ("p02 inin **isb EPX ^13*1), according to one's insight and one's deeds" (cf. CD 13:12). On the basis of this strong parallel Elgvin reasonably argues that 4Q421 la i 3 describes the inscription of members of the yahad in a hierarchal fashion. 1QS 6:18 emphasizes that members are to be evaluated in terms of their "insight" and "deeds" in relation to the Torah. According to 1QS 9:15-16, one of the responsibilities of the MaslCil is to promote each sectarian "according to his intellect" O^DO ^b). The term "intellect" appears to refer to the ability of members to learn and practice the way of life of the group. Their hierarchy is related to their education. This realization explains why 4Q421 la i 2 has several terms referring to one's acquisition of wisdom and line 3 mentions the ranking of people. These lines discuss the evaluation of sectarians according to their receptiveness to the pedagogical practices of the yahad. The intended audience of 4Q421 la i is reasonably considered part of the movement associated with the Teacher of Righteousness. 4Q421 la i 4 supports a sectarian reading of the fragment. It reads: "the first lot [will fa]ll, and then they will go out" (*rmn KpP] 55

56

5 5

DJD 20, 187. S e e also D . Hamidovid, " 4 Q 2 7 9 , 4QFour Lots, une Interpretation du P s a u m e 135 Appartenant a 4 Q 4 2 1 , 4 Q W a y s o f R i g h t e o u s n e s s , " DSD 9 ( 2 0 0 2 ) 1 6 6 - 8 6 (esp. 1 8 1 - 8 2 ) . C.A. N e w s o m , "The S a g e in the Literature o f Qumran: The Functions o f the Maskil," in The Sage in Israel and the Ancient Near East (ed. J.G. G a m m i e and L.G. Perdue; W i n o n a Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1990) 3 7 3 - 8 3 . 5 6

4QWAYS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (4Q420-21)

175

1

IKS' p i yrernn). The term "lot" is used in the rulebooks as a term for a member's ranking within the group (1QS 2:23; CD 13:12). The word S"113 is used in the Community Rule together with the verb no less than five times. The phrase typically refers to decisions involving group members, with regard to the change of a person's status in the sect. 1QS 6:21-22, for example, reads: "And when the second year is complete he will be examined by command of the Many. And if the lot results in him ( ^ T i a n lb joining the Community, they shall enter him in the order of his rank among his brothers" (cf. 5:3; 6:16, 18; 9:7; lQSa 1:16). Not enough remains of 4Q421 la i 4 to interpret it fully. But the line's hierarchical language resonates with the Community Rule. All three of the best preserved lines of 4Q421 la i have strong affinities with the Qumran rulebooks, especially 1QS 5-6. Elgvin argues that 4Q421 la i relates "probably to the joining of new members" of the community. I agree with him that the topic of this fragment is "sectarian organization." The fragment may have originally discussed the examination of new members or perhaps the annual evaluation of people in their knowledge of the ways of the group. In any case, it is reasonable to posit that 4QWays of Righteousness has some sort of direct link to the yahad. It is not clear that 4QWays of Righteousness as a whole should be considered a product of the yahad, although this possibility cannot be excluded. The work as a whole is often quite different from the undisputed compositions of the Teacher movement. 4Q420-21 shows no interest in esoteric revelation to the elect, eschatology or messianism. There is no deference to the Zadokites. The work displays no knowledge of the Teacher of Righteousness. 4Q420-21 does not portray the intended audience as the elect, although this 57

58

59

60

A . Lange, "The Determination o f Fate b y the Oracle o f the Lot in the D e a d S e a Scrolls, the H e b r e w B i b l e and A n c i e n t M e s o p o t a m i a n Literature," in Sapiential, Liturgical and Poetical Texts from Qumran, 3 9 - 4 8 . N o t e the parallel in 4 Q F o u r Lots ( 4 Q 2 7 9 ) 5 2-4: "... w h o is listed after ... and in accordance with o n e ' s g e n e a l o g i c a l origins ... [for the priejsts, the s o n s o f Aaron, the Tfirst] lot shall appear (lor)." S e e H a m i d o v i c , " 4 Q 2 7 9 , " 1 6 7 - 7 7 . Another point o f contact b e t w e e n 4 Q 4 2 1 l a i and the rulebooks is the expression O*?T» m^K, "eternal enmity." This phrase is the o n l y legible portion o f the first line o f 4 Q 4 2 1 l a i. The only other attestation o f the expression in the D e a d S e a Scrolls is in 1QS 4:17. S e e DJD 20, 187. DJD 20, 186. 5 { f

6 0

176

C H A P T E R SIX

posture could be presumed. It is reasonable to understand this text as having a role in the educational practices of the sect, and to claim with Elgvin that the yahad added material to 4Q420-21, in particular fragments la i, 11 and 13 of 4Q421. If this is correct, there is less reason to doubt that these fragments belong to 4QWays of Righteousness. Since 4Q421 13 gives instruction regarding participation in the Temple cult, it is likely that the expansion of this text took place at a relatively early stage of the community, before it apparently placed a ban on Temple worship (contrast CD 6:11-14 with 16:13-16 and 9:13-14). This would suggest 4Q420-21 was composed during the second century BCE. The sayings on righteousness and speech were probably written at some earlier point but cannot be dated with precision. There may also be sectarian redaction in 4Q421 la ii-b. This fragment encourages the intended audience to be righteous by presenting ideal figures of wisdom, such as "[a ma]n who is knowledgeable and has understanding ^DOID)" (1. 10). Another figure may be related to the term ^DtBQ in a different way: "[A man of will recei]ve the admonition of the knowledgeable nnmn nDlf])" (11. 11-12). This reconstruction is based on the plausible view that the line describes an ideal figure who heeds admonitions. The exhortation is to come from a ^DOD. The text can be read as asserting that the admonition will come from the Maskil, an important pedagogical office in the sect. According to 1QS 9:17-18, this is one of the official duties of tire Maskil: "He should reproach (rPDin*?) (with) truthful knowledge and (with) just judgment those who choose the path" (cf. CD 9:16-20). 4Q421 la ii-b 11-12 strengthens the view that the composition, in its final form, presents righteousness as a virtue achieved through training in the regulations of the group. The goal is not only to become righteous in a general 61

62

63

6 1

C. H e m p e l , The Damascus Texts (Sheffield: Sheffield A c a d e m i c Press, 2 0 0 0 ) 3 1 ; Murphy, Wealth in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 3 4 - 4 5 . S e e H e m p e l , "The Qumran Sapiential Texts and the R u l e B o o k s , " 2 8 7 - 8 8 ; N e w s o m , "The S a g e in the Literature o f Qumran," 3 7 4 - 7 8 . Reproach is also a prominent t o p i c in 4 Q R e b u k e s Reported b y the Overseer ( 4 Q 4 7 7 ) . This work has explicitly sectarian terms such as c a i n (frgs. 2 i 3 ; 2 ii 3 ) and TTP (frg. 2 ii 6). It u s e s the verb vsr in the Hiphil in reference to reproaching c o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s , like 1 Q S 9 : 1 7 - 1 8 . S e e S.J. Pfann et al., Qumran Cave 4.XXVI: Cryptic Texts and Miscellanea, Part 1 ( D J D 3 6 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 2 0 0 0 ) 4 7 4 - 8 4 . 6 2

6 3

4QWAYS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ( 4 Q 4 2 0 - 2 1 )

177

sense but also an "ideal member of the Community." This is how the document must have been understood by the Dead Sea sect. Elgvin observes that the work's general advice on moderation in speech is compatible with the rules on speaking during sectarian assemblies (1QS 6:9-13). 4QWords of the Maskil to All Sons of Dawn is also devoted to the education of sect members, as discussed in the previous chapter. According to this text, the Mailed addresses those "[who pur]sue righteousness" (4Q298 1-2 i 2; cf. CD 1:1). It makes sense to view both documents as having a role in the pedagogical practices of the sect associated with the Teacher of Righteousness. 65

3. CONCLUSION

4QWays of Righteousness is a wisdom text that is interested in the Torah and halakhah. The importance of the Torah in 4Q420-21 is compatible with attitudes held by the sectarian community associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls. The rulebooks are the product of a Torah centered movement. Its writings frequently cite the Torah and mandate its veneration (1QS 6:6-8). The Sabbath halakhah of 4Q421 13 is similar to that of the Damascus Document. 4Q420-21 is also reminiscent of this rulebook since it contains both instruction that evokes the sapiential tradition, particularly in CD 2, and halakhic regulations. 4QWays of Righteousness seems to have undergone some editing by people associated with the movement that produced the rulebooks, as Elgvin proposes. The image of the yoke in both Ben Sira and 4QWays of Righteousness to describe the Torah indicates that they have traditions in common. 4Q420-21 includes practical advice on moderation and deliberation that resonates with traditional wisdom. The text also has an overtly instructional and ethical focus—to inculcate righteousness in the life of its addressees. It is reasonable to consider 4Q420-21 a wisdom text, as was traditionally the case 66

Tigchelaar, "Sabbath Halakha," 3 7 0 . S e e also Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 4 . DJD20, 111. H e m p e l , The Damascus Texts, 4 4 - 5 3 . S e e also eadem, The Laws of the Damascus Document: Sources, Tradition and Redaction (STDJ 2 9 ; Leiden: Brill, 1998). 6 5

6 6

178

C H A P T E R SIX

among Qumran scholars. Its final form contains elements from both the sapiential tradition and the rulebooks. 4QWays of Righteousness can be understood as a wisdom text adapted to a sectarian milieu. This text, along with 4Q298, illustrates that members of the yahad could write and redact sapiential compositions. The realization that 4Q420-21 contains Sabbath legislation does not force a re-classification of its genre. But it does lead to a re­ assessment of the ways in which wisdom texts can thematize the Torah. Halakhah in the wisdom corpus is highly unusual. Some is present in 4QInstruction (e.g., 4Q416 2 iv 7-10; 4Q418 103 ii 6-9), but there is no other example among other Qumran sapiential texts. Pirke Avot values halakhah (3:12; 5:7-8) but does not provide legal guidelines in the manner of 4Q421 13. The presence of halakhah in a wisdom text should not be considered impossible given the prominence of the Torah in Ben Sira and other sapiential texts. The halakhah of 4QWays of Righteousness, and to a lesser extent that of 4QInstruction, represents a development in the incorporation of the Torah into the wisdom tradition. 67

68

6 7

J.J. Collins, " W i s d o m Reconsidered, in Light o f the Scrolls," DSD 4 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 2 6 5 - 8 1 (esp. 2 7 7 - 7 8 ) . L.H. Schiffman, "Halakhic E l e m e n t s in the Sapiential Texts," in Sapiential Perspectives: Wisdom Literature in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium of the Orion Center, 20-22 May 2001 (ed. J.J. Collins, G.E. Sterling and R.A. Clements; STDJ 5 1 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 4 ) 8 9 - 1 0 0 . 6 8

CHAPTER SEVEN

PRACTICAL WISDOM: THE INSTRUCTION OF 4Q424

1. I N T R O D U C T I O N 1

4Q424 has an awkward title—"4QInstruction-like Composition B." Officially published in 2000, this document consists of four fragments. Most of its text is preserved in fragments 1 and 3, which have, respectively, thirteen and twelve lines. There are five extant lines in fragment 2 and fragment 4 preserves just seven letters. Its paleography is in the Herodian semi-formal tradition. Nothing survives of this text that is explicitly its introduction or conclusion. The original structure of the composition cannot be fully recovered. There are no explicit historical markers in the text. It was probably written in the second or first centuries BCE but could have been composed earlier. 4Q424 is a wisdom text. It is characterized by admonitions that offer advice on practical topics such as money and interactions with others. Virtually all of its sayings delineate kinds of people that fall into one of two categories—those who cannot be trusted to carry out 2

1

Its official editor is Sarah Tanzer. S e e S J . Pfann et al., Qumran Cave 4.XXVI: Cryptic Texts and Miscellanea, Part I ( D J D 3 6 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 2 0 0 0 ) 3 3 3 - 4 6 . S e e also D.J. Harrington, Wisdom Texts from Qumran (London: Routledge, 1996) 6 0 6 3 : G. Brin, "Studies in 4 Q 4 2 4 , fragment 3 , " K T 4 6 ( 1 9 9 6 ) 2 7 1 - 9 5 , idem, "Studies in 4Q424 1-2," RevQ 18 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 2 1 - 4 2 ; A. Lange, "Die Weisheitstexte aus Qumran: Eine Einleitung," in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran and the Development of Sapiential Thought (ed. C. H e m p e l , A. L a n g e and H. Lichtenberger; B E T L 159; Leuven: L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 2 0 0 2 ) 3 - 3 0 (esp. 2 6 - 2 8 ) ; A . Caquot, "Les T e x t e s de s a g e s s e de Qoumran (Apercu preliminaire)," RHPR 7 6 ( 1 9 9 6 ) 1-34 (esp. 3 0 - 3 2 ) ; A . S . van der W o u d e , " W i s d o m at Qumran," in Wisdom in ancient Israel: Essays in honour of J.A. Emerton (ed. J. D a y et al.; Cambridge: University o f Cambridge Press, 1 9 9 5 ) 2 4 4 - 5 6 (esp. 2 4 9 ) ; J. K a m p e n , "The D i v e r s e A s p e c t s o f W i s d o m at Qumran," in The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment (2 v o l s . ; ed. P.W. Flint and J.C. VanderKam; Leiden: Brill, 1998) 1.2114 3 (esp. 2 3 2 ) . T w o other fragments, Unidentified Fragments A and B , h a v e been associated with 4 Q 4 2 4 but are probably not part o f the composition. S e e DJD 36, 3 4 6 .

180

CHAPTER SEVEN

tasks successfully and those who emulate virtues such as compassion for the poor. These topics are in continuity with the wisdom tradition. Brin has speculated that the intended addressee may be a "ruler" or "one of the heads of society." He is probably wealthy and may come from an aristocratic milieu. The forms of 4Q424 are quite consistent. A vetitive is typically used, placed after its object, which is usually one of the negative types of people. They are often described with either the phrase "X DB" or "X ttPK," with the latter preferred, as in 4Q424 1 10: "A greedy man do not put in charge of [your] wefalth]." These two forms are also used in instruction in Proverbs and Ben Sira on foolish or wicked types (e.g., Prov 16:27-29; Sir 8:15-17). 3

4

5

2. NEGATIVE TYPES OF PEOPLE

4Q424 contains twelve descriptions of negative types of people and six of positive kinds. The concept of individuality is not prominent in this text. Rather, it is taught that there are good and bad types of people and that the former should be emulated and the latter avoided. Wisdom texts, such as the book of Proverbs and the Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope, often describe negative kinds of people and the consequences of being involved with them (e.g., Prov 29:27; 6

3

G. Brin, " W i s d o m Issues in Qumran: T h e T y p e s and Status o f the Figures in 4 Q 4 2 4 and the Phrases o f Rationale in the D o c u m e n t , " DSD 4 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 2 9 7 - 3 1 1 (esp. 3 1 1 ) . S e e also idem, "The Relationship b e t w e e n 4 Q 4 2 4 and the B o o k o f Ben-Sira," in nSnn m^ao ipnS bnv (ed. G. Brin and B . Nitzan; Jerusalem: Y a d B e n Zvi, 2 0 0 1 ) 2 5 3 - 7 4 (Hebrew). The first form is u s e d with a vetitive in 4 Q 4 2 4 1 2 - 5 (cf. 11. 6-7), and the s e c o n d elsewhere in the c o m p o s i t i o n ( 4 Q 4 2 4 1 7, 8, 10, 13; 4 Q 4 2 4 2 4 ; 4 Q 4 2 4 3 1, 3 , 6 ) . T h e X HTK form occurs six t i m e s in 4 Q 4 2 4 3 7-9 without a vetitive. DJD 36, 3 3 5 . T h e n e g a t i v e kinds o f p e o p l e include: "a separatist" (o-na) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 1 2 ) ; "a dissembler" (nhm) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 1 4 ) ; "one w h o strays" (DDMOTO) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 1 4 ) ; "a slothful m a n " (bxs) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 1 6 ) ; "a man w h o murmurs" (ru-bn BTK) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 1 7); "a m a n with d e v i o u s lips" ( e n s © rb BTK) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 1 8); "a greedy m a n " (y» m BTR) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 1 10); "a short-temp[ered] m a n " ([•J'BK nsp) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 1 12); "a man w h o p a s s e s j u d g m e n t before investigating" (wrrr m e n BBIE BTR) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 3 1); "a m a n w h o s e e y e s are smeared over" (DT» SVB BTK) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 3 3 ) ; "one dull o f hearing" (|TK ISD) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 3 4 ) ; "a man with a dull heart" (ib pra BTK) ( 4 Q 4 2 4 3 6 ) . Poorly preserved descriptions o f negative t y p e s are in 4 Q 4 2 4 1 13 and 4 Q 4 2 4 2 3 - 4 . S e e also DJD 36, 3 3 5 ; Brin, " W i s d o m Issues," 3 0 5 . 4

5

6

4Q424

181

7

Amen. 5.10-16). The latter work repeatedly recommends avoiding the "heated man," as in 11.13-14: "Do not befriend the heated man, nor approach him in conversation" (cf. 6.1-7; 13.11). Proverbs also warns about this type: "One who is quick-tempered (D^SK ISp) acts foolishly, and the schemer is hated" (14:17; cf. v. 29; 15:18). With different terminology, Ben Sira also urges his students to stay away from those disposed to anger: "Show no defiance to the quick­ tempered bsi), nor ride with him through lonely country" (8:16; cf. Prov 22:24-25). 4Q424 1 12 contains remnants of a warning about "a short-temp[ered] man" ([DJ'DK "ISp). There would be disastrous consequences if such a person were given authority over the "simple": "... the simple, for certainly he will destroy them (D^DS D»Sr vbl -O)" (1. 13). The "simple" is a common term in the sapiential tradition, generally referring to people who need instruction or fools (e.g., Prov 1:4; 22:3). It is not clear that the word has this sense in 4Q424. Tanzer speculates that 4Q424 1 12-13 may have a judicial context, in which case the short-tempered person would loose his temper against those who come to him for rulings. This interpretation is supported by fragment 3 of the work. 8

10

2.1 Instruction on Judges and Lawyers 4Q424 3 1 mentions "a man who passes judgment before investigating." Such a person would not be appropriate for a legal profession: "do not set him up in authority over those who pursue knowledge (nin ^mm in^BDn bti), for he will not understand their judgment to declare the righteous righteous and the wicked w[icked] JTOnn^l p ^ S p"HSr6)" (1. 2; cf. 4Q424 1 8-10; CD 4:7). Line 3 affirms that this person would become "despised." The phrase asnrrnK lITttnm p n a r r n a I p n s n occurs in an 7

This tradition is continued in the Pirke Avot: "Nittai the Arbelite said: ' K e e p yourself far from an evil neighbor and consort n o t with the w i c k e d and lose not b e l i e f in retribution"' (1:7). S e e J. Goldin, The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan ( Y J S 10; N e w Y o r k / L o n d o n : Y a l e University Press, 1 9 8 3 [orig. pub., 1955]) 2 3 1 . M . Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature (3 v o l s . ; Berkeley: University o f California Press, 1 9 7 3 - 8 0 ) 2 . 1 5 3 . Brin, "Studies in 4Q424 1-2," 4 0 - 4 1 . In DJD 36, 3 4 0 , she suggests the reconstruction: "One short o f tem[per d o not put in a position o f authority to j u d g e ] the simple." 8

9

1 0

182

CHAPTER SEVEN

11

explicitly judicial context in Deut 25:1. Prov 17:15 gives comparable advice on judging wisely: "One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord." The expression nin ••STn occurs in the book of Mysteries (4Q299 8 7). In 4Q418 69 ii 10-11 the "truly chosen ones" are urged to seek tirelessly for wisdom: "How can you say 'we have toiled for insight and have been vigilant in pursuing knowledge (nin ^m*?)?'" As discussed in Chapter 1, 4QInstruction construes devotion to study as a lifestyle that resembles that of the angels. In 4Q424 3 2 "those who pursue knowledge" have nothing to do with angels. Given the legal context of the passage, the phrase probably refers to people who would come before some sort of decision-maker for rulings. They probably correspond to the "simple" of 4Q424 1 13, as Tanzer suggests. 4Q424 3 3-7 seems to presuppose a judicial context as well: A man whose eyes are smeared over (DTJ7 jn© urx) do not send to observe the upright (D'HEPb mrnb) ... [a man] who is dull of hearing do not send to investigate a case ErmV), for a dispute among men he will not smooth out, like one who winnows in a wind [ ] which does not separate (it), so is one who speaks to an ear that is not able to hear, and who tells a tale to a person who is asleep ... A man with a dull mind (3*?. pt&) do not send to examine thoughts (marcrra nmob) for the wisdom of his heart is hidden, and he will not have authority over i[t] ... wisdom of his hands (VT n&nn) he will not find. This pericope is similar to Isa 6:10: "Make the mind of this people dull (2b port), and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds." The author of 4Q424 was probably familiar with some form of the Hebrew Bible, although the Torah is never praised or thematized in the manner of Sir 24. In Isaiah the three physical defects express a lack of sufficient mental capabilities. This is also the case in 4Q424, which associates these deficiencies with specific tasks that should not be entrusted to such people. These 12

13

1 1

Ibid., 3 4 4 ; Brin, "Studies in 4 Q 4 2 4 , fragment 3 . " 2 7 8 . Brin, "Studies in 4 Q 4 2 4 , fragment 3 , " 2 8 2 ; DJD 36, 3 4 2 - 4 4 . There are also similarities b e t w e e n 4 Q 4 2 4 1 3 and E z e k 1 3 : 1 0 - 1 1 . S e e DJD 36, 3 3 8 ; A . Lange, " D i e B e d e u t u n g der Weisheitstexte aus Qumran fur die hebraische Bibel," in Weisheit in Israel (ed. D.J.A. Clines, H. Lichtenberger and H.P. Muller; A T M 12; Minister: Lit-Verlag, 2 0 0 3 ) 1 2 9 - 4 4 (esp. 1 4 1 - 4 4 ) . 1 2

1 3

4Q424

183

defects should probably be understood in a metaphorical rather than a literal sense, referring to people who lack wisdom. The person with dim eyesight would not be able to "observe the upright." Talking to a man "dull of hearing" would be a waste of time, since he would not understand. Since 4Q424 3 2 mentions the ability to declare righteous righteous and the wicked wicked, the phrase "to observe the upright" of line 3 probably refers to the capacity to discern correctly who is righteous. Brin suggests that the "upright" may be "an explicitly sectarian term." The word clearly has this sense in CD 20:2 and 1QS 3:1, for example. But there is no compelling reason to understand 4Q424 3 3 in this way. There is no discernible sectarian mentality in this document—no sense of group consciousness, deference to a leader, dissatisfaction with wider Israel or claims of special revelation. The "upright" are probably the innocent whom a person with "smeared over" eyes would not be able to assess appropriately. The phrase "to investigate a case" (tDSBB B i n ? ) of line 4 also implies a judicial context. The word tDSED is used in this line in parallelism with 2*1 and in line 2 has an explicitly legal sense. As Tanzer has observed, the meaning of the phrase "to investigate a case" is similar to 1QS 8:24, where the expression wn refers to the application of rules from the sect's penal code. The wisdom of the "dull man" is "hidden," meaning that the required mental faculties would be unavailable (4Q424 3 6). Hidden wisdom is clearly negative, in marked contrast to 4QInstruction and Mysteries. He also does not have V T HQDn (1. 7), literally "wisdom of his hands," an expression that refers to manual skill in 14

15

1

16

17

4 Q 4 2 5 1 + 3 7 m a y associate a man w h o s e e y e s are smeared over, using jno- CTK D T J J , with a "worthless man." S e e section 7 o f Chapter 10. S e e also Brin, "Studies in 4 Q 4 2 4 , fragment 3 , " 2 7 9 . Brin, "Studies in 4 Q 4 2 4 , fragment 3 , " 2 8 0 . The phrase "sons o f righteousness" in 4 Q 4 2 4 3 10 is discussed below. F o l l o w i n g the reconstruction o f DJD 36, 3 4 0 , 4 Q 4 2 4 1 8-9 reads: " A man w h o is d e v i o u s o f lips do not tr[ust in h i m to pronounce] j u d g m e n t s in your favor; surely h e will be d e v i o u s in his speech; after the truth h e will not run." This may b e another warning about a type o f person w h o w o u l d not be competent to judge. Its advice c o u l d b e more generic, r e c o m m e n d i n g that such a person should not be entrusted with any position o f responsibility. In either c a s e it is about the person's ability to speak honestly. DJD 36, 3 4 4 . In 1QS 6:7 the expression refers to the interpretation o f the Torah. 1 5

17

184

CHAPTER SEVEN

4QInstruction and Ben Sira. The phrase is not explicitly associated with this ability in 4Q424 3 7. Brin suggests that it means he is not fulfilling his "inner talents," but it probably refers to some sort of manual skill. Two kinds of wisdom are not available to this person—that of his heart and his hands. The "dull man" is the opposite of a complete man of wisdom. In both an inward and outward sense, he cannot show wisdom. This instruction may presume some sort of legal context, as with the people with poor eyesight and hearing. A person with a "dull mind" would not make a good judge or lawyer. 4Q424 3 stresses prudence and deliberation when making decisions. Line 1 of this fragment warns about "a man who passes judgment before investigating." This advice is rooted in traditional wisdom, in particular instruction on speech. Prov 18:13 states: "If one gives answer before hearing, it is folly and shame" (cf. 14:15). 4Q420 la ii-b 1-4 reads: "He will not answer before he hea[rs,] and [not spea]k be[fore he understands ... he will see]k true judgment, and by studying righteousness he will understand [its conseq]uences" (cf. 4Q421 la ii-b 13-15). A similar attitude is advocated in 4QBeatitudes (4Q525 14 ii 21-28). Sir 11:7-9 teaches: "Before investigating, find no fault; examine first, then criticize. Before hearing, answer not, and interrupt no one in the middle of his speech. In what is not your quarrel do not become angry; in the strife of the arrogant (D*HT T " Q ; ms. B) take no part" (cf. 5:10-14). Sir 11:9 may urge against participation in a legal case (TI) if wicked people are involved. Sir 7:6 exhorts: "Seek not to become a judge if you have not strength to root out crime, or you will be browbeaten by some prominent person and mar your integrity." Ben Sira shows more caution than 4Q424 about the hazards of participating in legal proceedings. Ben Sira gives instruction to people about being directly involved in legal affairs, whereas 4Q424 offers advice on selecting others to do legal work. According to 4Q424 3 1-3, the intended addressee has the power to 19

20

21

22

S e e section 5.1 o f Chapter 1. Brin, "Studies in 4 Q 4 2 4 , fragment 3 , " 2 8 8 . Ibid., 2 7 5 . S e e section 7 o f Chapter 8. T h e N R S V translation o f Sir 11:9b is "do not sit with sinners w h e n they j u d g e a case"(cf. 10:1-5). 1 9

2 0

2 1

2 2

4Q424

185

hire some form of legal decision maker. He may be a relatively highranking state functionary who can appoint judges. This is not, however, necessarily the case. All segments of society require some sort of system of adjudicating disputes. The Qumran rulebooks describe the responsibilities of judges who are to resolve disputes (CD 10:4-10; cf. 1QS 6:24-27). There is never any indication that such people are wealthy. The legal instruction of 4Q424 is consistent with an upper-class setting but an aristocratic context is not required.

2.2 Instruction on Hiring Managers 4Q424 warns more consistently than Proverbs about negative types of people with regard to employment. Such advice is, however, in Prov 10:26: "Like vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, so are the lazy to their employers" (cf. 25:13). The phrases nSttfn b\< ("do not send") and bwftn bx ("do not give authority") are used frequently in 4Q424 in relation to unreliable people. There are several warnings about the "greedy man," literally "a man evil of eye" (f» in in the wisdom tradition. Prov 28:22 reads "The miser (ps in EPK) is in a hurry to get rich and does not know that loss is sure to come." Ben Sira is also critical of the greedy man: "Wealth ill becomes the mean person (lit. "one small of heart" []Bp 2b]); and to the miser (ps sn ttPK), of what use is gold?" (14:3; cf. v. 10; 31:13; 4Q525 13 2). The miser is apparently one of the negative types about which students are warned in Sir 37:11. 4Q424 1 10-12 discourages giving the greedy man authority: 23

24

25

2 3

For the former, s e e 4 Q 4 2 4 1 6; 4 Q 4 2 4 3 3 , 6; for the latter, 4 Q 4 2 4 1 10; 4 Q 4 2 4

3 2. 2 4

Prov 23:6: " D o not eat the bread o f the stingy (*pu i n ) ; do not desire their delicacies." G i v e n vv. 1-5, the "stingy" are probably wealthy. S e e also DJD 36, 3 4 0 ; Brin, "Studies in 40424 1-2," 3 8 - 3 9 . T h i s l o n g verse m e n t i o n s nine types o f p e o p l e with w h o m o n e should not consult. A c c o r d i n g to the N R S V version o f Sir 3 7 : l i e , advice is not to b e sought from a miser about generosity. T h e expression rendered as "miser" is, in the B and D H e b r e w manuscripts, i n BPK, w h i c h literally m e a n s "wicked man" not "greedy man." The N R S V reflects the idea that Sir 3 7 : l i e read originally not i n «PK but yv i n «TK. This is plausible. The Greek translation o f i n TZPK in Sir 37:11 is paoKavoc. T h i s w o r d is u s e d to translate yv i n in Prov 2 3 : 6 ; 2 8 : 2 2 ; and Sir 14:3 (cf. 18:18). T h e basic l o g i c o f Sir 37:11 is that o n e should not ask s o m e o n e for advice o n topics about w h i c h they cannot g i v e unbiased counsel. It is u n w i s e to ask, for example, "a coward about war" and "an indifferent worker about his work." The B text o f the k e y 2 5

186

CHAPTER SEVEN

"A greedy man (yiJ m EPN) do not put in a position of authority over [your] we[alth] ... he will arrange your surplus (rDIKB p n ) to your satisfaction ... but in the time of gathering (f3p HO) he will be found a hypocrite (*pn)" (cf. 4Q424 2 3). Tanzer has speculated that this passage may discuss the gathering taxes or assembling people for some sort of legal purpose. The text probably refers to the management of the addressee's accounts or at least money in some sense. In this case "NOT denotes a type of remainder, perhaps the money that remains once expenses have been paid. The phrase HI? f2p would then refer to the gathering of money, not unlike Prov 13:11: "Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle, but those who gather ( p p ) little by little increase it" (cf. lQpHab 8:11). Following this interpretation, the "greedy man" makes the accounts appear as if the addressee is making profit, but when the money is counted it is clear that the greedy person has been deceitful. The use of the expression p i n ETK in Proverbs and Ben Sira suggests in 4Q424 1 10-12 it denotes a person excessively concerned with wealth. This interpretation is also indicated by the last phrase of line 10, which warns one not to give the "greedy man" authority over his "wealth," using the word ]in. Such an individual should not be trusted to manage someone else's money. Alternatively, the "surplus" of 4Q424 1 10-12 could refer to s

26

27

28

passage reads ion nbon bv m BPK OJJ. The D manuscript has ion m'raa bv jn «TK OJJ. If this verse warns about a "greedy man" in reference to ion m'roa, it is reasonable to understand this expression as referring to charitable acts, since such a person would not be willing to carry them out. Sir 3 7 : l i e could be a precedent to the "deeds of loving kindness" that are praised by Simon the Righteous in Avot 1:2 (cf. m. Peak 1:1). The importance of Sir 37:11 for understanding the rabbinic o^ion rrfrna has been disputed by J. Goldin.

