Supplements

to the

Journal for the

Study of Judaism
Editor
John J. Collins
The Divinity School, Yale University

Associate Editor
Florentino García Martínez
Qumran Institute, University of Groningen

Advisory Board
.  ‒ .  ‒ ..   
.   ‒ ..  ‒ .....  
.  ‒ .  ‒ ...  ‒ . 

VOLUME 86
 An Aramaic
Wisdom Text from
Qumran
A New Interpretation of the Levi Document

by
Henryk Drawnel, S.D.B.

AEGID
B
E
TA SU

..
P AA LL LL AA S

..
TU

.
S

BRILL
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2004
 This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Drawnel, Henryk.
An Aramaic wisdom text from Qumran : a new interpretation of the Levi document /
by Henryk Drawnel.
p. cm. — (Supplements to the Journal for the study of Judaism, ISSN 1384-2161;
v. 86)
Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.
ISBN 90-04-13753-X
1. Levi document. 2. Manuscripts, Aramaic. 3. Israel. Rashut Ha-Atikot—Library.
4. Bodleian Library. 5. Cambridge University Library. I. Levi document. II. Title.
III. Series

BM488.L48D73 2004
229’.914—dc22 2004045596

ISSN 1384–2161
ISBN 90 04 13753 X

© Copyright 2004 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior
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provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance
Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA.
Fees are subject to change.

   

éllå pãnta m°trƒ ka‹ ériym“ ka‹ staym“ di°tajaw
Wis 11:20
 CONTENTS

Tables .......................................................................................... xi
Plates .......................................................................................... xii
Preface ........................................................................................ xiii
Abbreviations .............................................................................. xvi

CHAPTER ONE: ARAMAIC LEVI DOCUMENT:

INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 1
1.1 A General Presentation of the Document .......................... 1
1.2 Previous Research ............................................................ 4
1.3 Purpose of the Study ........................................................ 12
1.4 The Text of the Document ................................................ 14
1.4.1 History of Publication .......................................... 14
1.4.2 Manuscript Description ........................................ 21
1.4.2.1 The Qumran Fragments ...................... 21
1.4.2.2 The Cairo Geniza Fragments .............. 29
1.4.2.3 The Mt. Athos Fragments .................... 31
1.4.2.4 The Syriac Fragment ............................ 32
1.4.3 The Order of Manuscripts and their
Reconstruction ...................................................... 32
1.4.3.1 A Reconstruction of the Qumran
Manuscripts ............................................ 32
1.4.3.2 A Reconstruction of MS A .................. 38
1.4.3.3 A Reconstruction of MS E .................. 43
1.4.3.4 A Reconstruction of MS B .................. 51
1.4.3.5 Two Recensions Theory ...................... 51
1.4.3.6 A Tentative Order of Manuscripts and
Events in the Document .......................... 53
1.5 The Language, Author, Date, Place, and Purpose
of the Composition .......................................................... 55
1.5.1 The Language ...................................................... 55
1.5.2 The Author ............................................................ 61
1.5.3 The Date, Place, and Purpose of the
Composition .......................................................... 63
1.5.3.1 The Date ................................................ 63
viii 

1.5.3.2 The Place .............................................. 75

1.5.3.3 The Purpose ........................................ 78
1.6 The Literary Genre .......................................................... 85

CHAPTER TWO: ARAMAIC LEVI DOCUMENT:

THE TEXT .......................................................................... 97
2.1 Reconstructed Text .......................................................... 97
2.1.1 A.L.D. 1a .............................................................. 98
2.1.2 A.L.D. 1b .............................................................. 103
2.1.3 A.L.D. 1c–2 .......................................................... 104
2.1.4 A.L.D. 3 ................................................................ 107
2.1.5 A.L.D. 3a–3c ........................................................ 108
2.1.5.1 A.L.D. 3a .............................................. 108
2.1.5.2 A.L.D. 3b .............................................. 110
2.1.5.3 A.L.D. 3c .............................................. 111
2.1.6 A.L.D. 4–10 .......................................................... 112
2.1.7 A.L.D. 11–18 ........................................................ 118
2.1.8 A.L.D. 19–25b ...................................................... 124
2.1.9 A.L.D. 25b–32a .................................................... 132
2.1.10 A.L.D. 32b–64 ...................................................... 138
2.1.11 A.L.D. 65–72 ........................................................ 144
2.1.12 A.L.D. 72–80 ........................................................ 150
2.1.13 A.L.D. 81–90 ........................................................ 155
2.1.14 A.L.D. 90–96 ........................................................ 159
2.1.15 A.L.D. 96–100 ...................................................... 163
2.1.16 A.L.D. 83b–98—Wisdom Poem: Strophic
Disposition ............................................................ 165
2.1.17 A.L.D. 101–104 .................................................... 168
2.1.17.1 A.L.D. 101 .......................................... 168
2.1.17.2 A.L.D. 102 .......................................... 169
2.1.17.3 A.L.D. 103 .......................................... 170
2.1.17.4 A.L.D. 104 .......................................... 171
2.2 Overlapping Qumran Texts ............................................ 172
2.2.1 A.L.D. 1a–1b ........................................................ 172
2.2.2 A.L.D. 4–9 ............................................................ 179
2.2.3 A.L.D. 20–32 ........................................................ 182
2.2.4 A.L.D. 22–31 ........................................................ 186
2.2.5 A.L.D. 69–73 ........................................................ 190
2.2.6 A.L.D. 82–100 ...................................................... 192
2.3 Non Classified Fragments ................................................ 201
  ix

CHAPTER THREE: ARAMAIC LEVI DOCUMENT:

COMMENTARY .................................................................. 205
3.1 Levi’s Prayer—A.L.D. 1a ................................................ 205
3.1.1 Introductory Narrative—A.L.D. 1a vv. 1–4 .... 208
3.1.2 The Prayer —A.L.D. 1a vv. 5–19 .................... 212
3.2 First Vision—A.L.D. 1b .................................................. 224
3.3 Shechem Incident—A.L.D. 1c–2 .................................... 228
3.4 Selling of Joseph—A.L.D. 3 ............................................ 230
3.5 Heavenly Elevation—A.L.D. 3a–7 .................................. 233
3.6 First Visit to Isaac—A.L.D. 8 ........................................ 248
3.7 Ordination in Bethel—A.L.D. 9–10 .............................. 249
3.8 Wisdom Instruction—A.L.D. 11–61 .............................. 254
3.8.1 Introductory Narrative—A.L.D. 11–13 ............ 259
3.8.2 Priestly Purity and Holiness—A.L.D. 14–18 .... 262
3.8.3 Due Order of Sacrificial Activity —A.L.D. 19–30 269
3.8.3.1 Ablutions—A.L.D. 19–21 .................... 269
3.8.3.2 Wood for the Burnt Offering—A.L.D.
22–25a .................................................. 271
3.8.3.3 Burnt Offering of the Bull—A.L.D.
25b–30 ................................................ 275
3.8.4 Metrological Order of Weights and
Measures—A.L.D. 31–47 .................................. 280
3.8.4.1 Wood Quantity—A.L.D. 31–36 ........ 280
3.8.4.2 Salt Quantity—A.L.D. 37–40 ............ 287
3.8.4.3 Fine Flour—A.L.D. 40b–42 ................ 288
3.8.4.4 Oil and Wine—A.L.D. 43–44 ............ 289
3.8.4.5 Frankincense—A.L.D. 45–46a ............ 290
3.8.4.6 Metrological Table—A.L.D. 46b–47 .... 291
3.8.5 Final Exhortation—A.L.D. 48–50 .................... 293
3.8.6 Sacrifice, Ablution, Blood, and
Blessing—A.L.D. 51–61 .................................... 295
3.9 Genealogy and Autobiography—A.L.D. 62–81 ............ 302
3.9.1 Marriage and Children—A.L.D. 62–73 .......... 304
3.9.2 Grandchildren—A.L.D. 73–77 .......................... 311
3.9.3 Autobiography—A.L.D. 78–81 .......................... 313
3.10 Wisdom Poem—A.L.D. 82–98 ........................................ 318
3.10.1 Introductory Narrative—A.L.D. 82–83a .......... 325
3.10.2 The Poem—A.L.D. 83b–98 .............................. 326
x 

