Tefillin and Mezuzot from Qumran: New Readings and Interpretations (Beihefte Zur Zeitschrift Für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 538)

This monograph studies ancient tefillin (also known as phylacteries) and mezuzot found in the Caves of Qumran. Most of these miniature texts were published by the end of 1970s and thus have long been available to scholars. And yet in several respects, these tiny fragments remain an unfinished business. A close scrutiny of their editions reveals a presence of texts that have not been fully accounted for. These fall into three categories. First, there are multiple tefillin and mezuzot that contain legible fragments which their editors were unable to identify. Second, several tefillin and mezuzot feature imprints of letters that have not been deciphered. Third, there are texts which were provisionally classified as tefillin and mezuzot yet left unread. This monograph offers a detailed study of these unidentified and undeciphered texts. It thus sheds new light on the contents of ancient tefillin and mezuzot and on the scribal practices involved in their preparation. In der Reihe Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZAW) erscheinen Arbeiten zu sämtlichen Gebieten der alttestamentlichen Wissenschaft. Im Zentrum steht die Hebräische Bibel, ihr Vor- und Nachleben im antiken Judentum sowie ihre vielfache Verzweigung in die benachbarten Kulturen der altorientalischen und hellenistisch-römischen Welt. Die BZAW akzeptiert Manuskriptvorschläge, die einen innovativen und signifikanten Beitrag zu Erforschung des Alten Testaments und seiner Umwelt leisten, sich intensiv mit der bestehenden Forschungsliteratur auseinandersetzen, stringent aufgebaut und flüssig geschrieben sind. Preface 5 Contents 7 Abbreviations 9 Frequently Cited Sources 11 Introduction. Tefillin and Mezuzot from Qumran: An Unfinished Business 13 1 Tefillin and Mezuzot from the Judean Desert: The Artifacts 17 2 Tefillin and Mezuzot among Other Manuscripts of Exodus and Deuteronomy from the Judean Desert 44 3 1QPhyl (1Q13) 74 4 4QPhyl L (4Q139) 86 5 4QPhyl T (4Q147) 92 6 4QPhyl U (4Q148) 103 7 4QMez C (4Q151) 108 8 8QPhyl (8Q3) 114 Conclusion 153 Bibliography 155 List of Figures 163 Subject Index 165 Index of Ancient Sources 167 "This book revisits ancient tefillin and mezuzot found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. While many of these texts have long been available to scholars, they have not yet revealed all of their secrets. Several of them contain unidentified fragments. Others feature undeciphered imprints of letters. Finally, there are texts which were classified as tefillin and mezuzot yet left unread. This monograph offers a detailed study of those texts." --Provided by publisher, back cover The series Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZAW) covers all areas of research into the Old Testament, focusing on the Hebrew Bible, its early and later forms in Ancient Judaism, as well as its branching into many neighboring cultures of the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman world