Reading Report 1

NTST 834 Seminar in Biblical History and Backgrounds

Professor: Dr. C. Mora
2nd Semester, 2015
By David Vanlalnghaka Sailo
James H. Charlesworth, The Pesharim and Qumran History: Chaos or Consensus?
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdsmans, 2002), p. 1-118.

Summary of the book

The author attempted to reconstruct a reliable history of the Qumran community from
the Pesharim documents (Qumran commentary).1 He believed that there are some levels of
consensus (while some would argue for chaos) concerning the historical reconstruction of the
Qumran community using the Pesharim. Realization of the hermeneutical methodology of the
Pesharim, which is called fulfilment interpretation, is the key to unlock their historical
information that are embedded in the Pesharim.
The Pesharim have messianology as its primary concern and accordingly fit
themselves and their special community as the fulfilment of the messianic prophecy in the
scripture. Based on Isaiah 40:3, they saw themselves as the Voice calling, Clear the way for
the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
Accordingly, based on text they commented and the commentary they provided, historical
allusions that are embedded in the Pesharim can be recognized. All relevant scientific
methods, including palaeography, archaeology, historiography, sociology, and careful
examination of the texts composed at Qumran for historical data, are employed as component
parts of the methodology in the study. The author deeply engaged scholars in the field in his
discussion.

James H. Charlesworth, The Pesharim and Qumran History: Chaos or Consensus? (Grand Rapids,
MI: Eerdsmans, 2002), x.

Establishing the synopsis of the Qumran history based on the archaeological findings,
the author postulated 5 phases of inhabitation. Phase I (period 1a) as the formation period of
the wilderness community, which was dated sometime about c.a. 196 BCE based on
Damascus Document, which was the result of tension in the Jerusalem Temple priest. Phase
II (Period 1b) show expansion in the architecture which took place probably about the end of
2nd century BCE. Phase III (Period of abandonment) during 40/31 bce to 9/8 or 4 bce. Phase
IV show return of the Essenes and lived there until 68 CE when the Roman soldiers captured
it. Phase V show Romans occupation.
Basically, developing the history of Qumran using the Pesharim, scholars have to
employed mutatis muntandis (making necessary alterations while not affecting the main point
at issue) because of the hermeneutic nature of the documents, while it lack historical
intension. The descriptions of the characters in the Pesharim, the historical allusion that are
implied provided more information towards our knowledge of the Qumranites.
The thesis of the book
The Pesharim is a non-historical, but a hermeneutical composition. But employing
mutatis muntandis, it can become a reliable source for reconstructing the history of the
Qumran community. However, due to the hermeneutical nature of the book, all the other
available resources and methods need to be employed as well to bring about a consensus (in
terms of reliability) reconstruction of the Qumranites.
His main argument in support of his thesis
The author practically integrated the methodology that he proposed in the book.
Towards the second part of the book, characters that are present in the Pesharim are identified
with the historical figures that are recognized in the other historical account. The descriptions
about the characters and their actions in the pesharim (commentary section) are taken into
account, and they have their basis on the lemma (the quoted text). The identified characters

and incidents are then further identified with the historical figure and thereby constructed the
Qumran history. The author recognized the historical allusion that are present within the
Pesharim and even outside the Palestinian Judaism and the Greeks and the Romans.
Personal evaluation
The book is insightful in terms of historical methodology and details about the
Qumranites. The book is scholarly and written in an engaging manner.