Dead Sea Scrolls

After the initial scrolls were found in 1947, scholars eagerly sought to study these writings that dated to the Common Era. These documents completely changed the biblical field and have provided a fresh view into the world Jesus and the early Church inhabited. My overview of the Dead Sea Scrolls can be found HERE.

1Q20 1 (Genesis Apocryphon)

... were descending, and with the women ... and also the mystery of lawlessness, which ... times, and the mystery that we did not make known ... not until the the day which the mystery, whether they are all your sons, and ... great ... medicines, acts of sorcery, and divinations ... the earth, and that I will seek to ... part of the deed that until now... which is upon the dry land, to establish ... see, I have given all of them ... and if …

1Q20 6 (Genesis Apocryphon)

I saw in a vision and was explained and made known the action of the sons of heaven and... the heavens. Then I hid this mystery in my heart and explained it to no man. vacate ... to me and a great and... and in a message of the Holy One... and he spoke to me in a vision and he stood before me …

1Q20 20 (Genesis Apocryphon)

So I prayed [for him] ... and I laid my hands on his [head]; and the scourge departed from him and the evil [spirit] was expelled [from him], and he lived.

1QH 12 (Thanksgiving Psalms)

The way of man is not established except by the spirit which God created for him to make perfect a way for the children of men, that all His creatures may know the might of His power, and the abundance of His mercies towards all the sons of His grace.

1QH 12:4 (Thanksgiving Psalms)

Through me Thou hast illumined the face of the Congregation and hast shown Thine infinite power. For Thou hast given me knowledge through Thy marvelous mysteries, and hast shown Thyself mighty within me in the midst of Thy marvelous Council.

1QH 18a (Thanksgiving Psalms)

Thou, O my God, hast put into my mouth as it were rain for all [those who thirst] and a fount of living waters which shall not fail.

1QH 18:4 (Thanksgiving Psalms)

...its stem was trodden by all who passed on the way and its branches by all the birds. And all the [trees] by the water rose above it for they grew in their plantation; but they sent out no root to the watercourse.

1QH 18:14 (Thanksgiving Psalms)

...for it is according to the mystery of Thy wisdom that Thou hast rebuked me. Thou wilt conceal the truth until [its] time, [and righteousness] until its appointed moment.... and my light shall shine forth in Thy glory. For as a light from out of the darkness, so wilt Thou enlighten me.

1QH 25 (Thanksgiving Psalms)

...that to the humble he might bring glad tidings of Thy great mercy, [proclaiming salvation] from out of the fountain [of holiness to the contrite] of spirit, and everlasting joy to those who mourn. ...

1QM 1:11 (War Scroll)

For the In[structor, the Rule of] the War. The first attack of the Sons of Light shall be undertaken against the forces of the Sons of Darkness, the army of Belial: the troops of Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the [Amalekites]...

1QS 1-2 (Community Scroll)

...that they may love all that He has chosen and hate all that He has rejected...that they may love all the sons of light.

1QS 3a (Community Scroll)

For it is through the spirit of true counsel concerning the ways of man that all his sins shall be expiated, that he may contemplate the light of life. He shall be cleansed from all his sins by the spirit of holiness uniting him to His truth, and his iniquity shall be expiated by the spirit of uprightness and humility. And when his flesh is sprinkled with purifying water and sanctified by cleansing water, it shall be made clean by the humble submission of his soul to all the precepts of God.

1QS 3b (Community Scroll)

The Master shall instruct all the sons of light and shall teach them the nature of all the children of men according to the kind of spirit which they possess, the signs identifying their works during their lifetime, their visitation for chastisement, and the time of their reward.

1QS 4 (Community Scroll)

And as for the visitation of all who walk in this spirit, it shall be healing, great peace in a long life, and fruitfulness, together with every everlasting blessing and eternal joy in life without end, a crown of glory and a garment of majesty in unending light.

1QS 4:5 (Community Scroll)

He will cleanse him of all wicked deeds with the spirit of holiness; like purifying waters He will shed upon him the spirit of truth (to cleanse him) of all abomination and injustice. And he shall be plunged into the spirit of purification, that he may instruct the upright in the knowledge of the Most High and teach the wisdom of the sons of heaven to the perfect of way. For God has chosen them for an everlasting Covenant and all the glory of Adam shall be theirs.

1QS 5 (Community Scroll)

They shall atone for all those in Aaron who have freely pledged themselves to holiness, and for those in Israel who have freely pledged themselves to the House of Truth...

