| I Texts which Mention a Single Messianic Figure 1 Davidic Messianism At Qumran we find a series of texts which contain the elaboration of the basic lines of royal and davidic messianism of Old Testament origin, exactly as expressed in texts such as Jeremiah 23:5–6, Balaam’s Oracle in Numbers 24:17, and Psalm 2. These texts prove to us that within the community, hope in a "Messiah-King" was very much alive. The move from allusion to an anointed-King to hope in an "Anointed One," who would come in the future as a King, is to be found in the following texts: 1.1 4Q252(4QpGena) This first text shows us that within the Qumran community the famous blessing of Judah by Jacob of Genesis 49:8–12 was already interpreted in a clear messianic sense, so confirming the antiquity of the messianic interpretation of this text found in the Palestinian Targum. 8 The text in question comes from a discontinuous pesher on Genesis which has still not been published in full, but of which the messianic section has been known since 1956 as 4QPatriarchal Blessings.9 This composition is preserved in three fragmentary copies (4Q252, 253, and 254), of which 4Q252 is the longest. From what can be deduced from the fragments preserved, the work commented on selected excerpts from Genesis: the story of the flood, the curse on Canaan, the covenant with Abraham, the Sodom and Gomorrah episode, Esau’s descendants and the blessings of Jacob. The commentary on these blessings, acknowledged as an independent unit,10 filled at least three columns of the text.11The literary form of the work is that of a discontinuous or thematic pesher. This is proved by the introductory formulas, "as it is written" (III 1), "as he said" (IV 2) or the resumptive use of pronouns (V 2,3) and by the actual use of the technical term pesher in IV 2. This itself shows us that it is an original composition from the Qumran community, a fact evident from the use of the expression "the men of the community" in V 5 and of the formula "as he said through Moses in respect of the last days" in IV 2. As a pesher, then, the text attempts to offer us the deeper meaning of the biblical text. For the community, Jacob’s blessing of Judah contains the coming of the "Messiah" and actually refers to it. The text in question (4Q252 V 1–7) can be translated as follows: 1 A sovereign shall [not] be removed from the tribe of Judah. While Israel has the dominion, 2 there will [not] lack someone who sits on the throne of David. For "the staff" is the covenant of royalty, 3 [and the thou]sands of Israel are "the feet." Blank Until the messiah of justice comes, the branch 4 of David. For to him and to his descendants (to them) has been given the covenant of royalty over his people for all everlasting generations, which 5 he has observed [. . .] the Law with the men of the community for 6 [. . .] it is the assembly of the men of [. . .] 7 [. . .] He gives (Florentino Garc*a Mart*nez, trans., The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated, translated into English by Wilfred G. E. Watson [Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1994], 215. All subsequent translations are also from this work, hereinafter cited as DSST.)To the extent that the fragmentary nature of the text allows one to ascertain, each element of the biblical quotation has been supplied with its interpretation. 12 The Hebrew word Áebe has been interpreted in its double meaning of "sceptre" and "tribe." Further, sceptre has been understood as "sovereign," and while not going as far as the radical interpretation of the Palestinian Targum which translates explicitly as "king," has the same implications. "The staff" is understood as the covenant of royalty and not as the Interpreter of the Law as in CD VI 7. These expressions place the interpretation squarely in the perspective of the promise of dynastic succession, culminating, as the text states, in the coming of the "Messiah." The equation of "the feet" with the thousands of Israel highlights the military context of the promised royalty. PAM 41.708 (FE 409) shows the existence of a Blank in the manuscript, and this fact explains why the expression "Messiah of justice" is presented as equivalent to the mysterious Áiloh of the biblical text. The expression is unique in the texts from Qumran, but the parallel with the Teacher of Righteousness makes it clear that its meaning is none other than the true, lawful Messiah.13 The clear dependence of the expression on Jeremiah 23:5 and 33:15: "In those days I shall raise up for David a lawful shoot who will do what is right and just," also shows the polemical nature of the expression in the anti-Hasmonaean context of the community. It allows us, therefore, to set this development of a hope in a "messiah king" for the end of times within an apocalyptic context. The most logical antecedent of the clause "which he has observed" seems to be "his people," but the break in the manuscript does not permit the meaning of "his people" to be determined. The union with the men of the community in the observance of (all the precepts of) the Law leads us to suppose that from the viewpoint of the text the kingdom of the "Messiah" is limited to the loyal people. This would mean the members of the Qumran community, but such a conclusion goes beyond the preserved evidence. The loss of the rest of the text also prevents us from knowing in what sense the reference to the peoples of the Genesis text was interpreted. The reconstruction of "to whom the peoples owe obedience" in the lacuna is no more than one of the reconstructions possible. It is suggested by the resumptive pronoun, and keneset is only used one other time in all the texts (4QpNah III 7), in a negative sense, referring to the association of those seeking easy interpretations.In spite of that, the general lines of the text are clear enough to assure us that in Qumran