| The Documents of the Community Unlike their rabbinic contemporaries, the people of Qumran did not immediately (if ever) develop the notion of a closed canon. They obviously invested some of their own writings—the indigenous or sectarian texts—with the same (perhaps even greater?) authority and holiness as held by the Bible. These foundation documents of the Qumran covenanters reveal an attachment to and profound belief in the continuity of biblical Israel, prophesy, and covenental renewal. Based on a list compiled by Professor Talmon, 81 these foundation documents (the majority of which come from Cave 1) may be summarized as follows:The Damascus Document (CD), sometimes called the Zadokite Rule, includes a compressed survey of the history of the ya úad, along with a selection of legal materials, written in a style somewhat reminiscent of the biblical book of Deuteronomy. The historical account and the statutes appear to pertain to the entire "Community of the Renewed Covenant," that is, to the members who live with their families in "camps" in various locations in Palestine, as well as to the relatively small commune of members (all male?) who resided at Qumran, perhaps for only a season.The Rule of the Community (1QS), or Manual of Discipline as it is often called, lists the precepts, structure, and public procedures of the community, and prescribes the conduct of its members. The Messianic Rule (1QSa) offers a description of an envisioned messianic banquet based on the kind of common meals engaged in by the covenanters at Qumran. It also describes a future general assembly for the members of the community, at which time all precepts of the covenant will be publicly read before the entire community—priests, Levites and lay-Israelites, men and women alike, and also children who are mature enough to understand the proceedings (1QSa I 1–5). Professor Talmon asserts that this gathering is, in fact, a replica of Nehemiah’s "great convocation" (see Nehemiah 8). 82The War Rule (1QM) presents legal and descriptive details of the cataclysmic war in which the Sons of Light (the Qumran covenanters) will finally overcome all Sons of Darkness (the wicked). In the ensuing era of universal peace, the covenanters will reestablish the temple in the New Jerusalem, the capital of their messianic kingdom, which is "a glorified reflection of Israel’s historical commonwealth." 83The Temple Scroll (11QTemple) describes a future purified temple to be established as the ritual center for Israel. This document somewhat resembles the books of the Law, but it is God, not Moses, who directly addresses the people in the Temple Scroll. The Pesher Habakkuk (1QpHab) or Habakkuk Commentary, as well as portions of other pesharim (commentaries), provide information on some aspects of the covenanters’ history by interpreting certain nonhistorical texts of the Hebrew Bible as referring to historical events and historical people. In other words, the authors of these pesharim interpret the scriptural texts as foreshadowings of the historical experiences of their community. The Kittim, for example, in the commentaries on Habakkuk and Nahum are represented as instruments of God, appointed to punish the ungodly priests in Jerusalem. It is believed that the Kittim were the Romans. Miqsat Ma >aseh ha-Torah (4QMMT) is a pieced-together collection of the fragments of copies of a document from Cave 4 that provides supplementary information on the outlook and function of the community.These foundation documents are addressed specifically to the people of the Qumran community. The legal prescriptions contained in them are not considered debatable: "Based on inspiration, they are binding . . . [and] are ‘handed down’ like biblical ordinances." 84 Thus the scrolls used by the people of Qumran have provided valuable information about a complex time period to which Latter-day Saints (and all Christians for that matter) trace their own spiritual roots. Is there any value for Latter-day Saints in studying the Dead Sea Scrolls? As we compare and contrast some of our own ideas and practices with those at Qumran, perhaps we can better appreciate the ancient people of that covenant community, and better understand the significant rifts in Christian-era Judaism. We can also appreciate the interconnectedness of ideas and texts across dispensations. The Dead Sea Scrolls have also given to the world the oldest biblical manuscripts and they help us to understand the history of our modern version of the Bible. And while caution needs to be urged in making more of the parallels between the Qumran sect and Mormonism than is appropriate, we can certainly see how some of the theological ideas found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are perfectly at home in an authentic ancient cultural milieu.
Introduction | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 | Section 5 | Section 6 | Summary and Notes |