1QS 6:1 (Community Scroll)

And furthermore, let no man accuse his companion before the Congregation without having admonished him in the presence of witnesses. These are the ways in which all of them shall walk, each man with his companion, wherever they dwell.

1QS 6:5 (Community Scroll)

And if it be his destiny, according to the judgment of the Priests and the multitude of the men of their Covenant, to enter the company of the Community, his property and earnings shall be handed over to the Bursar of the Congregation who shall register it to his account and shall not spend it for the Congregation.

1QS 6:7 (Community Scroll)

If one of them has lied deliberately in matters of property, he shall be excluded from the pure Meal of the Congregation for one year an shall do penance with respect to one quarter of his food.

1QS 7:2 (Community Scroll)

Whoever has borne malice against his companion unjustly shall do penance for six months/one year...

1QS 8 (Community Scroll)

They shall walk with all men according to the standard of truth and the rule of the time. When these are in Israel, the Council of the Community shall be established in truth. It shall be an Everlasting Plantation, a House of Holiness for Israel, an Assembly of Supreme Holiness for Aaron.

1QS 10:17 (Community Scroll)

I will pay to no man the reward of evil; I will pursue him with goodness. For judgment of all the living is with God and it is He who will render to man his reward.

1QS 1 1a (Community Scroll)

As for me, my justification is with God. In His hand are the perfection of my way and the uprightness of my heart. He will wipe out my transgression through His righteousness...From the source of His righteousness is my justification, and from His marvelous mysteries is the light in my heart.

1QS 1 1b (Community Scroll)

He establishes all things by His design and without Him nothing is done.

1QS 1 1c (Community Scroll)

God has given them to His chosen ones as an everlasting possession, and has caused them to inherit the lot of the Holy Ones. He has joined their assembly to the Sons of Heaven to be a Council of the Community, a foundation of the Building of Holiness, and eternal Plantation throughout all ages to come.

1QSa 2 (Community Scroll)

And then [the Mess]iah of Israel shall [come]...And [when] they shall gather for the common [tab]le, to eat and [to drink] new wine, when the common table shall be set for eating and the new wine [poured] for drinking, let no man extend his hand over the first fruits of bread and wine before the Priest; for [it is he] who shall bless the first fruits of bread and wine, and shall be the first [to extend] his hand over the bread. Thereafter, the Messiah of Israel shall extend his hand over the bread, [and] all the congregation of the Community [shall utter a] blessing, [each man in the order] of his dignity.

1QSa 2a (Community Scroll)

...for the Angels of Holiness are [with] their [congregation].

1QpHab 7 (Pesher on Habakkuk)

... and God told Habakkuk to write down that which would happen to the final generation, but He did not make known to him when time would come to an end. And as for that which He said, That he who reads may read it speedily: interpreted this concerns the Teacher of Righteousness, to whom God made known all the mysteries of the words of His servants the Prophets.

4Q174 a

Interpreted, this saying concerns [the kings of the nations] who shall [rage against] the elect of Israel in the last days. This shall be the time of the trial to come concerning the house of Judah so as to perfect ...

4Q174 b

He has commanded that a Sanctuary of men be built for Himself, that there they may send up, like the smoke of incense, the works of the Law.

4Q174 c

As it is written, I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen. That is to say, the fallen tent of David is he who shall arise to save Israel.

4Q184

Amid everlasting fire is her inheritance, not among those who shine brightly.

4Q201

... And these are [the names of their chiefs]. Shemihazah wh[o was their head, Arataqojph, his second; Ramta[el], to him; Kolabe [I, fourth to him;... el, fifjth to him; Ramae[l, sixth to him;] Daniel, seve[nth to him; Ziqiel, eigh]th to him; Baraqel, nin[th to him]; Asael, tenth [to him; Hermoni, elevenjth to him; Matarel, twelflth to him]; Ananel, thirteenth [to him); Stewel, [fourteenth to him; Shamshi[el, fif]teenth to him; Shahriel, [sjxteenth to him; Tummiel, seven[teenth to him]; Turiel, eighteenth to film; Yomiel, nine[teenth] to him; [Yehaddiel, twentieth to him.] These are the chiefs of the chiefs of tens. The[se and] their [ch]iefs [took for themselves] wives from all those whom they chose and [they began to go in to them and defile themselves with them and to teach them sorcery and magic ] ... And they became pregnant by them and bo[re giants] …

