Caves and Contents (Cave 4)
THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS AND WHY THEY MATTER
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Caves and Contents
Cave 4
The mother lode of manuscript fragments. Cave 4 was found in August 1952 by Bedouin exploring literally right under the noses of the archaeologists excavating Qumran on the plateau above. The cave contained 575 manuscripts, most of them in tatters, including parts of Biblical and apocryphal books, Biblical commentaries, works on Jewish law, prayers and sectarian documents. Due to their poorly preserved state, the fragments from Cave 4 were generally the most difficult to decipher and translate.
Further Reading
4Q184: Beware the Wiles of the Wanton Woman, Biblical Archaeology Review 9:04, Jul/Aug 1983, By Magen Broshi and The Seductress of Qumran, Bible Review 17:05, Oct 2001
4Q285: A Pierced or Piercing Messiah?—The Verdict Is Still Out, Biblical Archaeology Review 18:06, Nov/Dec 1992, by James D. Tabor and The “Pierced Messiah” Text—An Interpretation Evaporates, Biblical Archaeology Review 18:04, Jul/Aug 1992
4Q395: For This You Waited 35 Years, Biblical Archaeology Review 20:06, Nov/Dec 1994
4Q445: Who Was He? Rare DSS Text Mentions King Jonathan, Biblical Archaeology Review 20:01, Jan/Feb 1994, by Esther Eshel, Hanan Eshel and Ada Yardeni
4Q521: The Messiah at Qumran, Biblical Archaeology Review 18:06, Nov/Dec 1992, By James D. Tabor and Michael O. Wise
4Q541: The Suffering Servant at Qumran, Bible Review 9:06, Dec 1993, By John J. Collins
4Q550: Has Every Book of the Bible Been Found Among the Dead Sea Scrolls?, Bible Review 12:05, Oct 1996, By Sidnie White Crawford
| Contents found in Cave 4: | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4Q11 | Paleo-Genesis- /Exodus | 4Q247 | Apocalypse of Weeks? | 4Q414 | Baptismal liturgy | ||
| 4Q12 | Paleo- Genesis | 4Q248 | Acts of a Greek King | 4Q415-419 | Sapiential work | ||
| 4Q415-419 | Exodus | 4Q250 | Midrash Sefer Mosheh | 4Q420-421 | Ways of Righteous- ness | ||
| 4Q22 | Paleo-Exodus | 4Q251 | Halakhah | 4Q422 | Paraphrase of Genesis Exodus | ||
| 4Q23 | Leviticus-Numbers | 4Q252 | Commentary of Genesis A | 4Q423-426 | Sapiential work | ||
| 4Q24-26b | Leviticus | 4Q253 | Commentary of Genesis B | 4Q427-433 | Hodayot | ||
| 4Q27 | Numbers | 4Q255-264 | Community Rule | 4Q434 | Barkhi Nafshi | ||
| 4Q28-44 | Deuteronomy | 4Q265 | Serekh Damascus | 4Q434a | Grace? | ||
| 4Q45-46 | Paleo-Deuter- onomy | 4Q265-273 | Damascus Document | 4Q435-438 | Barkhi Nafshi | ||
| 4Q47-48 | Joshua | 4Q274-283 | Purification Rules | 4Q439 | Similar to Barkhi Nafshi | ||
| 4Q49-50 | Judges | 4Q284 | Rule of Menstruating Women | 4Q440 | Hodayot-like text | ||
| 4Q51-53 | Samuel | 4Q285 | War Rule | 4Q441-444 | Prayers | ||
| 4Q54 | Kings | 4Q286-290 | Berakhot | 4Q445-447 | poetics | ||
| 4Q55-69 | Isaiah | 4Q291-293 | Prayers | 4Q448 | Apocryphal Psalms & Prayer | ||
| 4Q70-72 | Jeremiah | 4Q294-297 | Rules and Euchologies? | 4Q449-457 | Prayers | ||
| 4Q73-75 | Ezekiel | 4Q298 | Words of a Sage | 4Q458 | narrative | ||
