Abstract
Cook, Edward M., Dictionary of Qumran Aramaic (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015), pp. xii + 265. $54.50. ISBN 978-1-57506-341-6.
This volume fills a gap in the lexicographical landscape of ‘Middle Aramaic’ by offering the first dictionary of Qumran Aramaic, a language of some importance, even if it is preserved only partially. In justifying the treatment of an evidently collected corpus as a ‘language’, C. emphasizes that QA's actual heterogeneity is limited and may be explained more easily by means of archaism and register than dialectal or geography-ical variation. Nevertheless, one suspects that consistency of grammar and its distinctiveness from other Aramaic dialects and standards remains a far stronger argument for QA's substantial unity than its ‘geographical location’. Indeed, the exclusion of 4Q342-347 and 4Q351-359 from C.'s corpus might be justified better (or at least as well) on the basis of their non-literary quality or even the fact that the former at least are included in M. Sokoloff s recent Dictionary of Judean Aramaic (Ramat Gan, 2003) which serves as a suitable companion to C.’ s volume. A list of all texts included in the corpus is helpfully provided, though it is regrettable that the use of ‘tg’ (Targum) in classifying texts like 11Q10 persists despite the increasing preference for the more suitable 11QarJob or 11QJob ar. In addition to the expected information in each entry (lemmata, indication of word class, whether a word is borrowed or dubious, meanings and sub-meanings, etc.), the inclusion of probable Greek and Hebrew translation equivalents for Aramaic words from ‘translated’ texts is welcome as a reference point for more thorough investigation. Indeed, whatever few and very minor failings may be found in C.'s work pale in comparison to the very fine and careful service he has rendered to students of the Aramaic language in antiquity.
David Shepherd
Eshel, Hanan, Exploring the Dead Sea Scrolls: Archaeology and Literature of the Qumran Caves (ed. Shani Tzoref and Barnea Levi Selavan; JAJSup, 18; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2015), pp. 314. 9 figures. €120.00 (print); €99.99 (PDF). ISBN 978-3-525-55096-0 (print), 978-3-647-55096-1 (e-book); 1SSN 2198-1361.
This important and welcome collection of the late Hanan Eshel's essays aims to create a conversation between specialists in archaeology and history. Indeed, the essays were specifically selected by him before his untimely death. The 18 essays (nine published in English and nine translated here from Hebrew) are organized by Qumran Journal for the Study of the Old Testament © 2017 SAGE Publications Book List © 2017 The Society for Old Testament Study categories. On the Damascus Document: the ‘Three Nets of Belial'—a possible reference to the Aramaic Levi Document, the 70-weeks prophecy in two Qumran compositions; CD 12.15-17 and the stone vessels found at Qumran. On Cave 1: recensions of the War scroll (with Esther Eshel); two notes on column 2 of 1QM; the historical layers of pesher Habakkuk. On Cave 3: the treasures listed in the Copper scroll (with Ze'ev Safrai); aqueducts in the Copper scroll. On Cave 4: the Prayer of Joseph from Qumran, a papyrus from Masada, and the Samaritan temple on Mt Gerizim; Dibre Hame ‘orot and the Apocalypse of Weeks; when the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice were recited; Abraham's fulfilment of the commandment ‘Honour Your Father’ in early Jewish exegesis and the Dead Sea Scrolls. On Cave 11 : the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the Temple scroll; alphabetical acrostics in pre-Tannaitic Hebrew (with John Strugnell); Psalm 155—an acrostic poem on repentance from the Second Temple period (with Shlomit Kendi-Harel). Beyond Qumran: dating the Samaritan Pentateuch's compilation in light of the Qumran biblical scrolls (with Esther Eshel); Megillat Ta ‘anit in light of holidays found in Jubilees and the Temple scroll; some notes concerning high priests in the first century ce. The editors have helpfully provided an introduction that summarizes the essays and discusses their implications.
Lester L. Grabbe
Fabry, Heinz-Josef and Ulrich Dahmen (eds.), Theologisches Wörterbuch zu den Qumrantexten, I (Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2011), pp. 556. €248.00 (or €198.00 as part of full set). ISBN 978-3-17-020429-4.
Fabry, Heinz-Josef and Ulrich Dahmen (eds.), Theologisches Wörterbuch zu den Qumrantexten, II (Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2013), pp. 576. €329.00 (or €279.00 as part of full set). ISBN 978-3-17-020430-0.
