Damascus Document Translations (in process)
SS = Schechter (1910) [base text]
GM = Garcia Martinez (1994)
GV = Geza Vermes
WAC = ??
---
FRAGMENTS OF A ZADOKITE WORK, by S. Schechter (1910)
Manuscripts A and B from the Cairo Genizah (now in the Cambridge
University Library [England] as Taylor-Schechter MSS 10 K.6 and
16.311 respectively [so Charles]). [[update 2/21/99]]
Codes:
@@ = Schecter's paragraph indentation
\# sets off raised number (e.g. footnote)
* ... \# indicates the words covered by the note (??)
[ch #] = Schechter's chapter divisions
[[...]] encloses added material for this edition
| indicates new line, |5| means line 5, etc.
## indicates blank spaces in the MSS (see GM)
GM = The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated, by Florentino Garcia
Martinez (Brill 1994 1996\2).
This is a very "wooden" type of translation, done before the DSS
were discovered and thus without benefit of the several other
fragments and the numerous parallels to wording and ideas found
in the scrolls. Why bother to look at it? It can help us to
appreciate the difficulty and ambiguity of various passages, and
thereby perhaps make us struggle more to determine what such
passages meant to the authors, editors, and users of this
material in ancient and medieval times. Schechter has amply
annotated his translation, with a variety of types of
information. I have preserved his notation numbers, for users who
would like to explore his deliberations and suggestions in
greater detail by checking the hardcopy edition, but since most
of his notes include Hebrew words and phrases, no attempt is made
to reproduce them electronically.
Of more than historical interest are the comments of R. H.
Charles in his 1913 edition of CD (Pseudepigrapha volume, 797):
Scholars are indeed grateful to Dr. Schechter for the
discovery of these valuable MSS., but they cannot be expected to
feel it in such measure for the way in which the text has been
edited. It is carelessly done. ... [Paragraph] If Dr. Schechter
chooses to edit his text so carelessly that is of course his own
concern, but in that case he ought at all events to have
published a facsimile of the entire MSS. -- only a matter
of eithteen pages. To publish such a text and then to deny all
scholars access to the original MSS. for five years is strange
conduct on the part of a seeker after truth. ... [Paragraph] The
translation of a text for the first time is obviously a piece of
pioneer work, and should therefore be treated with all
consideration. It betrays, as might be expected, frequent
failures to apprehend the meaning of the writer, but on the
other hand in many passages Dr. Schechter has shown great insight
and his encyclopaedic knowledge of Rabbinic literature has helped
to clear up many a difficulty from the outset.
I have changed the order in which Schechter presents the pages of
MS A, based on the evidence of the DSS fragments, placing his
pages 15-16 between his pages 8 and 9 of MS A. Schechter's notes
suggest that he was not sure where to locate the leaf containing
his pages 15-16. I have also added in brackets the main divisions
suggested by Fitzmyer, The Dead Sea Scrolls: Major
Publications and Tools for Study (Scholars Press 1990\2) 132f.
[[EXHORTATION: GOD'S SAVING PLAN IN HISTORY (Fitzmyer)]]
MS A, page 1 [[The DSS fragments show that material preceded this]]
[ch 1]
| @@ ## Now, therefore, hearken unto me, ye all who know
righteousness\1 and meditate upon the work of
| God\2 . For He has a controversy with all flesh\3 and He will
execute judgment\4 upon all who despise Him.
| For because of their treason that they forsook Him, He hid His
face\5 from Israel and from His sanctuary
| and delivered them unto the sword\6. But when He remembered the
covenant of the forefathers\7 He left a remnant
|5| to Israel and gave them not over unto extermination. And at
the end of the wrath\8, three hundred
| and ninety years after He had delivered them into the hand of
Nebuchadnezzar\9, the King of Babylon,
| He remembered them, and made bud from Israel and Aaron a root of
a plant\10 to inherit
| His land, and to rejoice in the good of His earth. And they
meditated over their sin and they knew that
| they were guilty men, and they were like the blind *groping in
the way\11
|10| twenty years\12. And God considered their deeds\13, for they
sought Him with a perfect heart\14
| and He raised for them a\15 teacher of righteousness\16 to make
them walk in the way of His heart. ## And He made known
| to later generations what He has wrought\17 in a *former
generation\18 in an assembly of treacherous men\19.
| They are those who turned out of the way\20. This is the time
concerning which it has been written: "As a backsliding heifer
| so did Israel slide back\21," when there arose the man of
scoffing\22 who dropped to Israel
|15| waters of deceitfulness\23 and caused them to wander in the
wilderness where there is no way\24, to bow down the loftiness of
eternity\25, to turn away
| from the paths of righteousness and to remove the bound which the
forefathers have set in their inheritance\26. So as
| to make cleave unto them the curses of the covenant\27, to deliver
them to the sword that shall execute the vengeance
| of the covenant\28. Because that they searched in smooth
things\29 and chose deceits, and looked forward
| to the breaches\30. And they chose the goods of the throat\31
and justified the wicked and condemned the just\32
|20| and *transgressed the covenants\33 and broke the statute
and\34 gathered themselves together against the soul of the
righteous\35 man. And all that walked
| uprightly their soul abhorred\36 and they pursued them with the
sword and *rejoiced at the* war of the people\37. Therefore, was
kindled the wrath
page 2
| of God against their congregation\38 to make desolate their
multitude, and their deeds* were unclean\39 before Him.