See his Studies

in Midrash

and Related

Literature

(Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1988) 28. Consult further E. Urbach, The Sages (Cambridge/London: Harvard University Press, 1975) 286; P.C. Beentjes, The Book of Ben Sira in Hebrew (VTSup 68; Leiden: Brill, 1997) 154; A. A. Di Leila and P.W. Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira (AB 39; New York: Doubleday, 1987) 43233; P.A. Vaccari, "Ecclesiastico, 37, 10.11: criticaed esegesi," EstEcl 34 (1960) 70513. DJD 36, 340. 2 6

2 7

C M . Murphy, Wealth

in the Dead

Sea Scrolls

and the Qumran

Community

(STDJ 40; Leiden: Brill, 2002) 177; B.G. Wright III, "The Categories of Rich and Poor in the Qumran Sapiential Literature," in Sapiential Perspectives: Wisdom Literature Symposium

in Light of the Dead of the Orion Center,

Sea Scrolls. Proceedings of the Sixth International 20-22 May 2001 (ed. J.J. Collins, G.E. Sterling and

R.A. Clements; STDJ 51; Leiden: Brill, 2004) 101-23 (esp. 106). Brin, "Studies in 4Q424 1-2," 40. 2 8

4Q424

187

agricultural yields and f np no the "time of harvesting." In this case the "greedy man" is not to be entrusted with the management of crops. If given authority over one's fields, this person would make everything appear as if he were doing his job appropriately. But when the yield is actually harvested his deceit, his true nature as a "hypocrite" would become clear (cf. Prov 11:9; Job 15:34). But it is not clear how the "greedy man" could be deceitful with the surplus of the addressee if it refers to crops. One can speculate that the exact amount of the yield is being under-reported and that the man is skimming off the top for his own personal gain. In 4Q424 1 10-12 the inappropriate handling of the "surplus" is done before the "gathering" takes place. But, if agricultural surplus, it would only be available once the crops have been harvested. The author therefore probably did not have an agricultural situation in mind. It is more plausible to posit that this passage describes a type of person who would not make a good accountant or financial manager. The financial interpretation of 4Q424 1 10-12 is also suggested by lines 7-8: "A man who murmurs do not tru[st] to collect money for your needs CpiOFTO? ]in nnp^)." Tanzer translates this passage as "A man who is always complaining about his luck, do not expfect from him] to receive money when you are in need." In this rendering it is difficult to understand what the employment relationship would be between the murmurer and the addressee. There is no strong indication elsewhere in the document that the latter would ever be in need. The term "HOTO, however, often has this connotation. The word appears in both Proverbs and 4QInstruction in relation to material hardship. Prov 21:17 reads: "Whoever loves pleasure will suffer want ("HOnE); whoever loves wine and oil will not be rich." This seems to refer to poverty as a consequence of the 29

4

30

31

4QInstruction g i v e s advice about trading a "surplus" in 4 Q 4 1 7 2 i 1 7 - 1 8 . The w o r d for "surplus" is i m a . T h e w o r d ] ' T m » occurs in a fragmentary section o f 4 Q 4 2 4 1 1 1 , suggesting that it is parallel with the w o r d -IWD. 4 Q 4 1 7 2 i 17-18 states that the surplus is to b e carried and other texts a s s u m e the mebin is a farmer ( 4 Q 4 1 8 103 ii 2 9; 4 Q 4 2 3 5 5). N o w h e r e in 4 Q 4 2 4 is the addressee explicitly depicted as a farmer. It is more likely that "surplus" refers to agricultural y i e l d s in 4QInstruction than 4 Q 4 2 4 . The reconstruction "tru[st]" ( f r J o N n ) is from Brin, "Studies in 4Q424 1-2," 3 4 . Tanzer, DJD 36, 3 3 6 , reconstructs ([i]DKn), also adding the w o r d -ana. I prefer using the word "trust" since the general thrust o f the document is to provide instruction o n unreliable kinds o f people. DJD 36, 3 3 7 . 3 0

3 1

188

CHAPTER SEVEN

misuse of wealth. 4QInstruction uses the term when acknowledging that the rriebin may be forced to borrow: "if you borrow the wealth of m[e]n for your need ( n D I I D n Q ^ ) ..." (4Q417 2 i 21; cf. 1. 24). Use of this term in 4Q424 implies that the addressee could suffer some sort of loss of revenue, but this is never stated directly in the text. Reminding the rriebin of his poverty is a major theme in 4QInstruction. This is not the case in 4Q424. Brin's translation of 4Q424 1 7-8 avoids the possibility of the addressee being poor: "Do not trust in a contentious man to collect money for your necessities." He suggests that these lines refer to a man who should not be trusted with a job that requires him to collect money. In this case the "murmuring" man should perhaps not be hired as a debt collector. This interpretation is reasonable and would accord with the view that 4Q424 has a wealthy addressee. If 4Q424 1 8 shows awareness of the possibility of a decline in position, such a scenario is more likely if his financial affairs are not handled properly. The word "murmuring" (ruibn) connotes not following leaders (cf. Num 14:2, 27). This kind of person could not be trusted with money. If the addressee were to endure a reversal of fortune, it would make sense for him to collect money from outstanding debts. 33

2.3 Other Teachings on Unreliable Employees 4Q424 1 6 warns about the sluggard: "In the hand of a lazy person (b%y) do not entrust resources, for he will not keep your affair discreet." This figure is a topic elsewhere in the wisdom tradition. He is insulted in Prov 6:6-11, which reads in part: "Go to the ant, you lazybones (^XB); consider its ways, and be wise ... How long will you lie there, O lazybones? When will you rise from your sleep?" Prov 26:13-16 derides the sloth as too sluggish even to eat: "The lazy person buries a hand in the dish, and is too tired to bring it back to the mouth" (v. 15 ; cf. 19:24; 22:13). Not surprisingly, he does his tasks poorly. One of the few sayings in Prov 10-31 in the first person reads: "I passed by the field of one who was lazy (^17), by the 3 2

R. Clifford, Proverbs ( O T L ; Louisville: Westminster John K n o x , 1999) 192; J.D. Pleins, The Social Visions of the Hebrew Bible: A Theological Introduction (Louisville: Westminster John K n o x , 2 0 0 1 ) 4 6 9 . Brin, "Studies in 40424 1-2," 34. 3 3

4Q424

189

vineyard of a stupid person; and see, it was all overgrown with thorns ... and its stone wall was broken down" (24:30-31 ). Ben Sira is also critical of the idler. Sir 22:1-2 reads: "The sluggard (oianpoG) is like a filthy stone so vile that everyone hisses at it. The sluggard is like a lump of dung; anyone who picks it up scours his hand." These verses are not preserved in Hebrew, but the word oKvipcx; has been understood as a translation of bxv (cf. 37:1 lg). Admonitions against laziness are found elsewhere in traditional wisdom. 4Q424 1 emphasizes the problems of a lazy person in relation to employment, as does Prov 10:26. One should not "entrust resources" (CDK npan) to this figure. This is the only occurrence of the enigmatic word tDK in late Second Temple literature outside of 4QInstruction, which attests the term numerous times (e.g., 4Q416 2 ii 1; 4Q418 126 ii 12). In 4QInstruction the term has a financial sense but it has been translated "secret." In 4Q424 the word seems to have both meanings. Since the sloth should not be trusted with the of the addressee, the term seems to refer to some sort of job or assignment. The lazy person "will not keep your affair discreet" ("[rDK^D Kb) (4Q424 1 6). For the matter to be conducted successfully, it must be kept private. In wisdom literature the root generally refers to modesty (cf. 4Q298 3-4 ii 5). The person of 4Q424 1 6 would not be discreet with regard to the affairs entrusted to him. Traditional wisdom stresses the importance of keeping secrets. Prov 20:19 urges that one avoid the "babbler": "A gossip reveals 34

35

36

37

38

39

40

3 4

Compare Prov 2 0 : 4 : "The lazy person d o e s not p l o w in season; harvest c o m e s , and there is nothing to be found" (cf. 13:4; 19:15). M . H . Segal, abm X T D p iso (Jerusalem: Bialik, 1 9 5 3 ) 130. Pap. Chester Beatty IV, for e x a m p l e , exhorts " A v o i d b e i n g lazy, s o that y o u m a y establish all your affairs" (verso; 1.5). S e e M . V . F o x , Proverbs 1-9 ( A B 18a; N e w York: D o u b l e d a y , 2 0 0 0 ) 2 1 9 . Cf. Instruction ofAnkhsheshonq 23.17-18. Brin, "Studies in 4Q424 1-2," 3 1 . The D e m o t i c w i s d o m text Papyrus Insinger states: "One d o e s not discover the heart o f a m a n in its character if o n e has not sent h i m (on a m i s s i o n ) " ( 1 2 . 1 4 ) . S e e Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 3.195. * M.J. Goff, The Worldly and Heavenly Wisdom of 4QInstruction (STDJ 50; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 3 ) 152. Brin, "Studies in 1-2," 3 1 . Ibid., 3 2 . A c c o r d i n g to the B manuscript o f B e n Sira, Sir 42:8 affirms that the person w h o f o l l o w s his teaching "will b e truly, strictly observant, a humble person (jnax crx) before all living (humans)." This relies o n the translation o f E . D . R e y m o n d , "Remarks on B e n Sira's 'Instruction on S h a m e ' , Sirach 4 1 , 1 4 - 4 2 , 8 , " ZAW 115 ( 2 0 0 3 ) 3 8 8 - 4 0 0 (esp. 3 9 8 ) . S e e also D i Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 476-83. 3 5

3 6

3 7

3

3 9

4 0

4Q424

190

CHAPTER SEVEN

secrets; therefore do not associate with a babbler (TT190 n n s ) " (cf. 11:13; 25:9). Ben Sira condemns garrulous talk in 19:5-12, part of which reads: "Never repeat gossip, and you will not be reviled" (v. 7; cf. 28:13-26). 4Q424 1 6 echoes the instruction of Proverbs and Ben Sira on the subject of keeping secrets, emphasizing this topic in relation to deciding whom to hire. In Proverbs the b%V is derided for sleeping excessively and being too lazy to feed himself. In 4Q424 the problem with this figure is his inappropriate speech. Perhaps this is why Tanzer translates the word as "stupid." The figure may be too lazy to retain his instructions about keeping the affair private. Lines 6-7 of fragment 1 exhort with regard to this type: "And do not send [through him] wordfs] of instruction (npb [ ^ " o n ) : " Tanzer unpersuasively suggests one read np as an "unknown adjective" (with the preposition lamed) that is parallel to b%3, producing the statement: "do not entrust a message to a dullard for he will not help all your affairs along." According to Brin, this passage warns the addressee not to send the lazy person to "collect a thing of value (npb [Ijin)." It is characteristic of wisdom texts to urge one to acquire learning, using the term n p ^ . The phrase npb [^"Dl of 4Q424 should be understood in light of this tradition. Typically npb is used to praise wisdom in an abstract, general sense. This is the case, for example, in the opening poem of Proverbs: "let the wise also hear and gain in learning (npb) (1:5). 4Q424 does not invoke the acquisition of knowledge in order to inculcate a love of wisdom or to praise Lady Wisdom. Rather, as Brin has suggested, in 4Q424 1 6-7 the "word[s] of instruction" refer to directives the addressee should not give to the sluggard. These missives should not be given to this figure "for he will not keep all your paths straight" (-pmmK bD O^ST *6) (1. 7; cf. 4Q424 3 4). He will not perform his tasks correctly. In Prov 5:6 the image of keeping 41

42

43

44

45

99

46

47

4 1

Di Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 292-93. Tanzer translates "Into the hand of one who is stupid do not entrust a secret." Note that the sloth is considered "stupid" (a^non) in Prov 24:30. DJD 36, 337, 339. Brin, "Studies in 4Q424 1-2," 33. A. Lange, "Kognitives Iqh in Sap A, im Tenak und Sir," ZAH9 (1996) 190-95. Compare 4Q418 8117: "Increase in understanding greatly, and from all of your teachers get ever more instruction (ripb)." See also Prov 9:9; Sir 8:8; 51:16; 4Q418 221 3. Brin, "Studies in 4Q424 1-2," 33. 4 2

4 3

4 4

4 5

4 6

4 7

4Q424

191

straight on the path is part of a pedagogical effort to encourage students to avoid the "Strange Woman": "She does not keep straight to the path of life" (O^Drrp D^n n i K ) . 4Q424 1 7 uses similar terminology in relation not to allegorical figures but to people who should not be hired. 4 8

3. POSITIVE TYPES OF PEOPLE

4Q424 gives significantly less attention to positive types of people. Only 4Q424 3 7-10 is devoted to such persons. Unlike the statements about unreliable people, the good persons are never explicitly discussed in relation to employment. 4Q424 3 7 declares that "a man of intelligence accepts instruction]" and "a man of knowledge obtains wisdom" (cf. 4Q420 la ii-b 5). Line 8 affirms that "a man of uprightness takes delight injustice (£DSEHD)." Given the legal content of parts of 4Q424 3, it is reasonable to understand the "man of uprightness" as an ideal judge, embodying the practical application of wisdom to the resolution of disputes (1 Kgs 3:16-28). The types of people in 4Q424 3 7-8 have attained wisdom. It is a product of their instruction and love of learning. In that sense they are like the receptive students in Proverbs (e.g., 1:8; 4:1). 49

3.1 The Opponent of "All Who Move the Boundary Marker " According to 4Q424 3 8-9, the "man of valor" (hT\ EPK) is an "adversary to all who move the boundary marker" (b*)Db T") bS2 bl21 TOD). In the Hebrew Bible "those who move the boundary marker" is a by-word for the wicked. Hosea proclaims "The princes of Judah have become like those who remove the landmark (TOM 50

4 8

DJD 36, 3 3 9 ; F o x , Proverbs 1-9, 1 8 8 - 2 1 0 . A c c o r d i n g to DJD 36, 3 4 3 , 4 Q 4 2 4 3 8 reads " A man o f truth re[joices in a prov]erb." T h e relevant portion o f the text suffers from considerable distortion. The phrase "man o f truth" is legible in P A M 4 4 . 1 9 7 . Tanzer's reconstruction o f what f o l l o w s this expression m a k e s s e n s e but cannot be taken as a c o n c l u s i v e reading b e c a u s e o f the poor material condition o f the fragment. S e e also Brin, "Studies in 4 Q 4 2 4 , fragment 3 , " 2 7 2 . The ideal w o m a n o f Prov 3 1 : 1 0 - 3 1 is described as an nm. 4 9

5 0

192

CHAPTER SEVEN

51

bm); on them I will pour out my wrath like water" (5:10). Removing such demarcations is forbidden in biblical law (Deut 19:14; cf. 27:17). This motif is also prominent in traditional wisdom. Amenemope admonishes "Do not move the markers on the borders of fields" (7.11). The same idea ism Prov 22:17-24:22. Prov 22:28 reads: "Do not remove the ancient landmark (^133 aOJT^K) that your ancestors set up." This is echoed in Prov 23:10 (cf. Job 24:2). 4QInstruction adapts this image. 4Q416 2 iii urges the addressee to desire nothing except his "inheritance," a reference to his elect status, otherwise he will move his "boundary marker" (11. 8-9). 4Q416 2 iv 6 affirms the authority of a husband over his wife: "And whoever, apart from you, tries to rule over her has moved the boundary marker of his life Orm bl2) ron)" (cf. 4Q420 la ii-b 7; 4Q421 la ii-b 18). In both cases moving the boundary is understood not in a literal sense but as a designation for people who transgress social expectations. In 4Q424 3 9 "all who move the boundary marker" is a negative expression. The "man of valor" is opposed to such people. He is a T*l bV2 in relation to these transgressors, suggesting the translation "adversary." But this Hebrew phrase is ambiguous. It is quite rare, occurring elsewhere only in 4QInstruction (4Q417 2 i 12), where it seems to have the sense of "advocate," and the Hodayot (15:22-23), in which it refers to people making complaints. The "man of valor" of line 9 could refer to a judge or some type of prosecutor. 2*1 bv2 52

53

54

55

C D 5:20 uses this expression as a designation for the w i c k e d : "and in the age o f devastation o f the land there arose t h o s e w h o shifted the boundary and made Israel stray." The D a m a s c u s D o c u m e n t draws directly from H o s 5:10 ( C D 19:15-16; cf. l:16-4QD 14). T h e prologue to this text describes the ideal "scribe o f Egypt" as, a m o n g other things, o n e "who records the markers o n the borders o f fields." Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 2 . 1 4 9 , 1 5 1 ; Clifford, Proverbs, 211. N . Shupak, "The Instruction o f A m e n e m o p e and Proverbs 2 2 : 1 7 - 2 4 : 2 2 from the Perspective o f Contemporary Research," in Seeking Out the Wisdom of the Ancients: Essays Offered to Honor Michael V. Fox on the Occasion of His Sixty-Fifth Birthday (ed. R.L. Troxel et al.; W i n o n a Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2 0 0 5 ) 2 0 3 - 2 0 ; H . C . Washington, Wealth and Poverty in the Instructions of Amenemope and the Hebrew Proverbs ( S B L D S 142; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1994) 1 3 5 - 4 5 ; Clifford, Proverbs, 208. Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 3 , suggests that the "boundary marker" alludes to the Torah. J. Strugnell and D.J. Harrington suggest that m bin c o u l d mean "adversary" or "advocate," tentatively favoring the latter (cf. Judg 12:2; Jer 18:19). S e e their Qumran Cave 4.XXIV: Sapiential Texts, Part 2. 4QInstruction (Musar Le Mebin): 4Q415ff With a re-edition oflQ26 ( D J D 3 4 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 1 9 9 9 ) 183. a

5

5 4

5 5

4Q424

193

can be translated as "master of the lawsuit.' Those who move boundary markers will be rebuked and/or punished by the "man of valor." In 4QInstruction moving the boundary marker signifies people who do not properly follow social miens. This represents a typological adaptation of Proverbs, which advises against moving actual property markers. The expression may have a similar meaning in 4Q424, although the text never specifies what transgressions have been committed by those "who move the boundary marker." Given the practical and financial focus of the composition, the phrase could be used in a way that is more like Proverbs than 4QInstruction. In this case the "man of valor" opposes people who change the location of boundary stones for their own unjust gain.

3.2 Compassion for the Poor 4Q424 3 asserts that the ideal man of wisdom has compassion for the poor. Line 9 declares that "a man of generositfy perfo]rms charity for 57 the poor (°Vra*6 npn:*)." This statement is elaborated in line 10: "he takes care of a[l]l who lack property (pn "Hon); the sons of righteousness ..." Parallelism suggests the phrase "sons of righteousness" is another term for those who lack property, but the text is too fragmentary to state this conclusively. The expression could refer to the Dead Sea sect, but there is little in the text to endorse this possibility. The stress on sympathy for the poor in 4Q424 is in continuity with traditional wisdom. This theme is prominent in Proverbs, as in other books of the Hebrew Bible. Prov 14:20-21, for example, affirms that "The poor are disliked even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. Those who despise 58

59

60

5 6

DJD 36, 3 4 5 ; Brin, "Studies in 4 Q 4 2 4 , fragment 3 , " 2 9 3 . For more o n the term np-ix, see section 2.1 o f Chapter 6. T h e visible w o r d s o f line 11, "in all wealth," suggest that the disposition o f wealth w a s a k e y topic o f this part o f the fragment. The w o r d D-STOK has b e e n reconstructed in 4 Q 4 2 4 2 5 in DJD 36, 3 4 1 . S e e Murphy, Wealth in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 188; Wright, "The Categories o f R i c h and Poor," 106; H.-J. Fabry, " D i e A r m e n f r o m m i g k e i t in den qumranischen Weisheitstexten," in Weisheit in Israel, 1 4 5 6 5 (esp. 1 6 0 - 6 1 ) . * Brin, "Studies in 4 Q 4 2 4 , fragment 3 , " 2 9 4 . C f , for example, Isa 3 : 1 6 - 2 4 ; A m o s 2:8; P s 4 0 : 1 8 . L.J. H o p p e , There Shall Be No Poor Among You: Poverty in the Bible (Nashville: A b i n g d o n Press, 2 0 0 4 ) . 5 7

5 8

9

6 0

194

CHAPTER SEVEN

their neighbors are sinners, but happy are those who are kind to the poor." Prov 31:9 exhorts: "Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy" (cf. 19:17; 28:27; 29:7, 14; 31:20). Some sayings portray poverty as a plight: "The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their ruin" (10:15; cf. 18:11). Ben Sira demonstrates concern for the poor that is reminiscent of Proverbs. Sir 7:32, for example, reads: "To the poor also extend your hand, that your blessing may be complete." He emphasizes the vulnerability of the needy: "The bread of charity is life itself for the needy; whoever withholds it is a person of blood" (34:25; cf. 4:8; 21:5; 31:4). He appeals to the Torah to advocate charity for the poor: "Because of the precept, help the needy; do not send them away empty-handed in their want" (29:9; cf. Deut 15:7-11). Whereas Proverbs (and Deuteronomy) warns against going surety (6:1-5; 11:15; 17:18; 22:7; Deut 24:12), Ben Sira advocates it even though it entails risk: "A good person goes surety for his neighbor" (29:14; cf. w . 18-20; 8:12-13). Ben Sira puts forward a philanthropic ethos, teaching that one has a moral obligation to lend money. Surety is also a topic of 4Q424. A fragmentary line from fragment 2 of this text reads: "do not give surety for him among the poo[r]" (1. 3). Not enough of this line survives to interpret it sufficiently. Tanzer has suggested that this vetitive was originally preceded by a negative type of person, perhaps the "hypocrite." If this is the case this person would be among the poor. The advice is probably similar to Sir 29:16-17, which recommends not going surety for an unscrupulous person: "The wicked turns the favor of a pledge into disaster, and the ungrateful schemer abandons his protector." The neighbor for whom 61

62

V . M . A s e n s i o , "Poverty and Wealth: B e n Sira's V i e w o f P o s s e s s i o n s , " in Der Einzelne und seine Gemeinschaft bei Ben Sira (ed. R. E g g e r - W e n z e l and I. Krammer; B Z A W 2 7 0 ; Berlin: de Gruyter, 1 9 9 8 ) 151-78; M. Gilbert, " W i s d o m o f the Poor: B e n Sira 1 0 , 1 9 - 1 1 , 6 , " in The Book of Ben Sira in Modern Research: Proceedings of the First International Ben Sira Conference, 28-31 July 1996, Soesterberg, Netherlands (ed. P.C. Beentjes; B Z A W 2 5 5 ; Berlin: de Gruyter, 1 9 9 7 ) 1 5 3 - 6 9 ; B.G. Wright III and C.V. Camp, " W h o H a s B e e n Tested by Gold and Found Perfect? B e n Sira's D i s c o u r s e o f R i c h e s and Poverty," Hen 2 3 ( 2 0 0 1 ) 153-74. DJD 36, 3 4 1 . Before the visible words o f 4 Q 4 2 4 2 3 a final pe is clear. Tanzer reconstructs this as *]3n. This option has the support o f 4 Q 4 2 4 1 12, w h i c h m e n t i o n s this type o f person. It is p o s s i b l e that fragment 2 continues instruction on the "hypocrite" that is at the end o f fragment 1, but the material e v i d e n c e is t o o fragmentary to assert this conclusively. S e e also Murphy, Wealth in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 182; Wright, "The Categories o f Rich and Poor," 106. 6 2

4Q424

195

one should go surety in Sir 29:14 is not described as poor. Generosity towards those in need is endorsed but this does not necessarily include going surety for them. 4Q424 seems to have a similar attitude. Surety for the poor is considered a risk. The teaching on surety and almsgiving in 4Q424 sheds light on its social milieu. Ben Sira advocates charitable treatment of the poor in a way that implies that his intended audience does not have financial difficulties. He urges one to "store up almsgiving in your cash box" (29:12), assuming his students have the wherewithal to do so. Similarly, 4Q424 3 9-10 advocates charity for the poor as if it were a group that does not include the addressee. This Qumran text does not endorse the philanthropic attitude espoused by Ben Sira. It is reasonable to understand the intended addressee of 4Q424 as a wealthy person, although perhaps not as aristocratic as Ben Sira. Brin has emphasized the similarities between Ben Sira and 4Q424 with regard to social issues. They both advocate charitable treatment of the poor and offer advice that presumes their addressees are not needy. Ben Sira also describes negative types of people to avoid (e.g., 22:13-18). But the two works do not seem to stem from the same social milieu. Unlike Ben Sira, 4Q424 contains no overt references to a scribal establishment (Sir 38:24-39:11). There is no indication that the addressee of 4Q424 is in training to become a scribe. 4Q424, unlike Proverbs or Ben Sira, never provides instruction on etiquette at formal banquets or other types of interaction with nobility. The emphasis is on him hiring others rather than his service to aristocrats. The retainer class setting of Ben Sira accords with 4Q525 much more than 4Q424. 4Q424 shows no interest in the Temple or cultic piety, in marked contrast to Ben Sira (e.g., 35:1-22). Unlike the Jerusalem sage, 4Q424 shows no interest in Lady Wisdom or the national traditions of Israel. The Qumran text alludes to Torah passages, as in 4Q424 3 2, but never appeals to the text as a whole in the laudatory fashion of Ben Sira. 4Q424 probably is not a product of the scribal class that produced Ben Sira. 63

64

65

6 3

Brin, "The Relationship b e t w e e n 4 Q 4 2 4 and the B o o k o f Ben-Sira," 2 6 5 ; idem,

"Studies in 4Q424 1-2," 27. 6 4

S e e section 7 o f Chapter 8. For example, Sir 4 4 : 6 u s e s the phrase Vri in relation to revered figures in the history o f Israel. 4 Q 4 2 4 3 8 uses the expression (in the singular) in reference to s o m e o n e w h o persecutes social infractions. S e e Brin, " W i s d o m Issues," 3 0 5 . 6 5

196

CHAPTER SEVEN

4Q424 does not stem from the same milieu as 4QInstruction. While both documents give advice on trading (e.g., 4Q418 81 18; 4Q418 126 ii 12), they are markedly different in terms of the social status of their audiences. 4QInstruction constantly reminds the addressee of his poverty and deals with the possibility of facing real material hardship, such as a lack of food (4Q417 2 i 17). He is also at times assumed to be a farmer (4Q418 103 ii). In the case of 4QInstruction it is reasonable to understand much of its intended audience as having a relatively low socio-economic status. The same cannot be said for 4Q424. One is encouraged to give to the poor and is not considered among their ranks. There is nothing in 4Q424 about how to trade when in need of food. This document does not have the strong sense of danger with regard to debts that is characteristic of 4QInstruction (e.g., 4Q416 2 ii 4-6). While 4Q416 2 ii 12-17 gives instruction on how to deal with a difficult employer, 4Q424 offers advice on avoiding unreliable employees. The two works have noticeable terminological similarities, such as the rare term £DK. It is possible that the author of one of these texts had read the other. But it is highly unlikely that the same community produced both works. There is no reason to suppose the addressee of 4Q424 has access to the mystery that is to be. The official title of 4Q424 notwithstanding, the similarities between these two texts should not be overstated. 66

67

4.

CONCLUSION

4Q424 contains nothing incompatible with the practical and conservative ethos of Prov 10-31. This Qumran text is dedicated to the traditional sapiential goal of promoting financial and social success. There is almost nothing in 4Q424 that is explicitly theological. The document shows very little interest in God (but see 4Q424 2 2) or the structure of the created order. 4Q424 exhibits no 68

The X CTK format characteristic o f 4 Q 4 2 4 is used with a vetitive in 4 Q 4 1 7 2 i 7: "do not count a man o f iniquity (b-m CTK) as a helper." Strugnell has suggested that 4 Q 4 2 4 may b e derived from 4QInstruction. S e e his "The Smaller H e b r e w W i s d o m Texts Found at Qumran: Variations, R e s e m b l a n c e s , and Lines o f D e v e l o p m e n t , " in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran, 3 1 6 0 (esp. 4 7 ) . 4 Q 4 2 5 also s e e m s to be a text devoted primarily to practical instruction. This c o m p o s i t i o n is the topic o f section 7 o f Chapter 10. 6 7

6 8

4Q424

197

concern for revelation, eschatology, the angelic world or anything else that could be considered apocalyptic. There is nothing explicit in 4Q424 that establishes that its addressee is aristocratic or wealthy. But this is not an unreasonable conclusion. He is, in the words of Harrington, "a 'man of affairs'— someone who engages in lawsuits, commerce, and the search for wisdom." He has responsibilities and requires trustworthy people working for him. He appoints judges or some other sort of decision maker. An employer, however, need not be an aristocrat. The text could have originated in a rural context. If the document was written in a village setting, the addressee would have power locally, being influential in terms of employment and decision-making, but would not be among the elites of the country. In any case, he is not poor. It is unlikely that the author of 4Q424 was a member of the yahad. He has certainly not donated his wealth to a group leader (1QS 1:11-12). 4Q424 has a prominent interest in the administration of legal affairs but displays no concern for halakhah in a manner compatible with the Damascus Document. 4Q424 includes neither messianism nor familiarity with the dualism and determinism put forward by the Treatise of the Two Spirits. 4Q424 is exclusively devoted to practical and common sense topics in a manner consistent with Prov 10-31. 69

70

Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 2 . T. E l g v i n , " W i s d o m and A p o c a l y p t i c i s m in the Early S e c o n d Century B C E — The E v i d e n c e o f 4QInstruction," in The Dead Sea Scrolls Fifty Years After Their Discovery: Proceedings of the Jerusalem Congress, July 20-25, 1997 (ed. L.H. Schiffrnan et al.; Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society/Shrine o f the B o o k , Israel M u s e u m , 2 0 0 0 ) 2 2 6 - 4 7 (esp. 2 3 1 ) . 7 0

CHAPTER EIGHT

WISDOM AND THE TORAH: 4QBEATITUDES (4Q525)

1. I N T R O D U C T I O N

4QBeatitudes (4Q525) was part of the lot assigned to Jean Starcky in the 1950s. He reported the existence of a text that contained macarisms. The document was officially published by Emile Puech in 1998. 4Q525 is a relatively lengthy document. It consists of fifty fragments. Fragments 2 and 3 preserve a substantial portion of three columns, and fragments 5 and 14 also contain a significant amount of text. 4Q525 is written in Herodian script. 4QBeatitudes is widely regarded as a wisdom text. Its editor 1

2

3

4

1

J. Starcky, "Le Travail d'edition des fragments de Qumran: C o m m u n i c a t i o n de J. Starcky," RB 63 ( 1 9 5 6 ) 6 6 - 6 7 . E. Puech, Qumran Grotte 4.XVIII: Textes Hebreux (4Q521-40528, 4Q5764Q579) ( D J D 2 5 ; Oxford: Clarendon, 1998) 1 1 5 - 7 8 . For preliminary publications, see idem, "The Collection o f Beatitudes in H e b r e w and in Greek ( 4 Q 5 2 5 1-4 and M t 5,3-12)," in Early Christianity in Context (ed. F. M a n n s and E. Alliata; Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press, 1993) 3 5 3 - 6 8 ; idem, " 4 Q 5 2 5 et les pericopes des Beatitudes en B e n Sira et Matthieu," RB 98 ( 1 9 9 1 ) 8 0 - 1 0 6 ; idem, "Un H y m n e essenien en partie retrouve et les Beatitudes: 1QH V 12-VI 18 ( = col. X I I I - X I V 7) et 4QBeat," RevQ 13 ( 1 9 8 8 ) 5 9 - 8 8 (esp. 8 4 - 8 8 ) . N o t e also M. Morgenstern, "A 'Reconstructionist' Approach to the D e a d S e a Scrolls: E. P u e c h ' s Edition o f Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XXV? JJS 55 ( 2 0 0 4 ) 3 4 7 - 5 3 . E.J.C Tigchelaar has suggested that P A M 4 3 . 6 8 0 frg. 3 2 c o u l d also b e l o n g to 4 Q 5 2 5 . This fragment attests the phrase "those w h o inherit righteousness." S e e his "On the Unidentified Fragments o f DJD X X X I I I and P A M 4 3 . 6 8 0 : A N e w Manuscript o f 4QNarrative and Poetic Composition, and Fragments o f 4 Q 1 3 , 4 Q 2 6 9 , 4 Q 5 2 5 and 4 Q S b ( ? ) , " RevQ 21 ( 2 0 0 4 ) 4 7 7 - 8 5 (esp. 4 8 4 ) . D.J. Harrington, Wisdom Texts (London: Routledge, 1 9 9 6 ) 6 6 - 7 0 ; A . S . van der W o u d e , " W i s d o m at Qumran," in Wisdom in ancient Israel: Essays in honour of J.A. Emerton (ed. J. D a y et al.; Cambridge: University o f Cambridge Press, 1 9 9 5 ) 2 4 4 - 5 6 (esp. 2 5 0 - 5 1 ) ; A. Lange, " D i e Weisheitstexte aus Qumran: E i n e Einleitung," in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran and the Development of Sapiential Thought (ed. C. H e m p e l , A . L a n g e and H. Lichtenberger; B E T L 159; L e u v e n : L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 2 0 0 2 ) 3 - 3 0 (esp. 2 8 - 2 9 ) ; idem, "Die B e d e u t u n g der Weisheitstexte aus Qumran fur die hebraische Bibel," in Weisheit in Israel (ed. D.J.A. Clines, H. Lichtenberger and H.-P. Mttller; A T M 12; Munster: Lit-Verlag, 2 0 0 3 ) 1 2 9 - 4 4 (esp. 134-35); J. K a m p e n , "The D i v e r s e A s p e c t s o f W i s d o m at Qumran," in The Dead Sea 2

3

4

4QBEATITUDES

(4Q525)

199

describes the document as "un rouleau de Sagesse dont le vocabulaire se rapproche de celui du livre canonique des Proverbes." 4Q525 is a work of instruction. The speaker is a teacher who gives exhortations to a student. Like Prov 1-9, 4Q525 praises wisdom in poetic terms and encourages its pursuit. The author seems to have a conception of personified wisdom, but the work contains no allegory of wisdom as a woman that is lengthy or detailed. 4QBeatitudes explicitly associates wisdom with the Torah (4Q525 2 ii + 3 3-4), and Torah piety is a distinguishing feature of the work. In this regard 4Q525 resembles Ben Sira and 4Q185. Many commentators have focused on the beatitudes of 4Q525 and their contribution to the study of the gospels. 4Q525 includes a collection of five beatitudes, providing a parallel to the sequence of beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:3-12). The significance of 4Q525 is by no means limited to this topic. 4Q525 2 ii + 3 is the only section of the work that contains beatitudes. There are similarities between 4QBeatitudes and the undisputed writings of the Dead Sea sect. The Torah is central, for example, in the rulebooks and 4QBeatitudes. However, there is no unambiguous evidence indicating that these texts should be attributed to the same movement. Puech dates 4Q525 to the middle of the second century BCE. This is a reasonable assessment. But this work, like many 5

6

7

Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment (2 v o l s . ; ed. P.W. Flint and J.C. VanderKam; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 8 ) 1.211-43 (esp. 2 3 1 - 3 2 ) ; C. B e n n e m a , "The Strands o f W i s d o m Tradition in Intertestamental Judaism: Origins, D e v e l o p m e n t s and Characteristics," TynBul 5 2 ( 2 0 0 1 ) 6 1 - 8 1 (esp. 7 7 ) ; J.C.R. de R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " in The Scrolls and The Scriptures (ed. S.E. Porter and C.A. Evans; JSPSup 2 6 ; Sheffield: Sheffield A c a d e m i c Press, 1997) 3 3 8 - 6 7 . In the s a m e v o l u m e as L a n g e ' s first article, see J. Strugnell, "The Smaller H e b r e w W i s d o m Texts F o u n d at Qumran: Variations, R e s e m b l a n c e s , and Lines o f D e v e l o p m e n t , " 3 1 6 0 (esp. 4 9 - 5 2 ) . * DJD 25, 115. J.H. Charlesworth, "The Qumran Beatitudes ( 4 Q 5 2 5 ) and the N e w Testament (Mt 5 : 3 - 1 1 , Lk 6 : 2 0 - 2 6 ) , " RHPR 8 0 ( 2 0 0 0 ) 13-35; J.A. Fitzmyer, The Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian Origins (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2 0 0 0 ) 1 1 1 - 1 8 ; idem, " A Palestinian Collection o f Beatitudes," in The Four Gospels 1992: Festschrift Frans Neirynck (ed. F. v a n Segbroeck et al.; B E T L 100; Leuven: L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 1 9 9 2 ) 5 0 9 - 1 5 ; B . V i v i a n o , "Eight Beatitudes from Qumran and in Matthew? A N e w Publication from C a v e Four," SEA 5 8 ( 1 9 9 3 ) 7 1 - 8 4 ; G J . B r o o k e , "The W i s d o m o f M a t t h e w ' s Beatitudes ( 4 Q B e a t and Mt. 5:3-12)," ScrB 19 ( 1 9 8 8 - 8 9 ) 3 5 - 4 1 . This last essay is reprinted in idem, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2 0 0 5 ) 2 1 7 - 3 4 . DJD 25, 119. 6

7

200

CHAPTER EIGHT

wisdom texts, is difficult to date because it has no clear allusions to historical events. 4Q525 5 7-8, which urges its intended audience to not give over its "lot" to foreigners, could indicate that the text was written against the backdrop of the Maccabean crisis. An anti-Gentile mindset could also be a reaction to the Roman occupation of the first century BCE.

