Hello, Clearly,
I have learned so much from this correspondence.
It is so fascinating, or exciting, can’t think of the right word, maybe uplifting, or energizing, for me to learn about the existence of the Brooklyn papyri letters. I knew about the Jewish temple on Elephantine Island, had learned about it from a Graham Hancock book. I have wanted to know more about it for some time. But to learn about the papyri, well, it sort of opens up- like a- treasure.
You said:
“I believe a specific historical study of apostasy in economic policies would be fascinating, but my specific interest is in Early Judao-Christian religion, doctrine and their textual witnesses of what early Christianity might have been like.”
Yes, the economic aspect is kind of what motivated me to write the post, and I just can’t get over the rank and seedy corruption caused by the desire for wealth and/or economic security in many, actually most societies. It seems like one institution or warlord overthrows another, they make reforms, and then those reforms fall into shocking and ironic corruption- so sad. It is the 2nd law of thermodynamics constantly being played out.
“The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics describes basic principles familiar in everyday life. It is partially a universal law of decay; the ultimate cause of why everything ultimately falls apart and disintegrates over time.”
You addressed this earlier:
“This principle that man innovates and then adopts changed religion has ALWAYS been true whether speaking of Jews or Christians. Prophets reveal authentic religion. Men then go astray. Other prophets attempt to restore authentic religion to mankind, which correction men then apostatize from, which other prophets attempt to restore, ad nauseum.”
I am not completely fixated on the economics, though- the economics is just a representation of what is really going on- a battle for hearts and souls, and true peace.
I am also interested in “Early Judao-Christian religion, doctrine and their textual witnesses of what early Christianity might have been like,” as most of us here are, probably, to one degree or another, so what an opportunity we have to learn.
I have saved your latest post, but want to go back to your first two posts, because I want to address the ideas and information given one by one, if possible. Looks like it will take a long time, because I need to look up most of the material, so I hope you are patient with me.
In my last post to you I responded to your reference to “THE WORDS OF MOSES 1Q22 Col. 1:6-9”.
You then went on to quote from The Damascus Document. This was a document deemed part of the Qumran writings known before the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls. So exciting, but it makes me sad to think we might be running out of new writings to discover. But you never know. And you told us about the Brooklyn papyri letters, and that was new to me, and I know there must be so much more knowledge available that I have not even dreamed of.
Anyway, back to the Damascus Document.
I wanted to find a copy of the Document so that I could read it. I do have one book about the Dead Sea Scriptures by Theodor Gaster, but I could not find anything about the Damascus Document in there. I found excerpts online, but wanted find the whole thing. Finally, I found a site with had the whole exhortation section. I liked this one because it also had some Bible references to look up.
http://www.radio-yahweh.com/dam-doc/Damascus-Document-01.pdf
I did find the quotes about the boundary-shifters:
“The text described that
‘...the boundary-shifters appeared and led Israel astray and the land was devastated, for they had spoken rebellion against the commandments of God through Moses and also through the anointed of the spirit; and they prophesied falsehood to turn Israel from following God “. (The Damascus Document 4Q)
’all the boundary shifters and all of it will be done in the age of evil...and they did not obey the voice of Moses ...they went about spreading lies about His laws and from God’s covenant they strayed... “ (THE DAMASCUS DOCUMENT – Geniza A+B 4Q266)
’
In the time of destruction of the land the boundary-shifters appeared and led Israel astray…for they had spoken rebellion against the commandments of God…“ (The Damascus Document 4Q) ‘”
I wondered what exactly was meant by the boundary-shifters, whether it was people who tried to change the old boundaries between the tribes, or whether it was a symbolic idea they were referring to, or both.
But I did find more information further on down:
“And (The Man of Mockery) shifted the boundary marks that the forefathers had set up to mark their inheritance, so that the curses of His covenant took hold on them.”
The whole exhortation section of the Damascus Document seems like a representation of the world’s apostasies. So it was so appropriate for you to refer to it.
I am wondering whether the exhortation was considered to be a prophesy, or an inspired writing down of an oral history along with some scriptures. Psychologically, it is one’s group’s birdseye view of a history of corruption. Whether or not their interpretation of what happened is true, the takeover of a false high priest, or whatever, there can be no doubt of their deep and heartrending desire to maintain purity of ideals in the face of great opposition, and there can be no doubt of the antiquity of their endeavours. Whether the antiquity goes all the way back to Moses, or exactly how long it went back, that it consisted of many generations seems obvious to me.