[ch 2]
| @@ ## And now, hearken unto me ye all who entered into the
covenant\1 and I will reveal to you\2 concerning the ways
| of the wicked. ## God loves knowledge. Wisdom and counsel\3 He
placed before Him[;]
| prudence\4 and knowledge, they minister to Him. Long-
suffering\5 is with Him and an abundance of forgiveness
|5| to atone for those who return from sin\6, and power and might
and great wrath in flames of fire\7.
| Therein are all the angels of destruction\8 for them who turned
out of the way and despised the statute\9, so that there should be
no remnant
| nor escaping\10 for them. For, before the world was, God chose
them not, and ere they were established He knew
| their deeds, and He contemned the generations of blood\11 and
hid His face from the earth
| to *exterminate\12 them till they were consumed@ And He knew*
the years of the station\14 and the number and the explanation of
their ends\15, for all
|10| the *things that be everlasting and are to happen\16, to that
which will come to their ends\17, for all the years of eternity.
| And in all of them He raised for Himself men called by name\18,
in order to leave a remnant to the earth\19 and to fill
| the face of the world with their children\20. ## And through His
Anointed\21 He made them know His Holy Spirit, and he
| is true\22 , and the *explanation of their names\23, and them He
hated He made go astray.
[ch 3]
| @@ ## Now, therefore, children, hearken unto me\1 and I will
open your eyes to see and to meditate over the deeds
|15| of God, and to choose what He desireth and despise what He
hateth. To walk uprightly\2
| in all His ways and not to seek after *the thoughts of the
imagination\3 guilt and after the *eyes of fornication\4. For many
| were led astray by them, and mighty men of valour stumbled by
them from beforetime and hitherto. Because they walked in the
stubbornness
| of their heart\5 fell the *Watchers\6 of the heaven. By them\7
were they caught because they kept not the commandment of God.
| And their children whose height was like the height of the
cedars\8 and whose bodies were like mountains* likewise fell\9.
|20| All flesh that was on dry land *also perished\10, and they
were as though they had not been\11. Because they did their
| own will and kept not the commandment of their Maker until His
wrath was kindled against them\12.
page 3
[ch 4]
| @@ ## By it* went astray the sons of Noah and *their families\1,
and because of it they were rooted out\2.
| Abraham did not walk in it and he *became friend\3 because he
kept the commandment of God and chose not
| the will of his own spirit. And he delivered (it) to Isaac and
to Jacob\4, and they observed (it)\6 and were recorded as friends
| of God\6 and men of the covenant for ever\7. ## By them the sons
of Jacob went astray and they were punished* according\8 to
|5| their error. And their children in Egypt walked in the
stubbornness of their heart to take counsel against
| the commandments of God and every man doing* that which was
right in his own\9 eyes and they ate blood\10. Therefore He
exterminated
| their males in the desert* when He spake* to them in the desert
in Kadesh, Go up and possess* the *land\11. *And they provoked* His
spirit\12, and hearkened not
| unto the voice of their Maker\13, the commandments of their
teachers\14, and murmured in their tents\15. Therefore the wrath
of God was kindled
| against their congregations, and their children perished by
it, and their kings were exterminated by it, and their mighty men
perished by it
|10| and their land *was made desolate*\17 by* it. By it were
guilty\18 the first that entered into the covenant, and they were
delivered
| unto the sword\19. Bevause they forsook the covenant of God and
chose their* own will and sought after the stubbornness
| of their heart\20, every man doing according to his
pleasure\21.
[ch 5]
@@ ## But with them that held fast to\1 the commandments of God,
| who were left among them, God confirmed His covenant with
Israel for ever, revealing
| unto them the hidden things in which all Israel erred: His holy
Sabbaths and His glorious festivals,
|15| the testimony of His righteousness and the ways of His truth
and the desires of His will which a man shall do
| and live by them\2. He opened before them\3 and they digged a
well of many waters,
| and he that despises them shall not live\4. But they
*wallowed\5 in the transgression of man\6 and in the ways of the
unclean woman.
| And they said that it belongs to us\7 . But God in the
*abundance\8 of His wonder made atonement for their sins\9 and
forgave their transgression.
| And He built them a sure house in Israel\10, the like of which
never arose beforetime and
|20| hitherto. They who hold fast to Him are for the life of
eternity, and all glory of man is for them; as
| God confirmed it to them through Ezekiel, the prophet, saying:
"The priests and the Levites and the sons
page 4
| of Zadok that kept the charge of His sanctuary when the children
of Israel went astray
| from *them they shall bring near unto me fat and blood\11."
[ch 6]
@@ The priests are the captivity\1 of Israel
| who have gone forth out of the land of Judah and they who have
joined them\2. And the sons of Zadok are the chosen
| of Israel called by names\3 that arose at the end of the
days\4. Behold the explanation
|5| of their names according to their generations, the end of their
station and the number of their sufferings and the years
| of their sojourns\5 and the explanation of their deeds. The
holy they alter which God made atonement
| for them\6. And they justified the righteous and condemned the
wicked\7. And all they who come after them
| to do according to the interpretation of the Law in which the
forefathers were *instructed\8 until the *completing\9
| of the end of these years. In accordance with the covenant
which God has confirmed to the forefathers to make atonement
|10| for their sins, so shall God make atonement for them\10. And
after the completing of the end in accordance with the number of
these years
| *one shall not join the house of Judah\11, but every man shall
stand up against his
| net\12. The wall is built, the decree is far removed\13. And
during all these years there will be
| Belial\14 let loose against Israel as God hath spoken through
Isaiah, the prophet, the son
| of Amoz, saying: Fear and the net and the snare are upon
thee, O inhabitant of the land\15. ## Its explanation is\16
|15| : three nets of Belial concerning which Levi the son of Jacob
hath spoken\17
| by* which he ensnared Israel\18, and *directed their faces to the
three kinds
| of righteousness. The first is fornication, the second is
*wealth\19, the third
| is the *pollution of the sanctuary\20. He that fleeth from this
will be ensnared by that, and he that escapeth the one will be
ensnared
| by the other\21. ## They that builded the *wall\22 who walked
after the *commanding one\23.
