Converts in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah)

Converts in the Dead Sea Scrolls examines the meaning of the term gēr in the Dead Sea Scrolls. While often interpreted as a resident alien, this study of the term as it is employed within scriptural rewriting in the Dead Sea Scrolls concludes that the gēr is a Gentile convert to Judaism. Contrasting the gēr in the Dead Sea Scrolls against scriptural predecessors, Carmen Palmer finds that a conversion is possible by means of mutable ethnicity. Furthermore, mutable features of ethnicity in the sectarian movement affiliated with the Dead Sea Scrolls include shared kinship, connection to land, and common culture in the practice of circumcision. The sectarian movement is not as closed toward Gentiles as has been commonly considered. Contents 6 Acknowledgments 10 Abbreviations 12 Key to Symbols 13 Chapter 1 Introduction 14 1.1 Context 18 1.1.1 Context Part I: “Sectarianism” and Levels of Social Closure within the Sectarian Movement Affiliated with the DSS 18 1.1.2 Context Part II: Gēr Research within Scriptural Tradition 23 1.2 Problem and Significance 29 1.2.1 Problem and Significance Part I: Who Is the Gēr in the DSS? 29 1.2.2 Problem and Significance Part II: of What Does Ethnicity and Conversion Consist? 36 1.2.3 Problem and Significance Part III: Summary and Moving Ahead to the DSS 44 1.3 Response: Methodology 45 1.4 Chapter Outlines 51 Chapter 2 Provenance and Dating of the Gēr in the Dead Sea Scrolls 54 2.1 Overview of the Provenance of the Sectarian Movement and the Damascus and Serekh Traditions 55 2.1.1 The Sectarian Movement: Deposed Zadokite Priests? 55 2.1.2 The Sectarian Movement and Prevailing Dating 57 2.1.3 The Sectarian Movement: Essenes? 58 2.1.4 The Relationship between D and S: Chronology 61 2.2 Means of Establishing Provenance and Dating of the Texts 65 2.2.1 Literary Devices 65 2.2.2 Paleography 66 2.2.3 Orthography Style 67 2.3 An Assessment of the Occasions Where the Term Gēr Has Been Employed 68 2.3.1 A Text That Influences Damascus (D) and Serekh (S) Traditions: 4Q423 Instructiong Frag. 5, 1–4 68 2.3.2 Texts Correlated with the Damascus (D) Tradition 71 2.3.2.1 Damascus Document Manuscripts: Cairo Genizah, 4QD, and 6QD 71 2.3.2.1.1 CD VI, 14–VII, 1 72 2.3.2.1.2 CD XIV, 3–6 75 2.3.2.2 11QTa Temple Scroll XL, 5–6 76 2.3.2.3 4Q377 Apocryphal Pentateuch B Frag. 1, I 80 2.3.2.4 4Q159 Ordinancesa Frags. 2–4, 1–3 84 2.3.2.5 4Q279 Four Lots Frag. 5, 1–6 88 2.3.3 Texts Correlated with the Serekh (S) Tradition 91 2.3.3.1 4Q169 Pesher Nahum Frags. 3–4, II, 7–10 91 2.3.3.2 4Q174 Florilegium Frag. 1, I, 1–4 95 2.3.4 Texts Correlated with the Sectarian Movement: Alignment with Damascus (D) or Serekh (S) Tradition Indeterminate 99 2.3.4.1 4Q307 Text Mentioning Temple Frag. 1 99 2.3.4.2 4Q498 Hymnic or Sapiential Fragments Frag. 7 100 2.3.4.3 4Q520 Nonclassified Fragments Inscribed Only on the Back Frag. 45 101 2.4 Chapter Conclusions 104 Chapter 3 A Textual Study of the Gēr in the Dead Sea Scrolls 106 3.1 A Text That Influences Damascus (D) and Serekh (S) Traditions: 4Q423 Instructiong Frag. 5, 1–4 108 3.2 Texts Correlated with the Damascus (D) Tradition 110 3.2.1 CD VI, 14–VII, 1 110 3.2.2 CD XIV, 3–6 112 3.2.3 11QTa Temple Scroll XL, 5–6 115 3.2.4 4Q377 Apocryphal Pentateuch B Frag. 1, I 118 3.2.5 4Q159 Ordinancesa Frags. 2–4, 1–3 123 3.2.6 4Q279 Four Lots Frag. 5, 1–6 126 3.3 Texts Correlated with the Serekh (S) Tradition 129 3.3.1 4Q169 Pesher Nahum Frags. 