Fabry, Heinz-Josef and Ulrich Dahmen (eds.), Theologisches Wörterbuch zu den Qumrantexten, III (Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2016), pp. 602. €349.00 (or €299.00 as part of full set). ISBN 978-3-17-020431-7.
A major reference work on the Qumran texts has now been brought to completion over three volumes (though copies of the first two volumes have not been made available to the B.L., and so the following comments are made primarily on the basis of the final volume). Many of the names of contributors and the editorial board will be well known to readers. Like previous theological dictionaries, this one seeks to clarify the linguistic and semantic value of Qumran vocabulary and also the ‘theology of Qumran’. It is seen to embrace and bridge the field of tension between HB, NT and rabbinic Judaism. The inclusion of Aramaic appears to be envisaged, but the focus is definitely on Hebrew (but cf. Edward Cook's Dictionary of Qumran Aramaic, reviewed above, p. 190). Also, the texts from the Judaean Desert are not included (Murabba'at, Masada, Naḥal Ḥever, etc.). One of the main problems concerning the conceptualization is what vocabulary to include: what is ‘theological’? Thus, tal is omitted but šeleg is included (though appropriately written by H.-U. Snow). Under šeleg the Aramaic tělag is also included, but the important Aramaic term dāt does not occur, not even under the Hebrew entry tôrāh. There is no ‘îr in the sense of ‘Watcher’. Some names are included, but others excluded, such as Antiochus and Shelamzion and even Solomon. One might argue that they are not theological, but is Kittîm any more theological? Michael is included, and Melchizedek and even Melchiresha under it, but strangely not Raphael, much less Asael and Shemihazah? In a number of publications and reviews, the late James Barr critiqued the whole concept of a theological dictionary; however, he acknowledged that they were popular because they brought a lot of useful information together, whatever the flaws in their conceptualization or realization. There is no doubt that this set brings a lot of material together, and many readers will find it quite useful. Nevertheless, at the best part of £1000 for the three-volume set on Amazon, even many librarians will balk at acquiring it. It is ironic that many of the contributions seem to have been submitted in English and only subsequently translated into German. We hope for and expect an English edition to follow in due course.
Lester L. Grabbe
Goff, Matthew, Loren T. Stuckenbruck and Enrico Morano (eds.), Ancient Tales of Giants from Qumran and Turfan: Contexts, Traditions, and Influences (WUNT, 360; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2016), pp. xii + 257. €119.00. ISBN 978-3-16-154531-3.
This volume is the proceedings of the eponymous conference held at the Studienhaus (near Munich). It falls into three parts, and the contents are as follows. Part 1 (‘Gibborim and Gigantes: Antecedents, Reception, and Comparative Contexts from the Hebrew Bible and Greek Literature’): B.R. Doak, ‘The Giant in a Thousand Years: Tracing Narratives of Gigantism in the Hebrew Bible and Beyond’; S. Newington, ‘ Greek Titans and Biblical Giants’; and M. Tuval, ‘“Συναγωγὴγιγάυτωυ” (Prov. 21:16): The Giants in the Jewish Literature in Greek’. Part 2 (‘Tales of Giants in their Ancient Jewish Context: The Dead Sea Scrolls, the Book of Watchers, and Daniel’): J.L. Angel, ‘The Humbling of the Arrogant and the “Wild Man” and “Tree Stump” Traditions in the Book of Giants and Daniel 4’; A.M.D. Bledsoe, ‘Throne Theophanies, Dream Visions, and Righteous(?) Seers: Daniel, the Book of Giants, and 1 Enoch Reconsidered’; I. Fröhlich, ‘Giants and Demons’; M. Goff, ‘The Sons of the Watchers in the Book of Watchers and the Qumran Book of Giants: Contexts and Prospects’; and L.T. Stuckenbruck, ‘The Book of Giants among the Dead Sea Scrolls: Considerations of Method and a New Proposal on the Reconstruction of 4Q530’. Part 3 (‘Enochic Traditions in Central Asia and China: Exploring Connections and Affinities between Giants in Ancient Judaism and Manichaeism’): G. Kósa, ‘The Book of Giants Tradition in the Chinese Manichaica’; E. Morano, ‘Some New Sogdian Fragments Related to Mani's Book of Giants and the Problem of the Influence of Jewish Enochic Literature’; J.C. Reeves, ‘Jacob of Edessa and the Manichaean Book of Giants?’; and J. Wilkens, ‘Remarks on the Manichaean Book of Giants: Once Again on Mahaway's Mission to Enoch’. The papers contribute new understandings to their particular lines of enquiry, and an important achievement of the book as a whole is its demonstration of the ability of literary motifs and larger traditions to cover considerable distances along well-established trade-routes. This is a salutary warning to those scholars who remain resistant to the idea that biblical motifs and larger traditions may have travelled similarly considerable distances to reach their final home.