[ch 7]
@@ The commanding one is he who prophesies*
|20| concerning which he said, "For a surety they do drop
words\1." They are ensnared by two: by fornication\2, taking
| two wives during their lifetimes\3, *but the foundation of the
creation\4 is, "Male and female created He them\5."
page 5
| And they who came into the Ark, "Two and two went into the
Ark\6." As to the prince\7 it is written,
| "He shall not multiply wives unto himself\8." *But David read
not in the Book of the Law that was sealed, which
| was in the Ark. For it was not opened in Israel from the day of
the Death of Eleazar
| and Joshua\9 and the Elders who worshipped Ashtareth\10. And it
was hidden
|5| and was *not discovered\11 until Zadok arose. But they
*concealed\12 the deeds of David save only the blood of Uriah\13
| and God abandoned them to him. They also contaminate the
sanctuary as* they
| separate not\14 according to the Law and lie with her who sees
the blood of her issue\15. They take
| unto them a wife\16 the daughter of their brother and the
daughter of their sisters\17. ## But Moses said, "Thou shalt not
| approach the sister of thy mother: she is thy mother's near
kin\18," and the law of incest\19 for males
|10| is written, and like them\20 are the females; and if the
daughter of the brother uncovers the nakedness of the brother
| of her father* he\21 is a near kin. ## They also contaminated
their holy spirit\22 and with a tongue
| of reproaches they opened the mouth against the statutes of the
covenant of God, saying, They are not proper. But abomination
| they speak concerning them. They all kindled\23 a fire and set
in flames the sparks\24. The weaving
| of spiders are their weavings and the eggs of adders are their
eggs\25. He who comes near them
|15| shall not be innocent. Like *a thing accursed shall his house
be guilty\26* unless he was* forced\27. Beforetimes\28 God *observed
| their deeds and His wrath was kindled because of their devices.
For it is a people of no understanding\29.
| They are a nation void of counsel\30, because there is no
understanding in them\31. For beforetimes rose\32
| Moses and Aaron through the prince of the Urim\33, *when\34
Belial raised Yochaneh and
| his brother\35 in his device when Israel was delivered for the
first time\36. ##
[ch 8]
|20| @@ ## And at the end of the destruction of the land
there arose those who removed the bound\1 and led astray Israel.
[GM] {blank} And in the age of devestation of the land
there arose those who shifted the boundary and made Israel stray.
| And the land became desolate because they have spoken rebellion\2
against the commandments of God through Moses and also
[GM] And the land became desolate, for they spoke of rebellion
against God's precepts through the hand of Moses and also
page 6
| against His holy Anointed one\3,
and they prophesied a lie to turn away Israel from after
[GM] of the holy anointed ones.
They prophesied deceit in order to divert Israel from following
| God. But God remembered the covenant with the forefathers\4.
And He took from Aaron* men of understanding and from Israel
[GM] God. But God remembered the covenant of the very first,
and from Aaron raised men of knowledge and from Israel
| wise men and made them* understand\5, and they digged the well\6.
"The princes digged the well; they digged it,
[GM] wise men, and forced them to listen. And they dug the well:
{Num 21.18} "A well which the princes dug, which
| the nobles of the people, by the lawgiver\7.
The well is the Law, and they who digged it are the
[GM] the nobles of the people delved with the staff."
The well is the law. And those who dug it are
|5| captivity\8 of Israel who have gone forth out of the
land of Judah\9 and sojourned in the land of Damascus\10,
[GM] the converts of Israel, who left the
land of Judah and lived in the land of Damascus,
| all of whom God called princes.
For they sought Him and their bough was not turned back
[GM] all of whom God called princes,
for they sought him, and their renown has not been repudiated
| in the mouth of one\11. ##
And the Lawgiver is he who interprets the Law concerning whom
[GM] in anyone's mouth. {blank}
And the staff is the interpreter of the law, of whom
| Isaiah said, "He bringeth forth an instrument for his work\12."
## And the nobles of the people are they
[GM] Isaiah said: {Isa 54.16} "He produces a tool for his labor."
{blank} And the nobles of the people are
| who came to dig the well by the precepts\13
which the Lawgiver ordained
[GM] those who have arrived to dig the well with the staves
that the scepter decreed,
|10| to walk in *them\14 for all end of the wickedness\15.
And they shall reach *nothing beside them\16 until there will arise\17
[GM] to walk in them throughout the whole age of wickedness,
and without which they will not obtain it, until there arises
| the teacher of righteousness\18 in the end of the days. ##
And all they who were brought\19 into the covenant
[GM] he who teaches justice at the end of days. {blank}
But all those who have been brought into the covenant
| they shall not enter into the Sanctuary to kindle His altar,
and be shutting
[GM] shall not enter the temple to kindle his altar in vain.