2. A PEDAGOGICAL PROLOGUE

A portion of the beginning of 4QBeatitudes may have survived. This fragment is classified as 4Q525 l. The text reads: "[which he spo]ke by the wisdom (ITODTQ) that Go[d] gave to him ... [to acquijre wisdom and discipline] ([")0]1Q iTODTt n[mS]), to understand (*7O0r6) ... to increase knowledge] ([ni7]n ^Oin*?)" (11. 1-3). This resembles the prologue to the book of Proverbs (l:l-7). Both texts establish the theme of the acquisition of wisdom and set the pedagogical tone for what follows. They employ similar language to make this point. Prov 1:2 asserts that the book is "for learning about wisdom and instruction ("JOE HEDn nir6)" (cf. v. 7). The thematic similarity between Prov 1 and 4Q525 1 supports Puech's suggestion that the fragment is from the beginning of the composition. Unlike the prologue to Proverbs, 4Q525 1 presents wisdom as given by God. This claim is probably not an appeal to esoteric revelation in a manner similar to 4QInstruction. 4QBeatitudes endorses the Torah as a source of wisdom and never describes any revelation aside from that of Sinai. It is reasonable to understand 4Q525 1 1 as a reference to God giving the Torah. The law is also mentioned in the beginning of the prologue to Ben Sira. Puech has proposed that the person in line 1 who receives wisdom 8

9

10

11

8

Puech, "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 5 3 - 5 4 . P u e c h , DJD 25, 1 2 1 , grants that the word transcribed as ["IDJIB could "theoriquement" b e reconstructed as [rrajrn. T h e word "knowledge]" o f line 3 has a very slim material basis. T h e dominant theme o f the acquisition o f w i s d o m supports reading this term. D e R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 3 9 . T h e first line o f the p r o l o g u e reads: "Many notable truths have b e e n g i v e n u s through the L a w , the Prophets, and the later authors; and for these the instruction and w i s d o m o f Israel merit praise." 9

1 0

1 1

4QBEATITUDES (4Q525)

201

from God is either David or Solomon. He has suggested that this line be supplemented so that it reads: "[Words (or Proverbs) of David (or of Solomon son of David), which he spok]e (or wrote) by the wisdom that Go[d] gave to him." Neither Solomon nor David is mentioned anywhere else in 4QBeatitudes. If one wishes to look to biblical lore for an antecedent to the word "him" in 4Q525 1 1, Moses is a more plausible referent, given the prominence of Torah piety in the work. But the document never explicitly appeals to Moses either. The line could function as a title to the work as a whole, describing the author who possesses wisdom in the third person. This would help legitimate the composition as an instruction. The prologue to Ben Sira has a similar function (v. 4; cf. 24:32). The person in question could also be the student addressee, to whom God has given wisdom through his teacher and the Torah. The passage is too fragmentary to decide this issue with more precision. 13

3. THE BEATITUDE COLLECTION

Of the fragments of 4QBeatitudes, 4Q525 2 ii + 3 has attracted the most attention. Lines 1-6 read: 14

[Happy is he who speaks truth] with a pure heart and does not slander with his tongue. Happy are those who cling to her statutes (mpin) and do not cling to the ways of iniquity. Hap[py] are those who rejoice in her and do not burst out upon the ways of folly. Happy are those who seek her with pure hands and do not search for her with a deceitful heart (riDID 3^3). Happy is the man who has obtained wisdom, follows the Torah of the Most High (]rbv nmna "f?nrr), sets his heart toward her ways, controls himself with her disciplines (iTH'iO'O and takes pleasure alwfays] in her chastisements; who does not forsake her in the affliction of [his] trouble[s], does not abandon her in the time of anguish, does not forget her [in the days of] dread and who does not reject [her] with the humility of his soul. 15

DJD 25,121. P u e c h , "The C o l l e c t i o n o f Beatitudes," 3 5 4 . DJD 25, 1 2 2 - 2 8 ; Puech, "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 5 3 - 6 2 ; idem, " 4 Q 5 2 5 et les p e r i c o p e s des Beatitudes," 8 3 - 8 6 ; B r o o k e , "The W i s d o m o f M a t t h e w ' s Beatitudes," 3 5 - 4 0 ; Fitzmyer, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 1 1 4 - 1 8 ; Charlesworth, "The Qumran Beatitudes," 1 8 - 2 1 ; Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 7 - 6 9 . T h e e x p r e s s i o n "[his] trouble[s]" in line 5 is based on the transcription [v]~is?a. Puech, DJD 25, 122, observes that it can be reconstructed as [is]nsn, "[his] tria[l]." 1 3

1 4

1 5

202

CHAPTER EIGHT

This passage is exceptional for two reasons. While beatitudes are relatively common in the Hebrew Bible and late Second Temple literature (see below), they normally occur alone or in pairs. 4Q525 2 ii + 3 1-6 provides a rare example of a sequence of beatitudes in Hebrew. The praise in lines 3-4 of the man who has wisdom and reveres the "Torah of the Most High" is the most explicit association of wisdom with the Torah in the Qumran sapiential corpus. A beatitude is a literary form that describes an ideal type of person. They usually begin with 'HIBK in Hebrew or fiaioxpioc in Greek. These words are often translated as "blessed" or "happy." I prefer "happy" since 'HIBK should be distinguished from "p"Q ("blessed"). The former is used to praise a human being while the latter typically extols God. Fabry has defined the beatitude as "ein Synergismus zwischen menschlichem Wohlverhalten und uberreichem gottlichen Lohn." The beatitude is often considered a sapiential form but is attested in both wisdom and non-wisdom texts. In the Hebrew Bible beatitudes occur predominately in Proverbs and the Psalms. A beatitude that may be taken as representative is in Prov 8:34, in which Lady Wisdom exhorts "Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors." The form is prominent 16

17

18

B o t h are materially p o s s i b l e and there is n o major semantic difference b e t w e e n the t w o options. S e e also P u e c h , "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 5 5 , 3 6 7 . Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 8 . H.-J. Fabry, "Der M a k a r i s m u s — M e h r als nur eine weisheitliche Lehrform: Gedanken zu d e m neu-edierten Text 4 Q 5 2 5 , " in Alttestamentlicher Glaube und Biblische Theologie: Festschrift fur Horst Dietrich Preuss zum 65. Geburtstag (ed. J. Hausmann and H.-J. Zobel; Stuttgart: Verlag W. Kohlhammer, 1 9 9 2 ) 3 6 2 - 7 1 (esp. 3 6 2 ) . S e e also Fitzmyer, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 117. A classic study o f the beatitude is J. Dupont, Les Beatitudes (3 v o l s . ; Paris: Gabalda, 1 9 5 2 - 7 3 ) . H e classifies beatitudes into t w o categories, sapiential and eschatological. There are over forty beatitudes in the Hebrew Bible. S e e , for example, Prov 3:13; 8:32; 14:21; 16:20; 20:7; 2 8 : 1 4 ; 2 9 : 1 8 ; P s s 1:1; 2:12; 3 2 : 1 - 2 ; 8 4 : 4 - 5 ; 128:1-2; 144:15; D e u t 3 3 : 2 9 ; Isa 3 0 : 1 8 ; Dan 12:12; 1 K g s 10:8; 2 Chr 9:7. T h e form is rare in narrative texts. T h e e x a m p l e s o f the form in K i n g s and Chronicles praise those w h o are able to hear S o l o m o n ' s w i s d o m . T h e Septuagint has additional beatitudes, m a n y o f w h i c h are in B e n Sira ( 1 4 : 1 - 2 ; 2 5 : 8 - 9 ; 2 6 : 1 ; 2 8 : 1 9 ; 3 1 : 8 ; 4 8 : 1 1 ; 5 0 : 2 8 ) . S e e also 2 M a c 1:17; T o b 13:14; W i s 3 : 1 3 14. For a more c o m p r e h e n s i v e list o f beatitudes in the H e b r e w B i b l e and Septuagint, see R.F. Collins, "Beatitudes," ABD, 1.629-31. Consult further V i v i a n o , "Eight Beatitudes," 7 2 - 7 3 ; Fitzmyer. The Dead Sea Scrolls, 112; W. Janzen, "'asre in the Old Testament," HTR 5 8 ( 1 9 6 5 ) 2 1 5 - 2 6 . 1 6

1 7

1 8

203

4QBEATITUDES (4Q525)

in some apocalypses, particularly 2 Enoch. The beatitude is widely attested throughout ancient Jewish and Christian literature. 20

3.1 The Structure of the Beatitude Collection in 4Q525 4Q525 2 ii + 3 exhibits a degree of structure that is uncommon in the Qumran wisdom corpus. Each time the word "HEX appears it is preceded by a vacat. Each 'HttJK-statement is followed by another beginning with KlSl, producing a pattern "Y KlSl X TDK vacat? This structure supports Puech's claim that the first line of 4Q525 2 ii + 3 contains the second half of a beatitude, the rest of which can be safely reconstructed: "[Happy is he who speaks truth] with a pure

1 9

See, for example, I En. 58:2; 81:4; 82:4; 99:10; 103:5; 2 En. 41:2; 42:6-14; 52:1-14; 66:7; Sib. Or. 3:371-72. For other beatitudes in the pseudepigrapha, see Pss. Sol. 4:23; 5:16; 17:44; 18:6-7 (cf. 2 Bar. 10:6; 54:10). The New Testament has approximately forty beatitudes. Aside from Matt 5:311 and Luke 6:20-23, see, for example, Luke 23:29; John 20:29; Rom 14:22; Rev 1:3; 19:9. Rom 4:7-8 cites the beatitudes of Ps 32:1-2. For other early Christian beatitudes, see Gos. Thorn. 7, 19, 49. The Gospel of Thomas also preserves versions of several beatitudes attested in Matt 5 and Luke 6 (see Gos. Thorn. 54, 68-69; cf. Gos. Thorn. 79 with Luke 11:27-28). There is a lengthy sequence of beatitudes in 2 0

Acts Paul 5-6.

There are not many beatitudes in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Aside from 4Q525 2 ii + 3, see 4Q185 1-2 ii 8, 13; 4Q528 5; 4Q163 23 ii 9; 4Q200 7 i 4. The beatitude in 4Q163 (4QIsaiah Pesher ) is part of a citation of Isa 30:18. The beatitude in 4Q200 (4QTob ) is a reconstructed version of Tob 13:14. Puech, "Un Hymne essenien," 66, 79, has reconstructed a beatitude in 1QH 6. Also note 1QM 13:2-3. This text employs the word yni to praise God and then repeats it in reference to those who serve him. For beatitudes in rabbinic literature, see, for example, b. Hag 14b; b. 0

e

Yoma 86a; b. Ber. 61b.

For surveys of ancient Jewish and Christian beatitudes, see Charlesworth, "The Qumran Beatitudes," 22-33; Fitzmyer, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 111-14; Fabry, "Der Makarismus," 364-68; idem, "Seligpreisungen in der Bibel und in Qumran," in The Wisdom

Texts

from

Qumran,

189-200; M.

Hengel,

Judaica,

Hellenistica

et

Christiana: Kleine Schriften II (Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1999) 224-33; H.D. Betz, The Sermon on the Mount (Hermeneia; Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995) 97-105; H. Lichtenberger, "Makarismen in den Qumrantexten und im Neuen Testament," in Wisdom

and Apocalypticism

in the Dead

Sea Scrolls

and in the Biblical

Tradition

(ed. F. Garcia Martinez; BETL 168; Leuven: Leuven University Press/Peeters, 2003) 395-411. Lichtenberger has a similar article on this topic in Weisheit in Israel, 16782. See also idem, "Makarisms in Matthew 5:3ff. in Their Jewish Context," in The Sermon

on the Mount

and its Jewish

Setting

(ed. H.-J. Becker and S. Ruzer; CahRB

60; Paris: Gabalda, 2005) 40-56. In the same volume, see J. Frey, "The Character and Background of Matt 5:25-26: On the Value of Qumran Literature in New Testament Interpretation," 3-39.

204

CHAPTER EIGHT

heart and does not slander with his tongue" (cf. Ps 15:2-3). 4Q525 originally had at least five beatitudes. Only the last, in lines 3-6, deviates from the "Y Klbl X nDK vacat" format. This beatitude is longer than the other four. After the initial 'HEJK-stich it contains four positive statements and then four with JO^I. The sequence of beatitudes in 4Q525 attests a "4 + 1" pattern. Puech has argued that 4Q525 2 ii + 3 preserves roughly half of an original sequence of probably nine beatitudes, that is [4] + 4 + l. This view is based on an elaborate analysis of other beatitude collections. These include 1QH 6:13-16, Sir 14:20-27 and Matt 5:310. His version of 1QH 6:13-16 produces one strophe of 31 words. Sir 14:20-27 is composed of eight units of 5-7 words each. These fall into two pairs of distiches, with each pair forming a strophe of 23 words. The whole unit consists of 46 words. Analyzing Matt 5:310, Puech finds comparable symmetry. This unit has 72 words and contains nine beatitudes, as he posits for 4Q525. The Matthean beatitudes comprise two strophes, each of which has 36 words. Each strophe has a distich of 20 words and one of 16 words. This material exhibits a striking degree of regularity in terms of the word counts of its strophes. Puech concludes that he has discovered strict formal principles that shape the structure of beatitude collections. In each case "These figures are certainly due to the use of a precise pattern and definite rules by the different authors" of these beatitude collections. The beatitudes of 4Q525 2 ii + 3 form two strophes, each 31 words in length, the same amount of words, by Puech's reckoning, as in the collection in 1QH 6. Each strophe of beatitudes in 4Q525 consists of 22

23

24

25

26

2 1

DJD 25, 126; Puech, "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 5 4 ; Fitzmyer, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 117; Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 8 . DJD 25, 127. Ibid., 128; Puech, "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 6 1 ; idem, " 4 Q 5 2 5 et les pericopes des Beatitudes," 8 0 . S e e P u e c h , "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 5 7 - 6 2 ; idem, " 4 Q 5 2 5 et les pericopes des Beatitudes," 9 0 - 1 0 1 . H i s analysis o f the p a s s a g e from the H o d a y o t presumes his o w n reconstruction. The word is not extant in this section. H e reconstructs this text partially o n the basis o f 4QBeatitudes. S e e his "Un H y m n e essenien," 7 9 . T h e pericope in question is listed in DSSSE, 1.153-54, as 1QH 6:2-5. For analysis o f structuralist features in other texts o f B e n Sira, s e e E . D . R e y m o n d , Innovations in Hebrew Poetry: Parallelism and the Poems of Sirach (Atlanta: Society o f Biblical Literature, 2 0 0 4 ) . Puech, "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 6 1 . 2 1

2 3

2 4

2 5

2 6

205

4QBEATITUDES (4Q525)

two distiches, one of 15 words, and one of 16. Puech infers that the extant beatitudes in 4Q525 2 ii + 3 were preceded by at least one strophe of beatitudes containing 31 words. This fragment has a visible upper margin, so the lost portion of the collection was "obviously copied at the unpreserved bottom of frg. 2 i." Puech's views regarding the number of words and beatitudes of the original collection cannot be verified, since it involves claims about material that has not survived. He should be credited for discerning structural patterns in collections of beatitudes. It is not clear that they were written according to such strict guidelines in every instance. For example, while the original text of 2 Enoch has not survived, the beatitude collections in chapters 42 and 52 of that book do not appear to be shaped by the symmetrical patterns discerned by Puech. Also there are noticeable formal differences among the beatitude collections he analyzes. For example, only the first statement of Sir 14:20-27 has the word the rest of the collection adds participial phrases that provide further description of the one who is happy. The relevant passage in 1QH 6 has an "HttfN-statement only in its first line as well, assuming Puech's reconstruction. Matt 5 is a closer structural parallel than 1QH 6 or Sir 14. Matt 5:3-10 consists of eight beatitudes, each of which begins with a jiaKapioi-statement followed by another that starts with o i l . There is a longer beatitude in Matt 5:11, producing an 8 + 1 structure that makes Puech's proposal of a [4] + 4 + 1 beatitude format for 4Q525 a legitimate possibility. He could be correct, but it is not necessary to apply the structural principles he discerns to sections of 4Q525 that did not survive. 27

28

29

30

31

3.2 The Beatitudes of 4Q525 and the Gospels The Lucan beatitudes (6:20-23) bear little resemblance in terms of symmetry to Sir 14, 4Q525 2 ii + 3 or Matt 5. Luke 6 also balances its beatitudes with woes (w. 24-26). There are woes neither in the 2 7

Ibid., 361; DJD 25,128. Fitzmyer, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 116. Lichtenberger, "Makarismen," 396. Puech, "The Collection of Beatitudes," 357. Matt 5:11-12 has been considered "the result of an expansion" of the beatitudes in w . 3-10. See Betz, The Sermon on the Mount, 105. 2 8

2 9

3 0

31

206

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sermon on the Mount nor 4Q525. Puech concludes that 4QBeatitudes helps fill out the "substrat semitique" of Matt 5:3-12 and that this background does not influence Luke 6:20-23. The former pericope represents "une composition mattheenne originelle." The Lucan beatitudes are therefore "secondary and later" in relation to those of Matthew. The standard synoptic view is that Luke preserves a more original form of Q than Matthew, whose author was more willing to re­ arrange his source material. Puech's thesis regarding Matthew would turn this consensus opinion on its head. He never engages substantively with the issue of Q. 4Q525 should not force a major revision of standard views in synoptic studies. If one grants Puech's claims it does not necessarily follow that the beatitudes of Matthew must be older than those of Luke. A common view is that Q included a sequence of three beatitudes, which are preserved in Luke 6:20b23. Thus both the authors of Luke and Matthew expanded the Q beatitudes. Luke appended a series of woes (6:24-26) and Matthew made several changes of his own, including the addition of several beatitudes. If the author of Matthew were aware of the formal guidelines that are attested in 4Q525 and Sir 14, these principles could have guided his reworking of the Q beatitudes. The beatitudes of Matthew are not necessarily older than those of Luke. 32

33

34

35

36

37

38

3 2

DJD 25, 115; Puech, " 4 Q 5 2 5 et les pericopes des Beatitudes," 8 0 . Puech, "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 6 2 . J.-M. van Cangh, "Beatitudes de Qumran et beatitudes evangeTiques. Anteriorite d e Matthieu sur L u c ? " in Wisdom and Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 413-25. D . Flusser idiosyncratically argues that the synoptic beatitude collection had ten beatitudes, whereas Matt 5 has nine. H e claims that the tenth is Luke 6:21b, w h i c h w a s r e m o v e d b y Matthew. See his Judaism and the Origins of Christianity (Jerusalem: M a g n e s , 1 9 8 8 ) 1 1 2 - 1 3 . Consult also J.C. VanderKam and P.W. Flint, The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls ( N e w York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002) 336-38. B r o o k e , "The W i s d o m o f M a t t h e w ' s Beatitudes," 3 7 , writes regarding the beatitudes o f M a t t h e w and Luke "It m a y n o longer b e p o s s i b l e to propose w h i c h is the more original." V i v i a n o , "Eight Beatitudes," 8 2 ; van Cangh, "Beatitudes de Qumran," 4 2 4 . J.S. K l o p p e n b o r g Verbin, Excavating Q: The History and Setting of the Sayings Gospel (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2 0 0 0 ) 6 8 . S e e also J.S. Kloppenborg, The Formation of Q (Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 1999 [orig. pub., 1987]); Betz. The Sermon on the Mount, 1 0 9 - 1 1 . There is also no reason to attribute direct influence from 4QBeatitudes upon Matthew, although this possibility can not be dismissed out o f hand. Brooke, "The W i s d o m o f M a t t h e w ' s Beatitudes," 3 9 , claims that several beatitudes in Matthew 3 3

3 4

3

3 6

3 7

3

4QBEATITUDES

(4Q525)

207

4. THE PURSUIT OF WISDOM IN 4QBEATITUDES

The overall goal of 4Q525 is to encourage the pursuit of wisdom. The text stresses that this search should be sincere, devout and focused on the Torah. In this regard there is continuity between 4Q525 and the Sermon on the Mount. Torah observance is explicitly advocated in the Sermon (Matt 5:17-20), although none of its beatitudes mention the law directly. Puech argues that the "poor in spirit" of Matt 5:3 refers to those who "submit themselves to the divine Law." The "poor in spirit" of Matt 5:3 has a parallel in the expression m"l •naif of 1QH 6:3, part of Puech's reconstructed beatitude collection (cf. 23:14-15; 1QM 14:7; 1QS 4:3). In this text the term is part of a sequence of expressions, such as "men of truth," which apparently refer to the Dead Sea sect. According to 4Q525 2 ii + 3 6, the one who is happy should not reject wisdom "with the humility of his soul (1033 HUM)" (cf. 1QS 3:8; T. Jud 19:2). Humility is a prominent feature of the character development fostered by 4QBeatitudes, as in 4QWords of the Maskil (cf. 4Q298 3-4 ii 5-6). 4Q525 5 13 teaches that those who love God "humble themselves in her (PG liraST)." Line 12 of this fragment encourages one to follow "her ways," as in 4Q525 2 ii + 3 4, which, given its context, presumably alludes to wisdom and the Torah. Humility is thus 39

40

41

"may b e interacting with E s s e n e understanding." This perspective a s s u m e s that 4 Q 5 2 5 is an E s s e n e text. Earlier D . Flusser had put forward the related v i e w that the g o s p e l beatitudes w e r e designed with E s s e n e traditions in mind. S e e his Judaism and the Origins of Christianity, 105-6; Charlesworth, "The Qumran Beatitudes," 2 9 . T h e provenance o f 4 Q 5 2 5 v i s - a - v i s the D e a d Sea sect is examined in section 7 o f this chapter. Puech, "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 6 3 ; idem, " 4 Q 5 2 5 et les pericopes d e s Beatitudes," 1 0 1 . For further discussion, see H e n g e l , "Zur matthaischen Bergpredigt und ihrem jtidischen Hintergrund," in Judaica, Hellenistica et Christiana, 219-92; A.J. Saldarini, Matthew's Christian-Jewish Community (Chicago: University o f C h i c a g o Press, 1994) 1 2 4 - 6 4 ; W . D . D a v i e s , The Setting of the Sermon on the Mount ( B J S 186; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1 9 8 9 ) ; Flusser, Judaism and the Origins of Christianity, 1 0 2 - 2 5 ; L.E. Keck, "The Poor a m o n g the Saints in Jewish Christianity and Qumran," ZNW51 ( 1 9 6 6 ) 5 4 - 7 8 . In P u e c h ' s reconstruction this text is in 1QH 6:14. S e e his "Un H y m n e essenien," 6 6 . D e R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 4 8 ; H.-J. Fabry, " D i e A r m e n f r o m m i g k e i t in den qumranischen Weisheitstexten," in Weisheit in Israel, 1 4 5 6 5 (esp. 163). The immediate context o f the d i s c u s s i o n o f humility in 4 Q 5 2 5 2 ii + 3 e m p h a s i z e s not abandoning the pursuit o f w i s d o m amidst difficult circumstances ( s e e below). 4 0

4 1

208

CHAPTER EIGHT

associated with both. The stress on humility can be read as a call to submit oneself to the Torah, as Puech has argued regarding the "poor in spirit" of Matthew (cf. Avot 4:10). Also, 4Q525 14 ii 20 teaches that one should speak with "just humility" (fHS mai7) (cf. 4Q525 10 4; 4Q525 27 1). The theme of acquiring wisdom runs throughout 4QBeatitudes. One is repeatedly urged to heed the words of the speaker. 4Q525 14 ii 18 reads, for example: "And now, understanding one (p3Q), listen to me and set your heart to the w[ords of my mouth]." While the word y o o is used constantly in reference to the addressee in 4QInstruction, in 4Q525 the term is only used once in this way (cf. 4Q303 l ) . hi 4Q525 2 ii + 3 12 the speaker refers to his audience as "sons" in the vocative, a common term for students in Proverbs and Ben Sira: "[And] now, O sons, lifsten . . . ] " ([*U7D]t8 D^W nn»[1]) (e.g., Prov 4:1, 10; Sir31:22). 4Q525 14 ii 18 encourages its addressee to orient his heart towards the speaker. 4Q525 2 ii + 3 3 states that one should not seek wisdom with a deceitful heart. 4Q525 5 7 reiterates not pursuing wisdom with a deceitful heart. 4Q185 also emphasizes that to acquire wisdom one must search for it with honesty and sincerity (1-2 ii 13-15). A person desiring wisdom must have a "pure heart" (4Q525 2 ii + 3 1), a posture also endorsed in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:8). Sir 14:21a reads "ob rPD"n bs DWH ("who ponders her ways in his 42

43

44

45

46

47

While the poor in Matthew and the rewards offered to them are often understood in relation to the eschatological good news promised to the poor in Isa 61, there is no indication that this chapter is important for the humility of the soul advocated in 4Q525 2 ii + 3 6. See Puech, "4Q525 et les pericopes des Beatitudes," 106; van Cangh, "Beatitudes de Qumran," 419; Hengel, Judaica, Hellenistica et Christiana, 243-49. Other exhortations to listen to the speaker include 4Q525 10 3; 4Q525 13 6: 4Q525 24 ii 2; and 4Q525 31 1 (cf. 4Q525 26 2). The phrase "w[ords of my mouth]" in 4Q525 14 ii 18 is a reconstruction suggested by Puech, DJD 25, 146, that has a poor material basis. Given the parallelism of the line, this reading is plausible. Note the term piaa in 4Q525 16 3, a Niphal participle of the verb p . See E.J.C. Tigchelaar, "The Addressees of 4QInstruction," in Sapiential, Liturgical and Poetical 4 3

4 4

Texts from Organization

Qumran: Proceedings of the Third Meeting of the International for Qumran Studies, Oslo 1998 (ed. D. Falk et al.; STDJ 35; Leiden:

Brill 2000) 62-75 (esp. 69). 4Q525 2 ii + 3 12 is similar to Prov 8:32a, which reads "And now, O sons, listen to me (-h wao •••aa nnm)." The relevant portion of 4Q525 2 ii + 3 3 reads n a n a &2 n n n a r KV? and of 4

4 6

4Q525 5 7 nana ibi 4 7

rrra[-n]n

Brooke, "The Wisdom of Matthew's Beatitudes," 38.

4QBEATITUDES

(4Q525)

209

heart"). This can be rendered as "the one who fixes his heart upon her ways," referring to the Torah and wisdom. This is similar to 4Q525 2 ii + 3 4, which declares that the one who is happy "sets his heart toward her ways" ("ob T D T l b p ^ ) . The importance placed on the "heart" of the student of wisdom is reminiscent of Ps 37:30-31, which declares that those who speak with wisdom have "the law of their God" in their hearts. The basic goal of Sir 14:20-27, as in 4Q525 2 ii + 3, is to encourage the acquisition of wisdom. Sir 14:20-21 reads: "Happy is the person who meditates on wisdom (HIUT n & D m ttHJK ")E7K), and fixes his gaze on understanding; who ponders her ways in his heart and pays attention to her paths." The sequence of statements about the happy man in 14:20-27 is immediately followed by the assertion that the Torah is a key source of wisdom: "He who fears the Lord will do this; he who is practiced in the Law will come to Wisdom" (15:1). Ben Sira shares with 4QBeatitudes a Torah-centered conception of wisdom. Sir 14:20 uses the verb nan to describe the happy man's focus on wisdom. This verse endorses the study of the Torah, as in Sir 6:37, which culminates another poem on wisdom (cf. 50:28). The verb nan is used in Ps 1:2: "on his law he meditates ( i r n i n n nan*0 day and night" (cf. Josh 1:8). 4Q525 2 ii + 3 6 declares that one who is happy "meditates upon her always" ( T E H n a T n3) (cf. 4Q525 14 ii 19). Given the theme of Torah piety, this line probably refers to the study of the law, as in Sir 14. Line 4 of 4Q525 2 ii + 3 calls the law the "Torah of the Most High" (]vbu n i T l ) . This expression is used for the Torah several times by Ben Sira (41:4, 8; 48

49

n

50

51

52

53

N o t e the fragmentary expression "to make your heart [understand" in 4QInstruction ( 4 Q 4 2 3 7 7). Puech, "The C o l l e c t i o n o f Beatitudes," 3 5 8 - 5 9 ; idem, " 4 Q 5 2 5 et l e s pericopes des Beatitudes," 9 1 - 9 5 . T h e Torah is also associated with w i s d o m in 2 Baruch ( 3 8 : 2 , 4 ; 4 8 : 2 4 ; 7 7 : 1 6 ; cf. T Levi 13:1-9; W i s 9:9). Cf. Prov 8:7; P s 3 7 : 3 0 . In 4 Q 4 1 8 4 3 4 this verb is associated with the contemplation o f the mystery that is t o be. A . A . D i Leila and P . W . Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira ( A B 3 9 ; N e w York: Doubleday, 1987) 263. T h e word nmtzr o f 4 Q 5 2 5 2 ii + 3 6 is in parallelism with narr. S e e P s s 119:15, 2 3 , 2 7 , 4 8 and 7 8 . Consult also DJD 25, 1 2 5 ; Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 69; Charlesworth, "The Qumran Beatitudes," 2 0 ; G.W.E. Nickelsburg, Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins: Diversity, Continuity, and Transformation (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2 0 0 3 ) 2 9 - 5 1 . 4 9

5 0

5 1

5 2

5 3

210

CHAPTER EIGHT

42:2; 49:4; cf. 45:5). The phrase also occurs in the Cave 11 Psalms Scroll (HQPs 18:12). The happy man "walks" Cf?nJT) according to the Torah of the Most High (4Q525 2 ii + 3 3-4). 4Q525 5 11 calls those who avoid iniquity CTDn " O ^ i n , "those who walk in perfection," an expression that is prominent in the sectarian rulebooks. This may be an allusion to halakhah. However, 4QBeatitudes exhibits no concern for issues such as the Sabbath or ritual purity, in contrast to the Damascus Document and the Community Rule. 4QBeatitudes is closer in spirit to Ben Sira's instruction, which praises God's Torah as the key to following the right path, without showing interest in the details of its legal material. Sir 14 and 4Q525 are not the only texts that employ beatitudes to endorse a Torah-centered conception of wisdom. 4Q185 uses the form to praise wisdom: "Happy is the man who does her (wisdom) and does not play tricks ag[ainst her, nor] with [a spirit] of deceit seek her, nor hold fast to her with flatteries" (4Q185 1-2 ii 13-14). Line 8 reads: "Happy is the man to whom she is given." As discussed in Chapter 4, "she" refers to wisdom. The author also advocates observance of the Torah: "do not rebel against the words of YHWH" (4Q185 1-2 ii 3). This text, like 4Q525, combines wisdom and Torah. The tradition of using beatitudes to praise the acquisition of wisdom seems reliant on both Proverbs and the Psalms. The beatitude of Prov 3:13 reads "Happy are those who find wisdom ( T O D n ) and those who get understanding (nainn)" (cf. 8:32, 34). The so-called wisdom psalms employ beatitudes to praise a conception of wisdom that may refer to a version of the Mosaic law or perhaps "instruction" in a more a

54

55

56

57

5 4

a

T h e k e y section o f 1 l Q P s 18:12 reads "their meditation is on the Torah o f the M o s t H i g h " (]vbv rmra onrrra). S e e also DJD 25, 124; de R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 4 0 . 1 Q S 2:2; 3:9; 9:19; C D 1:20-21. The expression has also been plausibly reconstructed in 4 Q 5 2 5 1 1 - 1 2 3 (cf. 4 Q 5 2 5 2 7 4 ) . The fragmentary text 4 Q 5 2 5 2 0 2 attests the phrase j n ^ i n . S e e also P s s 15:2; 8 4 : 1 2 ; Prov 2 8 : 1 8 . Consult further DJD 25, 134; de R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 4 9 . A s d i s c u s s e d in section 6, 4 Q 5 2 5 14 ii 15, referring to the students the ideal addressee will eventually have, states that they "will walk together in your teaching" (ITP -ohm n r r o ^ r a ) . Cf. 4 Q 1 6 9 3 - 4 ii 8. T h e t w o terms for k n o w l e d g e in this verse are also in the beatitude o f Sir 14:20. The "path" t e r m i n o l o g y o f Sir 14:21 matches that o f Prov 3:17. S e e Puech, " 4 Q 5 2 5 et les p e r i c o p e s d e s Beatitudes," 9 2 ; V i v i a n o , "Eight Beatitudes," 7 9 ; D i Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 2 6 3 . 5 5

5 6

5 7

4QBEATITUDES

(4Q525)

211

general sense. Ps 119:1-2 reads "Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart." Ps 1 begins "Happy is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked ... his delight is in the law of the Lord" (cf. 94:12; 112:1). There are differences between the depictions of the pursuit of wisdom in Sir 14 and 4Q525 2 ii + 3. The former envisions the student as never taking his eye off wisdom. He is stalking "her like a scout and watching her entryways; [he] peeps through her window and listens at her doors" (14:22-23). No one in 4Q525 is described as pursuing wisdom like a hunter. Ben Sira envisions wisdom as a tree, an image reliant on Prov 3:18 (Sir 14:26-27). This motif is not found in 4QBeatitudes. The portrayals of the pursuit of wisdom in 4Q525 and Sir 51:13-30 are also different. The latter poem construes the search for wisdom as one of passion and intensity, underscored with erotic language: "My whole being was stirred to seek her; therefore I have made her my prize possession" (51:21). 4Q525 portrays the search for wisdom in less romantic terms. The search for wisdom in 4Q525 is in some ways closer to Sir 6:18-37 than 14:20-27. Sir 6:18 reads: "My son, from your youth embrace discipline; thus you will gain wisdom (HDDn -Ptt?n) with graying hair." The beatitude of 4Q525 2 ii + 3 3 employs similar vocabulary: "Happy is the man who has obtained wisdom (NBn riBDn)." A major theme of Sir 6:18-37 is the acceptance of the discipline of wisdom. Ben Sira advocates that one submit to the fetters and bonds of wisdom: "Put your feet into her net and your neck into her noose. Stoop your shoulders and carry her and be not irked at her bonds" (w. 24-25). There is an association between education and discipline in traditional wisdom. Prov 22:15, for example, reads "Folly is bound up in the heart of a boy, but the rod of discipline (1010 MO) drives it far away." Ben Sira emphasizes the rewards of accepting the yoke of wisdom. It will turn into "glorious apparel" and a "splendid crown" (w. 30-31; cf. Prov 4:9; 4Q421 la 59

60

61

5 8

J.D. L e v e n s o n , "The Sources o f Torah: P s a l m 119 and the M o d e s o f R e v e l a t i o n in S e c o n d T e m p l e Judaism," in Ancient Israelite Religion: Essays in Honor of Frank Moore Cross (ed. P . D . Miller et al.; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987) 5 5 9 - 7 4 . This text, and its version in 1 l Q P s , is discussed in section 3.2.2 o f Chapter 9. DJD 25 124. Prov 13:1, 2 4 ; 19:18; 2 3 : 1 3 ; 2 9 : 1 7 . 5 9

6 0

6 1

a

212

CHAPTER EIGHT

ii-b 10). 4QBeatitudes never employs the yoke of wisdom motif. The text does, however, associate wisdom with discipline. 4Q525 2 ii + 3 4 declares that one with wisdom "controls himself with her disciplines (rPT)O ) and takes pleasure alw[ays] in her chastisements (rPBia)" (cf. Prov 3:11). The ideal student enjoys the moral restraint that accompanies devotion to wisdom. 4Q525 5 11 asserts that those who "walk in perfection" "do not reject her disciplines (miO^)." This fragment does not emphasize that the discipline of wisdom can be harsh and painful, in contrast to Prov 22:15. Lines 8-9 of 4Q525 5 affirm that "the wis[e ... i]nstruct with sweetness" (pHM). Discipline is associated not with rigor and difficulty but with delight. Ben Sira teaches that accepting the yoke of wisdom is not arduous. Sir 6:19 reads "For in cultivating her (wisdom) you will labor but little, and soon you will eat of her fruits" (cf. 51:27). To the foolish, however, "she will be like a burdensome stone" (6:21). In different ways Sir 6 and 4Q525 portray the pursuit of wisdom not as a struggle but rather an experience to be treasured. Discipline is not always related to sweetness in 4QBeatitudes. Wisdom is associated with difficult circumstances. After describing the one who is happy taking pleasure in "her chastisements," 4Q525 2 ii + 3 asserts that he "does not forsake her in the affliction of [his] trouble[s] ([V]"I2E ^W), does not abandon her in the time of anguish (HpIS no), [and] does not forget her [in the days of] dread" (1. 5; cf. 4Q525 5 2; Ps 37:39). De Roo has argued that the distress mentioned in 4QBeatitudes should be interpreted as "the direct cause of wisdom's disciplines." The speaker realizes that his suffering is from "divine chastisements" that are "for his own good" (cf. 1QH 17:10). She understands 4Q525 as a product of the Dead Sea sect and this informs her view that these chastisements can come from men in the lot of Belial. The distress described in 4Q525 2 ii + 3 could be related to an evil entity. 4Q525 25 2 has been reconstructed as reading "[s]ons of Be[lial]," and 4Q525 19 4 attests "the Mastema (n&tDEDn)." If these readings n

62

63

64

De Roo, "Is 4Q525 a Qumran Sectarian Document?" 358. For a different interpretation, see Brooke, "The Wisdom of Matthew's Beatitudes," 38. De Roo, "Is 4Q525 a Qumran Sectarian Document?" 359. DJD 25, 156, 164. 6 j

6 4

4QBEATITUDES

(4Q525)

213

are correct, they would be the only instances in the Qumran wisdom corpus in which these figures are mentioned. The distress in 4Q525 2 ii + 3 is never directly connected to Belial, Mastema or people in their lots. 4QBeatitudes presents the adverse circumstances of the intended audience as situations in which they could, but should not, abandon the pursuit of wisdom. 4Q525 14 ii 6 mentions "an affliction (SJM) on your paths" and, in response to this, claims "you will not be shaken." Line 12 of this fragment affirms that God "will release you from every evil." The suffering of the typical addressee may be "for his own good," as de Roo suggests, but this assessment should be qualified. The emphasis is not on God teaching him through suffering itself but rather on the continuation of study despite adversity. 4Q525 strengthens the conviction that God will bring the difficult circumstances to an end. 4Q525 23, though fragmentary, helps illustrate the theme of suffering in 4QBeatitudes. The first line reads: "they have seized my entrails before God." The next visible portion reads: "I totter. And on the decreed day ... to go down to the depths of the pit" (11. 2-3). Since "the decreed day" is associated with going to the pit, the expression probably refers to the day of death. The speaker, in a rare use of the first person, describes a situation in which he is threatened and reminded of the reality of his own death. 4Q525 23 8 mentions "insolent men," suggesting, as does the first line of the fragment, that the speaker is dealing with people hostile to him. The scenario laid out in 4Q525 23 can be reasonably interpreted in the tradition of biblical psalms of lament. In Ps 88, for example, the speaker complains that his companions regard him as a "thing of horror" and that he is full of sorrow (w. 9-10). He is also distraught about going to the "pit," a reference to death, and the speaker associates his death with God's "wrath" (w. 7-8). The adverse situations described in the Psalter are often not specific; rather the speaker complains of difficult circumstances in general terms. This allows the reader to identify with the suffering described in a given psalm. This seems to be the case in 4Q525 23 as well. 65

4Q525 16 3 states "understanding ones go astray in it" (cniD3 nsn HD). At issue are people with training in wisdom who go down the wrong path. This theme is also suggested by line 4 which mentions "snares." It is unclear from the surviving text what could cause such people to go astray.

