Damascus Document

1
Damascus Document

• aka Zadokite Fragment
• aka Damascus Covenant
• aka Damascus Document

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Ben Ezra Synagogue
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The Geniza closet
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Professor Solomon Schechter
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Solomon Schechter in Cambridge with the Cairo
Geniza
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R. Abraham ben Harambams Handwriting
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Rambams signature
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Damascus Document
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Structure

• A. Admonition (1-8 19-20)
• 1. History (1.1 - 4.12a)
• background to the community
• 2. Legal (4.12b - 7.9)
• the significance of being outside and inside the
  community, some of the laws
• 3. Warnings (7.5 - 8.19)
• includes the Three Nets of Belial
• 4. Supplement (19.33 - 20.34)
• discusses apostasy, disobedience, further
  warnings and a promise to the faithful
• B. Laws (15-16 9-14)
• 1. Oaths and vows (15.1 - 9.10a)
• taking oaths, becoming a member of the community,
  offerings and vows to God
• 2. Sundry rulings (9.10b - 12.22a)
• rules regarding witnesses, purity and
  purification, the Sabbath, sacrifices, gentiles
  and impure foods
• 3. Camp laws (12.22b - 14.18a)
• laws for camp living, qualification for an
  overseer, relations with outsiders, ranks and
  needs of camp members
• 4. Penal code (14.18b - 22)
• fragment concerning punishments

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Was this document written by the Dead Sea Sect?

• Law of charity indicate private property
• Laws re women indicate marriage
• Belongs to the early stages of the movement and
  governs those camps nearer to cities.
• Josephus also says some Essene communities marry.

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Admonition - Intro

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15

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• (9) Ephraim is stricken with horror on a day of
  chastisement. Against the tribes of Israel I
  proclaim certainties. (10) The officers of Judah
  have acted like shifters of filed boundaries. On
  them I will pour out My wrath like water. (11)
  Ephraim is defrauded, robbed of redress, because
  he was determined to follow mans commandment
  (or, because he has witlessly gone after
  futility).

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• Thanksgiving Scroll (1QH 410-11)
• They planned evil Belial against me to replace
  your Torah which you taught in my heart with
  smooth things false laws which they taught to
  your people.
• Pesher Nahum (4QpNah 3-4 II, 8)
• The interpretation of Nahum 34 concerns those
  who lead Ephraim astray, whose falseness is in
  their teaching talmud, and whose lying tongue
  and dishonest lips lead many astray

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2 Sisters or 2 Wives

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The Torah was Lost

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Can you marry your uncle?

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