3.11 Perspectives for the Future—A.L.D. 99–104 ................ 342

3.11.1 Future Glory—A.L.D. 99–100 ........................ 342
3.11.2 Future Apostasy —A.L.D. 101–104 .................. 345

CONCLUSION ........................................................................ 349

Appendix: Text and Translation .............................................. 353

Aramaic Concordance .............................................................. 374
Greek Concordance .................................................................. 406
Syriac Concordance .................................................................. 443
Bibliography ................................................................................ 445
Index of Biblical Texts .............................................................. 463
Index of Non-Biblical Literature .............................................. 476
Index of Modern Authors ........................................................ 495
Plates .......................................................................................... 501
 TABLES

Table 1. Qumran Manuscripts and their Photographs ........ 21

Table 2. Order of Qumran Manuscripts Based on
MS A ........................................................................ 33
Table 3. Overlapping Qumran Manuscripts ........................ 34
Table 4. Qumran Texts without Parallels ............................ 34
Table 5. Qumran Fragments without a Clear Connection
to the Document ........................................................ 38
Table 6. Cairo Geniza Manuscript Reconstruction ............ 39
Table 7. Order of the Manuscripts and Events in
A.L.D. ........................................................................ 54
Table 8. Qumran Fragments in Chapter II ........................ 97
Table 9. Chronology in A.L.D. 78–81 .................................. 155
Table 10. Levi and Enoch as Visionaries .............................. 227
Table 11. Talent Fractions and Mina Multiples .................... 282
Table 12. Seah Fractions and Salt .......................................... 287
Table 13. Seah Fractions and Fine Flour .............................. 288
Table 14. Seah Fractions and Oil .......................................... 289
Table 15. Multiples of a Shekel .............................................. 290
Table 16. Metrological Relations ............................................ 291
Table 17. Literary Structure of the Birth Account—A.L.D.
63–72 ........................................................................ 302
Table 18. The Chronology of Levi’s Life .............................. 304
Table 19. Melcha and Levi’s Genealogy ................................ 305
Table 20. Poetical Structure of the Wisdom Poem—A.L.D.
83b–98 ...................................................................... 321
Table 21. Poetical Word-Pairs in A.L.D. 83b–98 .................. 323
Table 22. End-Rhyme in A.L.D. 83b–98 ................................ 324
 PLATES