214

CHAPTER EIGHT

The long beatitude in lines 3-6 of 4Q525 2 ii + 3 can be understood along the lines of Ps 119. The author of 4Q525 probably believed that this psalm discussed the Torah. So understood, the speaker of Ps 119 never forsakes his commitment to the Torah, even when faced with difficult circumstances. Ps 119:23 reads, for example, "Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will reflect (rwzp) upon your statutes" (cf. w . 69, 92, 110, 143). This is similar to the statement in 4Q525 2 ii + 3 6 that "in his distress he reflects (nrnBT) [upon her]." 4Q525, and perhaps Ps 119, advocate not abandoning devotion to the Torah during a period of difficulty. Ben Sira also recommends patient endurance in difficult times: "Accept whatever befalls you, and in periods of humiliation be patient. For in fire gold is tested, and those God favors, in the crucible of humiliation" (2:4-5; cf. 1:13; 18:13-14). In contrast to 4QBeatitudes, Ben Sira never uses the theme of persevering through adversity to assert the importance of the pursuit of wisdom. It never occurs to him that his students could undergo something difficult enough for them to consider abandoning wisdom. In this regard 4QBeatitudes is closer to the Sermon on the Mount than Ben Sira. Suffering is a major theme of the Sermon on the Mount. But Matthew describes a greater degree of adversity than 4Q525. The beatitudes in Matthew tell one to rejoice when he is persecuted because of the reward awaiting him in heaven (5:11-12). There is no indication that the addressees of 4QBeatitudes are being persecuted. 66

67

68

5. THE PERSONIFICATION OF WISDOM

In 4Q525 5 9-10 one is urged to seek "her" and follow "her paths"

J.L. Crenshaw, "The Problem o f T h e o d i c y in Sirach: On H u m a n B o n d a g e , " JBL 9 4 ( 1 9 7 5 ) 4 7 - 6 4 ; J.J. Collins, Jewish Wisdom in the Hellenistic Age (OTL; Louisville: Westminster John K n o x , 1 9 9 7 ) 9 2 - 9 5 ; P.C. Beentjes, " T h e o d i c y in W i s d o m o f B e n Sira," in Theodicy in the World of the Bible: The Goodness of God and the Problem of Evil (ed. A. Laato and J.C. de Moor; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 3 ) 5 0 9 - 2 4 . B r o o k e , "The W i s d o m o f M a t t h e w ' s Beatitudes," 3 8 . 4 Q 5 2 5 probably d o e s not operate with a conception o f an afterlife for the righteous. This is discussed in section 6 o f this chapter. 6 7

6 8

4QBEATITUDES

(4Q525)

215

(rPDTl) and "her statutes" ( I T p T l ) . 4Q525 2 ii + 3 4-5 asserts that the man with wisdom "sets his heart toward her ways, controls himself with her disciplines and takes pleasure alw[ays] in her chastisements." The word "her" in this material clearly refers to wisdom. The word also signifies the Torah. Both wisdom and Torah are feminine terms. It is not a case of deciding whether the antecedent is wisdom or Torah. The law is the main source of wisdom available to the addressees, as in Ben Sira. In Ben Sira the merging of wisdom traditions and Torah piety culminates in its description of Lady Wisdom, who is associated with the Torah (24:23). This figure may also appear in 4QBeatitudes. The evidence is less clear-cut than in Ben Sira. White Crawford argues that 4Q525 "contains mention of a female Wisdom figure, although the referent is not as clearly personified as in 4Q185." I observed in Chapter 4 that wisdom is not personified that clearly in 4Q185. 4QBeatitudes includes no explicit or extensive description of Lady Wisdom. But White Crawford's assessment of 4Q525 is probably correct. Reminiscent of 4Q525 2 ii + 3, Lady Wisdom utters a beatitude urging that one keep her "ways": "And now, my children, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways" (Prov 8:32). The encouragement to seek "her" in fragments 2 ii + 3 and 5 of 4Q525 echoes the calls of Lady Wisdom in Proverbs. The fragmentary text 4Q525 2 iii 2 describes a feminine entity: "she cannot be obtained with gold" (cf. 4Q525 17 6). Several of the extant words in this fragment refer to items of beauty and value: "precious stones" (1. 3), "purple flowers" (1. 5), and "jewels" (1. 7) (cf. 4Q525 26 4-5). The theme of wisdom is prominent in the second column of this fragment. It is reasonable therefore to understand the feminine entity of 4Q525 70

71

6 9

For seeking "her," s e e 4 Q 5 2 5 2 ii + 3 2, 3 (cf. 1. 5; 4 Q 5 2 5 13 5); 4 Q 5 2 5 5 6, 7; for "her paths," 4 Q 5 2 5 2 ii + 3 4; 4 Q 5 2 5 5 7, 9; for "her statutes," 4 Q 5 2 5 2 ii + 3 1; 4 Q 5 2 5 5 10 (cf. 1. 7). "Her disciplines" are mentioned in 4 Q 5 2 5 2 ii + 3 4 and 4 Q 5 2 5 5 11. 4 Q 5 2 5 5 also teaches about "her reproaches" (rrmrraw) (1. 10), "her depths" ( r r p a » n ) (1. 12) and that those w h o l o v e G o d humble t h e m s e l v e s "in her" (1. 13). A c c o r d i n g to 4 Q 5 2 5 2 ii + 3 2 , the o n e w h o is happy rejoices "in her." S e e also 4 Q 5 2 5 21 7. Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 8 . S. White Crawford, "Lady W i s d o m and D a m e Folly at Qumran," DSD 5 ( 1 9 9 8 ) 3 5 5 - 6 6 (esp. 3 6 3 - 6 4 ) . S e e also D.J. Harrington, "Ten R e a s o n s W h y the Qumran W i s d o m T e x t s are Important," DSD 4 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 2 4 5 - 5 5 (esp. 2 5 1 - 5 2 ) ; B.G. Wright, " W i s d o m and W o m e n at Qumran," DSD 11 ( 2 0 0 4 ) 2 4 0 - 6 1 (esp. 2 4 8 - 4 9 ) . 7 0

7 1

216

CHAPTER EIGHT

2 iii as wisdom. Lady Wisdom is praised as superior to things of great value, including "jewels," in Prov 3:14-15. There is no explicit presentation, however, in 4Q525 2 iii of wisdom as a woman. 4Q525 24 ii, which is not well preserved, recounts the teaching of a female figure. The fragment begins: "[and trjuly she pours out her speech" ( r n » K JPnn f n [ 3 1 ] ) . The next visible portion is a call to heed the speaker, in the first person: "Pay attention to me" (*b i r t K H ) (1. 2). This fragment seems to preserve remnants of a wisdom poem uttered by Lady Wisdom. She states in Prov 1:23 that "I pour out" ( n i T 3 K ) words, using the same verb as 4Q525 24 ii 1. The speaker in the latter text is a feminine figure who is a teacher, exhorting one to hear her words (cf. Prov 1:20-21; 8:1-10). The teaching of 4Q525 24 ii is perhaps connected to agricultural abundance, since line 7 may mention gathering harvests. The speaker has a house. She discusses it, in the first person, in 4Q525 24 ii 4 and 5 ( T P 3 ) . No extensive description of this dwelling has survived. It is associated with water. Line 3 reads "I have established. Drink wat[er ...]" (Tl'D'On [nfft inttn). Line 8 has the phrase "all who drink" and line 9 "a well of waters of a spr[ing]" WIS "1*0). The "well of water" is not a prominent image in Proverbs (but see 18:4). The book, however, associates wisdom with material bounty in part by describing a banquet offered by Lady Wisdom at her house (9:1-12; cf. 5:15-18; 24:3-4). In both wisdom and non-wisdom texts the image of water represents the Torah. Ben Sira concludes his poem about Lady Wisdom with a description of his own teaching as nurturing water (24:30-34). The well mentioned in Num 21:18 is interpreted by the Damascus Document as a reference to the Torah (CD 6:4; cf. 4Q418 811; 4Q418 103 ii 6). The prosperity of the elect community in 1QH 72

73

74

75

7 2

Cf. 8:10-11, 19; Wis 7:8-9; 8:5. See DJD 25, 130; de Roo, "Is 4Q525 a Qumran Sectarian Document?" 340. The Torah may be described as better than gold i n P s l l 9 ( v v . 72, 127). Solomon's wisdom is associated with abundance and a house (1 Kgs 10:4-5). Cf. Sir 15:3. M. Fishbane, "The Well of Living Water: A Biblical Motif and its Ancient 7 3

7 4

Transformations," in Sha 'arei Talmon: Studies in the Bible, Qumran, and the Ancient Near East presented to Shemaryahu Talmon (ed. M. Fishbane and E. Tov; Winona

Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1992) 3-16. Ps 1 depicts those who study the law as fruit-laden trees growing beside a stream (v. 3). 7 5

4QBEATITUDES

(4Q525)

217

14 and 16, based in part on devotion to the Torah, is associated with life-giving waters. Because of the prominence of Torah piety in the work, the "well of waters" in 4Q525 24 ii 9 is probably a reference to the Torah, even though the law is not mentioned in the fragment. If 4Q525 24 ii does in fact recount a first person speech from Lady Wisdom, she associates her teaching and her house with the Torah. It is reasonable to suppose that if all of 4Q525 24 ii were available, it would be a wisdom poem similar to Sir 24. Understanding 4Q525 24 ii as a poorly preserved wisdom poem spoken by Lady Wisdom is supported by 4Q525 11-12 2: "[with] majestic raiment (Tin JTTO) for a[l]l those who cling to me (^[Ip ? • ' D O i n ) T h e phrase "majestic raiment" probably refers to the rewards of accepting wisdom. This is similar to Sir 6:31, which likens one's embrace of wisdom to putting on "glorious apparel" (H")SS 'Has) and a "splendid crown" (JTIKan mttS). The beatitude collection praises those who "cling to her statutes (JTpTl 'OOTI)" (4Q525 2 ii + 3 1). This beatitude encourages one to seize "her" commandments, whereas fragment 11-12 urges clinging to "me." This text probably contains remnants of a poem in which wisdom is cast in anthropomorphic terms. Wisdom is given a voice with which she describes the rewards of attaining her, as is probably the case in 4Q525 24 ii. In 4QBeatitudes the personification of wisdom is not as developed as in Prov 1-9. The beatitudes of 4Q525 2 ii + 3 discuss wisdom as a feminine entity but provide no vivid depiction of her as a woman. The author of the composition was familiar with Lady Wisdom traditions from Proverbs. 4Q525 24 ii suggests that the pronouns in phrases such as "her paths" are not just feminine in a grammatical sense. But at most one can say that the document presupposes Lady Wisdom without making her a central motif. 76

1

77

78

6. WRATH, REWARDS AND THE ISSUE OF ESCHATOLOGY

Puech argues that the beatitudes of 4Q525 are eschatological in that M.J. Goff, "Reading Wisdom at Qumran: 4QInstruction and the Hodayot," DSD 11 (2004) 263-88 (esp. 285-87). The expression is also discussed in section 6 of this chapter. Viviano, "Eight Beatitudes," 79-80. 7 7

78

218

CHAPTER EIGHT

the wise revere God and the final judgment. He reconstructs 4Q525 2 ii + 3 9 as stating that "she" will place a crown of gold on his head and has suggested that this refers to an "eschatological reward" (cf. Ps 21:4). 4Q525 5 8 advocates that the addressees not abandon their "portion" to foreigners or their "lot" to strangers. In Puech's opinion this line refers to the elect who are awaiting salvation. The author of 4Q525 probably believed that his students should be aware of the final judgment and that those who do not heed his instruction will face divine punishment. 4Q525 10 5 is fragmentary but appears to state that all of humankind will be judged. Judgment may have been mentioned in other poorly preserved fragments (4Q525 8 3; 4Q525 21 2). But the eschatology of 4QBeatitudes is muted at best. There is no judgment scene or any indication that it is to arrive soon. If there is a crown in 4Q525 2 ii + 3 9, it probably symbolizes the acquisition of wisdom, as in Sir 6:31, rather than eschatological rewards. There is no messianic speculation elsewhere in the document. This makes a messianic interpretation of line 10 unlikely. The beatitudes teach that members of the intended audience are to endure a period of hardship (e.g., 4Q525 2 ii + 3 5), but this is never understood as a sign that the age is wicked or that the world is out of joint. 4Q525 5 seems to present the intended audience as members of an elect group, as Puech suggests. The text asserts that the "fearers of 79

80

81

Puech, "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 6 4 . Here this fragment is presented as 4 Q 5 2 5 4. S e e also A . Lange, "In D i s k u s s i o n mit d e m Tempel: zur Auseinandersetzung z w i s c h e n K o h e l e t und weisheitlichen Kreisen a m Jerusalemer Tempel," in Qohelet in the Context of Wisdom (ed. A . Schoors; B E T L 136; L e u v e n : L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 1 9 9 8 ) 1 1 3 - 5 9 (esp. 144). The antecedent o f "his" in this line, as reconstructed by P u e c h , is the person w h o w o u l d receive the c r ow n o f gold. H e could be the student w h o acquires w i s d o m or perhaps the ideal man described in the beatitudes. H i s transcription o f this portion o f line 9 is TO[TK"I bv rr«n] iin[T TS m a n ] . S e e DJD 25, 122. The phrase is based o n only three letters that are certain. The material e v i d e n c e for this section is slim, and no reconstruction o f it can b e taken as c o n c l u s i v e . P u e c h has contended that the reconstructed word "scepter" in 4 Q 5 2 5 2 ii + 3 10 could b e related to a m e s s i a n i c figure, but this reading is not endorsed in the official edition o f 4QBeatitudes. In DJD 25, 125, h e grants that the reconstruction o f this line is not secure. The word BUB, if this is the correct reading, m a y b e better translated as "rod," in w h i c h case its interpretation could be sought along the lines o f Prov 2 2 : 1 5 , w h i c h declares that the "rod o f discipline" (IDID BDE) is the key to the removal o f folly. ^ DJD 25, 139. Contra Brooke, "The W i s d o m o f M a t t h e w ' s Beatitudes," 3 7 . 8 1

219

4QBEATITUDES (4Q525)

God (DTTlbx ->KT) will keep her paths" (1. 9). Line 13 declares that the "lovers of God" (DTn^K -arm) are humble. But the document does not appear to be the product of a sect. The addressees of 4QBeatitudes are never told that they possess revealed secrets or that the rest of Israel is wayward or wicked. Their elect status seems to be membership in the covenant community of Israel. The "lot" described in 4Q525 5 is associated with wisdom and the Torah, and the Gentiles are emphatically excluded. The expression "her paths" of 4Q525 5 9 should be understood along the lines of 4Q525 2 ii + 3 3-4, which affirms that the one who is happy sets his heart to "her paths" and the Torah. 4QBeatitudes can be understood as asserting a kind of covenantal nomism. Participating in the covenant obliges one to follow the Torah and be a "fearer of God." The reward of being a member of this group is a successful and fulfilling life. The special "lot" of the addressees of 4Q525 is never prominently associated with eschatological motifs or life after death (see below). The conception of election in 4QBeatitudes is closer to Deuteronomy than the Community Rule. De Roo proposes that the eschatology of 4Q525 is akin to that of the book of Joel. A characteristic feature of this biblical book is its description of God's judgment as a theophanic and overwhelming "day of the Lord" (2:1-11). The analogy between the eschatology of 4QBeatitudes and that of Joel is based on fragments 15, 22 and 23 of 4Q525. "Wrath" is mentioned in 4Q525 22 5, and fragment 15 discusses "darkness" and the "flames [of] death" (11. 1, 5). 4Q525 23 3 attests the phrase "depths of the pit." De Roo contends that this material sheds light on the eschatology of the beatitudes in fragment 2 ii + 3. In this formulation, if the members of the intended audience do not imitate the one who is happy described in the beatitudes, they will suffer the wrath of God during the final judgment. The addressees of 4Q525 were probably taught that they could 82

83

84

85

8 2

T h e fragmentary 4 Q 5 2 8 5 includes a beatitude that m e n t i o n s "fearers o f God": " B l e s s e d are y o u , all w h o fear G o d . " Contrast the u s e o f the expression "fearers o f G o d " in 4 Q 5 2 5 to that o f l Q S b 1:1 (cf. C D 10:2). T h e provenance o f 4 Q B e a t i t u d e s is also d i s c u s s e d in the f o l l o w i n g section. S e e further Strugnell, "The Smaller W i s d o m Texts," 5 0 . D e R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 4 3 . S e e also Charlesworth, "The Qumran Beatitude," 3 1 ; V i v i a n o , "Eight Beatitudes," 8 1 . D e R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 4 2 - 4 3 . 8 3

8 4

8 5

220

CHAPTER EIGHT

face divine wrath if they turned away from the Torah. This wrath is never explicitly connected to eschatological judgment. Rather the "wrath" of God is manifested against them in the form of death. 4QBeatitudes never threatens them with an explosive "day of the Lord" along the lines of Joel. De Roo is right to look to fragments 15, 22 and 23 to understand the forms of punishment the students of 4Q525 could face if they choose the wrong path. 4Q525 23 2-4 contains terms such as the "day decreed" and a "furnace of wrath." "Wrath" Op-in) is also mentioned in 4Q525 21 8 (cf. 4Q525 22 5). Much of the context for these phrases is unfortunately lost. These texts could refer to an eschatological day of judgment but there is no clear evidence for this view. Ben Sira uses the terms "wrath" (DI7?) and "the day of vengeance" (Dpi DV) with regard to the day of a person's death, without relating this event to an ultimate judgment of humankind (5:7; Prov 11:4). Given the reference to the "depths of the pit" in 4Q525 23, this fragment probably describes the inevitable natural death of the individual or a moment in which death seems near. All members of the intended audience could identify with this teaching. The main form of retribution in 4QBeatitudes is not eschatological and in that sense is closer to traditional wisdom than the apocalypses. A person who does not follow the Torah is without wisdom, and, as such, would be unable to lead a long life. He meets an untimely death. The author was probably aware of a final judgment but this concept does not play a major role in his instruction. The prospect of divine disfavor is also at issue in 4Q525 15. This fragment mentions several unfavorable things. Line 1 discusses "darkness" (^EIX). There is also a reference in this line to "poverty" (^TH). Snakes are surprisingly prominent in this text. Line 2 mentions "serpent's" (D^ns) and line 3 reads "... a burning serpent (*pO). With angui[sh] he will raise a serpent (jHD) on high." The phrase "venom of vipers" (DT3n ran) occurs in line 4 (cf. 4Q525 17 4). This is associated with "eternal curses." Yet another term for snake is in line 5 (I7D2S). This serpent may be the antecedent of the 86

87

S. Burkes, God, Self, and Death:

The Shape of Religious

Transformation

in the

SecondTemple Period (JSJSup 79; Leiden: Brill, 2003) 109-17. This may also be the case in line 6. DJD 25, 151, transcribes the first term of this line as - ^ [ T P ] . Puech, ibid., 152, considers the yod "certain." DSSSE, 2.1058, lists the word as "|«n[n]. Also note crDran[&] in 4Q525 21 1. 8 7

221

4QBEATITUDES (4Q525)

phrase that immediately follows: "with him fly the flame[s of] death (mD[ ^SET))." This creature could also be the subject of line 6: "His foundation is flames of sulfur; his place is fi[re . . . ] " Line 7 mentions the "pit." De Roo argues that this fragment provides "a vivid description of the day of judgment." It is reasonable to understand the litany of horrible things in 4Q525 15 as negative consequences that face the wicked. A cataclysmic judgment may be implied, but this is never asserted directly. Given the prominence of Torah piety in 4QBeatitudes, 4Q525 15 can be plausibly understood in the tradition of the covenant curses of Deuteronomy. They are a prominent theme in the final portion of this book. In Deut 32 God condemns the Israelites for being unfaithful and he recounts the various ways he will punish them. This sequence of punishments includes serpents. God claims "the teeth of beasts I will send against them, with venom of things crawling in the dust" (32:24; cf. Sir 39:30). He also affirms that the people of Israel will drink the wine of Sodom and Gomorrah, using language similar to 4Q525 15: "their wine is the venom of vipers (DTJn ran), the cruel poison of asps ( D ^ n s OKI)" (32:33). The "flames of sulfur" of 4Q525 15 6 may be derived from Deut 29:22-23, in which God promises that "all its soil (will be) burned out by sulfur and salt (nsn» n^m rmaa)" (cf. lQpHab 10:5). In 4Q525 the flaming sulfur is associated with "his foundation," which is presumably a reference to Sheol. There is no analogue for this in Deuteronomy. 4Q525 15 6 is reminiscent of 4Q184 1, which depicts Sheol as a place of fire and darkness, and as the residence of an evil female figure. Since 4Q525 15 discusses "darkness," the "flames of death" and the "pit," it seems that this fragment offers a description of Sheol, as does 4Q184 1. 4Q525 15 describes a resident of the underworld in line 6. Unfortunately not enough of 4Q525 15 survives to offer a full portrait 88

89

90

91

92

8 8

D e R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 4 3 . M. Weinfeld, Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School (Eisenbrauns: W i n o n a Lake, 1 9 9 2 [orig. pub., 1972]) 116-46. M . Thiessen, "The Form and Function o f the S o n g o f M o s e s ( D e u t e r o n o m y 3 2 : 1 - 4 3 ) , " JBL 123 ( 2 0 0 4 ) 4 0 1 - 2 4 (esp. 4 1 7 ) . DJD 25, 153. T h e D a m a s c u s D o c u m e n t cites this verse. It interprets the serpents as Gentile kings, w h o are considered the form o f G o d ' s wrath against the "builders o f the wall." This is apparently a reference to a rival group ( C D 8:9-13; cf. 19:22). S e e also P s 5 8 : 5 ; Jer 8:17; Job 2 0 : 1 6 . Neither c o m p o s i t i o n e m p h a s i z e s eschatological judgment. 8 9

9 0

9 1

9 2

222

CHAPTER EIGHT

of this figure. Lines 5-6 suggest it is a snake with wings that is associated with flames and death. Snakes, however, do not appear elsewhere in the text. Mythological figures of evil may be attested in 4QBeatitudes, as mentioned above (4Q525 19 4; 4Q525 25 2). They are never associated with snakes in the document. The author of 4QBeatitudes incorporated language from the final section of Deuteronomy and combined its punishments with a conception of the underworld as a place of fire and torment. 4QBeatitudes teaches that one who turns away from God will receive the curses described in the Torah. Ben Sira may as well. Based on the references to flames and poison, it is reasonable to claim that the author understood Sheol as a place of eternal anguish for the wicked, although this is never explicitly asserted. The wayward student was probably taught that he would go to a place of punishment after death, a type of retribution not dependent on an eschatological day of judgment. 4Q525 is less eschatological than the Sermon on the Mount. The "kingdom of heaven" is promised in the present but fully realized only after death (Matt 5:3). 4QBeatitudes never reflects on the fate of the righteous after death. The beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount are explicitly connected to rewards after death. There is no clear indication that the addressees of 4QBeatitudes expect rewards after death. 4Q525 14 ii 14 states that one will inherit "glory" (TIM) and "eternal rest" (-117 n T O ) after death (cf. 4Q525 32 2-3). But the passage does not describe eschatological prospects. By the time of his death the envisioned addressee could be a great teacher, whose students would mourn him and continue his teachings: "all who know you will walk together in your teaching ... together they will mourn, and on your paths they will remember you" (11. 15-16) (cf. Sir 1:13; 39:9-11). Being remembered with such respect would demonstrate that he lived a successful and fulfilling life. This is a this-worldly incentive to pursue wisdom. 4Q525 14 ii 14-16 is consistent with traditional wisdom, which teaches that one's name will be remembered after death (Prov 10:7; cf. Sir 41:11-13). 4QBeatitudes 93

94

9 3

Compare, for example, the H e b r e w o f Sir 4 0 : 8 - 9 with D e u t 2 8 : 2 2 . S e e M.J. Goff, "Hellenistic Instruction in Palestine and Egypt: B e n Sira and Papyrus Insinger," J S / 3 6 ( 2 0 0 5 ) 1 4 7 - 7 2 (esp. 1 6 6 - 6 7 ) . G. V e r m e s , The Religion of Jesus the Jew (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993) 143. 9 4

4QBEATITUDES ( 4 Q 5 2 5 )

223

never mentions life with the angels after death or the kingdom of heaven. The TDD one is promised in 4Q525 14 ii 14 probably has the sense of "honor" rather than "glory." The term could signify rewards after death, and if the text has a conception of punishment after death for the wicked, one can infer that some form of blessed afterlife is envisioned for the righteous. But the text shows no interest in such prospects. Eschatological rewards could be described in 4Q525 11-12. Lines 1-2 of this fragment attest the phrases "plentiful peace" (Dl^tt? 2T\) and "majestic raiment" (Tin ITTO). These expressions are used in 1QS 4:7-8 to describe the eschatological gifts promised to the righteous. The "majestic raiment" of 4Q525 11-12 1-2 is associated with "a[l]l who cling to me." I argued in the previous section that this is a reference to personified wisdom. 4Q525 11-12 presents "plentiful peace" and "majestic raiment" as rewards of obtaining wisdom. 1QS much more explicitly associates these expressions with life after death. In 4QBeatitudes DI^E a n and Tin rrin could refer to a blessed afterlife, but there is no strong evidence in the text for this position. One is also promised DlStt? 2T\ in 4Q525 14 ii 13. The description of a student's death in this fragment focuses not on post­ mortem rewards but rather on the end of a good life, after which the memory and teaching of the departed is recalled fondly. 95

96

7. PRACTICAL WISDOM AND THE SOCIAL SETTING OF 4QBEATITUDES

The beatitudes of 4Q525 promote ethical conduct and Torah study without providing a great deal of instruction on specific topics. The only practical issue that the beatitudes of 4Q525 2 ii + 3 address regards speech; this is also the case in Sir 51:13-30 (cf. v. 22). The first line of this fragment reads "[Happy is he who speaks truth] with a pure heart and does not slander with his tongue." The ideal man of The addressee of 4QInstruction is told that he has authority over an "inheritance of glory" (TQD rbni) (4Q416 2 iii 11-12), and he is promised rewards after death. See section 3.2.2 of Chapter 1. DJD 25, 141-42. Puech proposes that the spirit of light in the Treatise of the Two Spirits replaces the role of wisdom in 4Q525 11-12. This possibility is an option that must remain open. The differences between the two texts regarding eschatology make it difficult to claim that there is a direct line of dependence connecting them. 96

224

CHAPTER EIGHT

wisdom speaks with honesty. An interest in speech is common in the wisdom tradition. 4QWays of Righteousness teaches that one should speak only with patience and caution: "He will not answer before he hea[rs,] and [not speajk be[fore he understands. ]With great patience will he give answer" (4Q420 la ii-b 1-2). Deliberation is also stressed in 4Q424 3, although the emphasis is more on decision­ making than speech. Instruction on proper speaking is also prominent in Proverbs and Ben Sira (e.g., Prov 10:20; 15:2; Sir 5:13; 20:18). In the rest of 4QBeatitudes speech is the only specific topic of practical instruction that is given extensive treatment. 4Q525 14 ii 18-28 begins with an exhortation to heed the words of the speaker (11. 18-19). Then follows instruction on speech: "With just humility speak (KSin) [your] words" (1. 20). Humility is advocated elsewhere in 4QBeatitudes (e.g., 4Q525 2 ii + 3 6), and it is also endorsed in Proverbs and Ben Sira (e.g., Prov 22:4; Sir 2:17)." Like 4QWays of Righteousness, 4QBeatitudes teaches that in conversation one should not speak until he has heard and understood his interlocutor: "Respond to the words of your neighbor ... Answer your listener as befits him" (4Q525 14 ii 21-22). Shortly thereafter the text teaches "first hear their words. Afterwards reply ... With patience 97

98

9 7

4 Q 5 2 5 13 m a y contain teachings o n avoiding negative t y p e s o f p e o p l e , but the text is fragmentary. Line 2 m e n t i o n s "greedy m e n " (p» T - I ) . There are warnings to avoid the yv in in B e n Sira and 4 Q 4 2 4 . ( S e e section 2.2 o f Chapter 7.) It is plausible that 4 Q 5 2 5 13 is a minor e x a m p l e o f a w i s d o m text that urges the avoidance o f the greedy. A c c o r d i n g to P u e c h ' s reconstruction, 4 Q 5 2 5 2 5 4 contains advice about spending m o n e y . P u e c h reconstructs this line as [O^D p< naijKDi *d[ioi bbv Tin S>K], w h i c h h e translates as " [ N e s o i s ni glouton ni iv]rogne alors qu'il n 'y a [rien dans la b o u r s e ] " ("Be neither a glutton nor a drunkard w h e n there is nothing in the purse") (cf. D e u t 2 1 : 2 0 ) . This reconstruction is based o n Sir 18:33. In DJD 25, 165, P u e c h claims that this m a x i m from B e n Sira can be read in 4 Q 5 2 5 2 5 4 ( s e e also p. 118). H e has also argued that this line is a citation o f B e n Sira. S e e h i s "Le Livre de B e n Sira et les manuscrits de la M e r Morte," in Treasures of Wisdom: Studies in Ben Sira and the Book of Wisdom. Festschrift M. Gilbert (ed. N . C a l d u c h - B e n a g e s and J. V e r m e y l e n ; B E T L 143; L e u v e n : L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 1 9 9 9 ) 4 1 1 - 2 6 (esp. 4 1 8 ) . 4 Q 5 2 5 2 5 4 has o n l y five visible letters and three o f them are difficult to read. This is scant e v i d e n c e from w h i c h to reconstruct a saying o f s e v e n words. S e e also Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 9 - 7 0 ; de R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian Document?" 341. Puech, DJD 25, 150, points out that the verb KSP in the Hiphil also refers to the act o f speech in 4 Q 4 1 2 1 4 and 4 Q 4 2 0 l a ii-b 3 , a m o n g other texts. S e e also 4 Q 5 2 5 14 ii 2 2 and 2 5 . D e R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 4 1 . 9 8

9 9

4QBEATITUDES

(4Q525)

225

speak them (DK'Sin) (your words)" (11. 24-25). Proverbs and Ben Sira also advocate not speaking until the words of one's conversation partner have been heard (Prov 18:13; Sir 11:7-9). There appears to be an aristocratic context for the instruction on speech in 4Q525 14 ii. Line 25, which is unfortunately fragmentary, reads in part: "Answer correctly among princes" ("pro ]1D3 H30 ono) (cf. 4Q525 2 ii + 3 9). The first part of the line urges that one speak with patience (D'SK ["]1K3]). 4Q525 14 ii 25 is similar to the version of Sir 5:11 in the C manuscript, JlJUn H3» - p t t . This can be translated "with patience make an appropriate reply." Line 23 of 4Q525 14 ii may recommend not sighing during a conversation: "[Do not] utter a sigh (ITtB) before you hear their words." This could also be understood as prohibiting whispering or complaints. The final teaching of the column reads: "Take great care against a slip of the tongue ... lest you be caught in your own words [and tr]apped together with the ton[gue]" (11. 26-27). The basic sentiment of this teaching accords with traditional wisdom (e.g., Prov 10:31-32; 12:18-19). Such advice takes on extra importance when speaking before influential people. There is no instruction in 4QBeatitudes regarding banquets or manners as in Prov 23:1-8 or Sir 31:12-32:13. But4Q525 14 ii 18-28 is similar to the advice Ben Sira gives regarding speech when dining with the influential and wealthy. In his lesson on proper behavior during a banquet, Ben Sira exhorts: "Young man, speak only when necessary, when they have asked you more than once. Be brief, but say much in those few words; be like the wise, taciturn" (32:8). Sir 32:9 gives instruction for conduct among D^pT ("elders") and D'Htt) ("princes" or "nobles"), using the same word as 4Q525 14 ii 25. Ben Sira has been aptly characterized as teaching an "ethics of caution," a posture of prudence and restraint which he advocates for interactions with powerful people (cf. 13:9-13). 4QBeatitudes puts forward a compatible ethics of caution. It is beyond dispute that Ben Sira, who has a retainer class background, lived in an aristocratic setting (38:24100

1 0 1

102

103

1 0 0

T h e w o r d p a is prominent in 4QBeatitudes. S e e also 4 Q 5 2 5 6 ii 5; 4 Q 5 2 5 7 2 ; and 4 Q 5 2 5 21 9. DJD 25, 1 5 1 . L i n e 2 8 m e n t i o n s "unseemly w o r d s " (nbsin -nai). J.T. Sanders, Ben Sira and Demotic Wisdom (Chico: Scholars Press, 1983). 1 0 1

1 0 2

1 0 3

226

CHAPTER EIGHT

4

39:11; cf. 8:8). With 4QBeatitudes the evidence is less clear-cut. But it is reasonable to understand 4Q525 as the product of an aristocratic scribal milieu. The intended audience of 4Q525 is never depicted as poor. There is never any advice regarding financial problems or avoiding indebtedness, unlike 4QInstruction. The posture of humility advocated by 4QBeatitudes is never related to the economic life of the addressees. Poverty is briefly mentioned in 4Q525 15 1: lffH As Puech observes, this could be reconstructed as "[you] will gather poverty," but this is not the only option available. Above I argued that fragment 15 contains a sequence of covenant curses. If this view is correct, 4Q525 15 1 presents poverty as something awful which could befall the person addressed. This would presume that he is currently not in such a state. The text associates poverty with snake venom and the fire of Sheol. Economic hardship is not construed as a likely scenario but rather a form of extreme punishment. 4Q525 stresses the addressees' pursuit of wisdom, assumes they will interact with nobility and gives them the prospect of being great teachers later in life. It is plausible to claim that the author of 4QBeatitudes is from a scribal retainer class, much like Ben Sira. The members of the intended audience of 4Q525 comprise people in training to be wise men. No other profession aside from becoming a teacher is mentioned for them. With their knowledge of the Torah, they developed proficiency in reading and writing. They could have served in a variety of scribal or administrative positions. This is also the case with the students of Ben Sira. 4Q424 is a wisdom text that may also come from an upper-class setting. The work assumes its addressee has considerable means and responsibilities that require hiring various types of people. The focus is on his interactions with people below his station. There is never any caution about making slips of the tongue around people whose power outstrips his own. 4Q424 never presents him as a student who will one day become a teacher, unlike 4Q525 14 ii 14-16. In terms of social setting 4QBeatitudes is closer to Ben Sira than 4Q424. 105

106

1 0 4

O. Wischmeyer, Die Kultur

des Buches

Jesus Sirach

(BZNW 77; Berlin: de

Gruyter, 1995)49-69. t05

DJD25, 152. D.M. Carr, Writing

1 0 6

Literature

on the Tablet

of the Heart:

(New York: Oxford University Press, 2005).