| 4Q76-82 | Minor Prophets | 4Q299-301 | Mysteries | 4Q459-460 | Pseudo- graphical work | ||
| 4Q83-98 | Psalms | 4Q302 | Praise of God | 4Q461-463 | narrative | ||
| 4Q99-100 | Job | 4Q303-305 | Creation Meditation | 4Q464 | Exposition on the Patriarchs | ||
| 4Q101 | Paleo-Job | 4Q306 | People Who Err | 4Q464a-465 | unclassified | ||
| 4Q102-103 | Proverbs | 4Q307 | Sapiential work | 4Q469 | Narrative 1 | ||
| 4Q104-105 | Ruth | 4Q308 | Sapiential work | 4Q470 | Zedekiah | ||
| 4Q106-108 | Canticles | 4Q309 | Cursive work | 4Q471 | War Scroll- like text | ||
| 4Q109-110 | Ecclesiastes | 4Q310-311 | unclassified | 4Q471a | Polemics | ||
| 4Q111 | Lamen- tations | 4Q312 | Hebrew text | 4Q471b | Prayer of Michael | ||
| 4Q112-116 | Daniel | 4Q313 | unclassified | 4Q472 | Sapiential work | ||
| 4Q117 | Ezra | 4Q314-315 | blank parchment | 4Q473 | The Two Ways | ||
| 4Q118 | Chronicles | 4Q316 | unclassified | 4Q474-476a | Sapiential work | ||
| 4Q119 | Septuagint Leviticus | 4Q317 | Phases of the Moon | 4Q477 | Rebukes of the Overseer | ||
| 4Q120 | Septuagint Leviticus | 4Q318 | Zodiology | 4Q478 | fragment | ||
| 4Q121 | Septuagint Numbers | 4Q319 | Otot | 4Q479-481f | unclassified | ||
| 4Q122 | Septuagint Deute- ronomy | 4Q320-330 | Calendrical documents | 4Q482 | Jubliees? | ||
| 4Q123 | Paleo-Joshua | 4Q331-333 | historical work | 4Q483 | Genesis of Jubilees? | ||
| 4Q124-126 | unclassified | 4Q334 | Ordinances | 4Q484 | Judah? | ||
| 4Q127 | Greek paraphrase Exodus | 4Q335-336 | Astronomical fragments | 4Q485 | Prophecy | ||
| 4Q128-148 | Phylactery | 4Q337 | Calendrical documents | 4Q486-487 | Sapiential work | ||
| 4Q149-155 | Mezuzot | 4Q338 | geneaology | 4Q488 | Apocyphon | ||
| 4Q156 | Targum of Leviticus | 4Q339 | list of false prophets | 4Q489 | Apocalypse | ||
| 4Q157 | Targum of Job | 4Q340 | list of netinim | 4Q490 | Aramaic papyrus | ||
| 4Q158 | paraphrases | 4Q341 | list of proper names | 4Q491-497 | The War Scroll | ||
| 4Q159 | Ordinances | 4Q342 | letter | 4Q498 | Sapiential work | ||
| 4Q160 | Vision of Samuel | 4Q343 | letter | 4Q499 | Hymns | ||
| 4Q161-165 | Pesher Isaiah | 4Q344 | acknow- ledgement of debt | 4Q500 | Benediction | ||
| 4Q166-167 | Pesher Hosiah | 4Q345 | bill of sale | 4Q501 | Apocyrphal Lamen- tations | ||
| 4Q168 | Pesher Micah | 4Q346 | bill of sale | 4Q502 | Ritual of Marriage | ||
| 4Q169 | Pesher Nahum | 4Q347 | Aramaic papyrus | 4Q503 | Daily Prayers | ||
| 4Q170 | Pesher Zephaniah | 4Q348-4Q358 | Accounting documents | 4Q504-506 | Words of the Luminaries | ||
| 4Q171 | Pesher Psalms | 4Q359 | list of names | 4Q507-509 | Festival Prayers | ||
| 4Q172 | unidentified pesher | 4Q360 | Writing Exercise | 4Q510-511 | songs of the sage | ||
| 4Q173 | Pesher Psalms | 4Q361 | scribbles on papyrus | 4Q512 | Ritual of Purification | ||
| 4Q1474 | Florilegium | 4Q362-3 | undeciph- ered | 4Q513-514 | Ordinaces | ||
| 4Q175 | Testimonia | 4Q364-365 | Pentateuch reworked | 4Q515-520 | unclassified | ||
| 4Q176 | Tanhumim | 4Q365a | Temple Scroll? | 4Q521 | Messianic Apocalypse | ||
