Bibliography
| Title: The Historcal Background of the Qumran commentary on Nahum (4QpNah) Pages: 329-338 Type: Generic Year: 1997 Abstract: "Begg, Christopher T. in: OTA 21,2 (1998) 313: T. tries to show that the Qumran commentary on Nahum (4QpNah) can only have been compiled in 88 B.C.E. (and, consequently, is the only Qumran composition hitherto discovered which can be dated precisely). He further argues that in its text, in all four columns, the situation is reflected which had developed in Judaea in the very same year as a result of the shattering defeat inflicted by the Syrian king Demetrius III Eucaerus (95-88/87 B.C.E) on the Judaean king and high priest Alexander Jannaeus' (103-76 B.C.E.) troops near Shechem (cf. Flavius Josephus JW,1. 92-95; Ant 13.377-378 and 4QpNah 1:8-2:1). Demetrius was invited to help the Pharisees (= the ""seekers after smooth tings"" in 4QpNah) who headed the people's revolt of ca. 94/93-88 B.C.E. against Alexander [= the Young Lion of Wrath in 4QpNah] (see JW 1.92; Ant. 13.376 and 4QpNah 1:22 [cf. 2:9]. The Judaean king was compelled to ""flee to the mountains"" (JW 1.95; Ant. 13.379). As a result, the power (mmslh [""rule,"" ""dominion""]; 4QpNah 2:4) in Jerusalem (= the ""city of Ephraim"", 4QpNah 2:2) was seized by the Pharisees (= the ""seekers after smooth things"" and ""Ephraim"", 4QpNah 2:2-10; cf. JW 1.98; Ant. 13.383). The ""reign"" (mlkwt, ""kingdom"") of ""Manasseh"" - ex hypothesi the Sadducees, on whom the king Alexander leaned (see, e.g. Ant. 13.411-414; JW 1.113-114), however, had not ""fallen"" yet (4QpNah 4:3-4), though the process had already begun (4QpNah 3:8-9; 4:5-6). The Nahum commentator predicts that in spite of fortune's favor, ""Ephraim"" will suffer in he near future the same sad fate that befell ""Manasseh"" (4QpNah 3:5-9; 4:5-6). And indeed, the triumph of the Pharisees did not last long. Six thousand insurgents went over suddenly to Jannaeus (including probably the majority of the Pharisees (= the ""House of Peleg"" (?) [cf. the Damascus Document (CD) 20:22-23], ""who joined themselves to Manasseh,"" 4QpNah 4:1), and the king routed the rebels with their help in the same year - 88 B.C.E. This allow us to date the Commentary on Nahum to within a year." |