3–4, II, 7–10 129 3.3.2 4Q174 Florilegium Frag. 1, I, 1–4 132 3.4 Texts Correlated with the Sectarian Movement: Alignment with Damascus (D) or Serekh (S) Tradition Indeterminate 135 3.4.1 4Q307 Text Mentioning Temple Frag. 1 135 3.4.2 4Q498 Hymnic or Sapiential Fragments Frag. 7 136 3.4.3 4Q520 Nonclassified Fragments Inscribed Only on the Back Frag. 45 138 3.5 Chapter Conclusions 139 Chapter 4 Locating the Gēr and Assessing Ethnic Identity in the Sectarian Movement 142 4.1 Shared Kinship as a Marker of Ethnic Identity in the Sectarian Movement: How Gēr Represents Kin 143 4.1.1 Gēr Is (an Israelite) Brother 143 4.1.2 Gēr Is Identified as Israelite Kin through Other Kinship Terminology 144 4.1.3 Physical Proximity with Respect to Other Judeans Indicates Gēr as Sharing in Kinship 145 4.1.4 Effacement of Gēr as a Resident Alien 145 4.1.5 Judean Convert Status of a Gēr Is Denied 146 4.1.6 Who Is a “Brother”? 146 4.1.7 Ethnic Identity in the Feature of Shared Kinship: Conclusions 149 4.2 Connection to Land as a Feature of Ethnic Identity: Gēr’s Incorporation in the Promise of Land 150 4.2.1 The Promise of a Land of Honey 151 4.2.2 Land Inheritance and Lots 152 4.2.3 Significance of Birth and/or Livelihood in the Land of Israel 153 4.2.4 Connection to Land as a Feature of Ethnic Identity: Conclusions 153 4.3 Common Culture in the Covenantal Practice of Circumcision as a Feature of Ethnic Identity in the Sectarian Movement 155 4.3.1 Overview According to Pre and Post-Hellenistic Influence 155 4.3.2 Allusions to Physical Circumcision as a Reminder of Complete Covenantal Obedience in the D Tradition 159 4.3.3 Circumcision of the Heart as Spiritual Obedience in the S Tradition 161 4.3.4 Common Culture in Circumcision as a Feature of Ethnic Identity in the Sectarian Movement: Conclusions 165 4.4 Ethnic Identity in the Sectarian Movement Chapter Conclusions 167 Chapter 5 Sociohistorical Comparison between the Sectarian Movement and Greco-Roman Associations 171 5.1 Greco-Roman Associations: An Introduction 178 5.2 Greco-Roman Noncosanguinal Brothers: Professional Associations 180 5.3 Greco-Roman Noncosanguinal Brothers: Cultic Associations 185 5.3.1 Nuclear “Families” and Hierarchical Relationships in Cultic Associations 185 5.3.2 Adopted Brothers in Cultic Associations and Beyond 189 5.4 Shared Kinship and Mutable Ethnicity in the Brothers of Greco-Roman Associations: Conclusions 196 Chapter 6 Conclusion 198 6.1 Summary of Findings 199 6.2 Further Implications for Scholarship 204 6.3 Proposals for Further Research 207 Bibliography 210 Index of Modern Authors 230 Index of Ancient Sources 233 "Converts in the Dead Sea Scrolls examines the meaning of the term gēr in the Dead Sea Scrolls. While often interpreted as a resident alien, this study of the term as it is employed within scriptural rewriting in the Dead Sea Scrolls concludes that the gēr is a Gentile convert to Judaism. Contrasting the gēr in the Dead Sea Scrolls against scriptural predecessors, Carmen Palmer finds that a conversion is possible by means of mutable ethnicity. Furthermore, mutable features of ethnicity in the sectarian movement affiliated with the Dead Sea Scrolls include shared kinship, connection to land, and common culture in the practice of circumcision. The sectarian movement is not as closed toward Gentiles as has been commonly considered"-- Provided by publisher