They will be the ones who close
| the door, concerning whom God said, "Who is there among you
who would shut the doors\20, neither do you kindle my altar
[GM] the door, as God said: {Mal 1.10} "Whoever amongst you
will close its door so that you d ont kindle my altar
| for naught\21." If\22 they will not observe to do\23 according
to the interpretation of the Law, until the end of the wickedness\24,
and to separate
[GM] in vain!" Unless they are careful to act in accordance with
the exact interpretation of the law for the age of wickedness:
to separate themselves
|15| from the children of destruction\25, and to separate from
the wealth of wickedness which is contaminated by a vow and curse\26,
[GM] from the sons of the pit; to abstain from
wicked wealth which defiles, either by promise or by vow,
| and *from\27 the wealth of the sanctuary, and rob
the poor of his people (so that) widows be their prey,
[GM] and from the wealth of the temple and from stealing from
the poor of the people, from making their widows their spoils
| and they murder the fatherless and\28 to distinguish between
clean and unclean\29 and to make known between
[GM] and from murdering orphans; to separate
unclean from clean and differentiate between
| the holy and the profane, and to observe the Sabbath
according to its interpretation and the feasts
[GM] the holy and the common; to keep the sabbath day
according to the exact interpretation, and the festivals
| and the day of fast\30* according to the command\31 of
them who entered in to the New Covenant\32 in the land of Damascus.
[GM] and the day of fasting, according to what they had discovered,
those who entered the new covenant in the land of Damascus;
|20| To raise their offerings according to their
interpretation\33, to love every one his neighbour
[GM]**
| as himself\34, and to strengthen the hand of the poor and the
needy and the stranger\35, ## and to seek every one the peace
page 7
| of his neighbour. And no man shall commit treason against his
nearest of kin, separating himself from *fornication\36
| according to the Law\37. To admonish every one his neighbour
according to the Law\38, and not to bear a grudge
| from day to day\39, and to separate from all the contaminations
according to their laws\40. And no man shall defile
| his holy spirit\41, *(even) as God did separate them\42. All
they who walk
|5| in these things in the perfection of holiness\43 according to
all the *instructions\44, the covenant of God [[MS B page 19
starts here]] stands fast to them
| to preserve them for
[[MS B + thousands of generations\1. ## *As it
is written\2, "He keepeth the covenant and mercy
| with them who love Him\3 and keep His\4 commandments for]]
[[A = B]]
a thousand generations. ##
[ch 9]
@@ And if they settle in camps in accordance\7 with the *usage'
[[B = laws]] of the land [[B + which were\5 from of old]] and take
| wives [[B + in accordance with the usage of the Law]] and beget
children they shall walk\B6 according to the Law,
[[B ##]] and according to
| the *foundations\2 according to the usage of the Law as He had
spoken, "between man and his wife and between father
| and his son\3" But upon all them that despise\4 ...
[[B + the commandments and the statutes]]
[[A // when God will bring a visitation upon the land,
will be returned the desert of the wicked;]]
[[B // will be returned the desert of the wicked;
when God will bring a visitation upon the land,]]
[[A = B]]
|10| when there will come to pass the word which is written
[[A // in the words of Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet
[[B // by the hand of Zechariah, the prophet,]]
[[A | who said, *" He will bring\5 upon thee and upon thy people and
upon thy father's house days that
| have* not\6 come from the day\7 that Ephraim departed from
Judah." When the two houses of Israel\8 separated
| Ephraim* turned away\9 from Judah, and those who turned back
were delivered to the sword and those who held fast\10
| escaped into the land of the North. ## As He said, "And I will
cause to go into captivity\11 Siccuth your King
|15| and Chiyun your images\12, from the tents of Damascus\13." The
books of the Law are the Tent
| of the King, as He said, "And I will raise up the tent of David
that is fallen\14." The King
| is the congregation and Chiyun the images\15 are the books of
the Prophets
| whose words Israel has despised\16, ## and the Star\17 is he who
explained the Law
| who came to Damascus, as it is written, "There came forth a
Star out of Jacob and a sceptre shall rise
|20| out of Israel\18." The Sceptre is the prince of all the
congregation, and when he will rise "he will destroy
| all the children of Seth\19." ##]]
[[B "O sword, awake, against | my shepherd and against the man
that is my fellow, says God\7, smite the shepherd and the sheep
shall be scattered,
| and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones." And they
that watch him are the poor of the flock\8.]]
[[A These escaped\20 at the end of the first visitation\21,]]
[[A |page 8| and those who removed back were delivered to the
sword\22.]]
[[B |10| These shall escape at the end of the visitation\9,
and they that remain will be delivered to the sword,
when there will come the Anointed
| *from Aaron and Israel\10. As it was at the end of the first
visitation concerning which * He\11 spoke
| through Ezekiel to mark a mark upon the foreheads of them
that sigh and cry\12,
| but they that remain will be delivered to the sword
that avengeth the vengeance of the covenant\13.]]
[[A = B]]
And this also will be the judgment of all of them who have
entered into his covenant who
| will not hold fast to these\23 to visit them *with\24
destruction through the hand of Belial. This is the day
| on which God shall visit\25. The princes of Judah were *like
them that remove the bound. Upon them I will pour out my wrath\B14
like water\26.
[[A | For they became diseased incurably\27 and they *crushed
them\28. *They are all rebels\29, because
[[B Because they entered\15 into the covenant of repentance | and
*yet]]
[[A |4| = B |17|]]
they turned not out of the way
|5| of the traitors and they *wallowed [[B dealt wantonly]] in
the ways of harlots [[B harlotry]] and in the wealth of
wickedness\31 and (in) revenge and every man bearing grudge
| to his brother and every man hating his neighbour\32. And they
*committed treason\33[B16] every man against his next of kin
| and were joined to unchastity\34 and *sold themselves to [[B
and they were mighty\17 for]] wealth and gain*\35 [[B + and]]
every man of them did that which was right in his own eyes\36.
| And they chose every man in [[B om ev. man in]] the
stubbornness of his heart\37 and they separated not from the
people\38 [[B + and their sins]]. And they cast off restraint
with an high hand
| to walk in the way [[B ways]] of the wicked; concerning whom
God said, "Their wine is the poison of dragons
|10| and the head of asps that is cruel\39." The dragons are the
kings of the nations and their wine is
| their ways, and the head of the asps is the head of the kings
of Javan\40, who came to execute vengeance upon them.