Origins

of Scripture

and

4QBEATITUDES

(4Q525)

227

The upper class milieu of 4QBeatitudes has implications for the assessment of its relationship to the movement that produced the Qumran rulebooks. Some members of the Dead Sea sect were probably from the aristocracy. But the compositions written by this sect never give advice for dealing with nobles in the manner of Ben Sira and 4QBeatitudes. According to the rulebooks, one must cede a degree of control of one's wealth (e.g., 1QS 1:11-12), suggesting that any upper-class members have left their wealthy circles. De Roo has argued that 4QBeatitudes is a product of the Dead Sea sect. She goes so far as to suggest that the speaker could be the Teacher of Righteousness himself. This argument is made on the basis of terms common to 4Q525 and the writings of the yahad. For example, both texts have the expressions "humility of soul" and "those who walk in perfection," as mentioned above. 4Q525 16 3 asserts that the "discerning ones" (D'O'DJ) go astray. She relates this to 1QS 3:22, which states that the iniquities of the "sons of righteousness" are attributed to the Angel of Darkness. 4QBeatitudes addresses a specific community. They are called the "fearers" and "lovers" of God (4Q525 5 9, 13). There is no compelling reason to understand this group as the same movement that authored the rulebooks. The similarities in terminology between 4QBeatitudes and the compositions of the Teacher movement are far outweighed by differences between 4Q525 and this corpus. 4QBeatitudes shows no knowledge of the Teacher of Righteousness or any of the leadership offices described in the rulebooks. The prominence of the Torah in 4Q525 accords with its status in other Qumran texts. But in 4Q525 the Torah is never 107

108

109

110

111

112

1 0 7

D e R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 6 5 - 6 6 . See also Puech, "Le Livre de B e n Sira," 4 1 8 . D e R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 4 7 - 5 0 . Ibid., 3 5 2 . D e R o o interprets 4 Q 5 2 5 5 8, w h i c h urges the addressees not to forsake their inheritance to foreigners, as a call for sectarians to remain separate from n o n m e m b e r s (ibid., 3 5 5 ) . A b o v e I interpreted this line as an assertion o f Israel's covenant rather than a sect's exclusionist v i e w s . Charlesworth, "The Qumran Beatitudes," 2 1 . 4 Q B e a t i t u d e s and the D a m a s c u s D o c u m e n t e m p l o y similar imagery w h e n describing the Torah. 4 Q 5 2 5 5 12 reads "the clever dig her paths" (rro-n emir) (cf. 4 Q 5 2 5 2 3 5; 4 Q 4 1 8 5 5 3). This phrase is similar to C D 6. This column offers an interpretation o f N u m 2 1 : 1 8 , w h i c h speaks o f a well dug b y princes. This is considered a reference to the Torah. There is n o well in 4 Q 5 2 5 5 and the fragment 1 0 8

1 0 9

1 1 0

1 1 1

1 1 2

228

CHAPTER EIGHT

connected to claims of esoteric revelation, an important part of the Dead Sea sect's commitment to the Torah (cf. lQpHab 7:4-5). There is no sectarian halakhah in 4Q525 to compare with that of the Damascus Document. The humility advocated by 4QBeatitudes never translates into an endorsement of poverty as a virtue or a selfdefining characteristic. The elect are presented as poor in the Pesher on Psalm 37 (4Q171 3 10-11). There is no call in 4Q525 for the addressees to offer their property to the community. 4QBeatitudes' lack of interest in their economic transactions is substantially different from the mindset of the Damascus Document (e.g., CD 13:12-16; 14:12-17). There are too many differences between 4Q525 and the undisputed writings of the yahad to posit a common provenance. There is no reason to understand the "fearers of God" as a sect. They do not have a polemical attitude to other Jewish groups. The expression probably refers to the student-addressees, who are encouraged to revere God and obey the Torah. Members of the yahad read 4QBeatitudes and drew ethical lessons from it. This is implied by its inclusion among the Qumran scrolls. That 4QBeatitudes is "pre-Essene" cannot be ruled out entirely. It is possible that one or more of the intended addressees of 4QBeatitudes abandoned an aristocratic life-style to join the Dead Sea sect, bringing 4QBeatitudes with them. If one grants such a view, 4Q525 had little influence on the organizational structure of the group associated with the Teacher of Righteousness, or its apocalyptic worldview. 113

114

never relates ' d i g g i n g ' the Torah to o b e d i e n c e to a specific set o f interpretations. W i s d o m d o e s , h o w e v e r , appear to be associated with a w e l l o f water in 4 Q 5 2 5 2 4 ii (for discussion o f this fragment s e e section 5 o f this chapter). D e R o o , "Is 4 Q 5 2 5 a Qumran Sectarian D o c u m e n t ? " 3 6 5 . Puech, "The Collection o f Beatitudes," 3 5 4 , suggests that 4QBeatitudes w a s written b y the Hasideans, w h o are m e n t i o n e d in 1 M a c e 2 : 4 2 . This argument is based on this group's dedication to the Torah, and their nationalist sentiments are compatible with the warning in 4 Q 5 2 5 5 8 that the addressees not g i v e their inheritance to foreigners. H o w e v e r , there is nothing militaristic in 4QBeatitudes to suggest its author w a s directly e n g a g e d in the Maccabean conflict. In DJD 25, 118, he dates the work to s o m e point in the s e c o n d century B C E after 164 but d o e s not attribute the text to a specific community. S e e also Charlesworth, "The Qumran Beatitudes," 2 1 . 1 1 3

1 1 4

4QBEATITUDES

(4Q525)

229

8. CONCLUSION

The beatitude collection of 4Q525, and its contribution to the synoptic beatitudes, has dominated academic interest in this composition. The work is important in many other respects. 4QBeatitudes is a wisdom text designed for the instruction of students. The text instills ethical ideals such as humility, a pure heart and dedication to the Torah. One is urged to acquire wisdom. Members of the intended audience are given the prospect of becoming great teachers and the text assumes that they will interact with influential people. 4Q525 is similar to 4Q185. This document also contains beatitudes associated with the search for wisdom and encourages fidelity to the Torah. These compositions personify wisdom as a woman, but neither attests a full blown portrait of Lady Wisdom. The latter proclaims fiery judgment in a manner reminiscent of Jewish apocalypses, whereas this is never the case in 4QBeatitudes. The rewards of wisdom according to both 4Q525 and 4Q185 are in general this-worldly and consistent with Proverbs. The affinities between 4Q525 and 4Q185 also invite comparison with Ben Sira. The pedagogical culture described by 4Q525 is probably the product of an upper-class scribal milieu, similar to that of the Jerusalem sage. 4Q525, also like Ben Sira, praises wisdom in order to inculcate in its students a desire to pursue it. 4QBeatitudes is a work of poetic instruction.

CHAPTER NINE

SONGS OF WISDOM: WISDOM PSALMS IN THE HEBREW BIBLE AND THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS

1

1. I N T R O D U C T I O N

James Sanders, in the official edition of the massive Psalms Scroll from Cave 11(1 lQPs ; 11Q5), argues that the work contains material that is reminiscent of the sapiential tradition. This is an apt observation. Column 21 of this scroll partially preserves a variant of Sir 51:13-30. The composition in column 18 of 1 lQPs known as Ps 154 declares that "to make known the glory of the Lord is wisdom given" (18:3). One of the earlier examinations of Qumran wisdom literature devotes more attention to HQPs than any other manuscript. Daniel Harrington's survey of sapiential literature from Qumran includes the hymns in columns 18, 21 and 26 of llQPs . Gerald Wilson has claimed that these three compositions are "all manifestly wisdom psalms." Lange does not discuss any hymn from a

2

a

a

3

3

4

5

1

The phrase " s o n g s o f w i s d o m " is from S. M o w i n c k e l , The Psalms in Israel's Worship (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2 0 0 4 [orig. pub., 1962]) 2 . 1 1 1 . J. A . Sanders, The Psalms Scroll of Cave 11 ( D J D 4; Oxford: Clarendon, 1965) 6 9 ; j d e m , " T w o N o n - C a n o n i c a l P s a l m s in 1 l Q P s , " ZA W 7 6 ( 1 9 6 4 ) 5 7 - 7 5 (esp. 6 5 ) . W . L . L i p s c o m b and J.A. Sanders, " W i s d o m at Qumran," in Israelite Wisdom: Theological and Literary Essays in Honor of Samuel Terrien (ed. J.G. G a m m i e et al.; Missoula: Scholars Press, 1978) 2 7 7 - 8 5 (esp. 2 7 9 - 8 0 ) . D.J. Harrington, Wisdom Texts from Qumran (London: Routledge, 1996) 2 3 - 3 0 ; idem, "Ten R e a s o n s W h y the Qumran W i s d o m Texts are Important," DSD 4 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 2 4 5 - 5 5 (esp. 2 5 1 - 5 2 ) . G.H. W i l s o n , "The Qumran Psalms Scroll ( l l Q P s ) and the Canonical Psalter: Comparison o f Editorial Shaping," CBQ 5 9 ( 1 9 9 7 ) 4 4 8 - 6 4 (esp. 4 5 4 ) . S e e also A S . van der W o u d e , " W i s d o m at Qumran," in Wisdom in ancient Israel: Essays in honour of J.A. Emerton (ed. J. D a y et al.; Cambridge: University o f Cambridge Press, 1995) 2 4 4 - 5 6 (esp. 2 5 3 ) ; J. K a m p e n , "The D i v e r s e A s p e c t s o f W i s d o m at Qumran," in The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment ( 2 vols.; ed. P.W. Flint and J.C. VanderKam; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 8 ) 1.211-43 (esp. 2 2 5 - 2 6 ) . M. H e n g e l h a s considered P s 154 a " w i s d o m psalm." S e e his Judaism and Hellenism (2 vols.; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1 9 7 3 ) 1.80. 2

a

3

4

5

3

WISDOM PSALMS

231

a

HQPs in his survey of Qumran sapiential texts, and the Psalms Scroll is not a prominent subject of scrutiny in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran and the Development of Sapiential Thought, the volume which Lange's essay introduces. Some commentators consider it obvious that HQPs should be included in a discussion of Qumran wisdom. Others do not. The issue of wisdom psalms in the biblical Psalter is an on-going topic of debate. The validity of this designation as a category for biblical psalms has been attacked and defended. The large Psalms Scroll from Cave 11 can contribute to this debate. In this chapter I will examine hymns from 18, 21 and 26 of HQPs , since they have often been understood in relation to the sapiential tradition. I will argue that Ps 154 (11Q5 18) is a psalm influenced by the wisdom tradition, that the variant of Sir 51:13-30 in col. 21 is a wisdom poem in the tradition of Sir 6:18-37, and that Hymn to the Creator (col. 26) is better understood as a creation hymn along the lines of Ps 104 than as a wisdom text. These texts do not confirm that there is a wisdom psalm genre that can be identified as a distinct Gattung. But 1 lQPs 18 and 21 can be understood as wisdom psalms in the sense that they are hymnic writings that demonstrate substantial influence from the wisdom tradition. 6

a

a

7

2. WISDOM PSALMS IN THE HEBREW BIBLE—A CHASING AFTER WIND? 8

Even some who defend wisdom psalms complain about the difficulty of determining whether a given psalm is sapiential. J. Kenneth Kuntz, a leading proponent of wisdom psalms, grants that the

6

A . L a n g e , " D i e Weisheitstexte aus Qumran: E i n e Einleitung," in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran and the Development of Sapiential Thought (ed. C. H e m p e l , A . L a n g e and H. Lichtenberger; B E T L 159; L e u v e n : L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 2002) 3-30. In addition, several small c o m p o s i t i o n s a m o n g the D e a d S e a Scrolls h a v e b e e n interpreted in relation to both the sapiential and h y m n i c traditions. S o m e o f these writings, such as 4 Q 4 1 1 , 4 Q 4 1 3 and 4 Q 5 2 8 , are e x a m i n e d in the f o l l o w i n g chapter. J.K. Kuntz u s e s this phrase from E c c l e s i a s t e s in a similar fashion. S e e his "Reclaiming Biblical W i s d o m P s a l m s : A R e s p o n s e to Crenshaw," CBR 1 ( 2 0 0 3 ) 1 4 5 5 4 (esp. 145). 7

8

a

232

CHAPTER NINE

classification is "not trouble-free." Some scholars have concluded that searching for wisdom psalms is a misguided endeavor. Although he discerns sapiential elements in the Psalter, J. Luyten argues "a genre 'wisdom psalm' as such cannot be reconstructed." In his introduction to the Psalms, James Crenshaw doubts that any psalm can be considered sapiential. He has also published a scathing critique of the work of Kuntz. In the early twentieth century Hermann Gunkel claimed that some biblical psalms reflect sapiential influence. He argued that there is Weisheitsdichtung ("wisdom poetry") in the Psalter. Gunkel discerned "wisdom sayings" which he placed in a stage of development earlier than wisdom poetry. He considered psalms 10

11

12

13

14

9

J.K. Kuntz, " W i s d o m P s a l m s and the Shaping o f the H e b r e w Psalter," in For a Later Generation: The Transforming of Tradition in Israel, Early Judaism, and Early Christianity (ed. R.A. Argall et al.; Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 2 0 0 0 ) 1 4 4 - 6 0 (esp. 146). S e e also idem, "The Canonical W i s d o m P s a l m s o f Ancient Israel—Their Rhetorical, Thematic, and Formal D i m e n s i o n s , " in Rhetorical Criticism: Essays in Honor of James Muilenburg (ed. J.J. Jackson and M. Kessler; Pittsburgh: P i c k w i c k Press, 1 9 7 4 ) 1 8 6 - 2 2 2 . J. Luyten, "Psalm 73 and W i s d o m , " in La Sagesse de VAncien Testament (ed. M. Gilbert; B E T L 5 1 ; L e u v e n : L e u v e n University Press/Peeters, 1990) 5 9 - 8 0 (esp. 6 3 ) . R . N . Whybray, w h o is critical o f the term " w i s d o m psalm," compares the quest to identify w i s d o m p s a l m s "to m a k i n g bricks without straw." I. Engnell writes "The truth o f the matter is that the B o o k o f P s a l m s d o e s not contain any ' w i s d o m p o e m s ' , at all." S e e his A Rigid Scrutiny: Critical Essays on the Old Testament (trans. J.T. Willis; N a s h v i l l e : Vanderbilt University Press, 1969) 9 9 ; Whybray, "The W i s d o m Psalms," in Wisdom in ancient Israel, 1 5 2 - 6 0 (esp. 152); L.G. Perdue, Wisdom and Cult: A Critical Analysis of the Views of Cult in the Wisdom Literatures of Israel and the Ancient Near East ( S B L D S 3 0 ; M i s s o u l a : Scholars Press, 1977) 2 6 1 . J.L. Crenshaw, The Psalms: An Introduction (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2 0 0 1 ) 8 7 - 9 5 . In the latest edition o f his introduction to w i s d o m literature he argues that " w i s d o m is but o n e o f several traditions that enrich" the psalms. S e e his Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction (rev. ed.; Louisville: Westminster John K n o x , 1998 [orig. pub., 1 9 8 1 ] ) 171. J.L. Crenshaw, " W i s d o m P s a l m s ? " CRBS 8 ( 2 0 0 0 ) 9 - 1 7 . S e e the response o f Kuntz, "Reclaiming Biblical W i s d o m P s a l m s . " H. Gunkel and J. Begrich, Introduction to Psalms (trans. J.D. N o g a l s k i ; M a c o n : Mercer University Press, 1 9 9 8 ) 2 9 3 - 3 0 5 . This w a s originally published as Einleitung in die Psalmen (Gottingen: V a n d e n h o e c k & Ruprecht, 1933). For r e v i e w s o f scholarship on w i s d o m psalms, s e e Whybray, "The W i s d o m P s a l m s , " 152-54; Crenshaw, " W i s d o m P s a l m s ? " 9 - 1 5 ; Kuntz, "The Canonical W i s d o m Psalms," 1879 1 ; Perdue, Wisdom and Cult, 2 6 1 - 6 5 . H e considered P s 127:1 an e x a m p l e o f a " w i s d o m saying": " U n l e s s the Lord builds the house, those w h o build it labor in vain. U n l e s s the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain." S e e Gunkel and Begrich, Introduction to Psalms, 295, 299. 1 0

1 1

1 2

1 3

1 4

WISDOM PSALMS

233

such as Ps 37, which deals with theodicy, and Ps 49, which discusses death and the finitude of the human condition, examples of Weisheitsdichtung. The influence of the wisdom tradition can also be discerned, he argued, in lyric genres he identified in the Psalms such as the "thanksgiving song" or the "individual complaint song." Sigmund Mowinckel attempted to provide greater clarity to the Sitz-im-Leben of the "wisdom poetry" of the Psalter. He designated this material "private learned psalmography," that is, prayers composed by sages as an expression of their personal piety and didactic profession. Such psalms are, in his view, "free prayer" unattached to the cultus but inspired by Temple worship. These writings derived much of their "nourishment in the synagogue and in the lecture-room (the school) of the learned men." Ben Sira is considered representative of such sages. For Mowinckel the noncultic wisdom psalms were Pss 1, 19b, 34, 37, 49, 78, 105, 106, 111, 112 and 127. In the 1960s and 70s there were efforts to provide greater precision to the study of wisdom psalms. Roland Murphy proposed several stylistic criteria for identifying wisdom psalms, such as a teacher addressing sons (e.g., Ps 34:12) and beatitudes (e.g., Ps 1:1). He also put forward thematic criteria. These include the fear of Yahweh, retribution and a contrast between the wicked and the righteous. Murphy argued that there are seven wisdom psalms: Pss 1, 32, 34, 37, 49, 112 and 128, with sapiential material discernible in portions of many other psalms, including Pss 25:8-10, 40:5-6 and 92:7-9. Kuntz developed an elaborate set of criteria for identifying wisdom psalms that incorporates rhetorical features, vocabulary, thematic elements and forms. The "better saying" (Tob-Spruch) (e.g., Ps 15

16

17

18

19

20

21

For e x a m p l e , he contended such influence is evident in P s 34:12, regarding the former category, and in the latter, P s 25:12. S e e ibid., 297-98. M o w i n c k e l , The Psalms in Israel's Worship, 2.104-25. S e e also idem, "Psalms and W i s d o m , " in Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East (ed. M . N o t h and D. W i n s t o n T h o m a s ; V T S u p 3; Leiden: Brill, 1969) 205-24. M o w i n c k e l , The Psalms in Israel's Worship, 2.108. Ibid., 2.111. R.E. Murphy, "A Consideration o f the Classification ' W i s d o m P s a l m s , ' " in Congress Volume: Bonn, 1962 ( V T S u p 9; Leiden: Brill, 1963) 156-67 (esp. 162-63). S e e also idem, The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature (3 ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002 [orig. pub., 1990]) 103-4. Murphy, "A Consideration," 161, 165. Kuntz, "The Canonical W i s d o m Psalms," 186-222. 1 5

1 6

1 7

1 8

1 9

RD

2 0

2 1

234

CHAPTER NINE

119:72), for example, is understood as a rhetorical feature of wisdom psalms and the fear of Yahweh is a theme that marks psalms in this category (e.g., Ps 19.10). Kuntz proposes three "sub-types of wisdom psalms": 1) sentence wisdom psalms, which are characterized by the use of "expansive" wisdom sayings, as in Pss 127 and 128, 2) acrostic wisdom psalms (e.g., Pss 9-10, 25), and 3) integrative wisdom psalms, a category that is "admittedly the most difficult to define," which includes psalms that "manifest a certain order and wholeness," such as Ps l. Kuntz expands Murphy's list of seven wisdom psalms by two, adding Pss 127 and 133. Perdue argues that sapiential forms are critical to several psalms. He classifies Pss 1, 19B, 34, 37, 73, 112 and 127 as "proverb poems" on the basis that they are didactic compositions which "developed around a simple saying." He contends that Pss 32 and 119 are " 'Ashre poems," in which a beatitude supplies the core statement of each psalm, and that Pss 49 and 19A are "riddle poems," in which the poem is structured around a riddle. He also suggests that Pss 19A-B and 119 were written by people in the wisdom tradition for use in the cult. In terms of the delineation of wisdom psalms, biblical studies suffers from an abundance of riches. The criteria used to identify them, and the lists of psalms that can be placed in this category, are legion. In this regard Crenshaw's critique of the category "wisdom psalm" is enormously helpful. He points out that many of the clues used to discern wisdom literature are not distinctively sapiential. For 22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2 2

Ibid., 1 9 1 , 2 1 1 . Ibid., 2 1 7 - 2 0 . Crenshaw, " W i s d o m P s a l m s ? " 11. Kuntz n o w considers P s 73 a w i s d o m psalm as well. S e e his " W i s d o m P s a l m s , " 149. Perdue, Wisdom and Cult, 2 6 1 - 3 2 4 . Ibid., 3 2 3 ; K.J. Dell, "'I Will S o l v e M y Riddle to the M u s i c o f the Lyre' (Psalm X L I X 4 [5]): A Cultic Setting for W i s d o m P s a l m s ? " FT 5 4 ( 2 0 0 4 ) 4 4 5 - 5 8 . S e e also S. Terrien, " W i s d o m in the Psalter," in In Search of Wisdom: Essays in Memory of John G. Gammie (ed. L.G. Perdue et al.; Louisville: Westminster/John K n o x , 1 9 9 3 ) 5 1 - 7 2 ; A.R. Ceresko, Psalmists and Sages: Studies in Old Testament Poetry and Religion (Bangalore: St. Peter's Pontifical Institute, 1994); idem, "The S a g e in the Psalms," in The Sage in Israel and the Ancient Near East (ed. J.G. G a m m i e and L.G. Perdue; W i n o n a Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1 9 9 0 ) 2 1 7 - 3 0 ; R . M . A . D a v i d s o n , Wisdom and Worship (London/Philadelphia: S C M Press/Trinity Press International, 1 9 9 0 ) 17-46; A . Hurvitz, " W i s d o m Vocabulary in the H e b r e w Psalter: A Contribution to the Study o f ' W i s d o m P s a l m s , ' " FT 3 8 ( 1 9 8 8 ) 4 1 - 5 1 . Crenshaw, " W i s d o m P s a l m s ? " 9 - 1 7 . 2 3

2 4

2 5

2 6

2 7

2 8

WISDOM PSALMS

235

example, several of the thematic criteria endorsed by Murphy for locating wisdom psalms are also found in the book of Amos. But few would consider this sufficient evidence to claim "wisdom influence" in Amos. There is a similar problem with formal criteria. Admonitions, similes and rhetorical questions are found throughout the Hebrew Bible. Psalms with these features are not necessarily wisdom psalms. The use of terminology is also problematic. Kuntz's discernment of sapiential vocabulary is based on a list of seventyseven words tabulated by R.B.Y. Scott. Some psalms Kuntz does not consider sapiential have at least nine words from this list (such as Pss 10 and 107), but several of his wisdom psalms have two or fewer of Scott's terms. The phrase "fear of the Lord," considered a sign of sapiential influence, occurs in three psalms (19:10; 34:12; 111:10). However, of these three only Ps 34 is a wisdom psalm, according to Murphy and Kuntz. Crenshaw concludes that "wisdom psalm" is a dubious category: 29

30

31

I do not see any profit in attributing such [wisdom] psalms to the sages when we know so little about the authors and their social contexts. Perhaps we should limit ourselves to what can definitely be affirmed: some psalms resemble wisdom literature in stressing the importance of learning, struggling to ascertain life's meaning, and employing proverbial lore. 3

Crenshaw's skepticism is compelling. His basic argument is that there are common ideas and forms of expression in various types of biblical literature and these affinities do not need to be explained by positing that one tradition influenced another. The range of criteria 2 9

Ibid., 11. See also idem, "Method in Determining Wisdom Influence upon 'Historical Literature,'" JBL 88 (1969) 129-42. Kuntz, "The Canonical Wisdom Psalms," 200-1; R.B.Y. Scott, The Way of Wisdom (New York: Macmillan, 1971). Ps 128 has two, Ps 127 one and Ps 133 none. See Crenshaw, "Wisdom Psalms?" 12; Kuntz, "Reclaiming Biblical Wisdom Psalms," 147-48; idem, "The Canonical Wisdom Psalms," 208. Crenshaw, "Wisdom Psalms?" 15. See also idem, "A Proverb in the Mouth of 3 0

3 1

3 2

a Fool," in Seeking Out the Wisdom of the Ancients: Essays Offered to Honor Michael V. Fox on the Occasion of His Sixty-Fifth Birthday (ed. R.L. Troxel et al.; Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2005) 103-15 (esp. 111-15). S. Weeks has also displayed skepticism regarding wisdom psalms. For him the category "wisdom psalm" does retain some value, claiming, for example, that Ps 37 is reasonably considered a wisdom psalm. See his "Wisdom Psalms," in Temple and Worship in Biblical Israel (ed. J. Day; London/New York: T & T Clark, 2005) 292-307 (esp. 304). See also Whybray, "The Wisdom Psalms," 160.

236

CHAPTER NINE

for identifying wisdom psalms and the differing lists of them also produce doubt regarding the viability of the entire project. A

3. THE CAVE 11 PSALMS SCROLL (1 lQPs ) The Dead Sea Scrolls can contribute to the issue of wisdom psalms. The Psalter is better represented at Qumran than any other biblical book. 126 of the 150 masoretic psalms are attested in some form among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Thirty-six Psalms manuscripts were found in Caves 1-6, 8 and 11, twenty-three of which are from Cave 4. The largest Qumran Psalms manuscript is from Cave 11 (1 lQPs ). The scroll was copied around 30-50 CE. It is one of the longest texts from Qumran. 11Q5 consists of twenty-eight columns and several additional fragments. It contains forty-nine or fifty works. Thirty-nine of the psalms from this scroll correspond to hymns from books four and five of the masoretic Psalter, often (but not always) in a different order. llQPs includes ten (or eleven) works not in the masoretic Psalter. One, known as "David's Last Words," is a version of 2 Sam 23:1-7, most of which is no longer extant. Five are non-canonical writings available in other ancient versions. These are Sir 51:13-30, and Pss 151 A, 151B, 154 and 155. Four were previously unknown. They have been entitled "Plea for Deliverance," "Apostrophe to Zion," "Hymn to the Creator" and "David's Compositions." The Psalms Scroll also attests numerous 33

34

35

a

36

37

38

39

40

3 3

3

P.W. Flint, "The Contribution o f the Cave 4 P s a l m s Scrolls to the P s a l m s Debate," DSD 5 ( 1 9 9 8 ) 3 2 0 - 3 3 (esp. 3 2 0 ) . P.W. Flint, "The B o o k o f P s a l m s in the Light o f the D e a d S e a Scrolls," VT AS ( 1 9 9 8 ) 4 5 3 - 7 2 (esp. 4 7 1 ) . P.W. Flint, The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls and the Book of Psalms ( S T D J 17; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 7 ) 2 7 - 4 9 (esp. 3 3 ) . There are t w o additional P s a l m s manuscripts from M a s a d a and o n e from Nahal Hever. S e e ibid., 4 3 - 4 5 . Ibid., 144. Ibid., 4 0 . Sanders w a s not aware o f o n e o f these fragments (E) w h i l e h e w a s preparing DJD 4. Y . Y a d i n brought this fragment to his attention. Fragment E is included in J.A. Sanders, The Dead Sea Psalms Scroll (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1 9 6 7 ) 155-59. 1 1 Q 5 16 attests a version o f P s 118 and a catena o f h y m n i c material that m a y be a separate unit. S e e Flint, The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls, 4 0 . For the order o f the contents o f 1 1 Q 5 , s e e ibid., 2 5 3 . S e e also M.G. A b e g g , Jr., et al., ed., The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible ( S a n Francisco: HarperCollins, 1 9 9 9 ) 5 0 5 - 8 9 . 3 4

3 5

3 6

3 7

3 8

3 9

4 0

237

WISDOM PSALMS

textual variants when compared to the masoretic and LXX Psalters/ 3.1 Scholarship on the Psalms Scroll a

The scholarship on 1 lQPs has focused on issues of canon, authority and provenance. Sanders argued that this work was a "Qumran Psalter" that had canonical status for the movement associated with the Teacher of Righteousness. He claimed that when 1 lQPs was originally composed Pss 1-89 had already achieved the canonical arrangement preserved in the Hebrew Bible but that the rest of the Psalter was still fluid. Talmon and Skehan asserted, contra Sanders, that HQPs was a secondary arrangement of material taken from a fixed arrangement of psalms reflected in the masoretic Psalter. These counter-proposals present 11Q5 as a liturgical arrangement of psalms that had no independent canonical authority of its own. Flint has offered a comprehensive presentation of all the Qumran 42

43

a

44

a

45

4 1

Flint, The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls, 6 5 - 8 0 . For a summary o f scholarship o n l l Q P s , see Flint, "The Contribution o f the C a v e 4 P s a l m s Scrolls," 3 2 6 - 3 2 . J. A . Sanders, "Cave 11 Surprises and the Question o f Canon," McCQ 21 ( 1 9 6 8 ) 2 8 4 - 9 8 (esp. 2 9 4 - 9 5 ) . S e e further idem, "Variorum in the Psalms Scroll ( l l Q P s ) , " HTR 5 9 ( 1 9 6 6 ) 8 3 - 9 4 ; idem, "Psalm 1 5 4 Revisited," in Biblische Theologie und gesellschaftlicher Wandel: fur Norbert Lohfink SJ. (ed. G. Braulik et al.; Freiburg: Herder, 1 9 9 3 ) 2 9 6 - 3 0 6 (esp. 3 0 1 - 2 ) . A s s o c i a t i n g the provenance o f this scroll with the D e a d S e a sect can b e supported by " D a v i d ' s C o m p o s i t i o n s , " w h i c h declares that D a v i d wrote numerous psalms, s o m e o f w h i c h are to b e sung in a cultic context based o n a solar calendar ( 1 1 Q 5 2 7 : 6 - 7 ; cf. Sir 4 7 : 1 0 ) . It has b e e n argued that U Q 5 as a w h o l e w a s shaped with calendrical concerns in mind. S e e Flint, The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls, 1 9 2 - 9 3 ; M. Chyutin, "The Redaction o f the Qumranic and the Traditional B o o k o f P s a l m s as a Calendar," RevQ 16 ( 1 9 9 4 ) 3 6 7 - 9 5 . Sanders, "Cave 11 Surprises," 2 9 3 . S e e also idem, "Adaptable for Life: The Nature and Function o f Canon," in Magnalia Dei: The Mighty Acts of God (ed. F . M . Cross et al.; Garden City: D o u b l e d a y , 1 9 7 6 ) 5 3 1 - 6 0 ; idem, Torah and Canon (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1972); idem, "The M o d e r n History o f the Qumran P s a l m s Scroll and Canonical Criticism," in Emanuel: Studies in Hebrew Bible, Septuagint, and Dead Sea Scrolls in Honor of Emanuel Tov (ed. S.M. Paul et al.; V T S u p 9 4 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 3 ) 3 9 3 - 4 1 1 . M . H . Goshen-Gottstein, "The P s a l m s Scroll (1 l Q P s ) : A Problem o f C a n o n and Text," Text 5 ( 1 9 6 6 ) 2 2 - 3 3 ; S. Talmon, "Pisqah B e ' e m s a ' Pasuq and H Q P s , " Text 5 ( 1 9 6 6 ) 1 1 - 2 1 ; P.W. Skehan, "A Liturgical C o m p l e x in l l Q P s , " CBQ 3 4 ( 1 9 7 3 ) 1 9 5 205. 4 2

a

4 3

a

4 5

a

a

3

238

CHAPTER NINE

Psalms manuscripts that supports and refines the views of Sanders. He argues that there is no manuscript from Qumran that attests the masoretic arrangement of Pss 90-150. He asserts that the order of psalms in llQPs is found in two other scrolls (4QPs and HQPs ). This endorses the view that the Cave 11 Psalter possessed a form of scriptural authority. The Davidic character of 11 QPs , emphasized by the claim in col. 27 that David composed 4,050 psalms, also indicates that this arrangement of hymns was authoritative. Flint therefore regards 1 lQPs as a "true scriptural Psalter." Current scholarship on 11Q5 is characterized by critical engagement of the views of Flint. Fabry, echoing earlier criticism of Sanders, contends that it cannot be proven that a non-masoretic psalms collection ever had "kanonische Wertigkeit." Dahmen has produced a reconstruction and interpretation of 1 lQPs designed as a "Gegenentwurf" of Flint's approach. Dahmen understands 11Q5 as a secondary collection of psalms and suggests that it could have been 3

e

b

47

a

a

48

49

a

50

4 6

Flint, The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls, 2 4 0 ; idem, "The Contribution o f the C a v e 4 P s a l m s Scrolls," 3 3 1 - 3 2 . S e e also idem, "The '1 l Q P s - P s a l t e r ' in the D e a d Sea Scrolls, Including the Preliminary Edition o f 4 Q P s , " in The Quest for Context and Meaning: Studies in Biblical Intertextuality in Honor of James A. Sanders (ed. C A . E v a n s and S. Talmon; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 7 ) 1 7 3 - 9 6 . G.H. W i l s o n also affirms that the Qumran P s a l m s texts endorse Sanders' v i e w s regarding the ' o p e n ' status o f P s s 9 0 - 1 5 0 . H e contends further that the material in the C a v e 11 P s a l m s Scroll is arranged according to organizational principles not unlike those shaping b o o k s four and five o f the masoretic Psalter. S e e his "The Qumran Psalms Manuscripts and the C o n s e c u t i v e Arrangement o f P s a l m s in the Hebrew Psalter," CBQ 4 5 ( 1 9 8 3 ) 3 7 7 - 8 8 ; idem, "The Qumran P s a l m s Scroll Reconsidered: A n a l y s i s o f the Debate," CBQ 4 7 ( 1 9 8 5 ) 6 2 4 - 4 2 ; idem, The Editing of the Hebrew Psalter ( S B L D S 76; C h i c o : Scholars Press, 1985). Consult also D . D . S w a n s o n , "Qumran and the Psalms," in Interpreting the Psalms: Issues and Approaches (ed. P.S. Johnston and D . G . Firth; Leicester: A p o l l o s , 2 0 0 5 ) 2 4 7 - 6 2 . Flint, The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls, 2 0 0 , 2 3 9 . Ibid., 2 2 6 . H.-J. Fabry, "Der Psalter in Qumran," in Der Psalter in Judentum und Christentum (ed. E. Zenger; H B S 18; Freiburg: Herder, 1 9 9 8 ) 1 3 7 - 6 3 (esp. 155, 159). S e e also E. Jain and A . Steudel, "Les manuscrits psalmiques de la M e r Morte et la reception du Psautier a Qumran," RevScRel 11 ( 2 0 0 3 ) 5 2 9 - 4 3 ; G.J. B r o o k e , "The P s a l m s in Early Jewish Literature in the Light o f the D e a d S e a Scrolls," in The Psalms in the New Testament (ed. S. M o y i s e and M.J.J. M e n k e n ; L o n d o n / N e w York: T & T Clark International, 2 0 0 4 ) 5 - 2 4 (esp. 10-11). U. Dahmen, Psalmenund Psalter-Rezeption im Fruhjudentum: Rekonstruktion, Textbestand, Struktur und Pragmatik der Psalmenrolle llQPs aus Qumran (STDJ 4 9 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 3 ) 2 2 . a

e

4 7

4 8

4 9

5 0

a

WISDOM PSALMS

239

compiled for liturgical purposes. a

3.2 HQPs and the Wisdom Tradition Several compositions of 11Q5 relate to the wisdom tradition. A large portion of the scroll, nine of its twenty-eight columns (cols. 6-14), contains Ps 119, which is sometimes considered a wisdom psalm. The manuscript contains portions of other works that have been placed in this category. The discernment of wisdom psalms in 1 lQPs could shed light on the development of the canonical Psalter. There has been speculation that the biblical wisdom psalms were a product of the same circles that helped establish "the Psalter in its final form as a collection of sacred texts." In the non-masoretic compositions of 11Q5 acrostics are surprisingly prominent. Apostrophe to Zion (HQPs 22:1-15), Ps 52

53

a

54

55

a

5 1

D a h m e n , Psalmenund Psalter-Rezeption, 274-76. S e e also Fabry, "Der Psalter in Qumran," 160. Flint, The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls, 4 0 , observes that P s 119 is the o n l y c o m p o s i t i o n in 11Q5 that is written stichometrically. S e e also ibid., 6 9 - 7 3 ; D a h m e n , Psalmen- und Psalter-Rezeption, 1 5 4 - 8 4 ; DJD 4, 2 7 - 3 5 . For example, Kuntz, "The Canonical W i s d o m Psalms," 2 1 7 , argues that P s s 127, 128 and 133 are "sentence w i s d o m psalms." Fragments o f P s 127:1 are in 1 l Q P s 4:16. 1 l Q P s 5:1-3 has a version o f P s 128:4-6. For P s 1 3 3 : 1 - 3 , see 1 l Q P s 2 3 : 7 - 1 1 . Flint, The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls, 1 9 5 , considers P s 133 a w i s d o m psalm. Kuntz, " W i s d o m Psalms and the Shaping o f the H e b r e w Psalter," 160. S e e also E. Zenger, "'Durch den M u n d e i n e s W e i s e n werde das L o b l i e d g e s p r o c h e n ' (Sir 15,10): W e i s h e i t s t h e o l o g i e im Finale d e s Psalters P s 1 4 6 - 1 5 0 , " mAuf den Spuren der schriftgelehrten Weisen: Festschrift fur Johannes Marbock (ed. I. Fischer et al.; B Z A W 3 3 1 ; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2 0 0 3 ) 1 3 9 - 5 5 ; A . Lange, "Die Endgestalt d e s protomasoretischen Psalters und die Toraweisheit," in Der Psalter in Judentum und Christentum, 1 0 1 - 3 6 ; J.L. M a y s , "The Place o f the Torah-Psalms in the Psalter," JBL 106 ( 1 9 8 7 ) 3 - 1 2 ; J.C. M c C a n n , " W i s d o m ' s D i l e m m a : The B o o k o f Job, the Final Form o f the B o o k o f Psalms, and the Entire B i b l e , " in Wisdom, You are My Sister: Studies in Honor of Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm., on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday (ed. M . L . Barre; C B Q M S 2 9 ; Washington, D . C . : Catholic Biblical A s s o c i a t i o n , 1 9 9 7 ) 1 8 - 3 0 ; W i l s o n , "The Qumran Psalms Scroll ( H Q P s ) and the Canonical Psalter," 4 4 8 - 6 4 ; idem, The Editing of the Hebrew Psalter, 199-228; N.L. deClaisse-Walford, Reading From the Beginning: The Shaping of the Hebrew Psalter ( M a c o n : Mercer University Press, 1 9 9 7 ) 9 6 ; Crenshaw, "A Proverb in the M o u t h o f a F o o l " 111. H. Eshel and J. Strugnell, "Alphabetical Acrostics in Pre-Tannaitic Hebrew," CBQ 6 2 ( 2 0 0 0 ) 4 4 1 - 5 8 (esp. 4 4 3 - 4 5 ) . S e e also H. Eshel, " c - n ^ ^ K rrmm STO-IK jKimpa rn'rana c i » i n n n "wn rran ^ n , " in Studies in the History of Eretz Israel Presented to Yehuda Ben Porat (ed. Y . B e n - A r i e h and E. Reiner; Jerusalem: Y a d B e n - Z v i Press, 2 0 0 3 ) 3 9 - 5 6 . 5 2

5 3

a

a

a

5 4

a

5

240

CHAPTER NINE

a

155 (1 lQPs 24:3-17), and the material related to Sir 51 in cols. 21-22 are in the acrostic style (cf. 4QPs 9-10). Several psalms, such as Pss 119 and 145, and Prov 31:10-31 are acrostics, and it has been argued that the acrostic form is a feature of some wisdom psalms. There is a sapiential quality to the presentation of David in the 11Q5. David's Compositions (HQPs 27:2-11) depicts him in a manner reminiscent of the biblical Solomon. According to lines 2-4, "David, the son of Jesse, was wise (D3n), and a light like the light of the sun, and literate (1210), discerning, and perfect in all his ways before God and men. And the Lord gave him a discerning and enlightened spirit (rWDJ FTP f

56

a

nm*o)."

