The Dead Sea Scrolls--A New Interpretation

By:  David Ramsay

Introduction Community Rule Habakkuk I Habakkuk II Damascus Document Ecclesiastes Essenes

The Community Rule Scroll

The original document must have been written sometime prior to 170 BCE because in it there are references to the High Priest as the "Son of Zadoc", Onias III, the last of the Zadoc line, was murdered CA 170 BCE.

Dr. Vermes, whose translation of the scrolls I am using ("The Dead Sea Scrolls in English", Penguin Books, Fourth Edition, 1995) separates part of the  Scroll from the original and calls it "The Messianic Rule". The rules included in the "Community Rule" Scroll applied to all Essene congregations, both inside and outside Israel.

The rules set out in what Vermes calls, "The Messianic Rule" are additional ones restricted to "the congregations of Israel in the last days".

The "final age" or "last days" began with God's promise of a coming Messiah and would end when His promise was fulfilled.

The prophets had been predicting the imminent arrival of the Messiah until God told Habakkuk (CA 630BCE) (according to the writer of the Commentary on Habakkuk Scroll) that "the final age would be prolonged and would exceed all that the prophets had said". The rules in the so called Messianic Rule were therefore to be followed until the coming of the Messiah.

As both "The Community Rule" and "The Messianic Rule" were originally on the same scroll and both contain rules to be followed by the Essenes in Israel, I have treated them as a single entity called "The Community Rule".

Membership in the Community of God (aka Israel)

1. The Head of the Family was responsible for insuring that "everyman born in Israel was instructed in the Book of Meditation and taught the precepts of the Covenant" beginning at age 10.

At age 20, if sound in mind and body, and approved by the Master, he entered the Community (i.e. became a 'saint').

He then became eligible to "witness judgement and assist at the hearing of judgements".

2.  At age 30 or older a member might be called to:

  1. Participate in lawsuits and judgments

  2. Act as judges and officers of their tribe

  3. Act as "chiefs of the 1000's, 100's, 50's, and 10's; that is, an officer in the army

  4. Be selected to be a member of the Secretariat

3.  Every Israeli male age 20 years or over was a member of the Community of God , an Essene.

Organization of the Community of God (aka Israel)

The High Priest
     Exercised his authority through 4 branches of government:
          1.  Education
          2.  Judicial
          3.  Executive
          4.  Military
          5.  National Assembly

1.  Education
          This branch was headed
by the Sons of Zadoc (chief priests)...
          Who supervised the Sons of Aaron (priests)...
          Who had authority of the congregation

        The minimum size of congregations was 10 members.  In the larger ones a Levite would be responsible to the priest for the administrative duties of the house of worship (synagogue).       The sons of Aaron's (priests) responsibility was to teach the precepts of the Covenant to their congregations.

2.  Judicial Branch
          This branch was headed by the National Court (the Sanhedrin) made up of Chief Priests and scribes with members appointed by the High Priest. 
            It was the court of last resort and "every decision concerning doctrine, property, and justice was determined by it".  If a charge against a priest was brought before it,
          only the priests heard the case.  If the charge was against a member of the Council of the Community (i.e. a Scribe or a Rabbi) only the scribes heard the case. 
            Cases less complicated or important were heard in the tribal courts with tribal leaders appointing the judges. 
            If it was a relatively minor case then it was heard by a congregational court made up of 10 judges appointed by the priest consisting of 10 judges - 4 of which had to be
          priests or Levites and 6 elders (lay members). 
            If there were differences within the family, the matter was settled by the Head of the Family.

3.  The Executive Branch
          The Secretariat consisted of leading citizens, Sons of Aaron (Priests), and members of the Council of the Community (Scribes).
            It was responsible for implementing the orders of the High Priest.
            It in turn passed on to tribal officers, appointed by the tribal chief, instructions and orders for implementation, which were then passed down to the 1000's, 100's, 50's and
          10's tribal officials.

4.  The Military
          Headed by a Commander appointed by the High Priest. 
            Under him he had captains of the 1000's, 100's, 50's, and 10's. 
            When it came to raising men for an army, the Commander gave each of the tribal leaders a quota of manpower to provide.  The tribal leaders in turn passed quotas down to
          their clans who passed down quotas to the Heads of Families.

5.  The National Assembly
          The assembly was called by the High Priest "and when the whole assembly was summoned for judgement, or for a counsel of the Community, or for war" and consisted of "the wise
         men of the congregation, the learned and intelligent (the Council of the Community), men whose way is perfect (The Community in Israel) and men of ability, together with the tribal
         chiefs and all the judges and officers and chiefs of the 1000's, 100's, 50's, and 10's, and the Levites".

