By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO, Calif -- The San Diego Natural History Museum next year will exhibit seven documents from the Dead Sea Scrolls that have never been put on display before and 17 other documents that have been exhibited in other venues.  A total of 24 documents will be displayed over the last six months of 2007.

As previously reported by jewishsightseeing.com, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Natural History Museum will divide the showing of  the Dead Sea Scrolls into two back-to-back exhibitions of 12 documents each, with each exhibition lasting three months.  The first exhibition begins in July of 2007; the second that October. (see previous story)

Never-before-seen items in the earlier exhibit will include Dead Sea Scrolls fragments containing verses of Deuteronomy 3:14-4:1; Isaiah 5:15-28, translations from Hebrew into Aramaic (with a number of deviations) of various portions of the Book of Job, and a scroll in Greek containing writings of the Minor Prophets. 

In the later exhibit, debut items will include writings from Samuel, more documents from the Aramaic translation of Job, and a commentary on the Flood story in Genesis. 

The Natural History Museum provided short descriptions of the various documents, which we will here reprint in bold face type.  Using our Stone edition of the Tanach, edited by Rabbi Nosson Scherman and published by Mesorah Publications, Ltd., (The ArtScroll Series), we are also providing italicized English translations (if available) of the texts that will be on display in the first exhibit.  In part two of our series, we will provide a similar service for the second exhibit.

The Stone Edition of the Tanach does not translate the four-letter Hebrew name of God, but instead uses the euphemism "Hashem" (the name). In these first two articles, we shall follow suit.

I.  Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus
11Q1 Leviticus 16:34-17:5
(Pl. 1039/1)

The Leviticus Scroll found in Cave 11 was preserved in an impressive form on a large sheet of parchment.  The scroll is written in the ancient Hebrew script known as paleo-Hebrew, originally used during the period of the Israelite monarchy.  Over time the paleo-Hebrew script evolved to the more "modern" and recognizable square script still in use today. Several Dead Sea Scrolls are written in paleo-Hebrew, especially books from the Torah (Exodus and Leviticus).  Scholars believe that the use of this ancient script was reserved for biblical books thought to come directly from Moses.

The scribes prepared the parchment before they started the task of writing.  With a sharp instrument or in ink they carefully made horizontal scorings to mark the lines, vertical scorings and columns, a method known from rabbinic sources. The characters were suspended from the lines. The scoring of the lines was typical for all the scrolls, but in documents written in paleo-Hebrew, the scribes also marked the end of words with lines or dots.

This fragment comprises the last chapters of the Book of Leviticus, which deal with various matters such as the laws of worship, damages, and slaves...

The scroll is dated to the first half of the first century CE.

Leviticus 16:34-17:5
16: 34. This shall be to you an eternal decree to bring atonement upon the Children of Israel for all their sins once a year; and [Aaron] did as Hashem commanded Moses.  17:1. Hashem spoke to Moses, saying: 2. Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the Children of Israel, and say to them: This is the matter that Hashem has commanded, saying: 3. Any man from the House of Israel who will slaughter an ox, a sheep, or a goat in the camp, or who will slaughter outside the camp, 4. and he has not brought it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to bring it as an offering to Hashem before the Tabernacle of Hashem—it shall be considered as bloodshed for that man, he has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from the midst of his people. 5. So that the Children of Israel will bring their feast-offerings that they have been slaughtering on the open field, and they shall bring them to Hashem to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to the Kohen; and they shall slaughter them as feast peace-offerings to Hashem. 

2. Deuteronomy
4Q31323
Deut 3:14-4:1
(column II)

This piece is one of several Deuteronomy scrolls discovered in Cave 4.  The text is copied in a Hebrew script that dates to approximately 100 BCE and contains Moses' review of Israel's journey in the wilderness and the appointment of Joshua to lead the people after Moses.