5 7

The question of wisdom psalms in 11Q5 has focused on its nonmasoretic writings. The three compositions from HQPs that have received the most attention in this regard are in columns 18 (Ps 154), 21:11 -17 and 22:1 (Sir 51:13-30), and 26:9-15 (Hymn to the Creator). a

3.2.1 HQPsf 18 (Ps 154) 3

Column 18 of HQPs preserves a poem in Hebrew that was previously available in Syriac as part of a collection of five apocryphal psalms. A twelfth century manuscript attaches these hymns to the end of the biblical Psalter. The hymn in 1 lQPs 18 is known as both Ps 154 and Syriac Psalm II. Neither the beginning 58

59

8

60

Murphy, " A Consideration," 160. DJD 4, 9 2 - 9 3 ; Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 2 4 ; Flint, The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls, 195. 1 K g s 3:12 states that G o d g a v e S o l o m o n a "wise and discerning mind (pan can ib)." DJD 4, 6 4 - 7 0 . For a preliminary publication, s e e Sanders, " T w o N o n Canonical Psalms," 5 7 - 6 7 . Consult also J.H. Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls: 57

Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts with English Translations, Volume 4A; Pseudepigraphic and Non-Masoretic Psalms and Prayers (Tubingen/Louisville: M o h r Siebeck/Westminster John K n o x Press, 1997) 170-77; D a h m e n , Psalmen- und Psalter-Rezeption, 88. 5 9

H. Eshel and E. Eshel, " 4 Q 4 4 8 , Psalm 154 (Syriac), Sirach 4 8 : 2 0 , and 4 Q p I s a , " JBL 119 ( 2 0 0 0 ) 6 4 5 - 5 9 (esp. 6 4 7 ) ; Sanders, "Psalm 154 Revisited," 2 9 6 . In the late 1 9 5 0 s , w h e n l l Q P s w a s unavailable to scholars, D e l c o r and P h i l o n e n k o argued that these five p s a l m s were E s s e n e c o m p o s i t i o n s . S e e M . Delcor, "Cinq N o u v e a u x P s a u m e s e s s e n i e n s ? " RevQ 1 ( 1 9 5 8 ) 8 5 - 1 0 2 ; M . Philonenko, "L'Origine e s s e n i e n n e des cinq p s a u m e s syriaques de D a v i d , " Sem 9 ( 1 9 5 9 ) 3 5 - 4 8 . S e e also M. D e l c o r , "Zum Psalter v o n Qumran," BZ 10 ( 1 9 6 6 ) 1 5 - 2 9 (esp. 2 4 - 2 5 ) ; idem, Les Hymnes de Qumran (Hodayot) (Paris: L e t o u z e y et A n e , 1 9 6 2 ) 2 9 9 - 3 1 9 . 1 l Q P s also preserves versions o f P s s 151 and 155 (Syriac P s a l m s I and III) in cols. 2 8 : 3 - 1 4 and 2 4 : 3 - 1 7 , respectively. The Syriac recension o f P s 154 is attributed a

3

6 0

a

WISDOM PSALMS

241

nor the end of 11Q5 18 have survived. The Hebrew of these missing lines can be approximated from Syriac Psalm II. When 4Q448 was published in 1991, it became apparent that it contains material (especially 11. 8-10 of column A) that is similar to 1 lQPs 18:14-16. As a result, Sanders slightly modified his original edition of the hymn. It is possible that one of these works was a source for the other. Ps 154 has been dated relatively early. Sanders has argued that the composition was older than the yahad group. Luhrmann dated the poem to the end of the third century BCE. If the original core of Ps 154 is from 4Q448, as the Eshels argue, the date of the psalm would be significantly later, following the view that 4Q448 praises Alexander Jaimaeus (103-76 BCE). Even before the emergence of the Dead Sea Scrolls, commentators understood Ps 154 in relation to the wisdom tradition. In 1930 Martin a

61

62

63

64

65

66

to Hezekiah, not David. The work is entitled "The Prayer of Hezekiah, when the Assyrians were surrounding him; and he asked of God deliverance from them." See Eshel and Eshel, "4Q448, Psalm 154," 649. E. Eshel et al., "A Scroll from Qumran which Includes Parts of Psalm 154 and a Prayer for King Jonathan and his Kingdom," Tarbiz 60 (1991) 295-324 (Hebrew); eadem et al., "A Qumran Composition Containing Part of Ps. 154 and a Prayer for the Welfare of King Jonathan and his Kingdom," 7 £ / 4 2 (1992) 199-229. Sanders, "Psalm 154 Revisited," 300. Eshel and Eshel, "4Q448, Psalm 154," 648, argue that 4Q448 A attests "the original nucleus of this hymn." See also A. Lemaire, "Attestation Textuelle et Critique Litteraire: 4Q448 col. A et Psalm 154," in The Dead Sea Scrolls Fifty Years 6 1

6 2

6 3

After Their Discovery:

Proceedings

of the Jerusalem

Congress,

July 20-25,

1997 (ed.

L.H. Schiffman et al.; Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society/Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, 2000) 12-18; idem, "Le Psaume 154: Sagesse et Site de Qoumran," From

4QMMT

to Resurrection:

Melanges

qumraniens

en hommage

a Emile

Puech

(ed. F. Garcia Martinez, A. Steudel and E.J.C. Tigchelaar; STDJ 61; Leiden: Brill, 2006) 195-204. DJD 4, 70. D. Luhrmann, "Ein Weisheitspsalm aus Qumran ( l l Q P s XVIII)," ZAW 80 (1968) 87-98 (esp. 93, 97). R. Polzin asserted that 11Q5 18 and other non-masoretic hymns of the scroll are "late Persian/Hellenistic compositions." See his "Notes on the Dating of the Non-Massoretic Psalms of HQPs ," HTR 60 (1967) 468-76 (esp. 475). See also A. Hurvitz, "Observations on the Language of the Third Apocryphal Psalm from Qumran," RevQ 5 (1965) 225-32. Alexander Jannaeus is the only king from this period whose name in Hebrew is 6 4

6 5

3

a

6 6

Jonathan.

See H. Stegemann, The Library

of Qumran:

On the Essenes,

Qumran,

John the Baptist, and Jesus (Leiden/Grand Rapids: Brill/Eerdmans, 1998 [orig. pub., 1993]) 133-34; M.O. Wise, "Dating the Teacher of Righteousness and the Floruit of His Movement," JBL 122 (2003) 53-87 (esp. 69). G. Vermes understands Jonathan Maccabee as the focus of 4Q448. Consult his "The So-Called King Jonathan Fragment (4Q448)," JJS 44 (1993) 294-300.

242

CHAPTER NINE

Noth identified both hymnic and sapiential elements in this text and distinguished them. Luhrmann disagreed with this approach, contending that the hymn is a unified example of "Weisheitsdichtung," using the terminology of Gunkel. Several years later Magne claimed that Ps 154 was originally "un poeme sapiential" transformed by the incorporation of a psalm that was a call to praise God. It is not surprising that scholars have interpreted Ps 154 in relation to the sapiential tradition. The two central themes of this poem are wisdom and the praise of God. According to the Syriac version, the hymn begins with a call to communal praise: "With a loud voice glorify God; in the congregation of the many proclaim his majesty. In the multitude of the upright glorify his name and with the faithful recount his greatness" (Ps 154:1-2; cf. 4QH 7). In 1 lQPs 18:1 one is exhorted to join "the good ones" and "the perfect ones" in order "to glorify the Most High." The goal is to proclaim "his salvation" and "his might and his majesty to all the simple ones (imKSm 1TV o w n s bvby (11.2-3). The celebration of God is connected to wisdom: "For to make known the glory of the Lord is wisdom given (mrp TOO SFTinb nEDYt rtirti), and to recount his many works she is made known to 67

68

69

70

a

71

a

6 7

M. Noth, "Die funf syrisch uberlieferten apokryphen Psalmen," ZA W 48 (1930) 1-23 (esp. 19-20). He translated the five aprocryphal Syriac psalms into German and reconstructed a Hebrew Vorlage for Psalms II-IV. See also J. Strugnell, "Notes on the Text and Transmission of the Apocryphal Psalms 151, 154 ( = Syr. II) and 155 ( = Syr. Ill)," HTR 59 (1966) 257-81 (esp. 272-75); H.F. van Rooy, "Psalm 154:14 and the Relation between the Hebrew and Syriac Versions of Psalm 154," JBL 116 (1997) 321-24; A.S. van der Woude, "Die funf syrischen Psalmen," JSHRZ 4 (1974) 29-47. Luhrmann, "Ein Weisheitspsalm," 91. J. Magne, "Le Psaume 154," RevQ 9 (1977) 95-102 (esp. 102). For a similar view, see P. Auffret, "Structure litteraire et interpretation du Psaume 154 de la grotte 11 de Qumran," RevQ 9 (1977-78) 513-45 (esp. 545). Consult also A. DupontSommer, "Explication de textes hebreux decouverts a Qoumran," Annuaire du College de France 66 (1966) 358-67; 67 (1967) 364-68; Lemaire, "Le Psaume 154," 204. DJD 4, 69; Sanders, "Two Non-Canonical Psalms," 65. Lipscomb and Sanders, "Wisdom at Qumran," 279, refer to the poem in 11Q5 18 as a "wisdom psalm." See also D.J. Harrington, "Wisdom at Qumran," in The Community of the 6 8

6 9

70

Renewed

Covenant:

The Notre

Dame

Symposium

on the Dead

Sea Scrolls

(ed. E.

Ulrich and J.C. VanderKam; Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1994) 137-53 (esp. 137); idem, "Ten Reasons," 247-48; idem, Wisdom Texts, 26-28; van der Woude, "Wisdom at Qumran," 251; Kampen, "The Diverse Aspects," 225. DJD 4, 65. 7 1

WISDOM PSALMS a

243 72

humanity (Dl*6 nim3)" (HQPs 18:3-4). The themes of wisdom and praise are not easily separated, as Luhrmann argued against Noth. Luhrmann supported this position by appealing to Ben Sira. In his instruction the possession of wisdom is expressed through the praise of God. Sir 15:9-10, for example, reads: "Unseemly is praise on a sinner's lips ... but praise (nSnn) is offered by the tongue of the wise, and its rightful master teaches it" (cf. 17:10; 39:15; 43:30; Wis 10:20-21). The themes of wisdom and praise are combined in Qumran wisdom texts. 4QInstruction exhorts its addressee: "Praise his name constantly" ( T o n bbfl IDE) (4Q416 2 iii 11). 4Q418 81 1 claims "He has opened up your lips as a fountain in order to bless the holy ones" (cf. 4Q417 1 ii 9). 4Q185 1-2 ii 8, using the same verb as 1 lQPs 18:3, extols the gift of wisdom: "Happy is the man to whom she is given (713113)." Also like this apocryphal psalm, 4Q185 urges that the "simple ones" acquire wisdom in order to comprehend the might of God: "Pay attention to me, simple ones (D'KnS), and draw wisdom from the [p]ower of our God. Remember the wonders he performed in Egypt and his portents in [the land of Ham]" (1-2 i 1315). Those who are to receive instruction are called "simple ones" in Proverbs and 4QInstruction as well. 4Q185 and llQPs 18 both emphasize the strength of God, using different terminology. They also appeal to the national traditions of Israel, with both mentioning Jacob (4Q185 1-2 ii 4; llQPs 18:16). llQPs 18 connects the themes of wisdom and praise in a way 73

74

a

75

3

76

3

77

3

7 2

a

J.C. Lebram argued that the word cnx of 1 lQPs 18:4 should be understood as a reference to Adam rather than humanity in a general sense. This is an intriguing idea that merits consideration, but it cannot be endorsed. 11Q5 18 contains no unambiguous allusion to Adam. See his "Die Theologie der spaten Chokma und haretisches Judentum," ZAW11 (1965) 202-11 (esp. 208). Lebram's interpretation is supported in Magne, "Le Psaume 154," 97. Luhrmann, "Ein Weisheitspsalm," 91-2. See also Lebram, "Die Theologie der spaten Chokma," 203. 7 4

M. Reitemeyer, Weisheitslehre

als Gotteslob:

Psalmentheologie

in Buch

Jesus

Sirach (BBB 127; Berlin: Philo, 2000). Cf. 4Q418 221 2. The use of this term in Proverbs is discussed below. 4Q185 1-2 i 14 urges that the simple understand the lrn^K m-ofa] ("the [p]ower of our God"); in 11Q5 18:4 one is to proclaim "his might" (ITW) to the simple (cf. 4Q417 1 i 13). The reconstruction of 1 lQPs 18:16 from the Syriac of Ps 154:19 presents God as one who "[raises up the horn of Ja]cob." See Sanders, "Psalm 154 Revisited," 7 5

7 6

7 7

a

306; Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls,

111.

244

CHAPTER NINE

which personifies wisdom, although not as explicitly as Prov 8 or Sir 24. After comparing God's acceptance of praise to his approval of cultic sacrifices (11. 8-10), the psalm describes the sound of the righteous extolling God: "From the gates of the righteous is heard her voice (r6lp), and from the assembly of the pious her song (SnpD n m B T D^TOn)" (11. 10-11). The feminine pronoun refers to wisdom, as in line 3. Lines 10-11 present wisdom in an anthropomorphic way in that she has a voice. Proverbs emphasizes the voice of Lady Wisdom. Prov 1:20 reads: "Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice (rhlp)" (cf. 8:1, 4). She calls out to the "simple ones," urging them to acquire wisdom (1:22; 8:5). Proverbs offers a full-blown personification of wisdom, presenting Lady Wisdom calling out to passers-by. In Ps 154 the simple hear the voice of wisdom when they listen to the pious praise God. Feminine pronouns are important elsewhere in HQPs 18. Lines 5-6 describe the ignorant as "those far from her gates (irnna), those who stray from her portals (rp*03Q)." Sanders has argued that this refers to the "doors of Wisdom." In Proverbs Lady Wisdom teaches at her "gates": "Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates (TinSn), waiting beside my doors ( T i n a ) " (8:34). Lady Wisdom then invites the simple to a banquet at her house (Prov 9:112). Ps 154 seems to rely on this tradition, as Sanders suggests. 11Q5 18:10 describes the voice of wisdom coming from "the gates of the righteous." Within these gates the righteous enjoy a meal: "When they eat with satiety she is cited (m&K3), and when they drink in fellowship together, their meditation is on the Torah of the Most High" (11. 11-12). It would be easier to conclude that the hymn describes a ritual meal if the numerous terms used to describe the righteous who praise God, such as the "good ones" (1. 1), displayed a sectarian consciousness or if it were explicit that a specific 78

79

80

81

a

82

DJD 4, 69; Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 27; Lebram, "Die Theologie der spaten Chokma," 203; B.G. Wright III, "Wisdom and Women at Qumran," DSD 11 (2004) 240-61 (esp. 241). DJD 4, 67. The word Sip could be rendered "sound" rather than "voice." "Her sound," in parallelism with "her song," would not be substantially different in meaning from "her voice." Lebram, "Die Theologie der spaten Chokma," 205. 7 9

8 0

8 1

8 2

DJD 4, 67; Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls,

171.

WISDOM PSALMS

245

community was the intended audience. The eating and drinking of line 11 is better understood as a symbolic description of the bounty of wisdom enjoyed by the righteous, a poetic image that is reminiscent of the banquet of wisdom of Prov 9. In the expressions "she is cited" of line 11 and "her word" of the following line wisdom is understood as a text. Like 4Q185, 4QBeatitudes and Ben Sira, llQPs 18 associates wisdom with the Torah. The phrase "Torah of the Most High" (]vbv m m ) of line 12 is also in 4QBeatitudes and Ben Sira, as discussed in the previous chapter. This line states further that "their meditation" (DnrPE?) is on the Torah. Ps 119 may use this verb in relation to the Torah. The law is associated in 11Q5 18:12 with the proclamation of the might of God. The theme of Torah relates to the issue of revelation. According to Harrington, the assertion in llQPs 18:3 and 4Q185 1-2 ii 8 that wisdom "is given" (nmj) indicates the prominence of divine revelation in the wisdom literature from Qumran. He is right but the point needs qualification. Ps 154 never appeals to any form of supernatural revelation aside from that of Sinai (nor does 4Q185). This is in stark contrast to 4QInstruction, which frequently invokes the mystery that is to be. In HQPs 18 wisdom is given by God through the Torah. There is no indication in this hymn that the righteous have access to esoteric heavenly knowledge. The image in llQPs 18:10-12 of eating and drinking in celebration of God and the Torah invites comparison with the Community Rule (1QS). Unlike Ps 154, this rulebook gives explicit 84

3

85

3

86

a

3

87

83

DJD 4, 70; Luhrmann, "Ein Weisheitspsalm," 92-93. Below I discuss the differences between 11Q5 18:11-12 and the ritual meal described in 1QS 6. The "gates" of 11Q5 18:5 and 10 could denote an actual building in which the intended addressees would gather. This position is not unreasonable since the call for congregational praise is so prominent in the work. If one grants such an interpretation, such gatherings do not necessarily imply that the participants were members of a sect. Harrington, "Ten Reasons," 247. The author of Ps 154 would have understood Ps 119 in this way. See Ps 119:15, 23, 48 and 78. The first three of these verses are found, respectively, in H Q P s 7:1, 9; 8:12 (with the variant r r a w i for MT r m w i ) . Ps 119:78 would have occurred in the damaged bottom portion of 1 lQPs 9. The verb rrra is employed in relation to the Torah in 4Q525 2 ii + 3 6. Harrington, "Ten Reasons," 250. 8 4 8 5

a

a

8 6

8 7

J.J.

Collins, Jewish

Westminster John Knox,

Wisdom

in the Hellenistic

Age

(OTL;

Louisville:

1997) 112; M. Klinghardt, Gemeinschaftsmahl

und

246

CHAPTER NINE

guidelines for meals conducted by members of a sectarian group. 1QS 6:6-8 stipulates that the Torah is to be read and interpreted constantly, day and night. This rule is given immediately after regulations regarding the conduct of meals (6:4-6). The Torah was probably read and contemplated during these meals. In contrast to 1 lQPs 18, 1QS 6:4-6 gives a priest an important role at the meal and seating is arranged according to a group hierarchy. There are no compelling indicators that 1 lQPs 18 was produced by the movement associated with the Teacher of Righteousness, although the poem's emphasis on praise of God and the Torah would have certainly appealed to its members. Sanders originally argued that HQPs 18 could be "proto-Essenian, or Hasidic." The psalm may be preEssene, but this cannot be proven conclusively. Ps 154 contains no red flag markers of yahad provenance such as the Teacher of Righteousness or familiarity with its organizational structure. 88

a

89

a

90

a

91

92

Mahlgemeinschaft:

Soziologie

und Liturgie

fruhchristlicher

Mahlfeiern

Tubingen: A. Francke Verlag, 1996) 223-27; D.E. Smith, From Eucharist:

The Banquet

in the Early

Christian

World

2003) 155-58. The material in 1QS 6:1-8 could be composite. Development

of the Qumran

Community

(TANZ 13;

Symposium

to

(Minneapolis: Fortress Press,

See S. Metso, The Textual

Rule (STDJ 21; Leiden: Brill, 1997) 133; C.

Hempel, "Interpretative Authority in the Community Rule Tradition," DSD 10 (2003) 59-80 (esp. 66-67). The description of the communal meal in 1QS 6 has similarities to Josephus' account of the Essenes (J. W., 2.130-33). He claims they took their bread "in order" and that a priest blessed the meal. He also emphasizes that participants ate in silence. This is different from 11Q5 18:11-12, in which one hears the righteous praise God while they eat and drink. Sanders, "Psalm 154 Revisited," 301. DJD 4, 70. He was criticized by Lebram and Luhrmann for making a connection between Ps 154 and the yahad sect. They considered the work's affinities with the wisdom tradition evidence that it was not a product of this movement. See Lebram, "Die Theologie der spaten Chokma," 206; Luhrmann, "Ein Weisheitspsalm," 93. While 11 QPs does not accord with the militant piety of the Hasideans described in 1 Maccabees, the phrase •"•Ton bnp of 11Q5 18:10 is similar to the expression "a company of Hasideans" in 1 Mace 2:42 (cf. Pss. Sol. 4:1). See G. Nickelsburg, 8 9

9 0

91

a

Ancient

Judaism

and Christian

Origins:

Diversity,

Continuity,

and

Transformation

(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003) 177; Hengel, Judaism and Hellenism, 1.80, 176. It is possible to interpret the phrase i r r w a n n of l l Q P s 18:1 in a sectarian way. The stich in which this expression occurs can be translated "Form a yahad to proclaim his salvation." If the composition had more specific links to the Dead Sea sect, this translation would be appropriate. The line comes in the context of calls for communal praise of God, and this seems to be the point of the phrase in question as well. Sanders, "Psalm 154 Revisited," 305, translates the expression as "Form a community." See also Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 171. 9 2

8

247

WISDOM PSALMS

Furthermore, eschatology is not prominent in this work, a theme which runs throughout the compositions of the yahad. Ps 154 is reasonably understood in relation to the sapiential tradition. In this hymn wisdom is given to the simple ones, as in Proverbs. The two works do not have the same conception of wisdom. Unlike Proverbs, in Ps 154 wisdom never refers to an aptitude to make appropriate decisions in ordinary situations. Rather wisdom is the ability to perceive and proclaim the majesty of God. There is a degree of personification of wisdom in the psalm, but it includes no portrait of Lady Wisdom as vivid as those of Proverbs or Ben Sira. The association between wisdom, the praise of God and Torah piety accords with the mindset of Ben Sira, as Luhrmann has stressed. 11Q5 18 can thus be compared to Pss 1 and 119, which are often considered wisdom psalms. Many formal criteria that have been proposed for the identification of wisdom psalms, however, are not found in Ps 154. For example, the work has no "better than" sayings, admonitions or exhortations addressed to "sons." 11Q5 18 is a hymn of praise with substantial influence from the wisdom tradition. In this sense it can be considered a wisdom psalm. 93

94

3.2.2 llQPsf 21:11-17 and22:1 (Sir 51:13-30) 3

95

llQPs 21:11-17 contains a Hebrew version of Sir 51:13-30. Verses 13-20a correspond to 11Q5 21:11-17. The first two words of 1 lQPs 22:1 accord with Sir 51:30b. The material in column 21 after line 17, which has not survived, was probably similar to Sir 51:20ba

Dahmen, Psalmen- und Psalter-Rezeption, 238-40, argues that Ps 154 was written at Qumran because it is similar in terms of mindset and terminology to the Dead Sea sect. The examples he gives are general and do not require positing authorship of Ps 154 to the movement that produced the Qumran rulebooks. Dahmen, ibid., 317, contends that 1 lQPs as a whole has an eschatological and messianic character because the collection is attributed to David. If "Messianologie" were an important feature of the Psalms Scroll one would expect more material in it regarding the end of days, the arrival of an eschatological redeemer or the final judgment. Dahmen's view echoes the position advocated by B.Z. Wacholder. He argues that 11Q5 is a collection of songs that the eschatological David will sing with Israel at the end of days. See his "David's Eschatological Psalter: HQPsalms ," HUCA 59 (1988) 23-72. Kuntz, "The Canonical Wisdom Psalms," 192-94. DJD 4, 43, 79-85. See also Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 187-91; Dahmen, Psalmen- und Psalter-Rezeption, 91-92, 242-44. 9 3

a

a

9 4 95

248

CHAPTER NINE

6

3 0 . The B text, one of the manuscripts of Ben Sira discovered in the Cairo Geniza in 1896, contains another Hebrew recension of this poem. The version from 11Q5 is probably more authentic than the B text. llQPs 21:11-17 follows an easily discernable acrostic 97

98

3

Other sections of Ben Sira have been found in Hebrew documents from Qumran and Masada. One manuscript from Cave 2 (2Q18) may preserve a few words from Sir 6. At Masada Y. Yadin discovered leather fragments that contain material from Sir 39-43. 11Q5 is the only ancient Judean manuscript that includes a version of Sir 51:13-30. See M. Baillet et al., Les 'Petites Grottes' de Qumran (DJD 3; Oxford: Clarendon, 1962) 75-77; Y. Yadin, The Ben Sira Scroll from Masada (Jerusalem: The Israel Exploration Society and the Shrine of the Book, 1965). Ancient witnesses of this poem are also in Greek, Latin, Syriac and other ancient languages. Editions of Ben Sira are available in P.C. Beentjes, The Book of Ben Sira in Hebrew (VTSup 68; Leiden: Brill, 1997); F. Vattioni, Ecclesiastico: 9 7

Testo ebraico

con apparato

critico

e versioni

greca,

latina e siriaca

(Naples: Istituto

Orientale di Napoli, 1968); M.H. Segal, abvn NTD JD IDO (Jerusalem: Bialik, 1953). For reviews of the Sirach material from Judean manuscripts and the Cairo Geniza, and other versions, see DJD 4, 79-83; A.A. Di Leila and P.W. Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira (AB 39; New York: Doubleday, 1987) 51-62, 572-80; J.M. Oesch, "Textdarstellungen in den hebraischen Sirachhandschriften," in Auf den Spuren der schriftgelehrten Weisen, 307-24; E. Puech, "Le Livre de Ben Sira et les manuscripts de la Mer Morte," in Treasures

of Wisdom:

Studies

in Ben Sira

and the Book

of

Wisdom. Festschrift M. Gilbert (ed. N. Calduch-Benages and J. Vermeylen; BETL 143; Leuven: Leuven University Press/Peeters, 1999) 411-26; C. Martone, "Ben Sira Manuscripts from Qumran and Masada," in The Book of Ben Sira in Modern Research:

Proceedings

of the First

International

Ben Sira

Conference,

28-31

July

1996, Soesterberg, Netherlands (ed. P.C. Beentjes; BZAW 255; Berlin: de Gruyter, 1997) 81-94; W.T. van Peursen, "Sirach 51:13-30 in Hebrew and Syriac," in Hamlet on a Hill: Semitic

and Greek

Studies

Presented

to Professor

T. Muraoka

on the

Occasion of His Sixty-Fifth Birthday (ed. M.F.J. Baasten and W.T. van Peursen; Leuven: Peeters, 2003) 357-74; M. Gilbert, "Venez a mon ecole (Si 51,13-30)," in Auf den Spuren der schriftgelehrten Weisen, 283-90; T. Muraoka, "Sir. 51, 13-30: An Erotic Hymn to Wisdom?" JSJ 10 (1979) 166-78; I. Rabinowitz, "The Qumran Original of Ben Sira's Concluding Acrostic on Wisdom," HUCA 42 (1971) 173-84; P.W. Skehan, "The Acrostic Poem in Sirach 51:13-20," HTR 64 (1971) 387-400; J.A. Sanders, "The Sirach 51 Acrostic," in Hommages a Andre Dupont-Sommer (Paris: Librairie d'Amerique et d'Orient Adrien-Maisonneuve, 1971) 429-38; J. Marbock, Weisheit

im Wandel:

Untersuchungen

zur Weisheitstheologie

bei Ben Sira

(BZAW

272; Berlin: de Gruyter, 1999 [orig. pub., 1971]) 121-23; O. Rickenbacher, Weisheitsperikopen bei Ben Sira (OBO 1; Freiburg/Gottingen: Schweiz Universit&sverlag/Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1973) 197-214; M. Delcor, "Le Texte hebreu du cantique de Siracide LI, 13 et ss. et les anciennes versions," Text 6 (1968) 27-47; Polzin, "Notes on the Dating," 471-73; M.R. Lehmann, "Ben Sira and the Qumran Literature," RevQ 3 (1961) 103-16; J. Carmignac, "Les Rapports entre l'Eccl6siastique et Qumran," RevQ 3 (1961) 209-18. Only the B text of Sir 51:30 gives the name of the author of the instruction as "Simon ben Yeshua ben Eleazar ben Sira" (cf. 50:27). This does not agree with other manuscripts. Most Greek versions of this line, for example, give the author's name as "Jesus, son of Sirach." J.J. Collins reasonably suggests that the B text in this instance contains a scribal mistake introduced because of the proximity of material 9 8

249

WISDOM PSALMS

format ("alep through kap), whereas the B text attests substantial corruptions of this pattern." The poem in 11Q5 21:11-17 and 22:1 is located between Ps 138:18 and Apostrophe to Zion. There is no mention of Ben Sira whatsoever and the Psalms Scroll as a whole is attributed implicitly to David (27:2-11). At the very least, llQPs does not endorse Ben Sira's authorship of Sir 51:13-30. Although the evidence is ambiguous, the Jerusalem sage probably did not compose this work. The work has been dated to the third or second century 3

100

101

about the High Priest Simon in Sir 50. See his Jewish Skehan, The Wisdom

Although 11Q5 18 Other manuscripts may The Ben Sira Scroll, 1, B text and its glosses. Mulder, "Three Psalms Wisdom," in Prayer

Wisdom,

23; Di Leila and

of Ben Sira, 579.

is older, it does not follow that the B text is not authentic. support the reliability of this document. For example, Yadin, argues that the Masada scroll endorses the authenticity of the The superiority of the B text also has been affirmed in O. or Two Prayers in Sirach 51? The End of Ben Sira's Book of

from

Tobit to Qumran:

Inaugural

Conference

of the ISDCL

at

Salzburg, Austria, 5-9 July 2003 (ed. R. Egger-Wenzel and J. Corley; DCLY 2004; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2004) 171-201. A topic of debate is the extent to which the Hebrew Cairo manuscripts of Ben Sira are translations of Syriac manuscripts. This view has been defended by van Peursen, "Sirach 51:13-30," 373-74. In 1962 Di Leila claimed that Ben Sira material from the Cairo Geniza are versions of documents removed from the Qumran site in the early medieval period. See Di Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom

of Ben Sira, 54; A.A. Di Leila, The Hebrew

Text of

Sirach:

A Text-Critical and Historical Study (The Hague: Mouton & Co., 1966); idem, "Qumran and the Geniza Fragments of Sirach," CBQ 24 (1962) 245-67. H Q P s confirms the claim, put forward by Bickell in 1882, that the Hebrew Vorlage of Sir 51:13-30 was an acrostic. See DJD 4, 79; Strugnell and Eshel, "Alphabetic Acrostics," 445-46; G. Bickell, "Ein alphabetisches Lied Jesus Sirach's," ZKT6 (1882) 319-33. Sanders, DJD 4, 85, argues that the poem was "originally independent" of Ben Sira's instruction. Ben Sira's authorship of the canticle is affirmed by Di Leila. See Di Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 576. For this position see also Mulder, "Three Psalms or Two Prayers," 198. See further idem, Simon the High 9 9

a

1 0 0

Priest in Sirach 50: An Exegetical Study of the Significance of Simon the High as Climax to the Praise of the Fathers in Ben Sira's Concept of the History of

Priest Israel

(JSJSup 78; Leiden: Brill, 2003). Sir 50:27-29, called a "postscript" by Di Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 556, has the appearance of being the book's ending. These verses name the author and praise his wisdom, in a manner similar to the ending of Ecclesiastes (12:912). Sir 51 follows with hymnic material. Verses 1-12 contain a song of thanksgiving reminiscent of psalms such as Pss 116 and 138. The B text includes a sixteen line hymn of praise between verses 12 and 13 that is similar to Ps 136. Even Di Leila, who holds that Ben Sira wrote most of Sir 51, believes he did not write Sir 51:12i-xvi. See The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 569. For an argument for this text's authenticity, see Mulder, "Three Psalms or Two Prayers," 186-87. Ben Sira could have ended his instruction with a hymn. Concluding with three is less likely. It is reasonable to contend that 51:13-30 is secondary to Ben Sira. 1 0 1

250

CHAPTER NINE 102

BCE. The composition contains no evidence that it was composed by a member of the movement associated with the Teacher of Righteousness. Even if Ben Sira did not write Sir 51:13-30, the poem is an appropriate conclusion to his instruction. The work is an autobiographical account of a sage's life-long devotion to wisdom and he recommends that others follow his example. The canticle resonates with key themes in the rest of the instruction, particularly the exhortations to acquire wisdom in Sir 6:18-37 and 14:20-15:10. Sir 51:13-30 had been understood as a sapiential hymn before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is not surprising that several surveys of the wisdom literature from Qumran discuss 11Q5 21:1117, 22:1. The poem begins with a male speaker looking back at a momentous event of his youth: "I was a young man before I had erred when I looked for her. She came to me in her beauty ( m r Q ) and up till the end I searched for her" (llQPs 21:11-12). Wisdom is envisioned as a woman whom the speaker loves. This is evident 103

104

105

106

107

3

108

109

1 0 2

1 0 3

Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls, Collins, Jewish Wisdom, 53.

187.

1 0 4

C. Deutsch, "The Sirach 51 Acrostic: Confession and Exhortation," TAW 94 (1982)400-9. 105

Marb6ck, Weisheitim

Wandel,

123.