| But upon all these things they meditated not who builded the
*wall\41 and daubed it with untempered mortar. For
[[A |13| one confused of spirit\42 and who dropped lies
prophesied to them\43]]
[[B |25| the *man walking in wind\18 and weighing storms the
prophet of *man\19 | to lie]]
[[A = B]]
that the wrath of God was kindled against all His congregation\44
| [[B ##]] and what Moses said [[B + to Israel]], "Not for thy
righteousness or for the uprightness of thine heart dost thou
go to inherit
|15| these nations\45, but because He loved thy fathers and because
He would keep the oath\46."
| ## And [[ B om]] so is the law for the captivity\47 of Israel who\B20
tumed out of the way of the people\48. Through the love of God of
| the forefathers who *aroused the people toward\B21 Him\49 [[B God*
and]], He loved them that came after them. For to them
| is the covenant of the fathers, ## but in his hatred\59 of [[B but
god hates and despises]] them who builded the\51 *wall His wrath
was kindled [[B against them and against all | who walk after
them]]. ## And like unto this judgment
| it will be for everyone who despises the commandments of God,
and He forsook them and they turned away in the stubbornness
of their heart.
[[A |20| ## This is the word which Jeremiah has spoken to Baruch the
son of Neriah, and Elisha | to his servant Gehazi.]]
[[B |33| So are]]
[[A = B]]
## All the men who entered into the New Covenant in the land of
Damascus\52
[[Schecter's note to A reads "Here is a break in the MS."]]
[[B |34| continues]]
but they turned and committed treason and turned away from the
spring of living waters.
|35| *'They *shall not be\22 counted in the assembly of people,
and in its writing\23 *they shall not be written.' From the day
when there was gathered in\24
[[MS B, page 20]]
| the only teacher until there will arise the Anointed from
Aaron and from Israel\25. ## And this is also the Law
| for all that entered into the congregation of men of perfection
of holiness\26, but he will *cease\27 accomplishing the statutes
that are upright.
| He is the man who is melted in the furnace. ## When his deeds
will appear\28 he shall be expelled from the congregation
| as though his lot had not fallen among them that are taught
by God\29. According to his treason they shall record him\30
*with the men
|5| of * perversion\31 until he will come back to stay in the
station of the men of perfect holiness.
| And when his deeds shall appear according to the interpretation
of the Law in which walk
| the men of perfection of holiness, no man shall * profit\32
him in wealth and Tabour,
| for the saints of the Most High have cursed him. And like this
judgment shall be to everyone who despises both among them who
were before
| and among them who came after\33, who placed idols upon their
hearts and walked in the stubbornness
|10| of their hearts. They have no share in the house of the Law.
## Like the judgment of their neighbours who returned
| with the men of scoffing\34 they shall be judged. For they
uttered error against the statutes of righteousness and despised
| the covenant and the pledge of faith which they have affirmed
in the land of Damascus; and this is the New Covenant\23.
| And there shall not be unto them or unto their families a share
in the house of the Law. ## And from the day
| when there was gathered in the only teacher\36 until all the
men of the war were wasted who walked
|15| with the man of lies about forty years\37. ## And at the end of
these there will be kindled
| the wrath of God against Israel as He said, 'There is no
King, and no prince\38,' *and no Judge, and none
| rebuking in righteousness\39. And they who turn from
sin...\40 who observed the covenant of God ... man
| ... his brother He will support their steps in the way of God.
'And God hearkened
| and heard and a book of remembrance was written before Him
for them that fear God and think
|20| upon His name\41' ... until there will be brought up\42
salvation and righteousness for them who fear\43 God. Then shall
ye return and discern between the righteous
| and wicked, between them that served Him\44 and them that
served Him not." "And showeth mercy *unto thousands\45 of them
that love Him
| and unto them that observe *His commandments\46 for a
thousand generations," from the * house of Peleg\47 that have
gone out from the city of the sanctuary.
| And they confided in God at the end of the treason of Israel
and they polluted the Sanctuary and they came back unto God.
| The *prince of the people\48 with few words\49 ... according to
His spirit they shall be judged ... in the counsel
|25| of holiness. ## And all they who broke through the bound of
the Law of those who entered into the covenant when there will
shine forth
| the glory of God to Israel they will be cut off from among
the camp and with them all they who do wickedly\50
| of Judah in the days of its trial\51. ## But all they who hold
steadfast to these laws to go out
| and to come in according to the Law and listen to the voice of
the teacher and shall confess before God ... we
| are guilty, we and our fathers because they walked contrary\52
unto the laws of the covenant
|30| and true is thy judgment against us. And they will not lift
the hand against His holy statutes, His righteous judgment
| and the testimony\53 of His truth. And they will be chastised
by the first judgments in which
| the children of the men of the only one were judged. And
they will listen to the voice of the teacher of righteousness.
And they will not *answer\54
| the statutes of righteousness when they hear them. They will
rejoice and be glad and their hearts will exult\55 and they will
show themselves mighty
| against all the children of the world, and God will make
atonement for them and they will see\56 His salvation for they
put their trust in His holy name. [[end of MS B]]
[[PRESCRIPTIONS (Fitzmyer; missing in CD MSS)]]
[[CONSTITUTION: LIFE IN THE NEW COVENANT (Fitzmyer)]]
[[relocate Schechter MS A pp. 15-16 here]]
page 15 [ch19] [[Schechter's note: "Here perhaps some leaf or
leaves are missing in the MS."]]
| @@ ............\1 and also with Aleph Lamed and also with
Aleph Daleth\2 , but an oath of the *covenant\3 .........
| by the curses of the covenant. ## But the Law of Moses\4
he shall not mention\5, for\6 ...
| ## And if he swears and transgresses he will profane the Name\7.
