Unfortunately video sermon had an old link. "Faith by Numbers" now correct.
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Edinburgh, 21 April 2021
Good morning from Scotland (home again)!
We hope you're doing well, and growing in knowledge of the Lord and his Word (2 Peter 3:18). Among the items in today's bulletin are a new iFaith video as well as the opening piece in a series on the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Faith by Numbers
iFaith video sermon 78 is now available, exploring King David's ill-fated census. Is it wrong to number members, count conversions, measure giving, or take stock of our personal finances? Why was the Lord displeased with David for counting the people? To find out, please click HERE.
There will be a total of 120 talks in the iFaith series, which takes us through the entire Bible.
What I'm Learning from the Dead SeaScrolls
How much do you know about the Dead Sea Scrolls? If you're like me, you heard of these ancient artefacts years ago. But most people leave it at that; they don't read the Scrolls, visit the caves, or converse with scholars. Long after I graduated from Harvard (where I earned my Masters) I realised that my second-year Hebrew professor, F. M. Cross (1921-2012), was a prominent leader in the Dead Sea Scrolls Project, and is widely regarded as the founder of Qumran Studies. When I was his student—well, let's just say I had other concerns. Nor was I nearly as passionate about history and learning from the past as I am now.
The more I've traveled to Israel (20+ times), especially leading groups interested in learning about the Scrolls, the more I've become convicted of the need to be better informed. With that in mind, one of my recent academic goals has been to complete a study of all the non-biblical Dead Sea Scrolls. (About 40% of the scrolls are actually copies of scriptural books. My focus was the other 60%.)
I completed this project (2018-2021) earlier this month. Today and in the next few newsletters I'd like to share a few things I've learned, since the Scrolls shed considerable light on Judaism c.200 BC-AD 50, thereby illuminating the background of early Christianity.
The Discovery
The initial discovery is credited to Muhammed edh-Dhib (born 1931), who as a teenager accidentally came across the first scrolls in the Qumran caves. It's a fascinating story, though one which I will not retell at this time. These discoveries were made between November 1946 and February 1947.
The scrolls had been hidden since 68 AD, when the Qumran community abandoned their settlement during the war with Rome (66-70 AD). The community's manuscripts were secreted in 11 caves. Pictured here is Cave 4, where the majority were discovered. Other caves with manuscripts have since come to light—and new caves are being explored every year.
The Dead Sea Community
The Qumran community was established in the late 1st century BC, near the NW shore of the Dead Sea. This monastic settlement included living quarters, a communal dining hall, numerous immersion pools (for ritual cleansing), and a scriptorium (where manuscripts were painstakingly copied).
It is widely agreed among scholars that the Qumran ruins are the material remains of a Jewish group called the Essenes. Disgusted with the Jerusalem temple bureaucracy, they removed themselves to the desert in order to build a purified people of God and prepare for the end-times battle.
New to me
The following facts were new to me, or matters I'd only heard of, but came to better understand through my project.
REJECTION OF THE JERUSALEM TEMPLE
The Qumran community claimed the Jerusalem high priest was corrupt. In contrast, their own "Teacher of Righteousness" (probably the leader of the community) was holy, and did not mislead God's people. The Jerusalem priests (like Annas and Caiaphas, who engineered the crucifixion of Christ), were greedy, wealthy, and arrogant, considering themselves above the law (1 QpHab VIII-IX; CD-A x.7-8—we'll learn how to "decode" such references next week).
These unscrupulous men were not godly shepherds. Rather, they were fleecing the poor and widows (4Q266.19. vi.16).
In the spirit of Malachi 1:10, the Qumran community rejected the Temple and its sacrifices (CD-A vi.12ff [the Damascus Document]). No temple was preferable to a corrupt one, since Yahweh would never honour meaningless sacrifices.
COMMUNITY HIERARCHY & DISCIPLINE
The community was strictly hierarchical (1QS [Rule of the Community] v.23-25. There was an elaborate system for "moving up" in rank.
There was a one-year probationary period before joining (1QS vi).
There were also periods of discipline for various infractions, like falling asleep in one of the meetings, speaking out of turn, etc (1QS v-ix). These periods could last days, weeks, months, or years.
Not just anybody could join the Essenes (CD-A xv.15-17).
Those prohibited from the assembly included all stupid, deranged, feeble-minded, and insane persons.
Nor were the lame, those who stumbled, the deaf, or underage boys welcome.
Also excluded were those with weak eyes—presumably because accurately copying manuscripts required sharp vision.
No one over 60 was to serve as a judge in the congregation (CD-A x.7-8). They weren't expelled, but were required to cede their place to younger members, who could still benefit from their wisdom.
WOULD I HAVE JOINED THIS COMMUNITY?
How about you and me? Am I fed up with "the system," longing for purity and structure, like the Essenes? Or do I defend the establishment, like the Sadducees or the Herodians? Perhaps I'm a radical, like the Zealots, calling for desperate measures. Or maybe I'm more of a reformer, like the Pharisees. The first-century spectrum within Judaism was hardly homogenous, but dynamic and varied.
TO BE CONTINUED...
In coming instalments:
What the Scrolls tell us about the Old Testament
How they illuminate the New Testament
Concepts of the Messiah in the 1st Century AD
Assessing the common claim of a conspiracy (translation and publication)
And much more....
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Upcoming
It's been a jam-packed week since returning from Atlanta. Besides our daily walks, work on the three upcoming tours, and more COVID tests (12 so far—Vicki and I are part of a government study), the schedule has been full with scriptural study, lessons preparation, answering questions, and abundant online fellowship.
Yesterday evening I led a special evening session for the Norwegian students enrolled in the Athens Institute, and this evening I'll be speaking again for London. On Sunday I'm privileged to deliver the sermon for Calgary and several other congregations in western Canada. 10 minutes later, our own small group meeting begins.
Thanks for all your prayers for creativity, energy, and insight.
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The scrolls had been hidden since 68 AD, when the Qumran community abandoned their settlement during the war with Rome (66-70 AD). The community's manuscripts were secreted in 11 caves. Pictured here is Cave 4, where the majority were discovered. Other caves with manuscripts have since come to light—and new caves are being explored every year.
Illumination Publishers recognises the tremendous importance and impact of books on people. Through these challenging times, IP remains committed to glorifying God by providing high-quality products affirming biblical values—and calling people to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