Deuteronomy 3:14-4:1
3:14. Jair son of Manasseh took the entire region of Argov until the border of the Geshurite and the Maacathite, and he named them, the Bashan, after himself, 'Havvoth-jair,' until this day. 15. To Machir I gave the Gilead. 16. To the Reubenite and the Gadite I gave from the Gilead until Arnon Brook, the midst of the brook and the border, until Jabbok Brook, the border of the children of Ammon. 17. And the Arabah and the Jordan and its border, from Kinnereth to the Arbah Sea, the Salt Sea, below the waterfalls from the mountaintop, eastward. 18. I commanded you at that time, saying, "Hashem, your God, gave you this Land for a possession, armed shall you cross over before your brethren, the Children of Israel, all the men of accomplishment. 19. Only your wives, small children and livestock—I know that you have abundant livestock—shall dwell in your cities that I have given you. 20. Until Hashem shall give rest to your brethren like yourselves, and they, too, shall possess the Land that Hashem, your-God, gives them on the other side of the Jordan; then you shall return, every man to his inheritance that I have given you. 21. I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, "Your eyes have seen everything that Hashem, your God, has done to these two kings; so will Hashem do to all the kings where you cross over. 22. You shall not fear them, for Hashem, your God--He shall wage war for you." 23.  I implored Hashem at that time, saying 24. My Lord, Hashem/Elohim, you have begun to show your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand, for what power is there in the heaven or on the earth that can perform according to Your deeds and according to Your mighty acts? 25. Let me now cross and see the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon.  26. But Hashem became angry with me because of you, and He did not listen to me; Hashem said to me, "It is too much for you! Do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter. 27. Ascend to the top of the cliff and raise your eyes westward, northward, southward, and eastward, and see with your eyes, for you shall not cross this Jordan. 28. But you shall command Joshua, and strengthen him and give him resolve, for he shall cross before the people and he shall cause them to inherit the Land that you will see." 29. So we remained in the valley, opposite Beth-peor.  4:1  Now, O Israel, listen to the decrees and to the ordinances that I teach you to perform, so that you may live, and you will come and possess the Land that Hashem, the God of your forefathers, gives you.

3.  Isaiah
4Q56-1140
Isaiah 5:15-28

Cave 1 yielded Isaiah, the only complete copy of any biblical book. The first part of the book of Isaiah contains the prophecies of Isaiah, son of Amoz.  This scroll fragment dated to the 1st century BCE was discovered in Cave 4.

Isaiah 5:15-28
5:15 Man will be humbled and people will be brought lower, and the eyes of the haughty will be brought low. 16. Hashem, Master of Legions, will become exalted through judgment, and the Holy God will be sanctified through justice. 17. Then the sheep will graze in their usual way, and sojourners will eat of the ruins of the fattened animals. 18. Woe to those who pull iniquity upon themselves with cords of falsehood, and sin like the ropes of a wagon. 19. Those who say, "Let Him hurry, let Him hasten His action, so that we may see it; let the plan of the Holy One of Israel approach and take place, so that we may know it."  20. Woe to those who speak of evil as good and of good as evil; who make darkness into light and light into darkness; they make bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter! 21. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and in their own view, understanding. 22. Woe to those who are mighty in drinking wine and are men of accomplishment in pouring liquor. 23. They acquit the wicked one because of a bribe, and strip the righteous one of his innocence. 24. Therefore, just as a tongue of fire consumes straw, and a flame destroys stubble, so will their root become rot and their flower will be blown away like dust; for they will have abhorred the Torah of Hashem, Master of Legions, and they have scorned the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25. Therefore, Hashem's wrath has flared up against His people and He has stretched forth His hand against them and stricken them; the mountains have quaked, and their corpses are like refuse in the middle of the streets.  yet still his wrath has not ceased and His hand is still stretched out. 26. He will raise a banner for far-off nations and He will whistle for [the enemy to come] from the ends of the earth; and then, behold, he will come with quickness, with alacrity. 27. None among him is tired or stumbles; he neither sleeps nor slumbers; the belt around his waist will not be opened, and the laces of his shoes will not be untied.  28. His arrows are sharpened and all his bows are drawn; his horses' hooves are considered like flint, and his [chariots'] wheels like a storm.

4.  Psalms
11Q5-978
Psalms 141:5-10, 133:1-3; 144:1-7

The book of Psalms is the most frequently found biblical book in the Qumran caves (30 copies). The Psalms scrolls, dated to the first century BCE, was discovered in Cave 11.  It is one of the best-preserved scrolls with five columns on display.  The scroll contains 41 psalms and seven apocryphal compositions that are not included in the standard version of the Bible.  Moreover the order of psalms does not correspond to the order found in the standard version. The scroll contains a small fragment attesting the authorship of the book to King David.  This fragment illustrates the antiquity of the tradition which views David as the greatest of poets and the author of the Book of Psalms.

