CutofmyDiDeadSeaSexKrolsHormonePuberMasjiachjahweh


Early Christianity & the Dead Sea Scrolls
@

According to
a long~standing hypothesis
the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden in the Qumran caves
about 40 years after the crucifixion of Yeshua.
Many of the new testament writings had not yet been composed
by 70 A.D., when the Romans destroyed
the temple of Yerushalayim.
The early Yeshu~movement was well underway by the middle of the first century: archaeologically speaking,
the activities of Yochanan the Baptist, Yehoshua, Shaul/Paul and others
were contemporary with the last phase of
Qumran occupation.

@

Is it
likely that the people
associated with Khirbet Qumran and certain figures
of the Yeshu movement crossed paths in Yerushalayim,
at Qumran, or elsewhere?
While the Yeshu movement rapidly expanded into the "Christ~cult",
finding supporters inside and outside Judaea,
what happened to those who once lived at Qumran,
or those who wrote
the scrolls?

@

We have no idea.
Scholars have long speculated
about the Essene origins of Yochanan
{and even Yeshua}, but the new testament makes no mention
of Essenes: equally, despite some claims over tiny Greek fragments
from Cave 7, none of the new testament writings nor their sources
have been found in
the Qumran
caves ...

@

There are
important similarities,
nevertheless, between the Qumran scrolls
and the new testament.
But rather than
pointing to a direct relationship,
they suggest an indirect one,
mediated through a shared
Jewish culture.
This does not minimize
the importance of such similarities,
for they demonstrate that the
differences between
christianity and
Judaism, at least in their beginnings,
are less dramatic
and more
subtle
than a facile contrast
allows.

@


To begin,
within the scrolls we find a description of a messianic sect
{probably one both founded by, and/or waiting for, one or two messiahs}
that cannot help inviting comparisons with the immediate followers
of Yehoshua ...

@

Both communities
conceived of their groups as representations
of the ideal Israel!

@

The Damascus Document
refers to its community as the "New Covenant",
a phrase also used in the account
of the Last Supper.

@

Again,
the Community Rule advocates a communal lifestyle
whereby some resources are pooled.
Acts 2:4~5 also refers to surrendering one's property to the community.
According to the Damascus Document,
the leader of the community has the Hebrew title of mebaqer,
the exact equivalent of the Greek episkopos,
used by the early
church.

@

The interpretation
of certain biblical passages
as referring to eschatological events is also common to both movements.
Texts like the one featuring Melchitsedek weave ancient scripture
from Qumran caves in a way that is reminiscent
of the techniques of similar thematic sections
in the new testament writings.

@

The most recognizable
is the 'reference to making a way in the wilderness'
Yeshayahu 40.

@

In the Community Rule
it is made to refer to the birth of an elect community,
and in the gospel of Mark {1:2~4} it applies
to Yochanan the Baptist.

@

The Melchitsedek text
also draws on Yeshayahu 61 to proclaim
the ultimate future redemption
of evil.

@

In Luke 4:16~21
Yeshua quotes this chapter in order to announce
that the scripture had already been
fulfilled ...

@

As in Acts 2:15~17,
some of the scrolls reveal that prophecy
was again a relevant activity
in the last days.

@

This statement
seems to be based on a view like that
found in the book of Jo'el.

@

The Teacher of Righteousness,
the presumed founder of the yachad,
is given authority in matters of teaching and the law {in the Damascus Document} and in the proper understanding
of prophetic texts {in the Chavakuk Commentary};
these functions are also, among others,
assigned to Yeshu in
the gospels.

@

The notion of a messianic 'banquet'
in 1QS6 & 1QSa is similar to the meals mentioned in Mattai 26:26~29
{with parallels in Mark 14:22~25 & Luke 22:17~20}
and 1 Corinthians 11:27~30.

@

Moreover,
the Damascus Document permitted,
perhaps even encouraged, celibacy; and the yachad possibly
required it, while celibacy also played an important role
in early christianity.

@

Those who
press the connection
between the Dead Sea scrolls and the early Yeshu~movement
particularly emphasize
shared language.

@

Certain texts
from both groups
speak of the 'children of light', the righteousness of G*D,
works of the Law, lawlessness, light
and darkness, Belial, and the
human temple
of G*D.

@

The Community Rule
uses the expression 'the many' to refer to one of its
assembled bodies ...

@

Mattai 26:27~28
and Mark 14:23~24 employ similar language.
The dualism of light and darkness is found in the Community Rule {col.3},
the War Rule {col.4}, and Galations 5 &
2 Corinthians 6 ...

@

Also
striking is
the identical attitude
towards divorce, which both the Damascus Document {CD 4:20~5:6} and
Yeshua {in Mark 10:2~9} reject {both against
common Jewish
practice!} ...

@


It took
two thousand years
to discover those similarities {and differences}
because most of the Dead Sea scrolls were only found
and translated within the past
fifty years ....


@



verliefd
engel
13 sep 2004 - bewerkt op 01 feb 2008 - meld ongepast verhaal
Weet je zeker dat je dit verhaal wilt rapporteren? Ja | Nee
Profielfoto van Asih
Asih, man, 81 jaar
   
Log in om een reactie te plaatsen.   vorige volgende