Depending exactly what you define as petitionary, the core group of texts, so
to speak, would be
some daily prayers ("Daily Prayers", 4QprQuot/4Q503, and "The Words of the
Luminaries", 4QDibHam/4Q504+506)
and prayers for festivals (1Q34+34bis, 4Q505, 4Q507-09)
-- they are unanimously considered "liturgical" texts, meaning they probably
were used in a sort of early "synagogue service" (the expression is perhaps
wildly anachronistic, but reasonably illustrative I'd say)
The Berakot (4QBer/4Q286-90) presumablay were used in an annual covenant
renewal ritual; the same may be true of The Rule of Blessings (1QSb), and the
Community Rule may contain details of that ritual (1QSa 2,19-3,12, I think)
A few other odds and ends (4Q409, 4Q502, 4Q284, 4Q414, 4Q512) presumably
belonged in rituals of sorts as well.
Possibly the Songs for the Sabbath Sacrifice (4QShirShabb/4Q400-407 and
11QShirShab/11Q17 were (as the name implies) used in a weekly prayer service,
although some count them as "mystical" rather than liturgical texts, because
they are actually not prayers directed *at* God, but rather descriptions of the
angfelic service of God in the celestial temple.
And of course you have prayers cropping up within other texts, e.g. plenty of
the War Scroll is prayers to be recited by the priests during battle, but
whether they were ever used, or are more a literary way for that scroll to make
its point, remains disputed.
The most recent treatment I can think of is pp. 219-34 of Lawrence Schiffman's
"Qumran and Jerusalem", Eerdmans 2010 (although I guess it's based on a 1987
article, but duly updated). There's also a chapter in Eileen Schuller's "The
Dead Sea scrolls, what have we learned 50 years on?"
I probably left something out :-)
all the best
Søren
__________________________________
Søren Holst
Associate Professor, PhD
Biblical Studies Section
University of Copenhagen
Købmagergade 44-46, POB 2164
DK-1150 Copenhagen K
ph. +45 35 32 35 80
fax +45 35 32 36 52
http://pergaMent.blogs.ku.dk
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Sendt: 9. juli 2010 00:01
Til: g-megillot
Emne: [Megillot] prayer at Qumran
Can anyone here tell me what texts have been identified within the
scrolls as "prayers", especially communal petitionary prayers?
With thanks in advance,
Jeffrey
--
Jeffrey B. Gibson, D.Phil. (Oxon)
1500 W. Pratt Blvd.
Chicago, Illinois
e-mail [email protected]
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