Psalms 141:5-10
141:5.  Let the righteous one strike me with kindness and let him rebuke me, like the finest oil, let my head not refuse it; for my prayer is eternally against their evils. 6. Their judges have gone astray through [their hearts of] stone, though they heard my words so pleasant. 7. Like one who chops and splinters [wood] on the ground, so have our bones been scattered to the mouth of the pit. 8. For to You, Hashem/Elohim, O Lord, are my eyes turned, I have sought refuge in You, do not cause my soul to be poured out. 9. Protect me from the hands of the snare they laid for me, and from the traps of the doers of iniquity. 10. The wicked will fall into its nets, all of them together, until I pass through.

Psalms 133:1-3
133:1. A song of ascents, by David. Behold, how good and how pleasant is the dwelling of brothers, moreover in unity. 2. Like the precious oil upon the head running down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down over his garments, 3. so the dew of Hermon descends upon the mountains of Zion, for there Hashem has commanded the blessing. May there be life forever!

Psalms 144:1-7
144:1. By David. Blessed is Hashem, my Rock, Who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war. 2. My Benefactor, my Fortress, my Stronghold, my own Rescuer; my Shield, in Him I take refuge, He Who subjugates my nation to me. 3. Hashem, what is man that You recognize him; the son of a frail human that You reckon with him? 4. Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow. 5. Hashem! Bend Your heavens and descend; touch the mountains and they will go up in smoke. 6. Flash a lightning bolt and scatter them; shoot Your arrows and panic them. 7. Stretch out Your hands from above; release me and rescue me from great waters, from the hand of strangers.

5. Targum Job
11Q10-624
Job 31:40-32:3; 32:10-17; 35:6-15; 36:6-16

The Targum Job fragments are making their first-ever appearance in San Diego. Discovered in Cave 11 at Qumran in 1956, the Targum Job manuscript is comprised of a number of texts dating from 150-100 BCE. Chapters 17-43 from the biblical book of Job translated (targum) from the original Hebrew into Aramaic, the predominant language of post-Exilic Israel. This translation deviates quite a bit from the Hebrew version.

{As an aside, I (Don Harrison) had the opportunity in 1998 to visit the place in Sallalah, Oman, which by Muslim tradition is the Tomb of Job. Here is a link to that story.}

Job 31:40-32:3
31:40  then in place of wheat may thorns emerge, and in place of barley, weeds.  Job's words have ended. 32:1 These three men then stopped responding to Job, for [they saw that] he was righteous in his own eyes. 2. The wrath of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite of the family of Ram flared up: His wrath flared up against Job for judging himself more righteous than God; 3. and his wrath flared up against his three friends because they had not found a proper response and had condemned Job.

Job 32:10-17
32:10.  Therefore, I say, "Hear me, I, too, will express my opinion." 11. Behold, I waited for your words, I gave ear to your wisdom, until you had searched for [proper] words. 12. I contemplated you and behold, there is no one to clarify for Job, no one among you to refute his statements. 13. Do not say, "We have found wisdom!"—for God, not man, has smitten him! 14. He did not direct his words to me, but I would not have answered him with your statements. 15. They have become confounded and do not speak up any more; words have escaped them. 16. So I waited, for they did not speak; they stood still, and did not respond any more. 17. I, too, will speak up my portion; I, too, will express my opinion.

Job 35:6-15
35:6. If you have sinned, how have you affected Him?  If your transgressions multiply, what have you done to Him?  7. If you were righteous, what have you given Him, or what has He taken from your hand? 8. Your wickedness [is of concern] to a man like yourself, and your righteousness to a human being. 9. [The wicked] cause many victims to scream; they cry out because of the strong-armed oppressors. 10. And none of them said, "Where is the God Who made me, Who gives songs at night, 11. Who makes us more knowing than the beasts of the land, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?" 12. There they will cry out, but He will not answer, because of the pride of the evil ones. It will be only for naught! For God will not listen, and the Almighty will not look.  14. Although you may say that you cannot see Him, yet there is judgment before Him, and you should place your hope in Him. 15. So now—[know] that His anger against you is [comparatively] nothing, as if He did not know the vastness [of your guilt].

