Beyond the Qumran Community: The Sectarian Movement of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, there has been controversy about who produced these texts. A predominant view has been the Qumran-Essene theory. While Collins still holds to this theory for the most part, he does suggest some alterations. He thinks that the origin of the Essenes was later than many have suggested and did not relate to a debate over the high priesthood but various legal concerns. He also argues that there were various groups of the Essenes and that the views of these groups changed over time. Collins intends to clarify the nature of the communities which generated and used sectarian texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Collins agrees with other scholars that only some of the texts found in the Dead Sea Scrolls are sectarian and these are the texts which are examined to provide information about the sectarian communities. There are variations in different copies of the Damascus Document and the Community Rule which suggest a redactional history of these texts. Collins builds upon the work of other scholars in separating these redactional layers and linking these layers to particular communities.

Besides a short introduction and epilogue, there are five chapters in the book. There is a historical chart and maps and archaeological illustrations, a lengthy bibliography of thirty-five pages, and various indexes. The book draws upon five earlier articles published by Collins from 2003 to 2009. The first four chapters deal largely with the study of texts, and the final chapter deals with the archaeological study of the site of Qumran. Collins first surveys the texts to determine what they say related to community life (chapters 1–3). He argues in chapter 4 that the Essenes best fit the characteristics of these communities. In chapter 5 he turns to the site of Qumran, which he argues is best understood as a center for a strict community of Essenes.

In chapter 1 (New Covenant), he surveys language for “new covenant” found particularly in the Damascus Document as well as Miqṣat Ma’ase ha-Torah and the Temple Scroll. He tries to reconcile the different views of community which emerge from these documents. Collins thinks there is some development of the group over time but is wary of views that link early texts to Sadducean origins or that suggest a debate over priestly succession.

In chapter 2 (The Yahad), he explains differences between the community as found in the Damascus Document and the Community Rule. The Damascus Document is an older work which relates to those living in families. The later Community Rule reflects a stricter lifestyle that includes celibacy and a view that community life is a substitute for temple worship which will atone for the land. The chapter concludes with an appendix on “Analogous Movements and Associations.”

In chapter 3 (Historical Context), he discusses how the scrolls provide historical information that can help explain the origin and history of those who produced these texts. Most attention is given to historical allusions in the pesharim as well as the identification of The Teacher of Righteousness and the Wicked Priest. Collins thinks the Wicked Priest can be identified as Alexander Jannaeus in some texts and as Hyrcanus II in others. He thinks that the dispute between the Wicked Priest and the Teacher of Righteousness did not relate to a question of priestly succession but to debates about the interpretation of legal issues with groups like the Pharisees.

In chapter 4 (The Essenes), Collins discusses relevant passages from Philo, Pliny, and Josephus about the Essenes. Then he addresses similarities between these texts and the Dead Sea Scrolls related to issues of location, communal life, process of admission, social structure and leadership, oaths, offerings to temple, celibacy, religious beliefs, messianism, and apocalypticism. The chapter concludes with two appendices: “The Name Essene” and “The Therapeutae.”

In chapter 5 (The Site of Qumran), he surveys the archaeological work done at Qumran beginning with the work of Roland de Vaux and gives a survey of different interpretations of the data including a rustic villa, a pottery factory, a military fort, and a religious, sectarian settlement. He opts for the last option and gives recent evidence. He summarizes, in particular, the important work by Jodi Magness (The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Eerdmans, 2003).

Collins argues for the linkage of Essenes with the sectarian texts as others have done, but he thinks there are several communities which the texts reflect. He is quite cautious about finding historical allusions in the texts. Unlike Hanan Eshel (The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Hasmonean State, Eerdmans, 2008), he does not hunt for more historical allusions in the scrolls to develop a more precise chronology of the movement. Unlike Eshel as well, Collins does not weave together Qumran literary texts, other texts related to the Essenes, and archaeology into a continuous historical narrative.

Collins addresses controversial issues and interacts with other views. Extensive footnotes and bibliography will aid a reader to pursue further questions and find other views. He presents a succinct defense of the Essene hypothesis in which he allows for more diversity among the Essenes than some have suggested as well as historical development over time. He takes into consideration the entire corpus of texts that is now available including Miqṣat Ma’ase ha-Torah. Even though he will not convince everyone, he presents a concise and cogent work here, which will be essential reading for students and scholars.

Collins is not unique in isolating a small group of texts determined to be sectarian and then looking for clues within these texts to illuminate the sectarian communities responsible for them. Still, one wonders if such a narrow focus on the sectarian texts is adequate for understanding the sect.

Collins has pointed out that sects are characterized by “difference, antagonism, and separation” (p. 7). If so, can one describe such a sect without understanding the other group(s) from which it has emerged and against which it understands itself? Collins does suggest parallels to other ancient sectarian communities, but he does not explain the nature of other Jewish groups of the time of the Essenes. Lawrence Schiffman (Qumran and Jerusalem: Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the History of Judaism, Eerdmans, 2010) argues that clues can be found in some of the scrolls related to Pharisaic and Sadducean views. It may be necessary to look at more than the sectarian texts in order to understand the nature of the sectarians.

Even if one explains the origins of the sectarian texts within the collection, this does not explain why the present collection contains so much diversity. Collins seems correct when he says that not all the scrolls were written at Qumran. He suggests that they may have been “brought to Qumran for safekeeping from various Essene settlements” (p. 210). If this is true, how can one explain why such a sect would preserve such a variety of texts? Would that not help explain the nature of the sect?