4Q204

... [And af]ter [these shall co]me a greater wicked[ness than that which will have been accomplished] in [their] d[ays. For] I know the mysteries [of the Lord which] the holy ones have explained and showed me and which I read [in] the heavenly [tablets]. And I saw written in them that one generation after another will do evil in this way and evil will last [until] generations of righteousness [arise] and evil and wickedness shall end and violence shall cease from the earth and un[til good shall come on the earth] on them, vacate And now, please go to your [son], Lamech, [and explain to him] that this child is his son in truth and without lie…

4Q206 (1 Enoch 22:3-7)

... [the soul] of all the sons of man. And behold, these are the pits for their prison. They were made thus until the day of their judgment, until the final day of the great judgment which will be imposed on them, vacate There I saw the spirit of a dead man complaining and his moaning rising to heaven and crying and complaining…

4Q206 (1 Enoch 32:1-3)

... [And beyond] those [mountains] roughly northwards, on their eastern side, I was shown other mountains, [full of] excellent [n]ard, and pepper-wort, and cinnamon, [and pe]pper. vacate And from there I was led [to the east of all those mountains, far from them, to the east of the earth and I was taken over the Red S[ea] and greatly distanced myself from it and crossed over the darkness far from it. And I passed to the Paradise of righteousness...

4Q213 1

This is a vision and I am so amazed ...’ And] I [concealed] this also in my heart [and disclosed it] to no man.

4Q242 1

[I, Nabonidus,] was afflicted [by a malignant inflammation] for seven years, and was banished far [from men, until I prayed to the God Most High] and an exorcist forgave my sin. He was a Je[w] fr[om the exiles...

4Q246 1

...he will be great on earth ...The son of God he will be proclaimed and the son of the Most High they will call him...Their dominion will be an eternal dominion (Dan 8:14)

4Q266 a (Damascus Document)

For in ancient times, Moses and Aaron arose by the hand of the Prince of Lights and Belial in his cunning raised up Jannes and his brother when Israel was first delivered.

4Q266 b (Damascus Document)

...whereas the principle of creation is, Male and female created He them.

4Q266 c (Damascus Document)

Let no man address his companion with anger or ill-temper or wicked envy. Also let no man accuse his companion before the Congregation without having rebuked him before witnesses.

4Q267 (Damascus Document)

...and fourth the proselytes...and the proselytes fourth.

4Q267 1 (Damascus Document)

This is the Rule for the Congregation by which it shall provide for all its needs: They shall place the earnings of at least two days out of every month into the hands of the Guardian and the Judges, and from it they shall give to the fatherless, and from it they shall succor the poor and the needy, the aged sick and the man who is stricken (with disease), the captive taken by a foreign people, the virgin with no near kin, and the ma[id for] whom no man cares ...

4Q398 (4QMMT; Halakhic Letter)

Remember David, that he was a man of piety, and that he was also saved from many troubles and pardoned...Consequently, you will rejoice at the end of time when you discover that some of our sayings are true. And it will be reckoned for you as righteousness when you perform what is right and good before Him, for your own good and for that of Israel.

4Q417 2

...he will not smite him with a rod [...thirty-] nine...

4Q418 2

The s[ons of] heaven whose inheritance is eternal life...Will they not walk in eternal light…

4Q521

.. [the hea]vens and the earth will listen to His Messiah...And He will glorify the pious on the throne of the eternal Kingdom...He who liberates the captives, restores sight to the blind, straightens the b[ent] (Ps. 146:7-8)….For He will heal the wounded, and revive the dead and bring good news to the poor (Isa. 61:1).

4Q525 2

[Blessed is] ... with a pure heart and does not slander with his tongue. Blessed are those who hold to her (Wisdom’s) precepts and do not hold to the ways of iniquity. Blessed are those who rejoice in her, and do not burst forth in ways of folly. Blessed are those who seek her with pure hands, and do not pursue her with a treacherous heart.

5Q15

All the streets and the city are paved with white stone [...] alabaster and onyx.

11Q13 2

...its interpretation concerns Belial and the spirits of his lot [who] rebelled by turning away from the precepts of God to ... And Melchizedek will avenge the vengeance of the judgments of God... and he will drag [them from the hand of] Belial and from the hand of all the sp[irits of] his [lot]. And all the ‘gods [of Justice’] will come to his aid [to] attend to the de[struction] of Belial.

Sources

“The Dead Sea Scrolls [Complete English Translation].pdf (PDFy mirror)" Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine. Web.