Job 36:7-16
36:7 He will not remove His eyes from a righteous man until he is on the throne with kings; He will seat them [there] forever and they will become exalted. 8. And if they are shackled in fetters, trapped in ropes of affliction, 9. He [thus] informs them of their [errant] deeds and their transgressions, for they have become overpowering. 10.  He opened their ears to discipline, and said that they should turn back from wrongdoing. 11. If they will listen and serve [Him], then they will finish their days in goodness and their years in pleasantness.  12. But if they will not listen, they will pass away by the sword and expire for lack of knowledge. 13. And those with insincere hearts will bring on [God'] anger; they should not cry out [to Him] when He afflicts them. 14. Their soul will die amid turmoil, and their life among the promiscuous. 15. But He will extricate a poor man [from his sins] through his poverty, and open their ears through oppression.  16.  He has led you out, as well, from a constricted entrance, into a broad place with no narrowness at its bottom, so that your table might be full of rich foods.

6. Greek minor Prophets Scroll
8 Hev-1-63

7. Nahum Commentary
4Q-169-980

A pesher or commentary constitutes one of the unique ways the community at Qumran interpreted Bible. After each biblical verse, the authors of the commentary provide interpretation of the text's meaning. Their analysis often related to contemporary events in their world.

The community at Qumran believed that the Bible contained hidden messages and esoteric secrets concerning the future. They believed their righteousness empowered them to reveal these secrets.

The biblical book of Nahum describes the last days of the Assyrian Empire. The prophet Nahum prophesied about the destruction of Nineveh and the downfall of the Assyrian king and his army. This commentary interprets Nahum's prophecy as if it were occurring in the first century BCE.

The scroll fragment, dated to the first century CE, was discovered in Cave 4.  It is the commentary on Nahum 2:12-13. The author mentions the name Demetrius, a Greek King who waged war against Jerusalem attempting to destroy the city.  From these and other references we can learn of events occurring during the scroll author's lifetime.

Nahum 2:12, 13
2:12.Where is the lion's den, which was the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, the awesome lion, and lion whelp would go, with none to make them afraid? 13. The lion would tear prey to provide for his cubs, choking [prey] for his lionesses. He would fill up his lairs with prey and his dens with torn carcasses.

8. Bar Kokhba—The "Alma" Text
5/6 Hev 44

This papyrus document is the record of a business transaction dated to 134 CE.  It was discovered in 1961 in the Cave of the Letters in Nahal Hever not far from Qumran. The letter is 33 lines long, written in Hebrew with black ink.  The document is a lease agreement for land previously owned by the government of Simeon Bar Kosiba (Bar Kokhba), leader of the second Jewish Revolt (130-135 CE). Bar Kokhba is mentioned in this document as "Prince of Israel," a historical reference to his brief tenure as leader in this period.

This piece is of particular interest to the Mormon community as one of the individuals mentioned in the fourth line of the text is "Alma son of Judah." This name is the oldest known occurrence of this name outside of the Book of Mormon.

9. Shirot Olat ha-Shabbat—Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice
4Q-511-403

Nine fragments of this text were discovered at Qumran and an additional fragment was discovered at Masada. The text contains 13 songs of praise to be read on the first 13 Sabbaths of the year.  They may have been part of the communal Sabbath worship service for the community at Qumran. It is dated to 134 CE.

10.  The Book of War
11Q-14-607/1

This fragment dated to the 1st century BCE is part of a composition describing the apocalyptic war between the forces of righteousness and the forces of evil. A complete copy of this composition, known as "The War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness," was discovered in Cave 1.  The text describes the final apocalyptic war between the Sons of Light, presumably, the members of the Qumran community and the Sons of Darkness, called kiittim (the Romans?) after which a new world order will reign. The War Rule details how people will be recruited for the battle and battle strategy. It includes descriptions of soldiers' weapons and blessings to be recited during different stages of the battle.

11. Damascus Document
4Q-271-357

Fragments of this text were discovered in Caves 4, 5 and 6. Scrolls with nearly identical contents were discovered in 1896 in the genizah (library of old books) of the Ezra Synagogue in Cairo. Dated to the late first century BCE, this text addresses a community which fled from Judea to the "Land of Damascus."  Scholars posit that "Damascus" in the test could refer to the Syrian city or could simply symbolize exile in general. The text urges the community to remain faithful and then sets out a list of legal precepts, rituals and rules for the community to observe.

12. Community Rule
4Q-258-141/1

The Community Rule, also known as the Manual of Discipline, is a set of rules according to which the people at Qumran conducted their lives. The document contains principles regarding religion, justice and conduct of the members of the community.  It describes the way in which one became a member of the group, details daily life, work , prayer, study and steps taken with those who violate the rules.