A couple of things really struck me in the reading. One was a reference to three causes or types of corruption, in this quote from the Damascus Document:
“Those Caught Up in the Three Nets of Belial
The true meaning of this verse concerns the three nets of Belial about which Levi son of Jacob said that Belial would catch Israel in, so he directed {those nets} toward three kinds of righteousness: The first is fornication;
the second is wealth; the third is
defiling the sanctuary. Who escapes from one is caught in the next; and whoever escapes from that is caught in the other.”
This hearkens back to my concern about how much economics are involved with apostasy: “The second is wealth”.
Defiling the sanctuary interested me also. I remembered reading somewhere about problems with selling food meant for priests, the wrong priests, etc. Actually, a bit farther down, I found something more on it:
“They also defile the sanctuary, for they do not separate clean from unclean according to the Torah”
Naturally, I read the Exhortation with Christian eyes, and I am also thinking of the story of Christ and the money-changers. I saw that the Qumran people had been disturbed by improprieties in the sanctuary from years back, though I don’t know if that concern extended to the temple courtyard.
I also noticed this interesting description of apostasy:
“That is the time of which it was written, “Like a rebellious cow,” so rebelled Israel.” –The Damascus Document
A similar verse is found in Hosea:
“Israel has rebelled like a stubborn heifer! Soon the Lord will put them out to pasture like a lamb in a broad field!” -Hosea 4:16 –The Net Bible
Hosea ministered to the 10 tribes. Hosea was the prophet who was married to the unfaithful woman to demonstrate and humanize how the Lord feels about idolatry. The Qumran writings contain a commentary on Hosea. I don’t know if a copy of the book of Hosea was found among the scrolls.
Dead Sea Scrolls -- Hosea
A couple of the passages concerning apostasy really stood out to me. How familiar does this sound when thinking of today’s problems? Here we have the doubting of the covenant (and the scriptures), and disrespect toward it:
“Also they have corrupted their set-apart spirit, and with blasphemous language they have reviled the statutes of Elohim’s covenant, saying, “They are not well-founded.” They continually speak abhorrent things against them.” –The Damascus Document
And in another place, calling the guilty innocent and the innocent guilty- how often do we hear of that in modern society?
“For they had sought flattery, choosing travesties of true religion; they looked for ways to break the rules; they favored the fine neck. They called the guilty innocent and the innocent guilty. They overstepped covenant, violated Torah; and they conspired together to kill the innocent, for all those who lived pure lives they loathed from the bottom of their heart. So they persecuted them violently, and were happy to
see the people quarrel.”
Finally, another section intrigued me, not having to do directly with apostasy, but refers to a messianic concept. Again, I could not help but to read this with Christian eyes, but am actually quite interested in what their actual beliefs were, with or without my Christian eyes. I wondered, after reading these two passages, whether the Qumran people expected two messiahs, one from Judah, and one from Aaron, or the priestly caste:
“Their names will not be written in their book from the day the Beloved Teacher dies until the Messiah from Israel and from Aaron appears.”
And also:
In the era of wrath – three hundred and ninety years at the time He
handed them over to the power of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon – He took care of them and caused to grow from Israel and from Aaron a
root of planting to inherit his land and to grow fat on the good
produce of His soil.”
Well, I’m following bunny trails here, but just want to close this post reminding myself that ancient cultures were not in the habit of writing about their mistakes and drawing lessons from them. If anything, a lot of bragging and scratching out of others’ accomplishments was done. The prophets and scribes of the Hebrews ( and I am thinking of the Old Testament here)recorded not only the exploits but the mistakes of even their most famous and powerful kings and judges. So while pondering the heartbreaking apostasy, I must also keep in mind the integrity of their scholarship and honesty, and never forget God’s grace in that He always had a remnant of the faithful whose legacy we have inherited.
from the more ancient christian traditions. It is as though Christianity has not avoided making the same mistakes as the Jews (in terms of abandoning and innovating away from early, original, revealed religion.)