1 0 6

In 1937 P.A. Munch appealed to Sir 51:13-30 when arguing that wisdom psalms were written in wisdom schools. See his "Die judischen ' Weisheitspsalmen' und ihr Platz im Leben,"^cOr 15 (1937) 112-40 (esp. 134-35). Note also H. Ludin Jansen, Die spatjudische Psalmendichtung: Leben." Eine literaturgeschichtlich-soziologische

ihr Entstehungskreis Untersuchung

und ihr "Sitz im (Oslo: i kommisjon

hosJ.Dybwad, 1937)93. Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 28-30; idem, "Ten Reasons," 247-48, 250; Kampen, "Diverse Aspects," 226; van der Woude, "Wisdom at Qumran," 253-54; Lipscomb and Sanders, "Wisdom at Qumran," 279. DJD 4, 81; Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 189. For the phrase "before I had erred" (TPW DIM), the B text has the variant TPTI. The Greek text here reads npiv r\ irAavr|8f|vaL fie, which is closer to 11Q5 21:11 than the B text. There are differing views regarding the expression m m , which I translate above as "in her beauty." This assumes a defective orthography, since one would expect an "alep in this word. Most commentators take this position. See Sanders, DJD 4, 81; Skehan, "The Acrostic Poem," 391; Gilbert, "Venez a mon £cole," 285; Delcor, "Le Texte hebreu," 31, 37. Rabinowitz, "The Qumran Hebrew Original," 176, prefers mrr, "her abundance." It is possible that the poet wrote mro to allow for a double-meaning with "Torah," which would produce the line "She came to me through the Torah." This option would be more attractive if the Torah were a prominent theme in this poem. Deutsch, "The Sirach 51 Acrostic," 405. 1 0 7

108

1 0 9

WISDOM PSALMS

251

from Sir 51:20b (which is not attested in the Psalms Scroll): "At first acquaintance with her, I gained understanding, such that I will never forsake her." Because of this encounter the speaker has acquired the ability to speak well (v. 22), and he urges the listeners to reside in "my house of instruction" OEmB im) (v. 23). The word "wisdom," however, never occurs in the Qumran version of this 110

in

poem. The poem personifies wisdom, envisioning it as a woman the poet pursues romantically: My foot trod in uprightness, for from my young manhood have I known her. I inclined my ear a little and I found much learning (npb). And she became for me a nurse (7\bv); to my teacher I give my ardor. I determined to enjoy myself; I was zealous for the good and would not turn away. I kindled my desire for her and would not turn away my face. I bestirred my desire for her and on her heights I would not waver. My hand op[ened her gates] ... I perceived her unseen parts (mm an) (11 QPs 21:13-17). a

112

Sir 51:25 cautions against reading v. 23 as evidence of a "school" in a bureaucratic or institutional sense: "I open my mouth and speak of her: gain wisdom for yourselves, without money." Nevertheless the sage encourages people to study under him. The speaker's call for people to acquire wisdom is reminiscent of the exhortations of Lady Wisdom to the uneducated (e.g., Prov 8:1-2). See Di Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 578; J.L. Crenshaw, Education in Ancient Israel (ABRL; New York: Doubleday, 1998) 271. This is not the case with the other recensions. The Greek of 51:13 includes the expression "I sought wisdom (oo^iav)." See the B text of 51:15. The term occurs in the Greek of 51:17 but not in the B version of this stich. The B text of 51:25 and 30 includes the word rraDn. These verses do not have the word "wisdom" in the Greek. See Skehan, "The Acrostic Poem," 390. The enigmatic word rbv is examined below. Line 17 is the last visible line of column 21 and is partially damaged. The translation "My hand op[ened]" is based on the transcription ]nns ••-p. The reconstruction assumes that the missing portion of this line is similar to the corresponding stich of the B text, which reads m » » nnns T ("My hand opened her gates"). The Greek version of this phrase reads xac, x^tpac JAOI) kEpnkxoLoa itpbc, U\|K)C ("I spread out my hands on high"). It is possible to understand the word k^eiaoa as translating &ns, not nns. Di Leila reconstructs [TIJE-ID ••T in 11Q5 21:17, as restored from the Greek. See Di Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 575. This reading is also favored by Rabinowitz, "The Qumran Hebrew Original," 180. The transcription of Sanders is supported in Delcor, "Le Texte hebreu," 31; Skehan, "The Acrostic Poem," 388; Gilbert, "Venez a mon ecole," 286; Puech, "Le Livre de Ben Sira," 415. Plate XIII in DJD 4 is a better witness to this line than the version of PAM 43.788 in the CD-Rom. The letter after the visible pe has a left stroke that goes slightly above the top stroke, just like the letter taw elsewhere on this column. This, along with the B text, supports 111

1 1 2

252

CHAPTER NINE

According to Sanders, the theme of eroticism is the key to understanding the work's portrayal of wisdom: The first part of the poem is the Wisdom teacher's confession of his youthful experience with Wisdom as his nurse, teacher, and mistress, a commendable manner of sublimation in celibacy and undoubtedly highly meaningful in every spiritual sense for the celibates at Qumran. 113

This interpretation guides Sanders' understanding of several images in the poem. He suggests, for example, that the expressions "my foot" of HQPs 21:13 and "my hand" of line 17 may be euphemisms for the phallus. The phrase translated above as "my ardor" OTin) (1. 15) could signify "my manhood." Muraoka has criticized these suggestions but has offered others that are equally suggestive, if not more so. He considers Sanders' translation of a phrase from the tet line of the acrostic, "and on her heights I would not waver," to be vague (1 lQPs 21:16). One cannot say the same about Muraoka's proposed translation: "in the moments of her exaltation, i.e. orgasm, I will not let up, put the break." He also suggests that the phrase beginning with "my hand" in line 17 be rendered "my hand forced open her portals." Interpreting 11Q5 21 as a sexually explicit poem has not gone unchallenged. Both Rabinowitz and Di Leila have expressed doubts regarding the level of eroticism discerned by Sanders. They have a point. It is easier to think of wisdom as the speaker's "nurse, teacher, and mistress" if one understands the word 7]bs of HQPs 21:14 as "nurse." Other options are possible. Rabinowitz argues that the word means "reason." He offers the translation: "And for me she has a

114

115

116

a

117

118

119

a

120

reconstructing nns over ens. The extant trace of the letter after n is compatible with the letter het. DJD 4, 84. In both DJD 4 and the Charlesworth edition Sanders translates the word of line 15 as "pleasure," producing the phrase "I was zealous for pleasure." DJD 4, 82. Sanders affirms his position in his "The Sirach 51 Acrostic," 434, and, more recently, in Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 189. Muraoka, "Sir. 51, 13-30," 170-71. Sanders suggests that "heights" is a reference to breasts. See Charlesworth, 1 1 3

1 1 4

115

1 1 6

1 1 7

The Dead Sea Scrolls, 1 1 8

189.

Muraoka, "Sir. 51, 13-30," 172. Rabinowitz, "The Qumran Hebrew Original," 184; Di Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 579. See also Puech, "Le Livre de Ben Sira," 415. Rabinowitz, "The Qumran Hebrew Original," 177-78. 1 1 9

1 2 0

WISDOM PSALMS

253

been the reason I give thanks to my teachers.' The term corresponding to 7\by in the Greek does not have an erotic sense. Since wisdom became the 7\bti of the speaker, the word could also be understood as "yoke." In Sir 6:30 Ben Sira recommends that one accept the yoke of wisdom. This metaphor describes the acceptance of a lifestyle guided by wisdom. Since acquiring wisdom is the main theme of the poem, I am inclined to read T\b$ as a reference to a yoke. In Sir 51:26, which is not extant in the Psalms Scroll, the speaker refers to the yoke of wisdom: "Submit your neck to her yoke ((uyov; n^U, ms. B)„ and let your mind weigh her message." The "yoke" reading of H^D in 1 lQPs 21:14, however, is not trouble-free. The image of wisdom as a yoke in Sir 6 cannot be separated from the view that the Torah is a source of wisdom (v. 37; cf. 15:1). Elsewhere the yoke signifies the Torah (Avot 3:5; 4Q421 la ii-b 10). The Torah has no explicit role in Sir 51:13-30. "Yoke" could simply refer to the teaching that the speaker has embraced, without allusion to the Torah. If the word refers to wisdom's "yoke," the final /ie remains a problem. The letter could be a case of dittography, since the following word (nn^n) begins with he. The phrase [mOO n]nna -»T of llQPs 21:17 can be read erotically. I have already mentioned that Muraoka translates this as "my hand forced open her portals." The phrase contains a pedagogical image that can be read as a sexual double-entendre. Lady Wisdom praises those who tarry at her portals and listen to her teaching: "Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates (^nnSl), waiting beside my doors (Tina)" (8:34; cf. Wis 122

123

124

a

125

126

3

1 2 1

Ibid., 175. For the word nbv o f 1 1 Q 5 2 1 : 1 4 the G r e e k reads iTpoKoirf], "progress." Sanders understands the root o f r6» to b e bis, "to g i v e suck" (cf. G e n 3 3 : 1 3 ) . Rabinowitz, "The Qumran H e b r e w Original," 178,- suggests that the Greek translator understood the w o r d as n^s, "(means of) ascent." S e e also D e l c o r , "Le T e x t e hebreu," 3 3 - 3 4 ; Rickenbacher, Weisheitsperikopen bei Ben Sira, 2 0 3 - 4 . D e l c o r translates the w o r d in question in 11Q5 as "nourrice" ("wet-nurse") but in his translation o f the Syriac h e opts for "joug" ("yoke"). S e e his "Le Texte hebreu," 3 7 , 4 5 ; D e u t s c h , "The Sirach 51 Acrostic," 4 0 6 ; Mulder, "Three P s a l m s or T w o Prayers in Sirach 5 1 ? " 190; D i Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 5 7 5 . S e e section 2 . 2 o f Chapter 6. Collins, Jewish Wisdom, 5 4 . A b o v e I speculated that the expression m m in 1 1 0 5 2 1 : 1 1 could b e a reference to the Torah. In this case the phrase w o u l d read " S h e b e c a m e for m e her y o k e . " 1 2 2

1 2 3

1 2 4

1 2 5

2 6

254

CHAPTER NINE

6:14). Opening the gates of wisdom is a metaphor that describes the speaker heeding the call of wisdom. The poet of 1 lQPs 21 is like one of the passers-by in Prov 8 who sits down at the gates of Lady Wisdom. He has become her student. The phrase "I perceived her unseen parts (pi3HK iTBISB)" of 1 lQPs 21:17 can also be read in a sexual way. Sanders and others have understood this as a reference to nudity. The Greek translation of this phrase does not emphasize physical nakedness but the revelation of things that are unknown: ta uyvov^uxoL a\)xr]Q eiTevorjoa ("the things unknown about her I have pondered"; Sir 51:19). According to the poem on the rewards of wisdom in Sir 4:11-19, personified Wisdom says: "Then when his heart is fully with me I will ... reveal to him my secrets CnnOD)" (w. 17-18). The expression piUDK rPE"!17E makes a similar point. ITBIUB signifies the revelation of wisdom to the speaker. Sir 42:18 has a comparable phrase: p ' O m DiT&IUM (ms. Mas) ("he understands their secrets"). This verse has no erotic sense whatsoever. Sir 42:18 refers to God's ability to know what is hidden in the human heart and the abyss. The romantic context of the word rrftlUE in 11Q5 21 suggests that in this case the word has some erotic resonance. Skehan has observed that the root DID describes the intelligence of the snake in Gen 3:1. The term also refers to the nakedness of Adam and Eve (3:7). iT»-)»B in 1 lQPs 21:17,1 would a

a

128

129

130

131

132

133

a

In the previous section I noted that the "gates of wisdom" is an important trope in HQPs 18. DJD 4, 82. Sanders suggests that the act of understanding her "unseen parts" could be a euphemism for 'piercing' them. rrm»n is considered a term for nudity in Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 189; Delcor, "Le Texte hebreu," 38; DSSSE, 1.1175. Rabinowitz, "The Qumran Hebrew Original," 180. The B text does not attest the expression in question. See also Rickenbacher, Weisheitsperikopen bei Ben Sira, 205-6. Note the parallel in the wisdom poem that concludes the Aramaic Levi Document. According to Greenfield, ALD 13:12 reads "(Yet) the treasure houses of wisdom they will not plunder, and they will not find its hidden places ( m i o B n ) and they will not enter its gates" (cf. 4QLevi 8:2). See J.C. Greenfield et al., The Aramaic Levi Document (SVTP 19; Leiden: Brill, 2004) 104-5, 213. Consult also H. a

128

1 2 9

1 3 0

f

Drawnel, An Aramaic

Wisdom

Text from

Qumran:

A New Interpretation

of the Levi

Document (JSJSup 86; Leiden: Brill, 2004). Harrington, "Ten Reasons," 250. 131

1 3 2

1 3 3

Yadin, The Ben Sira Scroll,

27; Beentjes, The Book of Ben Sira, 169.

Skehan, "The Acrostic Poem," 396. Also note Sir 6:32b: "if you apply yourself, you will be wise ( D - W I ) . "

WISDOM PSALMS

255

argue, has a similar double meaning. The "nakedness" interpretation advocated by Sanders is valid. But the phrase does more than provide a titillating image to male addressees. Perceiving the "nakedness" of wisdom signifies the disclosure of special and precious knowledge to the speaker. There is an erotic element in the portrayal of wisdom in this poem, even if one does not agree wholly with the readings of Sanders and Muraoka. The Qumran version is more sexual than the Greek recension. The sage describes how he sought out wisdom as a young man and has been filled with desire and delight for her ever since. Sanders over-emphasizes the extent of eroticism in Sir 51:1330. He is influenced by the idea that there was a community at Qumran that was celibate, a view few today would accept at face value. But the sexual element of the poem should not be dismissed. The theme of eroticism gives expression to the intensity and passion of the speaker's love of wisdom. Sanders argues that the sexual aspects of 11Q5 21 should be understood in terms of the sapiential tradition of praising wisdom as a woman. This is an astute observation. The presentation of Lady Wisdom in Proverbs is not particularly sexual. The loose woman of Prov 7 is a much more erotic figure (e.g., v. 18). But Lady Wisdom does invite men to accept her wisdom and declares "I love those who love me" (8:17). Later Jewish wisdom texts elaborate this trope. In the Wisdom of Solomon, Solomon declares: "I loved her (wisdom) and sought her from my youth; I desired to take her for my bride, and became enamored of her beauty" (8:2; cf. v. 18). In Sir 14:20135

136

137

Contra Rabinowitz, "The Qumran Hebrew Original," 180, who argues that the Masada version of Sir 42:18 proves that the erotic interpretation of 11Q5 21:17 has no basis. In the Greek the speaker claims that he sought her, as in the Psalms Scroll ( H Q P s 21:11), but adds that he searched "openly in my prayer. I prayed for her before the temple" (Sir 51:13-14). The Greek has no reference to her "beauty," unlike 11Q5 21:11. See Skehan, "The Acrostic Poem," 393. DJD 4, 84. Philo uses a comparable romantic metaphor to describe his love of wisdom. In Congr. 74 he states: "when first I was incited by the goads of philosophy to desire her I consorted in early youth with one of her handmaids, Grammar, and all that I begat by her, writing, reading and study of the writings of the poets, I dedicated to her mistress." He also describes his infatuation with geometry and music as if they were women whose beauty attracts him (75-76; cf. Contempt 68). See D. Winston, The Wisdom of Solomon (AB 43; New York: Doubleday, 1979) 193. 1 3 5

a

1 3 6

1 3 7

256

CHAPTER NINE

15:10, she is also called a bride: "Motherlike she will meet him, like a young bride (omitt D^KD/cbc, ywr\ rapQeviac;) she will embrace him" (15:2; cf. 6:26-28). Reminiscent of Sir 51:19 (11Q5 21:17), personified wisdom elsewhere asserts: "Whoever obeys me will judge nations; whoever listens to me will dwell in my inmost chambers (JTOB m n a ) (Sir 4:15; cf. Prov 9:1). Von Rad has aptly called this tradition "intellectual love." He writes: "This invitation on wisdom's part to give oneself intellectually to her and this gift of hers to men are no longer means towards a purpose for life, they have become ends in themselves." The telos of the language of desire in 11Q5 21 is to inculcate in the male student a love of wisdom. The sapiential text 4Q185 understands wisdom as a woman who should be desired. A key section reads: w

138

139

140

Find her and [hold fast] to her and get her as an inheritance. With her are [length of d]ays, fatness of bone, joy of heart, richfes and honor] ... Happy is the man who does her (wisdom) and does not play tricks agfainst her, nor] with [a spirit] of deceit seek her, nor hold fast to her with flatteries (4Q185 1-2 ii 12-14). There is comparable material in 4QBeatitudes: "Hap[py] are those who rejoice in her and do not burst out upon the ways of folly. Happy are those who seek her with pure hands and do not search for her with a deceitful heart" (4Q525 2 ii + 3 2-3). These texts associate wisdom with the Torah and emphasize that one must search for wisdom sincerely and devoutly. Sir 51:13-30 stresses the passion and intensity of the desire for wisdom to a greater extent than 4Q185 and 4Q525. llQPs 21:11-17, 22:1 is reasonably considered a sapiential text. Practical instruction regarding ordinary spheres of life is not a major theme. But the poem is clearly eudemonistic and presumes some sort of pedagogical setting (Sir 51:23). The work describes wisdom in a way that shows significant reliance on the sapiential tradition. The personification of wisdom as a woman is important in this work. It is a wisdom poem, similar to works such as Sir 6:18-37 and 14:203

1 3 8

Di Leila and Skehan, The Wisdom of Ben Sira, 172. G. von Rad, Wisdom in Israel (London/Valley Forge: SCM Press Ltd/Trinity Press International, 1972) 166-76. Ibid., 173. 1 3 9

1 4 0

WISDOM PSALMS

257

15:10. Formally the poem is an acrostic, a form that has been considered a feature of wisdom psalms. But this is one of few such criteria found in the work. HQPs 21:11-17, 22:1 can be understood as a wisdom psalm but not in a strict form critical sense. 142

143

a

a

3.2.3 HQPs 26:9-15 (Hymn to the Creator) a

HQPs 26:9-15 preserves a composition that is otherwise unattested entitled "Hymn to the Creator." In its editio princeps Sanders describes the work as "a sapiential hymn of praise." Hymn to the Creator recounts God's dominion over the cosmos and its orderly structure. The work begins by celebrating the holiness of God: "Great and holy is the Lord, the holiest ( D ^ n p ©Hp) from 144

1 4 1

Jansen, Die spdtjudische Psalmendichtung, 7 3 , argues that Sir 5 1 : 1 3 - 3 0 is in the style o f "Dankpsalmen." Murphy, "A Consideration," 160. For example, Kuntz, "The Canonical W i s d o m Psalms," 2 1 1 - 1 5 , argues that there are four thematic elements in w i s d o m psalms: 1) fear o f Y a h w e h and veneration o f the Torah; 2 ) the contrast b e t w e e n the righteous and the w i c k e d ; 3) retribution; and 4 ) a d v i c e regarding daily life. N o n e o f these elements are prominent in Sir 5 1 : 1 3 - 3 0 . DJD 4, 8 9 ; Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls, 1 9 8 - 9 9 . The o p e n i n g o f the work is in col. 2 6 : 9 and 1. 15 is the last legible line o f the c o l u m n . 11Q5 2 7 b e g i n s with part o f 2 S a m 2 3 : 7 . A s s u m i n g that the rest o f D a v i d ' s Last W o r d s ( w . 1-7) w a s written o n the bottom portion o f col. 2 6 , there w o u l d not h a v e been m u c h room after line 15 for the part o f H y m n to the Creator that did not survive. For further d i s c u s s i o n o f 1 l Q P s 2 6 : 9 - 1 5 , see Flint, The Dead Sea Psalms Scrolls, 190; D a h m e n , Psalmenund Psalter-Rezeption, 9 6 , 2 4 9 - 5 1 ; F. Garcia Martinez, "Creation in the D e a d S e a Scrolls," in The Creation of Heaven and Earth: Re-interpretations of Genesis 1 in the Context of Judaism, Ancient Philosophy, Christianity, and Modern Physics (ed. G.H. van K o o t e n ; T B N 8; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 5 ) 4 9 - 7 0 (esp. 6 6 - 7 0 ) ; K. S e y b o l d , "Das Hymnusfragment 1 l Q P s X X V I 9 - 1 5 : A u s l e g u n g und Einordnung," in Studien zur Psalmenauslegung (Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 1 9 9 8 ) 1 9 9 - 2 0 7 ; G. Xeravits, " N o t e s sur le HQPs Creat 7-9," RevQ 18 ( 1 9 9 7 - 9 8 ) 1 4 5 - 4 8 ; Skehan, "Liturgical C o m p l e x , " 2 0 3 ; idem, "Jubilees and the Qumran Psalter," CBQ 3 7 ( 1 9 7 5 ) 3 4 3 - 4 7 ; E. C h a z o n , "The U s e o f the B i b l e as a K e y to M e a n i n g in P s a l m s from Qumran," in Emanuel, 8 5 - 9 6 (esp. 9 0 - 9 4 ) ; J. Carmignac, "Le Texte de Jeremie 10,13 (ou 5 1 , 1 6 ) et celui d e 2 Samuel 2 3 , 7 ameliores par Qumran," RevQ 1 ( 1 9 7 0 ) 2 8 7 - 9 0 ; M . Weinfeld, "The A n g e l i c S o n g over the Luminaries in the Qumran Texts," in Time to Prepare a Way in the Wilderness (ed. D . D i m a n t and L.H. Schiffman; STDJ 16; Leiden: Brill, 1995) 131-57. Several commentators h a v e included H y m n to the Creator in surveys o f Qumran w i s d o m literature. S e e Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 2 5 - 2 6 ; idem, "Ten R e a s o n s , " 2 5 0 ; K a m p e n , "Diverse A s p e c t s , " 2 2 5 - 2 6 ; L i p s c o m b and Sanders, " W i s d o m at Qumran," 2 8 0 . J. Worrell calls the c o m p o s i t i o n a "psalm o f the sapiential variety." S e e his "Concepts o f W i s d o m in the D e a d Sea Scrolls" (Ph.D. diss., Claremont Graduate School, 1 9 6 8 ) 2 2 0 . 1 4 2

1 4 3

1 4 4

8

a

a

258

CHAPTER NINE

generation to generation" (1. 9; cf. 4Q381 76-77 7). Alluding to Gen 1:4, the hymn affirms God's separation of light from darkness (llQPs 26:11; cf. 4Q303 4-5; Jub. 2:2-3). Like Ben Sira in his hymns to creation, 11Q5 26 celebrates the usefulness of creation for humankind: "Crowning the hills with fruits, good food for every living being" (1. 13; cf. Sir 39:25-35; Ps 104:14-23). The psalm praises God, who created the world with his wisdom: 3

146

147

Blessed be he who makes the earth by his power (imra), establishing the world with his wisdom OnBSTt:}). By his understanding (lnainra) he stretched out the heavens, and brought forth [wind] from [his] storehouses]. He made [lightning for the rai]n and caused mist[s] to raise [from] the end of [the earth] (1 lQPs 26:13-15; cf. 4Q416 2 i 22-ii 2; 4Q299 5-6 i). a

This description of creation is similar enough to Jer 10:12-13, 51:1516 and Ps 135:7 to posit that these verses have some sort of direct connection to Hymn to the Creator (cf. 1QH 9:14). It does not appear that 1 lQPs 26:9-15 is a wisdom psalm or that it exhibits substantial influence from the wisdom tradition. Creation is 148

a

1 4 5

This may allude to Isa 6:3. See Chazon, "The Use of the Bible," 93. Weinfeld, "The Angelic Song," 132-49, points out parallels between Hymn to the Creator and later Jewish liturgical texts. The phrase c^-np umpb of 4Q418 81 4 is discussed in section 3.2.2 of Chapter 1. Skehan, ''Jubilees and the Qumran Psalter," 344. C A . Newsom has suggested that this part of 11Q5 26 is utilized by 4Q370 (4QExhortation Based on the Flood) 1. The first line of this column reads "[And] he crowned the mountains with pro[duce and] poured out food upon them. And (with) good fruit he satisfied all. 'Let all who do my will eat and be satisfied' said Y[H]WH." Newsom's assessment of the relationship between these texts is plausible, but the issue cannot be resolved conclusively. See M. Broshi et al., 1 4 6 1 4 7

Qumran

Cave 4.XIV: Parabiblical

Texts, Part 2 (DJD 19; Oxford: Clarendon, 1995)

90-91; C A . Newsom, "4Q370: An Admonition Based on the Flood," RevQ 13 (1988) 23-43 (esp. 30); Garcia Martinez, "Creation in the Dead Sea Scrolls," 70. Jer 10:12-13 reads "It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain, and he brings out the wind from his storehouses." Jer 51:15-16 contains essentially the same text. Ps 135:7: "He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses." Sanders, DJD 4, 89, suggests that 11Q5 26 is the inspiration for the corresponding verses of Jeremiah. Others have argued that the Hymn to the Creator relies on Jeremiah and other biblical texts. See Garcia Martinez, "Creation in the Dead Sea Scrolls," 67; Chazon, "The Use of the Bible," 91-93. Consult also Dahmen, Psalmenund Psalter-Rezeption, 249; Seybold, "Das Hymnusfragment," 200; Carmignac, "Le Texte de Jeremie 10,13," 287; Xeravits, "Notes sur le llQPs '' 147. 1 4 8

0

259

WISDOM PSALMS

an important theme in biblical and Qumran wisdom literature. But it does not follow that all writings in which this motif is prominent are wisdom texts. If the assertion that God made the world "with his wisdom" of line 14, which echoes Prov 3:19, were sufficient grounds for designating the hymn a sapiential text, should Jer 10:12 and 51:15, which make a similar claim, be considered wisdom texts? If the phrase "with his wisdom" of HQPs 26:14 has a source, it is more likely Jeremiah than Proverbs. Several biblical psalms praise creation in a manner similar to 11Q5 26. Some of them occur elsewhere in this scroll. A version of Ps 104, for example, is found in fragment E of llQPs . This psalm extols the grandeur of creation but few, if any, consider it a wisdom text. It would be easier to associate Hymn to the Creator with the sapiential tradition if the work connected personified wisdom to creation in a manner similar to Prov 8:22-31. Harrington has written that HQPs 26:9-15 "point[s] toward and prepare[s] for fuller personifications of Wisdom and Folly." But there is no explicit personification of wisdom in Hymn to the Creator. 11Q5 26:14 uses the phrase "with his wisdom" (inDDTQ), whereas Prov 3:19 reads "with wisdom" (HDDrQ). Hymn to the Creator presents wisdom as a quality of God more explicitly than Prov 8. The Qumran hymn leaves no ambiguity for interpreting wisdom as a co-creatrix. The situation is different in Prov 8. One of the standard interpretative options of the word in Prov 8:30 is that Lady Wisdom is an "artisan" beside God, a translation that suggests she helped him create the world. HQPs 26:9-15 does not extol wisdom but God, unlike the poem in column 21. Furthermore, Hymn to the Creator never emphasizes wisdom as a feminine entity. 1 lQPs 26:9-15 asserts that God was not alone when he created the world. However, the work makes clear that he received no assistance. a

3

150

a

151

152

a

a

1 4 9

L.G. Perdue, Wisdom

and Creation:

The Theology

of Wisdom

Literature

(Nashville: Abingdon, 1994); M.J. Goff, "The Mystery of Creation in 4QInstruction," DSD 10(2003) 163-86. Ps 104:24 claims that God fashioned all things "with wisdom" (nnDnn). Versions of the line are in l l Q P s E ii 4 and 4QPs 4:15. See Flint, The Dead Sea 1 5 0

3

Psalms 1 5 1

Scrolls,

58, 66; Dahmen, Psalmen-

d

und Psalter-Rezeption,

251.

Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 26. See also idem, "Ten Reasons," 251-52. M.V. Fox, Proverbs 1-9 (AB 18a; New York: Doubleday, 2000) 285-87. He translates ]IDK as "growing up." See also idem, "Ideas of Wisdom in Proverbs 1-9," JBL 116 (1997) 613-33 (esp. 628). 1 5 2

260

CHAPTER NINE

Line 12 reads: "When all his angels had witnessed it (the creation of the dawn; 1. 1 1 ) they sang aloud, for he showed them what they had not known" (cf. Sir 42:17; 1QH 5:17). Other heavenly figures were present at the creation of the world not to help God but to praise him. Hymn to the Creator is better understood along the lines of creation psalms such as Ps 104 rather than as a wisdom text. 1QH 9 is another creation hymn from the late Second Temple period, and 4Q411 may be one as well. It cannot be ruled out entirely that the author of 1 lQPs 26:9-15 was influenced by sapiential works such as Prov 8. But there is little evidence for this position in the composition itself, and even less to understand it as wisdom literature from the standpoint of genre. 153

154

a

4. CONCLUSION: THE CAVE 11 PSALMS SCROLL AND THE ISSUE OF WISDOM PSALMS

None of the three compositions from the Psalms Scroll discussed in this chapter fit well with the biblical wisdom psalm genre, as it is often defined. Many of the various criteria used to identify such psalms are not present in these works. But Ps 154 can be understood as a wisdom psalm. It is a hymn influenced by the sapiential tradition and has Torah piety as a theme, like Ben Sira. The poem in 1 lQPs 21:11-17 and 22:1 can also be considered a wisdom psalm. The composition is in the tradition of wisdom poems such as Sir 6:18-37 and 14:20-15:10. Both the Psalter and the Psalms Scroll illustrate the ambiguity inherent to form critical classifications. It is difficult to isolate with precision exact criteria found in all wisdom texts and the same applies to hymnic compositions. Classifying writings from the Qumran scrolls into these genres is an exercise in putting fragmentary texts into vague categories. This does not mean, however, that such an endeavor is pointless or without value. It simply cautions against 153

1 5 4

Weinfeld, "The Angelic Song," 153-54. A.

Lange,

Weisheit

und

Predestination:

Weisheitliche

Urordnung

und

Pradestination in den Textfunden von Qumran (STDJ 18; Leiden: Brill, 1995) 20432. See also J. Strugnell, "The Smaller Hebrew Wisdom Texts Found at Qumran: Variations, Resemblances, and Lines of Development," in The Wisdom Texts from Qumran, 31-60 (esp. 37). 4Q411 is the subject of section 8.1 of Chapter 10.

a

WISDOM PSALMS

261

relying too much on rigid form critical definitions. The inability to describe a precise "wisdom psalm" genre does not mean that the wisdom tradition had no influence on hymnic writings. Crenshaw argues that the term "wisdom psalm" has no value in part because the criteria used to identify such psalms, such as the fear of the Lord, are not distinctively sapiential. And regarding such criteria he is certainly right. Crenshaw's basic insight is similar to observations made earlier by von Rad. He, however, does not reach Crenshaw's negative conclusion: one cannot speak of a particular Gattung of didactic prayers, only of a common language and motif. We have no certain criteria for the determination of these psalms. On the contrary, these poems belong to various psalm-types which they appear to imitate. Thus it is, rather, a general impression, one of a certain erudition and didactic quality, of a preponderance of theological thoughts, etc., which entitles us to separate these psalms from the great body of predominantly cultically orientated psalms. 155

Common ideology and terms lead von Rad to conclude that there are sapiential elements in the Psalter. He grants, however, that these features are "obscure." They are discerned from a "general impression" of material in the psalms that appears sapiential rather than precise formal criteria. Von Rad avoids the pretence, unlike Kuntz, that one can develop clear and objective criteria that delineate the wisdom psalm as a specific genre category. This leaves von Rad open to the criticism that his means of discerning sapiential material in the Psalter are vague and subjective, a point he readily admits. Scholars such as Murphy and Kuntz attempted to provide greater precision in the discernment of wisdom psalms. Crenshaw has successfully demonstrated that the efforts to delineate the form criticism of wisdom psalms have had mixed results at best. This does not mean, however, that the wisdom tradition did not influence the composition of psalms, but rather, as von Rad has stressed, our means of discerning such influence are subjective and imprecise. 156

157

1 5 5

Von Rad, Wisdom

in Israel,

48. See also Whybray, "The Wisdom Psalms,"

153. 1 5 6

1 5 7

Von Rad, Wisdom

in Israel,

47.

E.S. Gerstenberger, in a book on the Psalter for FOTL, the series that offers form critical commentaries of Old Testament books, endorses this approach. He

262

CHAPTER NINE

The term "wisdom psalm" can be useful in cases in which one can reasonably argue that a given psalm is influenced substantially by the sapiential tradition—not in terms of vague criteria such as similes or admonitions, but rather if a psalm contains several specific sapiential motifs. Columns 18 and 21 of the Psalms Scroll do not provide a template for the identification of wisdom psalms in the masoretic Psalter and they do not solve the question of which biblical psalms should be considered wisdom psalms, if any. The Psalms Scroll also does not shed light on the issue of the Sitz im Leben of wisdom psalms. But columns 18 and 21 of llQPs are hymnic compositions that reflect influence from the wisdom tradition. In that sense they can be understood as wisdom psalms. They do not endorse the classification "wisdom psalm" as a precise form critical Gattung. In terms of the search for biblical wisdom psalms, the goal, perhaps, should not be to devise form critical methodology for identifying wisdom psalms upon which all scholars can agree, but to argue, subjectively, whether or not a given psalm reflects significant influence from the wisdom tradition. The Psalms Scroll demonstrates that some hymns composed in ancient Israel were shaped by the sapiential tradition. The late Second Temple period has produced several other clear cut examples of hymnic writings influenced by the wisdom tradition. Ben Sira wrote hymns, such as the hymn to creation in Sir 42:15-43:33, and included them in his instruction. This and other poetic sections of 158

3

159

defines "wisdom psalm" as "a very general term without form-critical connotations." See his Psalms:

Part

I, with

an Introduction

to Cultic

Poetry

(FOTL 14; Grand

Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988) 257. Murphy's assessments of his own system for identifying wisdom psalms ends on an apt note of humility: "The reader is invited to form his or her own criteria for wisdom, and challenge the number of psalms that have been classified as 'wisdom.'" See his The Tree of Life, 103-4. In a similar vein Kuntz, "Reclaiming Biblical Wisdom Psalms," 152, writes "Scholars invested in our topic do not sing in unison." The Psalms Scroll does not support the view of von Rad and Mowinckel that didactic psalms should be distinguished from those designed for a cultic setting. Murphy, Tree of Life, 71-72; M. Kister, "Wisdom Literature and Its Relation to Other Genres: From Ben Sira to Mysteries," in Sapiential Perspectives: Wisdom 1 5 8

1 5 9

Literature Symposium

in Light of the Dead of the Orion Center,

Sea Scrolls. Proceedings of the Sixth International 20-22 May 2001 (ed. J.J. Collins, G.E. Sterling and

R.A. Clements; STDJ 51; Leiden: Brill, 2004) 13-47 (esp. 16); Reitemeyer, Weisheitslehre als Gotteslob, 346-407; W. Baumgartner, "Die literarischen Gattungen in der Weisheit des Jesus Sirach," ZAW 34 (1914) 161-98; A. Sivertsev, "Some Notes on the Relationship between Liturgical and Wisdom Writings in

WISDOM PSALMS

263

Ben Sira draw heavily from the Psalter, as do the Qumran wisdom texts 4Q185 and 4Q525. The Hodayot also illustrates that wisdom was one of the streams of tradition shaping the composition of hymns in this era. 4Q426 could be considered a wisdom psalm, but it is quite fragmentary. The theme of divine praise is more prominent in Ben Sira, 4QInstruction and the Wisdom of Solomon than Proverbs. The category "wisdom psalm" may be more useful outside of the masoretic Psalter than as a tool for interpreting biblical psalms. Late Second Temple literature exhibits a greater degree of overlap between the hymnic and sapiential traditions than is evident in the Hebrew Bible. 160

161

162

Qumran and in Second Temple Literature in General," Vestnik universiteta Moskve 21 (2000) 7-24 (Russian). 1 6 0

1 6 1

Collins, Jewish

Wisdom,

eureiskogo

87.

M.J. Goff, "Reading Wisdom at Qumran: 4QInstruction and the Hodayot," DSD 11 (2004) 263-88; H. Germann, "Jesus ben Siras Dankgebet und die Hodajoth," TZ 19 (1963) 81-87. See section 4.3 of the conclusion to this book. 1 6 2

CHAPTER TEN THE MINOR WISDOM TEXTS 1. INTRODUCTION This book has focused on the core group of Qumran wisdom texts. Aside from this corpus, several small, fragmentary works have been considered sapiential. Lange, for example, mentions compositions such as 4Q307, 4Q308 and 4Q408 in his review of numerous smaller wisdom texts. There are other lists of minor sapiential writings that differ slightly. It is not surprising that there is variety regarding this material. In general the texts in question are small and poorly preserved fragments. There is often not enough evidence to decide satisfactorily whether a given fragment is from a wisdom text or not. In this chapter I will review some of the more substantial minor 1

2

1

A. 4Q307, 4Q472, 4Q528.

Lange's list of smaller sapiential works includes 4Q294, 4Q302, 4Q303-05, 4Q308, 4Q408, 4Q410, 4Q411, 4Q412, 4Q413, 4Q419, 4Q425, 4Q426, 4Q473, 4Q474, 4Q475, 4Q476 and 4Q476a, 4Q486, 4Q487, 4Q498 and See his "Die Weisheitstexte aus Qumran: Eine Einleitung," in The Wisdom

Texts from

Qumran

and the Development

of Sapiential

Thought

(ed. C. Hempel, A.

Lange and H. Lichtenberger; BETL 159; Leuven: Leuven University Press/Peeters, 2002) 3-30 (esp. 4-9). 4Q455 could be added to this list (see below). In the same volume as Lange's article, see J. Strugnell, "The Smaller Hebrew Wisdom Texts Found at Qumran: Variations, Resemblances, and Lines of Development," 31-60. Lange's sequence of texts relies on E. Tov and S.J. Pfann, The Dead Sea Scrolls on Microfiche:

A Comprehensive

Facsimile

Edition

of the Texts from

the Judean

Desert.

Companion Volume (Leiden: Brill, 1993). Note also D.J. Harrington, Wisdom Texts from Qumran (London: Routledge, 1996) 73-74. D. Dimant, for example, considers 4Q480 and 4Q524 wisdom texts. See her "The Qumran Manuscripts: Contents and Significance," in Time to Prepare a Way in the Wilderness (ed. D. Dimant and L.H. Schiffman; STDJ 16; Leiden: Brill, 1995) 23-58 (esp. 43-45). See also A.S. van der Woude, "Wisdom at Qumran," in Wisdom 2

in ancient

Israel:

Essays

in honour

of J.A. Emerton

(ed. J. Day et al.; Cambridge:

University of Cambridge Press, 1995) 244-56 (esp. 254); J. Kampen, "The Diverse Aspects of Wisdom at Qumran," in The Dead

Sea Scrolls

after

Fifty

Years:

A

Comprehensive Assessment (2 vols.; ed. P.W. Flint and J.C. VanderKam; Leiden: Brill, 1998) 1.211-43 (esp. 235-36); A. Caquot, "Les Textes de sagesse de Qoumran (Apercu preliminaire)," RHPR 76 (1996) 1-34 (esp. 2).

