The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Volume 1, Scripture and the Scrolls

11: PSALMS AND PSALTERS IN THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS

233 CHAPTER ELEVEN PSALMS AND PSALTERS IN THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS Peter W. Flint Among the almost nine hundred scrolls that were discovered in the Judean desert, no book is represented by more manuscripts than the book of Psalms—a clear indication of the importance of the Psalter in the Qumran community. This essay has five sections: 1. Description of the Psalms scrolls and pertinent observations 2. Early proposals concerning the Psalms scrolls 3. An assessment of the “Qumran Psalms Hypothesis” 4. Conclusions 5. Three appendices, including translations of the “apocryphal” psalms and a listing of contents of the Psalms scrolls 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE PSALMS SCROLLS AND PERTINENT OBSERVATIONS As specified in Appendix 1, the Dead Sea Scrolls include forty Psalms scrolls or manuscripts that incorporate psalms. Thirty-seven of these were found in eight locations at Qumran: three in Cave 1, one each in five minor caves (2, 3, 5, 6, and 8), twenty-three in Cave 4, and six in Cave 11. Three more scrolls were discovered further south: two at Masada (1963–64) and one at Nahal Hever (1951–60).1 Careful study of this material reveals several features that contribute to our understanding of the book of Psalms and its completion as a collection or book of Scripture.2 1. Part of this manuscript was previously thought to be from Wadi Seiyal, which is further south. 2. The following comments are made with reference to appendix 1. 234 PSALMS AND PSALTERS IN THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS 1.1 Contents of the Psalms Scrolls a. Quantity Preserved In decreasing order, the manuscripts with the highest number of verses preserved (whether wholly or in part) are: 11QPsa (= 11Q5), 4QPsa (= 4Q83), 5/6H [ evPs (= 5/6H[ ev 1b), 4QPsb (= 4Q84), 4QPsc (= 4Q85), and 4QPse (= 4Q87). b. Biblical Compositions in the Psalms Scrolls Of the 150 psalms found in the MT-150 Psalter,3 126 are at least partially preserved in the forty Psalms scrolls or other relevant manuscripts such as the pesharim. All the remaining twenty-four psalms were most likely included, but are now lost because of the damaged state of most of the scrolls. Of Psalms 1–89, nineteen no longer survive (3–4, 20–21, 32, 41, 46, 55, 58, 61, 64–65, 70, 72–75, 80, 87), and of Psalms 90–150, five are not represented (90, 108?, 110, 111, 117). The reason for this discrepancy is because the beginnings of scrolls are usually on the outside and are thus far more prone to deterioration. For a complete list of contents of the Psalms scrolls, see Appendix 3. c. Nonbiblical Compositions At least fifteen “apocryphal” psalms or compositions are distributed among four manuscripts (notably 11QPsa [= 11Q5], also 4QPsf [= 4Q88], 11QPsb [= 11Q6], 11QapocrPs [= 11Q11]).4 Six were previously familiar to scholars: Psalms 151A, 151B, 154, and 155; David’s Last Words (= 2 Sam 23:1–7); and Sir 51:13–30. Nine were unknown before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Apostrophe to Judah, Apostrophe to Zion, David’s Compositions, Eschatological Hymn, Hymn to the Creator, Plea for Deliverance, and three Songs against Demons. One further piece, the Catena of Psalm 118, is not really a distinct composition, but constitutes a longer ending for Psalm 136. An English translation of all fifteen texts plus the Catena is provided in Appendix 2. 3. I.e., as found in the Masoretic Text (MT) of Psalms. 4. This document, “the Apocryphal Psalms,” has been identified variously as apocrPsa, apocrPs, 11QPsApa, and eventually numbered 11Q11. Within the PTSDSSP numbering scheme, this text retains the number 11Q11 and is named A Liturgy for Healing the Stricken. Herein we refer to the text as 11QapocrPs. PETER W. FLINT 235 1.2 Format, Superscriptions, Comparative Datings a. Format of the Psalms Scrolls At least ten manuscripts are arranged stichometrically, while twenty-one are written in prose format: two from Cave 1, two from the Minor Caves, fourteen from Cave 4, and three from Cave 11. At least one scroll is a prose collection with one psalm written in stichometric format.5 Stichometric Prose Mixed 1QPsa (= 1Q10) 1QPsb (= 1Q11) 11QPsa (= 11Q5) 3QPs (= 3Q2) 1QPsc (= 1Q12) 4QPsb (= 4Q84) 2QPs (= 2Q14) 4QPsc (= 4Q85) pap6QPs? (= 6Q5) 4QPsg (= 4Q89) 4QPse (= 4Q87) 4QPsh (= 4Q90) 4QPsf (= 4Q88) 4QPsl (= 4Q93) 4QPsj (= 4Q91) 5QPs (= 5Q5) 4QPsk (= 4Q92) 8QPs (= 8Q2) 4QPsm (= 4Q94) MasPsa (= Mas1e) 4QPsn (= 4Q95) 4QPso (= 4Q96) 4QPsp (= 4Q97) 4QPsq (= 4Q98) 4QPsr (= 4Q98a) 4QPss (= 4Q98b) 4QPsw (= 4Q98f) 4QapocrJoshc...