Wisdom Texts from Qumran (The Literature of the Dead Sea Scrolls)

This study is the first full analysis of the Qumran wisdom texts. New translations and a full explanation of the background and context of wisdom literature introduce the reader to an important and hitherto little discussed part of the Dead Sea Scrolls.After surveying biblical and extrabiblical wisdom books, the author considers the best and most fully preserved wisdom texts from Qumran. The centrepiece of the book is a discussion of the large wisdom instruction known as Sapiential Work A. Also, the author reflects on the relevance of those texts for the study of early Judaism and Christianity. An appendix treats the Ben Sira scroll from Masada. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Series editor's preface......Page 9 Acknowledgements......Page 11 INTRODUCTION TO WISDOM AT QUMRAN......Page 12 ISRAEL'S WISDOM TRADITION......Page 17 BIBLICAL WISDOM TEXTS AND TARGUMS AT QUMRAN......Page 25 WISDOM IN THE PSALMS SCROLL FROM CAVE 11......Page 34 FOLLY AND WISDOM IN 4Q184 185......Page 42 A LARGE WISDOM INSTRUCTION (SAPIENTIAL WORK A)......Page 51 OTHER QUMRAN WISDOM INSTRUCTIONS......Page 71 ~SECTARIAN~ WISDOM......Page 86 WISDOM TEXTS FROM QUMRAN AND EARLY JUDAISM......Page 92 WISDOM TEXTS FROM QUMRAN AND EARLY CHRISTIANITY......Page 98 Appendix: The Ben Sira Scroll from Masada......Page 104 Bibliographical essay......Page 113 Bibliography......Page 115 Index of subjects......Page 122 Index of references......Page 125 This study is the first full analysis of the Qumran wisdom texts. New translations and a full explanation of the background and context of wisdom literature introduce the reader to an important and hitherto little discussed part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. After surveying biblical and extrabiblical wisdom books, the author considers the best and most fully preserved wisdom texts from Qumran. The centrepiece of the book is a discussion of the large wisdom instruction known as Sapiential Work A. Also, the author reflects on the relevance of those texts for the study of early Judaism and Christia