## And if by the curses of the Covenant ......
| the Judges. ## And if he transgressed he is guilty and he shall
confess and shall return and shall not bear ...\8
|5| death. ## And he who enters into the covenant for the whole of
Israel a statute for ever with their children *that\9 ...
| to pass among them that are numbere\10 by the oath of the
covenant they shall confirm it upon them. ## And this is also
| the law in every end of the wickedness\11, for everyone who
returns from his corrupt way. On the day of his speaking
| with the Censor of the many they shall count him by the oath of
the covenant that Moses established
| with Israel. The covenant\12 ...... *Moses with all heart\13 ...
|10| soul everything be found to be done in them\14 .... And no
man shall make known to him\15 the
| laws until he will stand before the Censor\16 be *persuaded\17
by him when he examines him.
| And when he will confirm it upon him to return to the Law of
Moses with all his heart and all his soul
| ...... of him if\18 ## and everything which was revealed of the
Law with regard to a controversy\19
| ...... in him\20 ...... the Censor him and shall command him
......
|15| until\21 ...... *killed him\22 ...... and the madman and all
........
| till ................
| *daughter\23 ..........
| ..... [[Schechter's note: "The Last six lines are entirely
missing."]]
page 16
| covenant with you and with the whole of Israel. Therefore the
man shall confirm it upon *himself\24 to return to
| the Law of Moses for in it everything is *exactly explained\25.
[ch 20]
@@ ## As to the explanation of their ends\1 *for a remembrance\2
| to Israel of all these, behold, it is exactly explained in the
Book of the Divisions of the Seasons\3
| according to their jubilees and their weeks. And on the day on
which the man will confirm upon himself to return
|5| to the Law of Moses the angel of Mastema\4 will turn away
from behind him if he will fulfil his word.
| Therefore Abraham was circumcised on the day of his knowing
*it\5. ## As to what He said, "that which is gone out of thy lips
| thou shalt keep\6" to confirm, every oath of a bond\7 by which
a man will confirm upon himself
| to perform a commandment of the Law till the *price of death\8
he shall not redeem it\9. ## Every thing which
| ...\10 a man upon himsel\11... till price of death he shall not
confirm it\12 ......
|10| the oath of the woman which *Moses said\13 to disallow her
oath\14. No man
| shall disallow an oath which *no man knew*\15. It is to be
fulfilled. As to disallowing\16
| if it is to transgress the covenant *then he shall disallow it
and not confirm it. ## And so is also the law for her father.
| As to the law of *offerings\17, no man shall vow anything for
the altar under compulsion\18. Nor
| shall the *priests"\19 take anything from the Israelites\20
...... a man *dedicate the food\21 ......
|15| this is what he said, "They hunt every man his brother with a
net*\22." ## Nor
| shall devote ........ of all .......... his possession
| holy ............ shall be punished ...
| he who takes a vow .............
| to the judge\23 .................
|20| ... [[Schechter's note: "The last lines are entirely missing,
whilst from the preceding four lines, only a few words remain."]]
[[For the join between MS A p. 16 and MS A p. 9, see now
4QD\b(=267) frg 17 col 2 (GM 54)]]
page 9
| @@ ## Any man who will destroy a man\1* in accordance with the
statutes of the gentiles* so that he is to be *put to death\2,
| *it is concerning him\3 that He said, " Thou shalt not avenge
nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people\4." And
every man of them who hath *entered\5
| into the Covenant who shall bring a* charge\6 against his
neighbour which is not* proved\7 before witnesses
| and* shall beat\8 him in his fierce wrath or *speak against him
*to his elders so as to insult him, is taking vengeance and
bearing grudge;
|5| ## but it is only written, "He\9 will take vengeance of his
adversaries and He is bearing grudge against His enemies."
| If he held his peace from day to day\10 but in his fierce wrath
he spake against him in a matter concerning death\11
| his* sin is upon him\12 because he did not fulfil the
commandment of God who said to him, "Thou shalt surely rebuke
| thy neighbour\13 and not suffer sin upon him." ## As to the oath
concerning which
| He said "thy hand shall not help thee\14," if a man will make
*another *man swear in the open field\15
|10| -- that is not* in the presence of\16 the judges or their
word\17 -- his hand has helped him. And he who has lost
| (anything), and it is not known who has stolen it from the*
Tent\18 of the camp in which the thing has been stolen, its owner
shall* proclaim\19
| it by the oath of cursing\20 and whoso hears, if he knows and
utters it not, he shall be guilty\21.
| ## In any* recompense made\22 for that which has no owners he who
makes the recompense\23 shall confess to the priest,
| and it shall all belong to him, besides the ram of the guilt
offering. ## And so everything lost that was found and has no
|15| owners it shall belong to the priests, for he who* found
it\24 knows not its law.
| If its owners were not found they shall keep it in trust. ## If a
man acts treacherously
| against any law and his neighbour sees it and he is only one --
if it be a charge of death he shall make it known*
| in his presence to the Censor, proving\25 it to him. And the
Censor shall write it down with his hand; until he will do it
| again before one, *and then he shall come back and make it
known to the Censor. If he will be caught again before
|20| another, his sentence shall be finished\26. And if they are two
and they witness* against
| him in another thing\27 the man shall be only excluded from the
Purity\28, if they are trustworthy.
| And on the day on which the man sees it he shall make it known
to the Censor. And according* to the statute ...\29 two
| trustworthy witnesses, and through one* witness to exclude*
from the Purity. And there shall rise no
page 10
| *witness\30 before the judges to kill at his mouth\31 whose
days were not fulfilled to pass
| among them that are numbered\32* and who fears* not\33 God. ## No
man shall be* believed as a witness against his neighbour
| who transgresses a word of the commandment with a high hand
until he was worthy to repent\34.
[ch 11]
| @@ ## And this is the usage\1 of the judges of the congregation\2.
Ten men selected\3
|5| of the congregation according to the *age\4; four of the tribe
of Levi and Aaron and six of Israel
| learned in the Book of *the Hagu\5 and in the foundations of
the covenant, from five
| and twenty years old even unto sixty years old\6. But none shall
be appointed after he be
| from sixty years old and above to judge the congregation. For
through the unfaithfulness of man
| his days* diminished\7, and when the wrath of God* was
kindled\8 against the inhabitants of the earth, he said to
remove\9 their
|10| minds before they shall complete their days\10.
[ch 12]
@@ As to be cleansed in water. No
| man shall wash in filthy waters or not sufficient\1 for
*immersion\2 of a man.
| ## None shall cleanse himself in the *waters\3 of a vessel.
And every pool in a rock in which there is not sufficient
| water for* immersion which an unclean person has touched, its
waters shall be contaminated *like\4 the waters of the vessel.
[ch 14]
| @@ As to the Sabbath to keep it according to its law, ## no man
shall do work on the sixth day
|15| from the time in which the globe of the sun\1
| is removed from the gate in its *fulness\2, for it is He who
said, "Keep the
| Sabbath day to sanctify it\3." And on the day of the Sabbath no
man shall utter a word
| of *folly\4 . And surely none shall demand any debt of his
neighbour\5. None shall judge on matters of property, and gain\6.
| None shall speak on matters of work and labour to be done on the
following morning\7.
|20| ## No man shall walk in the field to do the work of *his
affairs\8
| on *the day\9 of the Sabbath. None shall walk outside his
city* more\10 than a thousand\11 cubits.
| ## No man shall eat on the day of the Sabbath but of that which is
prepared\12 or perishing*
| in the field\13. None shall eat or drink but *from that which
was* in the camp\14.
page 11
| *But if he was\15 on the way and went down to wash he may drink
where he stands, ## but he shall not draw
| into any vessel\16. No man shall send the son of the
stranger\17 to do his affairs on the day of the Sabbath.
| ## No man shall put on garments that are filthy or were brought by
a gentile unless
| they were washed in water or rubbed off with frankincense\18.
## No man shall *mingle\19 of his own will
|5| on the Sabbath. ## No man shall walk after the animal to feed it
outside of his city more than
| two thousand cubits\20. ## None shall lift his hand to beat it
with his fist. ## If
| it be stubborn he shall not remove it out of his house\21. ## No
man shall carry anything from the house
| to the outside or from the outside into the house and if he be
in the* gate\22 he shall * not carry out
| anything of it or bring\23 in anything into it. None shall*
open\24 the cover of a vessel that is pasted on the Sabbath. ## No
man shall carry
|10| on him spices\25 to go out and *come in on\26 the Sabbath.
## None shall\27 move in the house* on the day of the Sabbath\28
| rock or earth. No nurse shall bear the suckling child\29 to go
out and to come in on the Sabbath\30.
| ## No man shall *provoke\31 his manservant or his maidservant or
his* hireling\32 on the day of the Sabbath.
| ## No man shall deliver an animal on the day of the Sabbath\33.
## And if it falls into a pit
| or ditch, he shall not raise it on the Sabbath\34. ## No man
shall *rest\35 in a place near
|15| to the gentiles on the day of the Sabbath. ## No man shall
profane\36 the Sabbath for the sake of wealth and gain.
| ## And if any person\37 falls into a *gathering of water
or into a place
| of\38 ... he shall not bring him up\39 by a ladder or a cord or
instrument. ## No man shall bring anything on the altar on the
Sabbath,
| save the bumt-offering of the Sabbath, for so it is written,
"Save your Sabbaths\40."
[ch 14]
@@ ## No man shall send
| to the altar burnt-offering or meat-offering or frankincense or
wood through the hand of a man contaminated by any
|20| of the uncleannesses\1, allowing him\2 to contaminate the
altar, for it is written, "The sacrifice
| of the wicked is abomination, but the prayer of the *righteous
is like an offering of delight\3." ## And everyone who comes into
| the house of *worship\4 he shall not enter when he is
contaminated *without\5 washing. And when the trumpets of the
Congregation sound
| it shall be (done) before or after\6, and they shall not disturb
the whole service *on the Sabbath\7
page 12
| it is holy. No man shall lie with a woman in the city of the
Sanctuary to contaminate
| the city of the Sanctuary by their uncleanness\8. ## Any man over
whom the spirits of Belial will have dominion
| and he will speak rebellions, he shall be judged according to
the law of the "Ob and Yiddeoni." And he who will err
| to profane the Sabbath and the Feasts shall not be put to
death; but\10 it is upon the sons of man
|5| *to watch him\11 *whether\12 he will be healed of it. And
they shall watch him seven years and then
| he shall come into the Congregation. ## None shall stretch out
his hand to shed the blood of any man from among the gentiles
| for the sake of wealth and gain\13. ## Nor shall he take anything
of their property in order\14 that they blaspheme not,
| unless by the counsel of the *Congregation\15 of Israel. ## No
man shall sell an animal
| or bird that is clean to the gentiles in order that they
sacrifice them not\16. ## Nor shall he
|10| sell them anything of his threshing-floor or his winepress
in all his *property\17. Nor shall he sell them his manservant
or maidservant
| who entered with him into the covenant of Abraham\18. ## No man
shall make himself abominable\19
| with any living creature or creeping thing, to eat of them the
beehives\20, even\21 any living creature
| that moveth in the waters\22. Nor shall the fish be eaten unless
they *were split
| alive and *their blood was shed\23*. But all the locusts after
their kind shall come into fire or into water
|15| whilst they are still living, for this is the manner of their
creation\24. And all wood and stones
| and dust which will be polluted by the uncleanness of man
*shall be polluted like them\25*. According to
| their uncleanness shall be unclean he who toucheth them. ## And
every instrument, nail, or pillar in the wall
| which will be with the dead in the house shall be unclean,
*like the uncleanness\26 of an instrument of work\27.
[ch 15]
| @@ ## And *this is the usage\1 of the settlement of the cities of
Israel, according\2 to these judgments to separate between
|20| the clean and unclean\3 and to make known *the difference
between the holy and the profane\4. ## And these are the statutes
| *to instruct\5 to walk in them the whole nation\6 *according to
the law\7 ... *every time\8. And in this law\9
| shall walk the whole seed of Israel and they shall not be
cursed. ## And this is the usage of the settlement
| ...... *congregation\10 in the end of the wickedness and until
there will arise the Anointed *from Aaron\11
page 13
| * and Israel -- till ten men at least\12 by thousands and
hundreds and fifties
| and tens\13. And when there will arise ten, the man who is a
priest learned in the Book of the Hagu\14 shall not\15 depart.
According
| unto his word shall they all be ruled\16. And if he is not
tried\17 in all these but a man of the Levites is tried
| in these, then the lot shall be cast\18 that all those who enter
into the camp shall go out and come in according to his word\19.
## And if
|5| there be a decision regarding the law of leprosy *which\20 a
man will have, then shall come the priest and stand in the camp,
and the Censor\21 shall instruct him
| in the explanation of the law. ## And if it *increased\22, he
shall shut him up for unto them
| is the judgment\23.
[ch 16]
@@ ## And this is the usage of the Censor of the camp. He shall
instruct the many in the deeds
| of God, and shall make them understand *His mighty wonders\1,
and shall narrate before them the *happenings of eternity\2 *in
the Law of God*\3,
| and shall have mercy with them as a father with his children,
and shall *forgive all their rebellions*\4. Like a shepherd with
his flock\5
|10| he shall loose all the bonds of their knots\6 ......\7
oppressed and crushed *in his congregation*\8.
| ## And everyone who shall join his congregation, he shall
count him according to his *deeds\9 his *understanding\10, his
might, his strength and his property.
| And they shall record him in his place in accordance with his
*assignment\11 through the lot in the camp\12. But no man of the
children of the camp shall rule
| to bring a man into the congregation *without the\13 word of
the Censor of the camp.
| ## Nor shall any man of them who entered into the covenant\14 deal
with\15 the sons of the *strangers\16 *unless
|15| hand to hand\17. ## No man shall perform a *thing as\18 buying and
selling\19 *unless he has spoken\20
| to the Censor of the camp and he shall do\21 ...... and not
................
| and so to him who expels\22 and he ...............
| afflict\23 him and in the love ...... he shall not incline\24
.........
| they,\25 and he who is not connected with ............
|20| ## And this is the settlement of the camps. All ......
| shall not succeed to settle in the land\26
| ..... [[Schechter's note: "Only a few letters giving no words
remain of l. 22, whilst l. 23 is entirely missing."]]
page 14
| that have not come from the day that Ephraim departed from
judah\27. And all they who walk in these
| the covenant of God *is steadfast to them\28 to save them\29
from all the snares of the pit, for suddenly ...\30
[ch 17]
| @@ ## *And this is the usage\1 of the settlement of all the camps.
They shall be counted all by their names, the Priests first,
| the Levites second, the children of Israel third\2, and the
proselyte fourth\3. And they shall be recorded by their names
|5| one after another, the Priests first, the Levites second, the
children of Israel
| third, and the proselyte fourth. And so they shall be seated
and so they shall ask for everything\4. And the Priest who will
count
| *the many\5 shall be from thirty years old and upwards until
sixty years old\6 learned in the book... \7
| in all the laws of the Torah to *speak them\8 according to
their rules. ## And the Censor who is
| over all the camps shall be from thirty years old and upwards
until fifty years old\9 *married\10 in all
|10| counsel of men, and in every tongue\11 ......According to
his word shall come in they who enter the Congregation
| every man his share\12. And everything concerning which any man
shall have to speak he shall speak to the Censor,
| with regard to any controversy or suit\13.
[ch 13]
@@ ## And this is the usage of the many to prepare\1 all their
needs. The amount
| of their offerings *are\2 for every moon\ ... And they shall
give it into the hands of the Censor and the judges.
| From it they shall give for the *poor\4 and from it\5 they
shall strengthen the *hand\6 of the poor and the needy. And to the
aged man who
|15| ...... to the man who *wanders\7 and to him who was
*captured\8 by a strange people, and to the virgin who\9
| ............ *he who has\10 none seeking after him\11 all the
labour\12 ...and not ........
| ## And this is the explanation of the settlement ...............
| ## And this is the explanation of the judgments which ..........
| Aaron and Israel\13 and he will forgive our sins ............
|20| in money\14 and he knows ....................................
| .......... punishment six days and he that speaketh .........
| against Moses\15 ............................................
| .... [[Schechter's note: "Line 23 is entirely missing"]] .....
[[For the continuation, see now 4QD\b(=267) frg 18 col 3 (GM 55f)]]
[[CONCLUSION (Fitzmyer; not found in CD MSS]]
//end//