| 4Q177 | Catena | 4Q366-367 | Pentateuch reworked | 4Q522 | Place Names | ||
| 4Q178 | unclassified | 4Q368 | Apocryphal Pentateuch | 4Q523 | Hebrew text | ||
| 4Q179 | Apocryphal Lamen- tations | 4Q369 | Prayer of Enosh | 4Q524 | halakhic text | ||
| 4Q180-181 | Ages of Creation | 4Q370 | Flood Apocryphon | 4Q525 | Wisdom with Beautitudes | ||
| 4Q182 | Catena | 4Q371-3 | Joseph Apocryphon | 4Q526-528 | Hebrew fragments | ||
| 4Q183 | historical work | 4Q374 | Exodus commentary | 4Q529 | Words of Micahel | ||
| 4Q184 | Wiles of the Wicked Woman | 4Q375-377 | Moses Apocryphon | 4Q530-532 | Books of Giants | ||
| 4Q185 | Sapiential work | 4Q378-379 | Joshua Apocryphon | 4Q533 | Giants or Pseudo Enoch | ||
| 4Q186 | Horoscope | 4Q380-381 | Noncanonical Psalms | 4Q534 | Elect of God | ||
| 4Q196-200 | Tobit | 4Q382 | Paraphases of Kings | 4Q535 | Aramaic N | ||
| 4Q201-212 | Various Enoch | 4Q383-384 | Apocryphon of Jeremiah | 4Q536 | Aramaic C | ||
| 4Q213-214 | Levi | 4Q385 | Pseudo Ezekial | 4Q537 | Apocryphon of- Jacob | ||
| 4Q215 | Testament of Naphtali | 4Q385a | Pseudo Moses | 4Q538 | Apocryphon of- Judah | ||
| 4Q216-228 | various Jubilees | 4Q385b | Apocryphon of- Jeremiah | 4Q539 | Apocryphon- of Joseph | ||
| 4Q229 | Pseudo- graphiic work | 4Q386-387 | Pseudo Ezekial | 4Q540-451 | Levi? | ||
| 4Q230-231 | Catalog of Spirits | 4Q387a | Pseudo Moses | 4Q542 | Testament of Qahat | ||
| 4Q232 | New Jerusalem | 4Q387b | Apocryphon of Jeremiah | 4Q543-548 | Visions of Amram | ||
| 4Q233 | Place names fragments | 4Q388 | Pseudo Ezekial | 4Q549 | Hur and Miriam | ||
| 4Q234 | Genesis 20:27f | 4Q388a-389 | Pseudo Moses | 4Q550 | Ester? | ||
| 4Q235 | Kings | 4Q389a | Apocryphon of Jeremiah | 4Q551 | Daniel Susanna | ||
| 4Q236 | Psalm 89 | 4Q390 | Pseudo Moses | 4Q552-553 | Four Kingdoms | ||
| 4Q237-238 | unclassified | 4Q391 | Pseudo Ezekial | 4Q554-555 | New Jerusalem | ||
| 4Q239 | Pesher on the True Israel | 4Q392-393 | Liturgical Work | 4Q556-558 | Visions of Amram | ||
| 4Q240 | Pesher Canticles? | 4Q394-399 | MMT | 4Q559 | Biblical Chronology | ||
| 4Q241 | Lamen- tations | 4Q400-407 | Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice | 4Q560 | Proverbs | ||
| 4Q242 | Prayers of Nabonidus | 4Q408 | Sapiential work | 4Q561 | Horoscope | ||
| 4Q243-245 | Pseudo-Daniel | 4Q409 | Liturgical Work | 4Q562-575 | Aramaic Texts | ||
Sources
Vermes, Geza. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English. New York: Penguin Press, 1997.
Schiffman, Lawrence and VanderKam, James. The Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
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We would rather not go through your commentary and interpretation of what is on these scrolls.
How about letting the text lead the people. Your egos destroy the vital elements needed to seek the Kingdom.
It’s redundant and counterproductive to have to tread through the misery of your bored thoughts to get to the vital elements of what we have come to enyoy: SOME TRUTH WITHOUT THE CORRUPTION OF IGNORANT, or DECEPTIVE PEOPLE