I. 1Q21 1, 3, 4, 45

II. 4Q213

III. 4Q213a

IV. 4Q213b and 4Q 214

V. 4Q214a and 214b

VI. MS A; A.L.D. 1c–2; 81–96

VII. MS A; A.L.D. 3; 66–80

VIII. MS A; A.L.D. 4–18

IX. MS A; A.L.D. 19–32a

X. MS E 2,3; A.L.D. 1a vv. 1–17

XI. MS E 2,3; A.L.D. 1a vv. 17–19

XII. MS E 18,2; A.L.D. 11–27

XIII. MS E 18,2; A.L.D. 27–46

XIV. MS E 18,2; A.L.D. 46–62

XV. MS E 18,2; A.L.D. 62–69

XVI. MS B; A.L.D. 78–81

 PREFACE

The idea to produce a new edition and commentary of the Aramaic

Levi Document arose during the preparation of the paper due in par-
tial requirement for the doctoral year at the Pontifical Biblical Institute,
Rome. The paper dealt with the person of Melchizedek and Levi
in the Letter to the Hebrews since some relationship between Levi and
Melchizedek was observed in the Document. While working on the
Aramaic composition, I mainly consulted its Cairo Geniza manu-
scripts with some recourse to the Qumran fragments. Reading the
scholarly literature on the Document, I noticed that much uncertainty
reigned as to its provenance, literary character, and general line of
interpretation. Most of the research concentrated on its textual rela-
tionship to the Greek Testament of Levi, while neglecting the funda-
mental questions concerning the origins of this Aramaic composition.
The preliminary publication of the Qumran fragments by Kugler
(1996a) and the editio princeps by Stone and Greenfield (1996a) par-
tially remedied that situation. Kugler published Qumran fragments
together with Cairo Geniza manuscripts and Mt. Athos Greek por-
tions of the Aramaic work and undertook a difficult task of restor-
ing its textual form. However, he imposed his own sigla on the
Qumran texts and did not publish their photographs, making any
comparison with the original texts impossible. He included in his
work only those Qumran fragments that supplemented the texts of
the composition, especially in its final portion, and omitted the oth-
ers that overlapped with the Cairo Geniza manuscripts. Although he
discussed the authorship and purpose of his reconstructed text, his
work intended to reconstruct the “Original Levi” that stood at the
source of the whole Levi-Priestly Tradition. He thus treated the
Document as only one part of his intended proceedings and did not
give enough attention to analyze it properly. The publication of the
Qumran fragments by Greenfield and Stone concluded a long period
of waiting for a comprehensive edition of the composition’s oldest
manuscripts.
The present monograph continues the scholarly effort of the prede-
cessors who dealt with this difficult and fragmentary composition. It
presents the text of the Document and tries to find some fundamental
xiv 

answers to its problematics. The result of this inquiry based on a

patient study and research lies in front of the reader. Many incon-
sistencies, misinterpretations, or even mistakes that a critical eye will
certainly discover stem not from neglect but from my personal lim-
itations that were not always possible to overcome. However, I con-
sole myself that I remained at least partially obedient to the command
of Levi, an ideal priest and scribe: “Do not neglect to study wisdom
and do not abandon a search for her ways” (A.L.D. 90).
Finally, I would like to thank those who helped me in my work
by their advice and encouragement. My most heartfelt words of grat-
itude are directed to Rev. Joseph Sievers, Professor of Jewish History
and Literature of the Hellenistic Period at the Pontifical Biblical
Institute in Rome, Italy. His patient and kind counsel and direction
assisted me in my work and allowed me to bring the whole work
to conclusion. The second adviser of the work was Rev. Émile Puech,
Director of Research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scien-
tifique in Paris, France. I am greatly indebted to his help and direc-
tion in dealing with the Qumran manuscripts, of which he possesses
an unsurpassable knowledge and expertise. He showed a vivid inter-
est in the work from its very beginning and his watchful eye and
judgment prevented me from committing many mistakes in the
painstaking decipherment of the Aramaic texts. To both scholars,
however, I am greatly obligated not only for their professional and
insightful help, but especially for their friendship and encouragement
that changed my work into a profound human experience. I am also
very grateful to Mr. Jöran Friberg, a retired professor of mathe-
matics from Chalmers University of Technology, in Gothenburg,
Sweden. As an eminent specialist in Babylonian mathematics, he
confirmed my conclusions concerning the Babylonian origins of the
metrological exercises in the Document. Additional expertise was pro-
vided by Ms. Eleanor Robson from All Souls College, Oxford. She
shared with me a preliminary version of her article about scribal
education at Nippur and provided me with several useful observa-
tions concerning this theme. I also had the privilege to study the
Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs with Mr. John Strugnell, a retired
professor of Harvard Divinty School. His vivid intelligence and broad
learning inspired my imagination and research to continue the work
undertaken. Prof. John Collins from Yale Divinity School read the
whole manuskript, made many insightful comments, and accepted
the work for publication in this scientific series. Finally, special thanks
  xv

are due to the professors and staff of the academic institutions where
I studied and continued my research, that is: the Pontifical Biblical
Institute, Rome; École Biblique et Archéologique Française, Jerusalem;
Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge. Last but not least, I would
like to express my gratitude to Rev. Paul O’Brien and James Burke
and all the parishioners of Infant Jesus-St. Lawrence parish for their
hospitality, friendship, and generous support during my stay in Boston.
The photographs of the manuscripts presented in the sixteen plates
at the end of this work come from different scientific institutions and
have been reproduced here with all necessary permissions. The pho-
tographs of the Qumran fragments were made available by Israel
Antiquity Authority in Jerusalem; the Cairo Geniza photographs
come from the Bodleian Library in Oxford and the University Library
in Cambridge, England; the Syriac fragment comes from the British
Library in London, England. The microfilm of the Mount Athos
manuscript was provided by the Patriarchal Institute for Patristic
Studies in Thessaloniki, Greece. I dedicate this book to the memory
of my mother Janina.