MINOR WISDOM TEXTS

265

Qumran texts that have been related to the wisdom tradition: 4Q302, 4Q303-05, 4Q412, 4Q413, 4Q419 and 4Q425. Several hymnicsapiential works will also be examined: 4Q411, 4Q426 and 4Q528. I will assess the extent to which these texts can be considered sapiential. This chapter does not review all Qumran writings that have been listed as possible wisdom texts. They are often too fragmentary to interpret sufficiently. In several cases a composition has been given a sapiential title, such as 4QDidactic Work C (4Q455), but its official editor only tentatively endorses this designation. 3

4

5

2.4Q302: AN INSTRUCTIONAL TEXT WITH A PARABLE 4Q302 (4QpapAdmonitory Parable) has been considered a wisdom

3

Aside from these works, there are several compositions with a few relatively well preserved passages that have been associated with the sapiential tradition. There is not sufficient evidence to understand them as wisdom texts or to claim they were influenced by the wisdom tradition. I put in this category 4Q408, 4Q410, 4Q473 and 4Q475. 4Q408 (4QapocrMoses°?) has a substantial amount of text, with sixteen small fragments associated with this composition. But it contains scant evidence that it should be considered a wisdom text. 4Q408 3 + 3a 7 praises God as "understanding" (pan). 4Q410 (4QVision and Its Interpretation) appears to contain the interpretation of a vision, as its title suggests. It is not impossible for wisdom texts to contain visions (cf. Job 4). However, this does not mean 4Q410 is a sapiential work. 4Q473 (4QThe Two Ways) contains a few lines that put forward a dualistic theology that is reminiscent of the Treatise of the Two Spirits (1QS 3:134:26). The "two ways" theology of 4Q473 is widespread in the apocalypses and other types of Second Temple literature. Ethical dualism is not distinctive to the sapiential tradition and it is not clear that 4Q473 should be considered a wisdom text. 4Q475 (4QRenewed Earth) evidently describes the establishment of Utopian bliss on earth after the elimination of the wicked during the final judgment. The cleansed world is "like Eden" (1 5). Texts such as 1 En. 10 and Mysteries also recount what the earth will look like after the wicked are obliterated (cf. 1 En. 60:23; 4 Ezra 7:123). The scene narrated in 4Q475 is not incompatible with the late Second Temple wisdom tradition. But its content is not distinctively sapiential. 4Q498 has been entitled "4QHymnic or Sapiential Fragments." It is a collection of fifteen small fragments, which preserve a few complete words. The text does not contain enough material to relate it with confidence to either the wisdom or hymnic traditions. The work has four visible lines and eight preserved words. Line 2 is exhortative, urging with an imperative in the second personal plural to "declare" (rran). Line 3 advocates separation from falsehood. Its editor, Esther Chazon, suggests that this composition "may be sapiential or legal instruction." See S.J. 4

5

Pfann et al., Qumran

Cave 4.XXVI:

Oxford: Clarendon, 2000) 351-52.

Cryptic

Texts and Miscellanea,

Part I (DJD

36;

266

CHAPTER TEN 6

text. It has also been classified as "SapA." The work has been understood as two separate works (4Q302 and 4Q302a). Its official editor, Bilhah Nitzan, argues that they are from different sections of the same work. 4Q302 consists of twenty-three fragments. The majority of the surviving text is found in the first three. There is no evidence that the work was written by the movement associated with the Teacher of Righteousness. 4Q302 could be a sapiential work. But not enough text has survived to reach a firm conclusion. 4Q302 2 ii provides the main evidence for understanding the document as a wisdom composition. Line 2 begins: "Discern this, O wise men" ( O ^ M n n nKTn KD Yrnn). Then follows a narrative about a tree: "If a man will possess a good tree that towers unto the sky ... it produces the best fruit" (11. 2-4) (cf. 4Q302 10 2). The story about the tree seems to have continued at least through 4Q302 2 iii 7. Though fragmentary, it seems apt to characterize this material as a parable. The text contains a tale from which the wise are to draw lessons. The call for wise men to listen is a marker of pedagogical intent that is consistent with the sapiential tradition. Comparable exhortations, however, can be found in non-wisdom texts, such as the Damascus Document (e.g., CD 1:1; 2:2; cf. 4Q381 76-77 8). The parable also signals that 4Q302 is an instructional work. There is no other example of a parable in the Qumran wisdom corpus and I am not aware of one occurring elsewhere in the Dead Sea Scrolls. In the Hebrew Bible parables occur in non-wisdom texts (e.g., Judg 9; 2 Sam 12), and few, if any, are found in wisdom writings. Regarding the exhortation in 4Q302 2 ii 2 and the parable of the tree, Nitzan writes that "they do not impart a distinct sapiential nature to the 7

8

9

10

11

6

T. Elgvin et al., Qumran

Cave 4.XV: Sapiential

Texts, Part 1 (DJD 20; Oxford:

Clarendon, 1997) 125-49. See also B. Nitzan, "4Q302/302A (Sap. A): Pap. Praise of God and Parable of the Tree. A Preliminary Edition," RevQ 17 (1996) 151-73; van der Woude, "Wisdom at Qumran," 254; Lange, "Die Weisheitstexte aus Qumran," 5. Kampen, "The Diverse Aspects," 234. Nitzan, "4Q302/302A," 152. Lange, "Die Weisheitstexte aus Qumran," 5; Strugnell, "The Smaller Hebrew Wisdom Texts," 44. DJD 20, 136. The book of Mysteries may mention parables, but this can not be claimed with confidence (4Q299 3c 3; 4Q300 l a ii-b 1; cf. 4Q301 1 2). 7

8 9

1 0

11

MINOR WISDOM TEXTS

267

composition, but do direct the reader towards a sapiential lesson." No surviving text specifies the intended lesson of the parable. 4Q302 appears to reflect some influence from the wisdom tradition, although there is not enough evidence to conclude it is a sapiential work in terms of genre. The genre of 4Q302 is influenced by the fib, or covenant lawsuit, tradition of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Mic 6:1-9). Fragment 3 ii, which may conclude the parable, admonishes someone and proclaims divine judgment against him, accusing him of betrayal (1. 6). Lines 7-8 claim that God "did not confront you to argue with you and reply to your contention ("p'n)." The reproach has some grounding in the national traditions of Israel since 4Q302 1 i 7 mentions the "seed of Abraham." The Damascus Document and 4QNon-Canonical Psalms B (4Q381) also contain admonitions that rely on the rib tradition. 4Q302 seems to be an admonition that draws upon biblical genres such as the parable and the covenant lawsuit, as Nitzan suggests. Regarding the lesson the wise are to learn from the parable of the tree, some speculation is possible. The tree is in the possession of a man (4Q302 2 ii 2-3). Line 4 claims that the tree yields the "best fruit" (ptD "HD). Line 5 mentions the "early and late rains" and line 7 attests the phrase "to increase branches," suggesting that the cultivation of the tree is an important theme. The statement "in winter and in thirst" may be found in line 5. The line describes conditions in which the tree could not grow. While at one point the tree was producing fruit (1. 4), the man who owns the tree apparently has become lax in helping it thrive. This could be the context for the stern rebuke of 4Q302 3 ii. 4Q302 2 ii 6 can be translated as "does he not lo[ve] it ... or keep it?" Nitzan argues that this line expresses 13

14

15

1 2

DJD 20, 127.

13

B. Nitzan, "Post-Biblical Rib Pattern Admonitions in 4Q302/302A and 4Q381

69, 16-11"

in Biblical

Perspectives:

Early

Use and Interpretation

of the Bible

in

Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls (ed. M.E. Stone and E.G. Chazon; STDJ 28; Leiden: Brill, 1998) 159-74. Regarding the first part of this expression, Nitzan, DJD 20, 136, suggests that either "in winter" (^TO) or "in scorching heat" (anm) are possible. Only the top portion of the word is extant. PAM 43.395 makes it clear that the visible bet in this line has a top stroke with a little flourish on the top. The last letter of the word in question does not have any such flourish. This favors the reading "in winter." There is not a major semantic difference between the two options for this word. Both signify climates in which the tree could not flourish. Nitzan translates this line "Is it not that he lo[ves] i t . . . and that he guards it." 1 4

15

268

CHAPTER TEN

"the idea of God's love for Israel." Another interpretation is that the tree represents wisdom and that the man is a student formerly on the path to wisdom who went astray. He should have continued to love the tree but did not. It suffered and the student in turn is reproached severely (4Q302 3 ii). The lesson for the "wise men" addressed in 4Q302 2 ii 2 would be to ensure that the tree bears fruit; that is, to continue on the path of wisdom. They should not leave the path like the man in the parable. The interpretation of the parable given above is supported by 4QInstruction. In 4Q423 the garden of Eden is a metaphor for the addressee's acquisition of wisdom. Drawing on Gen 2:15, he is supposed to "till it and keep it (the garden) (nD^bl 113B ?)" (4Q423 1 2). Though admittedly a common word, the verb is also used in 4Q302 2 ii 6 to describe the man's responsibilities regarding the tree. 4Q423 1 3 mentions "thorns and thistles," relying on Gen 3:18. If the mebin neglects the garden, it will fall into disarray. 4Q302 seems to preserve a compatible story of a man who did not fully love or care for a tree, which ceased to bear fruit. 4Q302 has no explicit link to the Eden tradition, unlike 4Q423. However, like the nurturing of the garden in 4Q423, in 4Q302 the cultivation of the tree is a metaphor for the acquisition of wisdom. 17

1

3.4Q303-05: TEXTS WITH MOTIFS FROM GENESIS 1-3 DJD 20, the first official volume of Qumran sapiential literature, includes three small texts, 4Q303-05. They are entitled "4QMeditation on Creation A-C." They are never explicitly identified in DJD 20 as wisdom texts. It is by no means obvious that they should be understood in this way. Most surveys of Qumran wisdom literature, such as Harrington's Wisdom Texts from Qumran, make no mention of 4Q303-05. In the opinion of Armin Lange, they might be sapiential texts, but they are too poorly preserved to make this claim with confidence. The most prominent feature of 4Q303-05 is their reliance on Gen 18

19

1 6

1 7

1 8

1 9

DJD 20, 137; Nitzan, " 4 Q 3 0 2 / 3 0 2 A , " 1 6 1 . Cf. Sir 14:26; 2 4 : 1 3 - 1 7 ; Prov 3 : 1 8 ; Avot 3:18. DJD 20, 1 5 1 - 5 8 . Their editor is T. Lim. Lange, "Die Weisheitstexte aus Qumran," 5.

MINOR WISDOM TEXTS

269

1-3. 4Q303, the largest of the three fragments, mentions light (1. 4), the void (1. 5), the knowledge of good and evil (1. 8), and God's creation of a wife for Adam (11. 10-11). "Darkness" is one of the few visible words in the small fragment 4Q304 (1. 2). The bestowal of knowledge to Adam (D~IK) is a topic of 4Q305 2 2. The adaptation of themes from Gen 1-3 is an important issue in some wisdom texts from the late Second Temple period, such as Sir 17 and 4Q423. But reliance on Gen 1-3 by itself is not a sufficient criterion for understanding a composition as a wisdom text. 4Q422 (4QParaphrase of Genesis and Exodus) and the book of Jubilees appropriate material from Genesis. But few would claim they are wisdom texts. The assessment of 4Q303-05 as sapiential depends on the interpretation of 4Q303. The first line preserves two full words: D mE The official editor translates this expression as "having understood, they listened." Jacobson has reasonably argued that the expression more likely begins an exhortation. He renders the phrase as "you who understand, pay heed." This understanding of 4Q303 1 is supported by the content of the composition. 4Q303 contains teaching based on Genesis. Thus it is appropriate for the work to begin with a pedagogical exhortation. Not enough of 4Q303 has survived to know what the addressees were to learn from the document's review of major elements of Gen 1-3, although Lim is probably correct that "lessons are being drawn from the created order to illustrate the wondrous work of God" (cf. 4Q303 3). The combination of Genesis themes with a call to listen is reminiscent of 20

21

n

22

23

24

Lim, DJD 20, 158, translates D T K as "man." G i v e n the prominent allusions to G e n 1-3, "Adam" is a better translation. J.J. Collins, " W i s d o m , A p o c a l y p t i c i s m and the D e a d S e a Scrolls," in Seers, Sibyls and Sages in Hellenistic-Roman Judaism (JSJSup 54; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 7 ) 3 6 9 8 3 (esp. 3 7 1 - 7 8 ) . DJD 20, 1 5 3 . H. Jacobson, " N o t e s o n 4 Q 3 0 3 , " DSD 6 ( 1 9 9 9 ) 7 8 - 8 0 . S e e also B . Nitzan, "The Idea o f Creation and Its Implications in Qumran Literature," in Creation in Jewish and Christian Tradition (ed. H.G. R e v e n t l o w and Y . Hoffman; Sheffield: Sheffield A c a d e m i c Press, 2 0 0 2 ) 2 4 0 - 6 4 (esp. 2 5 3 ) ; E.J.C. Tigchelaar, "The A d d r e s s e e s o f 4QInstruction," in Sapiential, Liturgical and Poetical Texts from Qumran: Proceedings of the Third Meeting of the International Organization for Qumran Studies, Oslo 1998 (ed. D . Falk et al.; STDJ 3 5 ; Leiden: Brill, 2 0 0 0 ) 6 2 - 7 5 (esp. 6 9 ) . DJD 20, 1 5 1 . 2 0

2 1

2 2

2 3

2 4

270

CHAPTER TEN

25

4Q370 (4QExhortation Based on the Flood). Strugnell has written that the "sapiential nature of 4Q303 becomes much more apparent" in light of Jacobson's understanding of the text. Those who are to heed the speaker are referred to as As examined in Chapter 1, y a o is frequently used as a term for the addressee in 4QInstruction. A teaching on proper speech in 4QBeatitudes begins with an exhortation: "And now, understanding one, listen to me" PU70B f a n nn»1) (4Q525 14 ii 18). DT30 as a designation for addressees suggests an instructional context and is reminiscent of some key Qumran wisdom texts. It is not clear, however, that the exhortation of 4Q303 1 is sufficient evidence to claim that this work is a wisdom composition. Aside from this line, 4Q303-05 contains no other unambiguous markers of reliance on the sapiential tradition or indications that they are wisdom texts. At most one can conclude, with Lange, that 4Q303-05 may be wisdom writings, but that not enough of them have survived to endorse this assessment fully. 26

4. 4Q412: REMNANTS

OF AN INSTRUCTION 27

The official title of 4Q412 is "4QSapiential-Didactic Work A." It contains four fragments. It is not certain that the fourth belongs to this work, since its handwriting is different from the other three. The best-preserved section of this composition is fragment 1, which contains remnants of ten lines. At an earlier stage of scholarship 4Q412 1 was erroneously considered part of 4QInstruction. Annette Steudel, the official editor of 4Q412, writes that the work "seems to be a didactic collection, giving instructions for the life and behavior of a person, as well as liturgical commands." 4Q412 may 28

29

2 5

M. Broshi et al., Qumran

Cave

4.XIV: Parabiblical

Texts, Part

2 (DJD

19;

Oxford: Clarendon, 1995) 85-97; C.A. Newsom, "4Q370: An Admonition Based on the Flood," RevQ 13 (1988) 23-43. Strugnell, "The Smaller Hebrew Wisdom Texts," 37. DJD 20, 163-67. See also Caquot, "Les Textes de sagesse," 4; Lange, "Die Weisheitstexte aus Qumran," 6; Strugnell, "The Smaller Hebrew Wisdom Texts," 38. M.O. Wise, M. Abegg, Jr., and E. Cook, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation (San Francisco: HarperSan Francisco, 1996) 378-90 (esp. 379). Note also Kampen, "The Diverse Aspects," 227. DJD 20, 163. 2 6 27

2 8

2 9

MINOR WISDOM TEXTS

271

be a sapiential text, but it is too poorly preserved to reach sound conclusions. If reconstructed correctly, the first phrase of this text is a vetitive: "[And yo]u, do not d[o]" (4Q412 1 1). Remnants of another vetitive may be in line 2 of this fragment (cf. 4Q412 2 2). The best rationale for considering 4Q412 a wisdom text is its pedagogical intent. 4Q412 1 4 connects a teacher figure with knowledge: "understanding, he spreads words." This instructor may be the speaker in 4Q412 4 3: "I cry and [my] voi[ce . . . ] " (cf. 4Q412 3 2; Prov 8:4). 4Q412 1 5 presumes its addressee is some sort of student: "[PJlace instruction (HOIO) on your lips." The speaker urges one to learn from him in lines 5-6: "[And now, my son, listen] to me, justice ponder in them." The first portion of this statement is a supplement from the editor. It is a reasonable addition since the extant portion of the line suggests it is an exhortation by a teacher to a student. The addressee appears to be part of a group of people who learn from an instructor. 4Q412 1 6 attests the phrase "concerning those who seek (^paE)," an expression Steudel plausibly completes with the word "understanding." 4Q412 4 4 mentions "those who know" (D I7T). Both of these terms are used to describe the community that is addressed in 4Q Words of the Maskil to All Sons of Dawn (4Q298 1-2 i 2, 3; 4Q298 3-4 ii 4). These expressions may describe student-addressees in 4Q412 as well. While 4Q412 encourages learning, unfortunately, little information is extant regarding the content of the instruction. The most explicit topic is the praise of God: "with all your mouth, praise (bb?\) ... give thanks ( m i n ]n) to his name" (4Q412 1 7-8). The phrase "your trembling" of line 7 expresses the frame of mind one should have while praying. The addressee is apparently to participate in communal prayer. 4Q412 1 9 attests the phrase "in an assembly of many" (era") br\p2) (cf. 4Q438 2 2). This group designation may also be in line 2. The fragmentary expression "day and nigh[t]" in line 10 probably refers to constant prayer, given the context of the 30

n

1

Steudel, ibid., 165, translates noio as "bond." The phrase "your lips" has a poor material basis but semantically is a good reconstruction, l l i e expression is in parallelism with "your tongue." Line 2 has the phrase CTDIS. Steudel, DJD 20, 165, suggests that the lamed may be from the word bnp, in which case the two words are not separated by a space. This scribal practice is apparently found in line 3 in the phrase amrrn, which the editor tentatively translates as "evil defamation." 3 1

272

CHAPTER TEN

second half of this text. The phrase could also signify studying, as in 4QInstruction (4Q417 1 i 6; cf. 1QS 6:6). There is insufficient evidence in 4Q412 to reconstruct a specific liturgical ceremony. 4Q412 has affinities with the Hodayot. The speaker of the Hodayot is often presumed to be a teacher (e.g., 1QH 10:13), as is the speaker in 4Q412. Both texts refer to their intended audiences as the "many," as in, for example, 1QH 12:27-28. Two important characteristics of the speaker in the Hodayot are that he encourages his students to learn from him and that they praise God. These themes resonate with 4Q412. The statement "[P]lace instruction on your lips" in 4Q412 1 5 is in parallelism with "for your tongue (place) doors of protection] Tibl)" Elsewhere in the Qumran scrolls the phrase "doors of protection" occurs only in the Hodayot (1QH 14:27; cf. 4Q429 4 ii 10). It is part of a metaphor in which the "truth" of God, upon which the speaker leans, is likened to a mighty fortress (1QH 14:25). Since the Hodayot associates the "truth" of God with the heavenly revelation given to the speaker (18:20-21), it is possible that the "doors of protection" signify this divine disclosure. 4Q412 could use the expression in a similar way. This claim cannot be made with confidence. The affinities between 4Q412 and the Hodayot do not provide enough evidence to conclude that 4Q412 is a product of the Dead Sea sect. It is intriguing, however, that 4QSapiential-Didactic Work A apparently urges one to pray among the "many." This is a designation for the intended audiences of the Qumran rulebooks (1QS 6:8; CD 13:7). It is reasonable to consider 4Q412 a wisdom text, although this can not be affirmed with full certainty. It is didactic and written by a teacher to a student. 4Q298 and 4Q412 describe their studentaddressees with some of the same expressions. 5. 4Q413: I N S T R U C T I O N

O N T H E R O L E OF G O D IN H I S T O R Y

4Q413 (4QComposition concerning Divine Providence) has been generally regarded as a small hymnic-sapiential text. This 32

This work is edited by E. Q i m r o n in DJD 20, 1 6 9 - 7 1 . S e e also Caquot, "Les Textes de sagesse," 5; Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 4 - 6 5 ; Lange, " D i e Weisheitstexte

MINOR WISDOM TEXTS

273

impression is provided by the official version of its beginning: "a plan of knfowledge find] and let me teach you wisdom" (cf. Ps 34:12). 4Q413 is a combination of two texts that comprises four lines. There is good reason to question if these two fragments belong to the same work. They are connected by a distant join, a move which in general should be treated with caution. Strugnell reports that these fragments were joined because of a "hesitant suggestion" he made in 1959. In 1992 Strugnell informed Elgvin about his doubts regarding this join and asked him to study the problem. At a conference in New York that year, Elgvin concluded that "the proposed connection seems questionable" and the two fragments "can hardly belong together." He has more recently presented a fuller critique of this join. Hair follicles on the leather skin are visible on the larger fragment, but not on the smaller one. The smaller text is slightly curved, whereas the larger is not. There are also differences between the two in terms of paleography. Furthermore, the smaller text uses defectiva orthography, whereas the larger prefers plene spelling. In Elgvin's opinion the two fragments are mistakenly combined. Separating the two, he designates the larger fragment of 4Q413 "4QExhortation," and the smaller 4Q413a, which he entitles "4QAprocyrphal Psalm B." Elgvin's case is persuasive and has a 33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

aus Qumran," 6-7; E. Qimron, "A Work Concerning Divine Providence: 4Q413," in Solving

Riddles

and

Untying

Knots:

Biblical,

Epigraphic,

and Semitic

Studies

in

Honor of Jonas C. Greenfield (ed. Z. Zevit et al.; Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1995) 191-202; T. Elgvin, "Admonition Texts from Cave 4," in Methods of Investigation of the Dead

Sea Scrolls

and the Khirbet

Qumran

Site: Present

Realities

and

Future

Prospects (ed. M.O. Wise et al.; Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 722; New York: New York Academy of Sciences, 1994) 179-96 (esp. 183, 185); idem, "4Q413—A Hymn and a Wisdom Instruction," in Emanuel: Studies in Hebrew Bible, Septuagint,

and Dead

Sea Scrolls

in Honor

of Emanuel

Tov (ed. S.M. Paul et al.;

VTSup 94; Leiden: Brill, 2003) 205-14. DJD 20, 170. The rationale given for the join by Qimron, DJD 20, 169, is that both fragments have an upper margin. He writes "they evidently belong to the top of the same column." Strugnell, "The Smaller Hebrew Wisdom Texts," 38. Italics his. Elgvin, "Admonition Texts" 183. Elgvin, "4Q413," 205-7. According to Elgvin, ibid., 207, the former has ruling lines demarcating each line of text and the latter does not. Compare, for example, the way the letter mem is written in the two fragments. Elgvin, "4Q413," 210, suggests that 4Q413a should perhaps be related to 4Q451 (4QPrayerC). 3 3

3 4

3 5

3 6 3 7 3 8

3 9

4 0

274

CHAPTER TEN

strong material basis. Distinguishing the two fragments undercuts the view that 4Q413 is both hymnic and sapiential. Elgvin claims that one is a hymn and the other is from a wisdom text. This is plausible. 4Q413a, according to Elgvin, begins with the word " J f t V D , which is in the title of many biblical psalms (e.g., Pss 30:1; 67:1; 68:1). Qimron transcribes TOTO, "plan," in the construct state. I prefer Elgvin's transcription. Other commentators have also favored this reading. There is little in this fragment that can be considered sapiential, but it can be understood as remnants of a hymn. The other fragment, Elgvin's 4Q413, begins with a call to obtain knowledge: "Then I will teach you wisdom" (1. I). The text is reasonably considered part of a lost wisdom composition, as Elgvin suggests. It urges one to acquire knowledge about human nature and broad patterns in human behavior. The first sentence of 4Q413 proclaims: "Then I will teach you wisdom, so you may understand the conduct of human beings (ETUK •O'H) and [contemplate] the actions of [man and his lot]" (11. 1-2; cf. 1QH 12:31). The Treatise of the 41

42

43

44

45

4 1

Qimron, DJD 20, 169, understands the first phrase of this work as "a plan of knowledge find]" ([IKXD ns?]i rain) (cf. Prov 8:12). This reconstruction of the phrase accentuates the theme of providence. Elgvin, "4Q413," 208, is surely right that Qimron's understanding of the expression is influenced by the join of these two fragments. Elgvin, "4Q413," 208, points out the similarity of the last letter of the word in question to the res in line 3 of this smaller fragment. Qimron, DJD 20, 169, reads the visible traces of the letter of the word that follows as dalet, from which he reconstructs ran ("knowledge"). Elgvin reads these traces as a fin, which he understands as the beginning of the word T» ("song"). The expression T» -IDTO, while rare in Qumran hymnic compositions (but see 4Q448 A 1), is a title of psalms in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Ps 92:1). In DSSSE, 2.842, the letter sin is read, with the word SDE ("insight") reconstructed. PAM 43.499 suggests that the letter sin is possible, but that this is by no means a conclusive reading. The traces are certainly different from the top stroke of the dalet in line 4 of this fragment in the word ion. Elgvin recognizes that 'ayin is another possibility. Caquot, "Les Textes de sagesse," 5; Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 64. The fragment may mention folly. DJD 20 transcribes a phrase in line 2 as [D]TK ("human beinfgs]"). Elgvin, "4Q413," 208, reconstructs [(?)n]5iK *aa ("sons of fol[ly]"). The traces in question are quite fragmentary. Any reconstruction of the word after is tentative. Elgvin, "4Q413," 211, fills out the beginning of this line with the supplement "Listen to me, my sons, and acquire knowledge!" This and subsequent quotations are based on the translation in Elgvin, "4Q413," 211. Lange, "Die Weisheitstexte aus Qumran," 7, has suggested that 4Q413 may preserve remnants of an introductory sapiential section of a rulebook, along the lines of CD 1-2. 4 2

4

4 4

4 5

MINOR WISDOM TEXTS

275

Two Spirits purports to teach the "sons of light" about "the nature of all the sons of man" (1QS 3:13). 4QInstruction also claims to provide knowledge on this subject: "And you, understanding son, gaze into the m m n and know [the path]s of all life" (4Q417 1 i 18-19; cf. 4Q418 77 2). As discussed in Chapter 1, these texts are deterministic in that they teach that human history unfolds according to a comprehensive divine plan. This may also be the case in 4Q413. The theme of determinism is emphasized by the title "Composition concerning Divine Providence." But 4Q413 never states that God establishes a master plan when he created the world. It is reasonable, however, to posit that the author of 4Q413 believed that God's control over history took the form of a deterministic plan guiding events. This may be implicit in the call in line 4 to "understand the years of every generation] (Tli[1 11]"! In this statement one is apparently asked to perceive the role of God throughout all history. In the Hodayot the expression i m TH is used when promoting a deterministic concept of God: You have created the earth with your strength ... everything which is in them you have determined according to your will ... You have allocated their tasks in all their generations and the regulation at its predetermined times to rule ... generation after generation ("im inb) (1QH 9:13-17; cf. 11Q5 26:9; 4Q436 1 i 2-3). The general idea of 4Q413 is that human history is shaped by God's allocation of rewards and punishments: "[As] God [loved] a man he increased his share in the knowledge of his truth (T\bm lb 71217] HITD); and as he despised another [he diminished the share of one who follows what] his ears hear and what his eyes see, so that he will not live" (11. 2-3; cf. Isa \ 1:3). The phrase "knowledge of his truth" is ambiguous but connotes the reception of divine favor. The line also suggests that those whom God rewards follow his will rather than their own inclination. Those who heed their own eyes and ears are punished. 4QInstruction makes a similar point: "O wise son, understand your mysteries ... you shall not search out afte[r] you[r] own heart, and your own e[y]es" (4Q417 1 i 25-27). The emphasis on not heeding one's own senses suggests that the 46

47

4 6

T h e s e g m e n t "he diminished the share o f o n e w h o f o l l o w s what" is plausibly added to the text by Elgvin, " 4 Q 4 1 3 , " 2 1 1 . S e e also Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 4 . DJD 20, 111; Qimron, " A Work Concerning D i v i n e Providence," 1 9 5 - 9 8 . 4 7

276

CHAPTER TEN

instruction of 4Q413 is based on a claim of supernatural revelation. This is plausibly assumed by Elgvin. But such an assertion is never explicit in the document. 4QInstruction distinguishes following your own senses from heeding "mysteries" provided through divine revelation. In both the Treatise and 4QInstruction, the speaker's authority to give instruction on the nature of humankind is based on an appeal to revelation. The Treatise is an instruction to be taught by the Maskil, and elsewhere the Community Rule stresses that he should teach "the mysteries of wonder" (K^D -»n) (1QS 9:18). The instruction of 4Q413 could be associated with revelation as well. A fragmentary text calls for its addressees to study the past: "[contemplate] the former things and understand the years of every generation], as God revealed ..." (1. 4; cf. 1Q27 1 i 3; 4Q298 3-4 ii 9-10). The "former things" may be an allusion to primeval events associated with creation. The general thrust of the line is that the will of God has shaped the past and that this has implications for the present and the future. Some have acted in accordance with God's wishes, whom he favored, and others did not, whom he rejected. Because of the fragmentary nature of the text, it is not clear if God has made this knowledge available through a vision or angelic mediator, as in the apocalypses, or if God "revealed" this truth through the opposed outcomes of the righteous and the wicked throughout history. The possibility that the instruction of 4Q413 is based on revelation raises the question if the work was written for a specific community with elect status. The Hodayot praises members of the Dead Sea sect in language that is reminiscent of 4Q413. 1QH 18:28-29 proclaims: "You have increased his share in the knowledge of your truth (ron&K D i m irbm nn^^n)." 4QInstruction and the rulebooks contain teachings on the impact of God upon human history that are compatible with 4Q413 and these texts are written to groups with elect status. Elgvin's version of 4Q413 assumes it is written to an elect community. This opinion is reasonable. But the text never 48

49

Elgvin, " 4 Q 4 1 3 , " 2 1 1 , c o m p l e t e s the phrase "as G o d revealed" with the expression "mysteries o f w o n d e r ( i 6 a TI) to his true sons." Stressing the text's affinities w i t h 4QInstruction, E l g v i n supplements the final exhortation o f 4 Q 4 1 3 to read: "And n o w [understanding ones (c^raon) and truly elect ones, contemplate] the former things." S e e his " 4 Q 4 1 3 , " 2 1 1 ; Harrington, Wisdom Texts, 6 5 . 4 9

MINOR WISDOM TEXTS

277

makes this claim. While the role of God in history according to 4Q413 is compatible with the writings of the Dead Sea sect, there is no compelling reason to attribute the authorship of this work to this group. The overall teaching of 4Q413 is akin to the Treatise of the Two Spirits and 4QInstruction. All three of these works purport to provide knowledge that will make the conduct and fate of human beings discernible. 4Q413 teaches this in a way that emphasizes history. The prologue of the Damascus Document recounts numerous episodes in primeval and biblical history to illustrate that those who heed God's precepts are rewarded and that those who do not earn punishment (CD 2:14-5:19). Although 4Q413 does not discuss specific events, the work promotes the compatible idea that the will of God shapes human history, and that this is borne out by whom God has rewarded and punished in the past. The intent of 4Q413 is to encourage one to live in a way that will produce divine favor. 50

6. 4Q419: A PRIESTLY COMPOSITION 51

The official title of 4Q419 is "4QInstruction-like Composition A." Based on this designation one could reasonably consider 4Q419 a wisdom text. But there is little evidence for this view. Its editor, Sarah Tanzer, writes that the text is "vaguely paraenetic" and Harrington doubts if it can be considered a wisdom text. 4Q419 contains no practical advice or any sort of pedagogical material designed to help an addressee make sound decisions. This absence is not simply due to the fragmentary state of the composition. It is one of the better preserved documents considered in this chapter. There are eleven fragments associated with this work and Tigchelaar has identified a twelfth. Most of the extant lines of 4Q419 are in 52

53

5 0

Earlier Elgvin argued that 4Q413 2-3, which is similar to 1QH 18:28-29, indicates that it was written by the Dead Sea sect. See his "Admonition Texts," 185; idem, "4Q413,"214. DJD 36, 320-32. The work has also been titled "Sapiential Work B." See further Lange, "Die Weisheitstexte aus Qumran," 7; Kampen, "Diverse Aspects," 236* Caquot, "Les Textes de sagesse," 28. 51

6 2

5 3

DJD 36, 321; Harrington, Wisdom

Texts, 73.

E.J.C. Tigchelaar has noticed an overlap between 4Q419 1 10-12 and 4QMisc (PAM 43.679 Fragment 10). See his "More Identifications of Scraps and Overlaps," RevQ 19 (1999) 61-68 (esp. 64-65); DJD 36, 332.

278

CHAPTER TEN

fragments 1 and 8 ii. 4Q419 1 emphasizes priestly and covenantal themes. Lines 1-2 advocate following the commandments which God gave "by the hand of Moses" (JTOQ T D ) , a phrase that also occurs in fragmentary texts of 4QInstruction (4Q418 184 1; 4Q423 11 2). 4Q419 1 3 calls the priests the "faithful ones of the coven[ant of God]" and includes the fragmentary phrase "by the hand of his priests" (VJiTD T D ) . The priests are probably exalted as the mediators of the Mosaic covenant. The author asserts the election of the Aaronic line: "he chose the seed of Aaron" (1. 5). Line 6 contains a fragmentary description of cultic worship: "his [w]ays and to bring near a soothing [offering made by fire]." There are also remnants of an account of God on a "throne which is lofty" and the text asserts that "he lives forever and his gl[o]ry is forevfer]" (11. 9-10). The prominent interest in priestly concerns and the covenant does not a priori rule out the classification of 4Q419 as sapiential. Ben Sira's instruction endorses Temple observance and the Mosaic Torah. However, there is nothing in 4Q419 that requires the conclusion that it is a wisdom text. The view that 4Q419 is a sapiential text derives from its association with 4QInstruction. There had been speculation that 4Q419 is a manuscript of this larger composition. This view has influenced the numerical designation and title of 4Q419. But this opinion has been disregarded. The main reason to connect the two works is a striking verbatim agreement between 4Q419 8 ii 7 and 4Q416 2 ii 2-3. Both texts attest the phrase naOMI I T f l D j T DK ")ED *7D m i ("if he closes his hand, then the spirit of all flesh will be gathered"). They use the expression in different ways. 4Q419 8 ii 54

55

56

57

The priestly tenor o f the d o c u m e n t is compatible with the mindset found in the sectarian rulebooks. Tanzer, DJD 36, 3 2 2 , suggests that the text m a y be "more than a work simply preserved by the c o m m u n i t y . " There is, however, n o explicit e v i d e n c e in the text that it w a s c o m p o s e d by the D e a d S e a sect. E l g v i n , "Admonition Texts," 180; A . Lange, Weisheit und Prddestination: Weisheitliche Urordnung und Prddestination in den Textfunden von Qumran (STDJ 18; Leiden: Brill, 1 9 9 5 ) 4 5 ; D.J. Harrington, " W i s d o m at Qumran," in The Community of the Renewed Covenant: The Notre Dame Symposium on the Dead Sea Scrolls (ed. E. Ulrich and J.C. VanderKam; Notre D a m e : University o f Notre D a m e Press, 1 9 9 4 ) 1 3 7 - 5 3 (esp. 145). In 4 Q 4 1 6 2 ii 2 the w o r d OK and the s e g m e n t nn nsowi are based o n the parallel texts 4 Q 4 1 7 2 ii 4 and 4 Q 4 1 8 8 1. i r a is reconstructed in 4 Q 4 1 9 8 ii 7. S e e DJD 36, 3 2 9 ; E.J.C. Tigchelaar, To Increase Learning for the Understanding Ones: Reading and Reconstructing the Fragmentary Early Jewish Sapiential Text 4QInstruction 5 5

5 6

279

MINOR WISDOM TEXTS

emphasizes the dominion of God, in part by stressing divine judgment. Lines 3-4 read "he will recount them ... confusing thenways with the punishme[nt o f . . . ] " In this context line 7 is clearly an affirmation of divine judgment. This is also suggested by line 8: "[t]o their earth they will return" CpmttT Dntinx *?[*