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Dualism in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Part 8): Dualism in 1QM

posted by Krista | 4/3/2004 10:51:15 PM | Permalink | Stumble It!

IQM Background
1QM is considered to be characteristic of cosmic dualism with eschatological elements, seen primarily in 1QM 1;13;15-19. Its date has been an issue of considerable debate, ranging from the middle half of the first century BCE to the middle of the first half of the first century CE. Another study dates the final form (found in 1QM, 4Q492, 4Q494, 4Q495, 4Q496) of the War Rule to the second half of the first century BCE, while dating the older stages (found in 4Q491, 4Q493, 4Q471b) to Maccabean times.

It has been argued that the earlier fragments emphasize a "strongly nationalistic, but not yet sectarian viewpoint," whereas the younger fragments describe the victorious group as only a portion of God's "holy remnant." 4Q471 frg.1 mentions only priests, whereas 1QM2 and 4Q494 mention 'the participation of laymen in the temple.'

Finally, in the earlier 4Q493 sabbath trumpets are mentioned, whereas this reference is omitted in later fragments. It may be that these differences suggest that the War Rule originated in pre- or non-Essene priestly circles, and that sectarian material was added at a later stage.

Michael vs. Belial
In 1QM 13:2,4, the host of God's spirits battles against Belial, and Belial and his spirits are accursed for their wicked plan. In 1QM 13:11-12, the spirits of Belial's lot are specifically identified with 'angels of destruction.' The sect's enemies belong to the lot of Belial, while the sons of light belong to the lot of light (1:5,11,13-14;4:2;13:2,4-5). The sons of darkness are the army of Belial, and the seven nations of vanity are the troops of Belial (1:1;11:8). The army of Belial consists of both human enemies and also the spirits of darkness and the angels of destruction, & it has been suggested 1QM was designed as an authentic military manual, designed for use in an actual war.

1QM 1 explains that Michael and God's lot are locked in combat with Belial and his lot for seven battles. Both sides will win three times, until God intervenes in the seventh battle and destroys Belial and his army (1:14-15). S.L. Mattila notes "the opposition does not lie between God and Belial directly, but between Michael and Belial, to whom equal measures are appointed."

Even the final victory is primarily attributed to Michael. The battle in 1QM shows parallels to the book of Daniel in its motifs such as cosmic warfare and the participation of angelic beings in human affairs and characters such as the Kittim, although Prof. Collins has argued that the basic structure differs fundamentally from that of Daniel in that Daniel is based on the Canaanite chaos-myth while 1QM has Persian influence.

The dualism in 1QM is classified as purely cosmic in that Belial and Michael are in constant conflict. Eschatological dualism cannot be used to classify the text because "no clear details of the nature of the future existence of the sect members are given" after the final battle. There is clearly a difference in the pattern of dualism presented in 1QM and that in 1QS.

First of all, there are no psychological elements presented in 1QM. The ethical elements of 1QM are presented in a manner of ritual purity corresponding to physical impairments not as a dualism of virtues and vices as represented in 1QS. Finally, the eschatology in 1QM emphasizes a complete extermination of Belial and his lot, and not as a purification of the community or within the hearts of the sons of light.

Reference

• PDF (92KB): Paper with Footnotes - This essay is adapted from an old undergrad paper for a Dead Sea Scrolls Class I wrote a few years ago. (Yes, it could use editing.)
• Dead Sea Scrolls & Qumran FAQ