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Dualism in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Part 9): Other DSS Texts

posted by Krista | 4/3/2004 10:55:13 PM | Permalink | Stumble It!

Testament of Amram (4QAmram)
Other Qumran texts such as the Testament of Amram (4QAmram), which dates to the second century BCE, tell of two spirits who rule over humanity and struggle to take possession over Amram at his death. Fragments of the text mention the three names of the ruler of darkness which have been reconstructed as "Belial, Prince of Darkness, and Melchiresa." These names are most likely countered with "Michael, Prince of Light, and Melchizedek." The Prince of Darkness may refer to the Angel Mastema (1QM 13:11; CD16:5), the Angel of Perdition (4Q286[7]), the Spirit of Abaddon (4Q286[7]), the Angel of Darkness (1QS 3:20-21) or the "Prince of the Domination of Wickedness (1QM 17:5), and may be the adversary to the Prince of Lights in 1QS3:20.

Melchiresa
The name Melchiresa occurs in 4Q280 2 in a series of curses similar to those in 1QM 13:4-6 against Belial and his spirits. It also appears in 11QMelch in direct opposition to Melchizedek, the leader of the forces of good. Thus, one scholar concludes that "the emergence of Melchiresa as a counterpart of Melchizedek is best explained as confirming the conclusion drawn from 1QM that dualism represents, at Qumran, a doctrine that developed and encroached upon other doctrines and not as a primitive element in Qumran doctrine." Other scholars share the opinion that dualism was not a secondary development in the Qumran sect.

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.)