orion-list Jeremiah's Eternal Priesthood, the Rechabim

[George Brooks]

I'm still hoping that one of the more curious ORION
members will tackle this long over-looked problem of
Jeremiah's eternal lineage of Rechabite priests.

He seems to believe:
1) That they will stand (serve as priests) before the Yahweh
of Jerusalem.
2) That Yahweh looks favorably upon them, and thus will
be sure they will have an eternal office.
3) His test of the Rechabite representatives seems designed
more as a ritual, and designed to prove his point, rather than
as an authentic test of their resolve.
4) That he links them with an Aramean migration into the
territory, which may in fact inform modern audiences as
to the source of the stories of Abraham the Aramean.

From these points, one might then ask if the Rechabim
(which the Fathers of the post-New Testament period mention
as still in existence):
1) were directly linked to the Enochian community
that seems to have been very active between the return of the
exiles from Persia until the end of the BCE period;
2) and if, like the Greek Suidas specifically says, the Rechabim
actually are the roots of the Essene movement.  If so, it would
explain the non-Jewish character of the Essenes, since the Rechabim
seem clearly to be a non-Jewish sub-set of those devoted to Yahweh.
But this should not be too far-fetched.  By definition, the Benjaminites
and the Levites are ALSO non-Jewish (which is sometimes difficult
to remember).  But the Benjaminites and Levites are Hebrew.  And
perhaps there is a Hebrew linkage between the Rechabites and the
House of Judah as well.

Comments?  Thoughts?  

George Brooks
Tampa, FL

For private reply, e-mail to George Brooks [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To unsubscribe from Orion, e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the
message: unsubscribe Orion. Archives are on the Orion Web
site, http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il.
(PLEASE REMOVE THIS TRAILOR BEFORE REPLYING TO THE MESSAGE)

orion-list Division to parashot in the scrolls (fwd)

[Orion List Owner]

Hello,

Is there an indication in the scrolls of a division to parashot?

Does anyone know of evidence for division into parashot in the second Temple era? 
Was there a division to parashot in the Greek Septaguint?

Thank You
Bruria Bergman
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

For private reply, e-mail to Orion List Owner [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To unsubscribe from Orion, e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the
message: unsubscribe Orion. Archives are on the Orion Web
site, http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il.
(PLEASE REMOVE THIS TRAILOR BEFORE REPLYING TO THE MESSAGE)

orion-list New Publications

[Orion List Owner]

These are usually placed on the Orion Current Bibliography web-page, but
due to the additional content I have decided to circulate the message.

..moderator


Gorgias Press announces volume 3 of Gorgias Dissertations - Near Eastern Series (see 
Call for Submissions below), in addition to two other titles on Qumran:

 
Jefferies, D. Wisdom at Qumran: A Form-Critical Analysis of the Admonitions in 
4QInstruction
  ISBN: 1-931956-36-7
  Price: $45.00
  Series: Gorgias Dissertations: Near Eastern Studies 3
  Format: Paperback
  Size (in): 6 x 9 in
  Pages: xii + 336
  Publication Year: 2002
 


Order Information:
Online orders: www.gorgiaspress.com
Fax orders: +1 732 699 0342
Phone Orders: +1 732 699 0343
Address: Gorgias Press, 46 Orris Ave, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA. Email: 
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Gorgias Dissertations: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The aim of the Gorgias Dissertations - Near East series is to disseminate doctoral 
dissertations in the field of Near Eastern studies (ancient, medieval and modern)  in 
paperback and eBook formats. Authors interested in submitting a dissertation may email 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] with a proposal, including an abstract, a table of contents, 
sample chapters, as well as the contact information of at least two scholars who are 
familiar with the work (preferably members of the examination committee).
Book Description
Wisdom literature reflects the human desire to understand the world and recognize 
proper human conduct. Wisdom has been identified and studied widely in its Ancient 
Near Eastern context. Still, the study of wisdom texts found in the Dead Sea Scrolls 
has only recently come into focus. One such text, 4QInstruction, is a large document 
known only from its occurrence among the Dead Sea Scrolls. 4QInstruction includes 
poetic discourses, hymnic material, and short wisdom sayings and admonitions.

This study provides background on wisdom forms, the key Qumran sectarian texts, and 
wisdom studies related to the Dead Sea Scrolls. After a summary of 4QInstruction as a 
whole, a major portion of the study focuses on the admonitions in 4QInstruction, 
identifying the literary forms used in the admonitions as a way better to assess the 
relationship between 4QInstruction, biblical wisdom, and the broader wisdom tradition. 
The admonitions are grouped by topic and discussed in terms of their structure, wisdom 
forms, and setting. The intended message of the text is then considered in light of 
the biblical wisdom tradition and the sectarian Dead Sea Scroll texts, which make up 
the context for 4QInstruction.

The admonitions are expressed in biblical wisdom forms, showing a familiarity with and 
acceptance of traditional Hebrew wisdom including a focus on traditional themes. Yet, 
when read from the sectarian perspective, 4QInstruction reinforces the guidelines and 
theology of the key Dead Sea Scroll documents.

Daryl F. Jefferies holds a master's degree and doctorate in Hebrew and Semitic Studies 
from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research interests center on the wisdom 
literature found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. This research includes studying the 
development of wisdom thought and literature in its ancient Israelite, Egyptian, 
Jewish, and early Christian forms.

Contents
  1 Introduction 
  2 The Forms of Wisdom Literature 
  3 The Sectarian Rules 
  4 Introduction to 4QInstructions 
  5 The Wisdom Forms of the Admonitions of 4QInstructions 
  6 A Form Critical Analysis of the Admonitions of 4QInstructions 
  7 Conclusions 

--

The following two titles on Qumran are available as Pre-Orders:

Kiraz, George (ed.). Anton Kiraz's Archive on the Dead Sea Scrolls
ISBN: 1-931956-38-3
Price: $45.00
Format: Paperback
Size (in): 6 x 9
Pages: ca. 350
Photos/Illustrations: ca. 10
Publication Year: Forthcoming 2002
No scholarly discovery in modern times has been cloaked in more controversy than that 
of the Dead Sea Scrolls. This is especially true of the circumstances surrounding the 
actual find of Cave 1 in 1946-1947, and the various claims and counter claims of 
ownership that ensued. One such claim of ownership came from Anton D. Kiraz (d. 1993), 
known as the contact person between Mar Samuel and Prof. Sukenik. Kiraz left an 
extensive archive of letters, documents, and a recorded interview with the Bedouins 
who discovered the scrolls. The archive not only reveals Kiraz's claims of ownership, 
but also documents the minutest details concerning the discovery itself, including 
sworn statements by those involved in the discovery. This book is an edition of about 
150 letters and sworn statements. For more info and a Table of Contents, see 
www.gorgiaspress.com.


 
 Trever, John C. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Personal