Daily, Sabbath, and Festival Prayers in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah)

All the evidence for daily, sabbath, and festival prayers in the Qumran scrolls is analysed in detail, document by document. On the basis of formal features and social-liturgical setting, these prayers are compared with each other to uncover divergent prayer traditions. Comparative material beyond the scrolls is used to reassess their place in the development of Jewish prayer. Evidence for prayers of different origin found at Qumran is important for reconsidering the nature of the scrolls, the community(s) which used them, and the history of Jewish liturgy. For several texts significant new reconstructions are offered. Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Preface 10 Abbreviations and Sigla 12 INTRODUCTION 14 1. Method 22 1.1. Provenance 22 1.2. Liturgical Function 29 1.3. Comparison of Prayer Practices 30 I. DAILY PRAYERS 34 1. Dating and Provenance 34 2. Reconstruction 42 3. Prayer Formulas 48 4. Structure and Content 54 5. Liturgical Use 59 6. Summary 67 II. WORDS OF THE LUMINARIES 72 1. Dating and Provenance 74 2. Reconstruction 76 3. Form and Content 81 3.1. Words of the Luminaries and the Taḥanunim 86 3.2. Words of the Luminaries and the Amidah 88 3.3. Prayer Formulas 92 3.4. The Response 97 4. Liturgical Use 98 5. Summary 105 III. OTHER EVIDENCE FOR DAILY PRAYER 108 1. 11QPsa David's Compositions 108 2. 4Q408 109 3. 4Q334 111 4. War Scroll 112 5. Hodayot 113 6. Community Rule 116 7. Summary 136 IV. SABBATH PRAYER 138 1. 11QPsa David's Compositions 138 2. Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice 139 2.1. Form and Function 143 2.2. Qedushah and Sabbath Themes 151 2.3. Benediction Form 159 2.4. Summary 161 3. Daily Prayers 162 4. Words of the Luminaries 162 5. Summary 166 V. PRAYER AT FESTIVALS 168 1. Festival Prayers 168 1.1. Dating and Provenance 169 1.2. Reconstruction 170 1.2.1. Autumn New Year 176 1.2.2. Day of Atonement 178 1.2.3. Feast of Booths 182 1.2.4. Feast of Booths? 185 1.2.5. Passover? 186 1.2.6. Feast of Weeks 187 1.2.7. Passover 188 1.2.8. Passover? 190 1.2.9. Feast of Weeks? 191 1.3. Form 195 1.4. Liturgical Use 198 2. Other Evidence for Festival Prayer 201 2.1. Community Rule 201 2.1.1. New Moons 201 2.1.2. Months and Festivals 202 2.1.3. Years and Seasons 203 2.2. Hodayot 204 2.3. Songs of the Sage 204 2.4. 4Q409 205 2.5. 11QPsa David's Compositions 206 3. Festival Prayers in Context 207 4. Summary 227 VI. DAILY, SABBATH, AND FESTIVAL PRAYER IN CONTEXT 230 1. Annual Covenant Ceremony 232 1.1. Community Rule 232 1.2. Damascus Document 239 1.3. Other Evidence 249 2. Continuity and Modification 249 3. Motivation for Liturgical Prayer 252 4. Obligation in Prayer 260 CONCLUSION 266 Appendix 270 Bibliography 278 Index of Ancient Sources 298 Index of Names and Subjects 311 Plates 316 STUDIES ON THE TEXTS OF THE DESERT OF JUDAH 322 This book presents evidence that daily, sabbath, and festival prayers found at Qumran represent liturgical traditions of different origin. They may thus provide testimony to wider Jewish prayer practice in the Second Temple period.