Nicolas Wyatt
Nodet, Étienne, La porte du ciel: Les esséniens et Qumrân: Quelles origines? Quelles postérités? (Paris: Les Éditions de Cerf, 2016), pp. 354. €24.00. ISBN 978-2-204-11481-3.
N. has translated Josephus's Antiquities into French and his expertise on Josephus provides the overall perspective of this book. The first brief chapter is devoted to describing various views about the Qumran site, with only a hint that N. actually understands it to be a place of Essene pilgrimage and burial—hence ‘the gate of heaven’ of the title. However, the book is chiefly about the Essenes, rather than about Qumran and its scrolls. Most of the book is about the character of Second Temple Judaea (particularly a reconsideration of the importance of Egyptian Judaism for Judaea), the three main Jewish ‘parties’ (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes—elsewhere called ‘schools’), the possibility of hints of Essenism in the NT (James the Just is indeed the Teacher of Righteousness of 1QpHab and other texts), and the traces of Essenism and other non-Pharisaic traditions in rabbinic sources. As for the links between the site of Qumran and the Essenes, N. relies chiefly on the evidence of Pliny the Elder that there was an Essene settlement to the west of the Dead Sea, but with others he insists that nothing can be learnt from Qumran itself about the origins of the movement, part of which ended up residing there. Without giving details, he claims there are 48 points of agreement between the sectarian scrolls and the description of the Essenes by Josephus and only six disagreements, some of which can be ameliorated. He also spends some time in his discussion of the Jewish parties noting the significance of Gilgal and Jewish expectations around the crossing of the Jordan, indicating that the proximity of Qumran to such sites could have facilitated its role as a pilgrimage centre with particular relevant localized cultic and other communal activity, especially between Passover (for the crossing of the Jordan) and Pentecost (for the celebration of the covenant). The book is a lively and maximal reconsideration of Essenes and Essenism; it minimizes the finds of Qumran in their better understanding, yet insists that Qumran had a specific role within Essenism after the time of Pompey. Much here will be contested.
George J. Brooke
Perrin, Andrew B., The Dynamics of Dream-Vision Revelation in the Aramaic Dead Sea Scrolls (JAJSup, 19; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2015), pp. 312. €100.00 (print); €79.99 (PDF). ISBN 978-3-525-55094-6 (print), 978-3-647-55094-7 (PDF); ISSN 2198-1361.
P.'s book on revelation in dreams/visions in the Aramaic texts from Qumran is based on his 2013 McMaster PhD dissertation. P.'s larger aim in the study is to see whether the Qumran texts written in Aramaic can justifiably be called a corpus. He argues that they are a corpus based on their shared features, especially the way in which revelation through dreams and/or visions is presented. P. argues that the visions of some patriarchs in Genesis have been taken as a starting point to see whether there is exegetical space for dreams and visions of further patriarchs, such as Levi, Enoch, Abram and Noah. In these ‘new’ visions, there is particular interest in the priesthood and their eternal role not only stretching into the past, but also into the future and to the end of time. Underlying all this is a divine plan that is revealed to the dreamer (and the reader) in these texts. P.'s immediate goal, the study of dreams and visions in the Aramaic Qumran literature, has been advanced considerably by this excellent book, and future research on dreams and visions should take it as a starting point for these texts. The larger argument, however, that such commonalities indicate that a group of texts are a corpus, does not convince this reviewer.
Jonathan Stökl
Starr, John, Classifying the Aramaic Texts from Qumran: A Statistical Analysis of Linguistic Features (LSTS, 89; London and New York: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2017), pp. xxiii + 350. 60 figures and 95 tables. £85.00. ISBN 978-0-5676-6782-3 (hardback), 978-0-5676-6783-1 (PDF).
