The War of the Messiah

Dead Sea Scroll text, 4Q285 & 11Q14

The War of the Messiah is a series of Dead Sea Scroll fragments describing the conclusion of a battle led by the Leader of the Congregation. The fragments that make up this document include 4Q285, also known as The Pierced Messiah Text, and 11Q14 with which it was found to coincide. It is possible that it also represents the conclusion of the War Scroll, as the two read coherently and discuss related thematic issues.[1]

## Pierced Messiah text (4Q285)

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This six-line fragment, commonly referred to as the "Pierced Messiah" text, is written in a Herodian script of the first half of the 1st Century and refers to the "stump of Jesse"—the Messiah—from the Branch of David, to a judgement, killing, and cleansing of the land of the dead by the Messiah's soldiers.

## Translation from Hebrew

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Hebrew is primarily made up of consonants; vowels must be supplied by the reader. The appropriate vowels depend on the context. Thus, the text (line 4) may be translated as "and the Prince of the Congregation, the Branch of David, will kill him," or alternately read as "and they killed the Prince." Because of the second reading, the text was dubbed the "Pierced Messiah".

## Readings

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In September 1992, Time magazine published an article on the War Rule fragment displayed here (object no. 12) exploring the differing interpretations.[2] A "piercing messiah" reading would support the traditional Jewish view of a triumphant messiah. If, on the other hand, the fragment were interpreted as speaking of a "pierced messiah," it would anticipate the New Testament view of the preordained death of the messiah. The scholarly basis for these differing interpretations—but not their theological ramifications—are reviewed in "A Pierced or Piercing Messiah?"[3]

### Piercing Messiah reading

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(Serekh ha-Milhamah) 4Q285 (SM) Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority (12)

[...]Isaiah the prophet: [The thickets of the forest] will be cut [
down with an axe and Lebanon by a majestic one will f]all. And there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse [
] the Branch of David and they will enter into judgement with [
] and the Prince of the Congregation, the Bran[ch of David] will kill him [
by stroke]s and by wounds. And a Priest [of renown (?)] will command [
the s]lai[n] of the Kitti[m]

Transcription and translation by G. Vermes

### Pierced Messiah reading

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"[...]Isaiah the prophet: [The thickets of the forest] will be fell [ed
with an axe and Lebanon shall f]all by a mighty one]. A staff shall rise from the root of Jesse, [and a planting from his roots will bear fruit ...
] the Branch of David. They will enter into judgment with [...
] and they will put to death the Prince of the Congregation, the Bran[ch of David ...
] and with woundings, and the (high) priest will command [ ...
the s]lai[n] of the Kitti[m]"

Transcription and translation by Eisenman and Wise

## Terminology

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11Q14 describes a Leader of the Congregation, that is, a messianic figure known from other Dead Sea Scrolls. References to Kittim refer to an opposing force, and scholars agree that it most likely refers to the Romans.[citation needed] The stump of Jesse and Branch of David in Frag. 1 Col. 1 refer to the coming of a Messiah from the line of King David.

## References

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1. ^ Wise, Abegg & Cook 2005, p. 368-71.
2. ^ Ostling, Richard N. (21 September 1992). "Is Jesus In the Dead Sea Scrolls?". Time Magazine. 140 (12): 56–57\. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
3. ^ Tabor, James D. (November–December 1992). "A Pierced or Piercing Messiah? – The Verdict Is Still Out". Biblical Archaeology Review. 18 (6): 58–59. Retrieved 13 February 2013.

## Bibliography

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* Vermes, G. "The Oxford Forum for Qumran Research: Seminar on the Rule of the War from Cave 4 (4Q285)," Journal of Jewish Studies 43 (Spring 1992):85-90.
* Wise, Michael O.; Abegg, Martin G.; Cook, Edward M. (25 October 2005). The Dead Sea Scrolls - Revised Edition. San Francisco: Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-076662-X.

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Dead Sea Scrolls

Texts|

* 4Q106
* 4Q107
* 4Q108
* 4Q119
* 4Q120
* 4Q121
* 4Q122
* 4Q126
* 4Q127
* 4Q166
* 4Q175
* 4Q240
* 4Q246
* 4Q252
* 4Q448
* 4Q521
* 4Q542
* 4QDeuteronomyn (4Q41)
* 4QInstruction (4Q415–418, 4Q418a, 4Q423, 1Q26)
* 4QMMT (4Q394–399)
* 6Q6
* 7Q1
* 7Q5
* 11Q5 The Great Psalms Scroll
* 11QpaleoLev
* 11Q13 Melchizedek
* 11Q18 New Jerusalem
* Barkhi Nafshi (4Q434–438)
* The Book of Giants
* The Book of Mysteries (1Q27 and 4Q299–301)
* Community Rule (1QS, 4QS, 5Q11, 5Q13)
* Copper Scroll (3Q15)
* Damascus Document (CD)
* Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen ar)
* Genesis Commentary
* Greek Minor Prophets Scroll from Nahal Hever
* Habakkuk Commentary (1QpHab)
* Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa,1QIsab)
* Nahum Commentary (4QpNah/4Q169)
* New Jerusalem Scroll
* Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus scroll (11QpaleoLev)
* Papyrus Cotton
* Physiognomies/Horoscopes (4Q186)
* Pseudo-Ezekiel
* Rule of the Blessing (1QSb)
* Rule of the Congregation (1QSa)
* Samuel Scroll
* The Seekers After Smooth Things
* Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice (4Q400–407)
* Songs of the Sage (4Q510–511)
* Temple Scroll (11Q19)
* Thanksgiving Hymns (1QH)
* The War of the Messiah/The Pierced Messiah Text (4Q285/11Q14)
* War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness (1QM)

Places|

* Qumran
* Qumran Caves
* cave 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* 5
* 6
* 7
* 8
* 9
* 10
* 11
* Qumran cemetery
* Ein Feshkha
* Kohlit
* Secacah
* Wadi Murabba'at

Issues|

* Essenes
* Sadducees
* Carbon dating
* Yahad Ostracon
* Pesher
* Dual messiahs
* Teacher of Righteousness
* Wicked Priest
* Calendrical texts

Scholars|

* Martin G. Abegg
* John Marco Allegro
* Joseph M. Baumgarten
* John J. Collins
* Sidnie White Crawford
* Frank Moore Cross
* André Dupont-Sommer
* Robert Eisenman
* Hanan Eshel
* Joseph Fitzmyer
* Peter W. Flint
* David Noel Freedman
* Jean-Baptiste Humbert
* Florentino García Martínez
* Norman Golb
* Gerald Lankester Harding
* Yizhar Hirschfeld
* Ernest-Marie Laperrousaz
* Jodi Magness
* Józef Milik
* Elisha Qimron
* James A. Sanders
* Lawrence Schiffman
* Hershel Shanks
* Patrick W. Skehan
* Solomon H. Steckoll
* Hartmut Stegemann
* John Strugnell
* Eleazar Sukenik
* Carsten Peter Thiede
* Emanuel Tov
* John C. Trever
* Eugene Ulrich
* Roland de Vaux
* Géza Vermes
* Yigael Yadin
* José O'Callaghan Martínez

Other|

* AIAR/ASOR
* Aramaic Enoch Scroll
* Shrine of the Book
* Orion Center
* École Biblique
* Discoveries in the Judaean Desert
* Mar Samuel
* Muhammed edh-Dhib
* Najib Albina

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