The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Volume 2, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Qumran Community

9. DUALISM IN THE ESSENE COMMUNITIES

58. Most recently, Jean Duhaime (“Les voies des deux Esprits (1QS iv 2–14): une analyse structurelle,” RevQ 19 [2000]: 349–67) has employed the structuralist approach of Marc Girard to undertake an intricate analysis of this passage, with particular attention paid to the role of repetition and transitional phrases. This detailed study, in which Duhaime delves into the most minute of literary details, provides an excellent exposé of each main section (3.15b–4.1; 4.2–14; 4.15–26) and subsection of this passage; it is not an attempt to address the questions that have tended to preoccupy students of this passage. 194 THE TWO SPIRITS IN QUMRAN THEOLOGY No more consensus is apparent with respect to the question of the cosmic or psychological dimensions of the two spirits. The present impasse concerning the nature of the two spirits reflects the more general question of how to negotiate the relationship between the environment of Antiquity (K. G. Kuhn and Dupont-Sommer on Zoroastrianism), the texts themselves (Wernberg-Møller’s internal grounds), and Qumran’s biblical foreground (Seitz’s analysis of the interpretation of 1 Samuel 16:14). Our hurried passage, moreover, through the studies of Otzen, Schweizer, Leaney, Gammie, Lichtenberger, and Sekki revealed the dismaying variety of rationales, which exist to support a putative correspondence between the cosmic and psychological dimensions. Nor has a coherent theological exposé of unity and diversity vis-à-vis the spirit and the two spirits appeared as a worthy sequel to the pioneering study of O. Betz. This impressive half century of scholarship has, therefore, set the terms of the debate without ultimately resolving the issues to which it has so keenly and adeptly drawn attention.58 195 CHAPTER NINE DUALISM IN THE ESSENE COMMUNITIES Elisha Qimron A. INTRODUCTION: DUALISM AT QUMRAN Typical of the Dead Sea Scrolls is the dualistic division of mankind into righteous and wicked. The former share the lot of God, while the latter are consigned to Belial (or Mastema). This concept is explicitly stated in e.g., 1QS 3.20–25: dybw wklhty rw) ykrdbw qdc ynb tl#mm Myrw) r# dyb lwk tl#mm lwk K#wx K)lm wtm) K)lmw l)r#y l)w … wklhty K#wx ykrdbw lw( ynb .rw) ynb lwkl rz( All the righteous ones are ruled by the Angel of Light and walk in the ways of light, while all the wicked ones are ruled by the Angel of Darkness and walk in the ways of darkness…But the God of Israel and His Angel of Truth will help all the sons of light. Only those who observe the commandments of God are considered righteous. Since the community alone knows the exact way of performing these commandments, only those who join it will survive, while the others will be annihilated. Those who join the community are considered as belonging to God and protected by Him (and His angels), while those who do not are consigned to Belial (or Mastema). The former will be saved, while the latter will be annihilated (on the Day of Judgment). Entering the covenant of the community means joining the lot of God. Those who enter the covenant commit themselves to God’s commandments . As soon as one takes the oath obliging him to follow God’s commandments , he is no longer under the control of Belial (or Mastema). This covenant is mutual. God is obliged to protect the covenanter from Belial (and thus from annihilation) as long as the latter keeps his obligation to follow the Divine commandments, as we find in CD 16.4–6: 196 DUALISM IN THE ESSENE COMMUNITIES K)lm rwsy h#m trwt l) bw#l w#pn l( #y)h Myqy r#) Mwybw M) wyrx)m hm+#mh 1.wt(d Mwyb Mhrb) lwmyn Nk l( wyrbd t) Myqy And when a man swears to return to the Law of Moses, the angel of persecution will leave him alone, provided that he keeps his obligation. Therefore, Abraham circumcised himself on the day that the law became known to him. The idea that each individual belongs either to the lot of God or to the lot of Belial is frequently found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and has been discussed by some of the finest scholars. Yet, most of these discussions have ignored the practical aspect of the idea. For example, the connection between this idea and...