This book is based on a doctoral thesis undertaken at the University of Edinburgh (supervisors: Timothy Lim and April McMahon) and uses statistical methods to assess whether the Aramaic texts from Qumran form a homogeneous group or may more appropriately be classified into different types conforming to certain latent linguistic traits. Chapters 1-6 contain an introduction to the work and develop a methodological approach to the study (based on cluster analysis, multidimensional scaling and latent class analysis) before embarking on a preliminary classification of the Aramaic texts from Qumran using morphological features in ch.7. In ch. 8 the results are correlated with non-Qumran Aramaic texts from different localities and periods. Then in ch. 9 S. includes some syntactical variables in the analysis and applies confirmatory statistical models to his study in ch. 10. He shows in ch. 11 that nearly all of the Aramaic texts from Qumran can be aligned with one of six ‘text-types’ which may be distinguished from one another on the basis of locality, period and what S. terms ‘typicality’: (1) Enochic/Aramaic Levi; (2) Enochic/Four Kingdoms; (3) New Jerusalem; (4) Tobit/Visions of Amran/Giants; (5) Biblical; and (6) Targumic. In the final chapter S. reflects on some of the limitations of the study (data, criteria and method) and some of the implications of his work. While not everyone will agree with his classification or conclusions, by applying quantitative linguistic approaches to the study of the Aramaic texts from Qumran S. makes an important contribution to clarifying the linguistic relationship between them.
Alun Morton Thomas
Stökl Ben Ezra, Daniel, Qumran. Die Texte vom Toten Meer und das antike Judentum (Jüdische Studien, 3; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2016), pp. xiii + 462. €34.99. ISBN 978-3-8252-4681-5.
This was written as a student manual (Lehrbuch), which means that some useful basic material is included, such as an explanation of the sigla and system of naming the Scrolls. Part 1, Historical and Philological Introduction: ch. 1 discusses the history of the finds and their publication; chs. 2-3, naming of the Scrolls (including abbreviations) and palaeography; ch. 4, a short history of Judah in the Hellenistic-Roman period; ch. 5, religious movements. Part 2, Archaeology of the Texts from Qumran and their Environment: ch. 6, fundamentals of archaeology and the settlement phases; ch. 7, life in and around Qumran; ch. 8, fortress, villa, and pottery—Qumran in context; ch. 9, overview of the scrolls, authorial groups, settlers and opponents. Part 3, The Birth of the Oldest Book Religion—The Scrolls of Qumran and the Hebrew Bible: ch. 10, contours of the Bible and ‘para-biblical’ literature in the Second Temple period; ch. 11, textual critique and redaction critique of ‘biblical’ and non-biblical books; ch. 12, techniques and themes of interpretation. Part 4, The Yahad: Sources, Organization and Religion of the Library's Owners: ch. 13, the sources of the Yahad; ch. 14, Yahad and new covenant: the organization; ch. 15, ‘plants of righteousness’: origin, history and protagonists; ch. 16, rituals of the Yahad; ch. 17, on the ideology of the Yahad. Part 5, Qumran as Key Hole: New Insights into Ancient Judaism: ch. 18, eschatology, apocalyptic and messianism— Qumran and Christian Judaism; ch. 19, wisdom, science and magic; ch. 20, liturgy, prayer and mysticism; ch. 21, Qumran and rabbinic Judaism. A major strength is the inclusion of secondary bibliography, but because this book is aimed primarily at German-speaking readers, a number of well-known English works are listed only in their German translation. The book will be welcomed by many scholars, not just students, and both would benefit from an English translation.
Lester L. Grabbe
Note also the following books reviewed in other sections of this, Book List:
Brooke, George J. and Pierre Van Hecke (eds.), Goochem in Mokum / Wisdom in Amsterdam: Papers on Biblical and Related Wisdom Read at the Fifteenth Joint Meeting of the Society for Old Testament Study and the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap — see p. 105
Lim, Timothy H., The Formation of the Jewish Canon — see p. 7
Willgren, David, The Formation of the ‘Book’ of Psalms: Reconsidering the Transmission and Canonization of Psalmody in Light of Material Culture and the Poetics of Anthologies — see p. 91