Beyond the Essene hypothesis : the parting of the ways between Qumran and Enochic Judaism / Gabriele Boccaccini.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Boccaccini, Gabriele, 1958-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ethiopic book of Enoch.

Dead Sea scrolls.

Qumran community.

Essenes.

Dead Sea scrolls--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Ethiopic book of Enoch--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xx, 230 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Grand Rapids, Mich. : William B. Eerdmans Pub., [1998]

Summary:

Respected scholar Gabriele Boccaccini here offers readers a new and challenging view of the ideology of the Qumran sect, the community closely related with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Boccaccini moves beyond the Essene hypothesis and posits a unique relationship between what he terms "Enochic Judaism" and the group traditionally known as the Essenes.

Building his case on what the ancient records tell us about the Essenes and on a systematic analysis of the documents found at Qumran, Boccaccini argues that the literature betrays the core of an ancient and distinct variety of Second Temple Judaism. Tracing the development of this tradition, Boccaccini shows that the Essene community at Qumran was really the offspring of the Enochic party, which in turn contributed to the birth of parties led by John the Baptist and Jesus. Convincingly argued, this work will surely spark fresh debate in the discussion on the Qumran community and their famous writings.

Contents:

1. Introduction: Beyond the Essene Hypothesis 1

The Calm after the Storm 1

Historiographical Analysis and Systemic Analysis 8

Moving Forward: From the Essene Hypothesis to the Enochic/Essene Hypothesis 11

Part I Historiographical Analysis 19

2. The Essenes in Ancient Historiography 21

First-Century Jewish and Non-Jewish Sources 21

Location, Extent, and Antiquity of the Essenes 22

Communal Ownership 31

Marriage and Celibacy 38

Summary: The Palestinian Communities and the Community of the Dead Sea 46

Part II Systemic Analysis 51

3. The Prehistory of the Sect 53

The "Qumran Library" 53

The Sectarian Texts of the Community of the Dead Sea Scrolls 59

Pre-Maccabean Texts in the Qumran Library: Enochic and Zadokite Documents 68

4. The Formative Age 81

Daniel and the Book of Dream Visions 81

The Book of Jubilees 86

The Temple Scroll (11QT) 98

The Proto-Epistle of Enoch, Including the Apocalypse of Weeks 104

The Halakhic Letter (4QMMT) 113

5. The Schism between Qumran and Enochic Judaism 119

The Damascus Document (CD) 119

Missing Texts (I) Sectarian Censorship 129

Enochic Documents Unknown at Qumran; or, Enoch vs. Qumran 131

Sectarian Documents in Context; or, Qumran vs. Enoch 150

Missing Texts (II) Sectarian Documents outside Qumran 156

Summary: A Bifurcation in the Chain of Enochic Documents 160

Part III Comparative Analysis 163

6. Conclusion: The Enochic/Essene Hypothesis 165

Enochic Judaism and Essene Judaism 165

Common Roots: Both Moses and Enoch 166

Common Ideology: Rejection of Individual Predestination 170

Common Sociology: Diverse People, Yet Not Set Apart 178

A Composite Picture of the Enochic/Essene Movement 185

Summary: The Enochic/Essene Hypothesis and Its Implications 191

Bibliography: The Dead Sea Scrolls and Second Temple Judaism 197

From Late Judaism to Middle Judaisms 197

General Introductions to the History and Religion of Second Temple Judaism 199

Studies on the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha 204

Studies on the Dead Sea Scrolls 208

Main Subjects 219

Ancient Sources 223

Modern Interpreters 226.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 197-218) and indexes.

ISBN:

0802843603

OCLC:

37837643