Kraków, 2004
 ABBREVIATIONS

The manuscript sigla introduced and used in the present work indi-
cate different manuscripts preserved in Aramaic, Greek, and Syriac.
Verses and line divisions introduced by Charles (1908a: 245–256)
have been kept with only minor changes. Some verses have been
split up where the literary division of the text imposed it. Line divi-
sion in Levi’s prayer (A.L.D. 1a) was first introduced by Milik (1955b:
401) and kept in this study. The Qumran fragments are referred to
with the sigla first assigned to them by Milik and then elaborated
by M. Stone and J. Greenfield (1996a: 1–72). In two instances, how-
ever, it seemed advisable on paleographical grounds to modify
them. It is argued that 4Q213a frg. 5 preserves only one column
and not two as the editors affirm (Stone and Greenfield 1996a: 35).
4Q214a frg. 2 i is composed of only one fragment, not two, as
claimed by Stone and Greenfield who label it 4Q214a frg 2–3 i
(1996a: 56).
Since the manuscripts have been republished several times and by
different authors, a certain confusion in the assigned sigla remains
in the scholarly literature. The present effort to distinguish between
different manuscript evidence in a clear and also familiar way tries
not to add to the confusion. To the contrary, it is hoped that some
clarity may be achieved. A distinction between textual witnesses
should facilitate easy reference to different fragments of the same
composition. The siglum used for the whole reconstructed work is
A.L.D., Aramaic Levi Document, denoting language, main personage,
and unspecified literary form of the whole composition (cf. § 1.6).
The diacritical signs used in the manuscript section follow those
the general Discoveries in the Judaean Desert series use, and the
abbreviations of the Qumran manuscripts follow the same DJD series.
General abbreviations of biblical books, apocrypha and pseude-
pigrapha, and transliteration conventions are used in accordance with
Patrick H. Alexander, et al., eds. The SBL Handbook of Style. Peabody,
Mass.: Hendrickson, 1999.
  xvii

I. Abbreviations

A Aramaic manuscript of the Document from the Cairo

Geniza: Bodleian and Cambridge fragments
A.L.D. Aramaic Levi Document
B Syriac manuscript of the Document
c. common; circa
CAD The Assyrian Dictionary of the University of Chicago
conj. conjunction; conjecture
DJD Discoveries in the Judaean Desert
E Greek manuscript of the Document from Mt. Athos
emend. emended
f. feminine; folium
G Gizeh Greek papyrus of 1 Enoch
G2 Gizeh Papyrus duplicate of 1 En. 19:3–21:9
Gb Chester Beatty Papyrus of 1 En. 97:6–104; 106–107:3
H Holiness Code, Leviticus 17–26
HALOT Koehler, L. and Baumgartner, W. The Hebrew and
Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. 5 vols. Leiden,
1994–2000
l(l). line(s)
LPT Levi-Priestly Tradition (Aramaic Levi Document, Jubilees
30–32, Greek Testament of Levi )
LSJ Liddell, G. H., Scott, R., Jones, H. S. A Greek-English
Lexicon. Oxford, 1996
pl. plural; plate
r. recto
Í Pe“i†ta
Sync. Georgius Syncellus’s Greek text of 1 Enoch (ed. by
R. H. Charles. The Ethiopic Version of the Book of Enoch.
Oxford, 1906).
v(v). verso; verse(s)
> becomes
* not attested, but only hypothetical (reconstructed) form

II. Reconstruction Signs

rOmOa letters partially damaged

r‚m‚a‚ only a part of the letter is visible
[rma] a letter, word, or phrase are missing in the manuscripts
xviii 

°rma ink traces of an unidentified letter remain

ˆy
rma supralinear scribal insertion
†to heesyai† text corrupt
{rma} scribal deletion
<rma> scribal correction
*rmaa a variant reading in the footnotes
+ word(s) have been added
> word(s) have been omitted