interpretation, Jacob’s blessing of Judah was seen as a promise of the restoration of the davidic monarchy and of the perpetuity of his royal office. And since the future representative of the dynasty is identified not only as the shoot of David, but also explicitly as the "true anointed," there remains no doubt about the "messianic" tone of the text. Unfortunately, the details which the text provides about this "Messiah" are not many. Besides his legitimate and davidic character, his inclusion in a perpetual dynasty and the military aspect of his kingdom, the text presents his coming in connection with the Qumran community and in dispute with the Hasmonaean usurpers. Unfortunately, the fragmentary nature of the text and the ambiguity of the pronouns used do not enable us to determine whether his perpetual royalty is exercised over all the people (of Israel) or only over his own people comprising those who observed the Law within the community. Nor can we determine in which sense the other "peoples" are placed in relation to his coming. This first text, then, only reflects the traditional idea of the "Messiah," son of David. However, it is necessary to insist on one important proviso. 4Q252, in spite of being the most complete copy preserved of the work, is an extremely fragmentary manuscript. Therefore, it cannot be excluded that other messianic figures played a role in the other missing sections of the work. This proviso is not merely a methodological constraint, but is prompted by two surprising allusions found in the other two copies of the work, even more fragmentary and still unpublished. In one of the fragments of the lower part of a column of 4Q254 14 the following lines can be read clearly: "/[. . .] the two sons of the oil of anointing who [. . .] / [. . .] observed the precepts of God [. . .] / [. . .] because the men of the co[mmunity. . .]." The reference to Zecariah 4:14 leaves no doubt at all. Also, this text, as we will see further on, seems to have played an important part in the development of the two-headed messianism which we find in the writings from Qumran. In turn, the larger fragment, 4Q253,15 which preserves remains of two columns, includes a literal quotation of Malachi 3:17–18. This text comes just before the promise of the return of Elijah, a promise which determines the hope in the eschatological prophet of the community, whose messianic character we will indicate below. These two texts do not permit any conclusion to be drawn, but they are a precious indication of the kind of material lost from our pesher on Genesis, and comprise a real invitation to prudence.We will find the same hope in a shoot of David as future Messiah-King in other clearly sectarian texts. In spite of their fragmentary nature, these texts provide some more details which allow us to sketch the outlines of this figure. 1.2 4Q161 (4QpIsaa) The text in question belongs to a continuous pesher on Isaiah, of which three columns have been preserved and it provides us with the Qumran interpretation of the classic text Isaiah 11:1–5. 16 After quoting in full the biblical text in question in lines 11–17 of column III, the text offers the Qumran interpretation:18 [The interpretation of the word concerns the shoot] of David which will sprout [in the final days, since] 19 [with the breath of his lips he will execute] his enemies and God will support him with [the spirit of] courage [. . .] 20 [. . .] throne of glory, [holy] crown and hemmed vestments 21 [. . .] in his hand. He will rule over all the peoples and Magog 22 [. . .] his sword will judge all the peoples. And as for what he says: "He will not 23 [judge by appearances] or give verdicts on hearsay," its interpretation: 24 [. . .] according to what they teach him, he will judge, and upon his mouth 25 [. . .] with him will go out one of the priests of renown, holding clothes in his hand (DSST, 186).The text does not use the technical term "anointed one" but simply speaks of the "shoot of David"; however, the apposition in the text cited previously of "Messiah of justice" with the "shoot of David" guarantees us that both expressions denote the same messianic person whose coming is awaited "in the final days." Just like the blessing in Genesis 49:10, the passage Isaiah 11:1–5 is interpreted within the Qumran community as a messianic prediction. It is clear that it is a "Messiah-King," from the dynastic connotations of the term used: "shoot of David." It is also clear from the allusions to the attributes of his royalty: the throne of glory, the crown and his embroidered clothes. Our text stresses the military character of the hoped for "Messiah," described to us as a victorious warrior. The destruction of his enemies and dominion over all the peoples, including the archetypal enemy Magog, are the results of his action. He also describes to us his judicial function; but although this will be extended to all the peoples, it is subject to the instruction and authority which he will receive. The lacuna has deprived us of express mention of these instructors and guides of this "Messiah," but in view of the subordination of the "Messiah of Israel" to the priests in 1QSa II 11–21, it is most probable that it was the priests who, with their instruction and with their authority, guided the judgments of the "Messiah." Once the messianic interpretation of Isaiah 11:1–5 is established, the application of this text to a person who recurs with frequency in the Qumran writings and who is called the "Prince of (all) the congregation" 17 allows us to understand that this person is no other than the "shoot of David" and the "Messiah of justice." Two of the texts which apply the prophecy of Isaiah to the "Prince of the congregation" are the following:
Introduction | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 | Section 5 | Section 6 | Section 7 | Section 8 | Chapter Notes |