          It would be called to hear trials before the Sanhedrin to propose raising an army for war and other matters of national importance.

The Sect of the Community of God

1.  The Master 
          The authority over the teachers, priests, was exercised ultimately by the High Priest but the responsibility for what was taught rested ultimately with the Master.
            How the Master was selected is not known for certain, probably selected by his peers in the Community of Israel (Rabbis).
            He was responsible for non-members prior to entry into the Community.
            He alone could approve entry as an adherent, the Council of the Community (Scribes), the Council of Holiness, and the Community of Israel (Rabbis).
            He had ultimate authority over what was taught to the members and determining questions of doctrine and behaviour not covered under existing rulings.  

2.  The Council of the Community
          Only Israeli-born, male members, unmarried and age 25 or older, who "wished to work in the service of its members" could apply for admission to the Council.
          If his application was accepted, he joined the Council on a probationary basis. After a year's service, he surrendered all his wealth to the Council, where it was kept it separate
           from the general funds. 
          If the candidate was accepted after another year of probation he became a full member of the Council and his wealth was merged with its general funds.
          Members lived in small communal groups in the cities and towns under the supervision of "the Guardian", (a Priest).  "Here they studied the Law continually, day and night"
           and "watched in common for a third of every night of the year, to read the Book and study law and bless together".
          They served the congregations "by answering any questions concerning any counsel or matter coming before it" and "providing counsel in all things to the priest".
          These were the Scribes in the Sect of the Essenes.
          Some members opted for a monastic life living in communes.
          A member might be called upon to serve in The National Court, the Sanhedrin, and automatically, became a member of The National Assembly.
          After a year's experience, he might be selected to join a special group consisting of 12 Scribes and three Priests for two years of instruction and testing.
          If found suitable at the end of the 2 years, he became a member of the Council of Holiness and went to live in the special house that the men of the Community had constructed for
           its members.

3.  The Council of Holiness
          "The men of the Community set apart a House of Holiness containing the 70 Holy books that God had instructed Ezra to show "only to the wise" so the members would be near
           "the most Holy things".  Here, under authority of the custodian of the books (The Interpreter), with the Master himself as instructor, they studied the books. 
          The Scroll does not say how long "this preparation of the way into the wilderness" lasts but at the end of it the member "separated himself from the habitation of unjust men
           and went into the wilderness" to join the members of the Community in Israel.

4.  The Community in Israel
          The men of the Community of god had built a special house in the wilderness (Qumran) where they lived.
          They atoned for guilty rebellion and for sins of unfaithfulness that they may obtain, loving kindness for the land without the flesh of holocausts and the fat of sacrifice. 
           And their prayers rightly offered were as "an acceptable fragrance of righteousness and perfection of way as a delectable free will offering".
          They "studied the Law He commanded by Moses that they would do all that had been revealed by His holy spirit."
          Based on those studies they made predictions for the future of which the Commentaries and the Damascus Document furnish examples.  Josephus says of these "they undertook
           to foretell things to come by reading the Holy Books".
          The members of this group were, what we would call, the Rabbis of the Essenes and it was they who are responsible for the production of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

5.  The Priesthood
          There were two classes of priests:  the Sons of Zadoc, the senior branch, and the Sons of Aaron, who seem to have been the ones in direct contact with the people in the
           synagogues and in supervisory positions.
          Josephus says they had the same beliefs as the other two groups of the Sect "but differ from them on the point of marriage".
          Only those of priestly lineage could be priests so, unlike the others of the sect, they were expected to marry and have children so that the priestly line would continue.

          The Levites
           Like the priests, they too had the same beliefs as the other sect members and they too were encouraged to marry and have children to maintain the Levitical line.
           Their duties were mainly administrative and record keeping in connection with the synagogue they served.

The Sect of the Essenes consisted of the scribes, the rabbis, the priests, Levites, and the Master.

Qumran

I believe "the place in the wilderness" the men of the Community in Israel (Rabbis) went to live was Qumran.

It is located in that part of Israel formerly known as "the Wilderness of Judah" and did not have an altar because the members were so holy that they did not have to make sacrifices.  Their prayers alone were sufficient to obtain God's forgiveness of the people.

As the Scroll was written about 175 BCE or earlier, and the present Qumran was built CA143 BCE the place in the wilderness it refers to was on the same site on which the present structure was built when Israel regained its independence with the appointment of Simon as High Priest and Ethnarch.

 
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Introduction Community Rule Habakkuk I Habakkuk II Damascus Document Ecclesiastes Essenes