Eschatology, Messianism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature (SDSS)ature)

Neufeld discusses different aspects of Johnnine messiansm. Various scholars have pointed out that the concept of the messiah was fluid in Second Temple Judaism. The community rule in Qumran indicated, or at least hinted at, two messiahs, one from the royal line of David, and one from the priestly line of Aaron.Christianity took the prophecies of these two messiahs and collapsed them into one, to which it also added the prophecies in the Old Testament regarding the suffering servant.Hughes finds "an emphasis on prophecy can be seen throughout the New Testament" (p 10).Broyles wonders why the New Testament authors "make so much of Ps 2:7 and 110:1...when their portrayal of the king is so incongruous with Jesus" (p 25). In this case, Broyles argues that the authors put their strongest apologetic prophecies first.Flint has an interesting essay on that most knotty of problems, the book of Daniel. And it is undeniably important that we found eight - yes, eight - copies of Daniel in Qumran. If this were our only evidence, Daniel was the most popular and most read book of the Old Testament. It is also significant that the texts "reveal no major disagreements against the Masoretic Text" (p 43).Flint concludes that "both the large number of Daniel scrolls and allusions in the Qumran corpus indicate that the book of Daniel was viewed as Scripture at Qumran" ( p 60).Western civilization alone believed history was linear (I wouldn't dare speak that sentence aloud at a university today, however true) and the spread of this concept was due to Judaism and Christianity. Judaism also believed in the 'end of days', a time which would transform Israel and the world. At Qumran, it appears they expected the end times to arrive shortly.

Inside you will find:---------------------Introduction Craig A. Evans, Peter W. FlintMoses' Birth Story: A Biblical Matrix for Prophetic Messianism Paul E. HughesRedeeming King: Psalm 72's Contribution to the Messianic Ideal Craig C. BroylesDaniel Tradition at Qumran Peter W. FlintWho Ascended to Heaven? 4Q491, 4Q427, and the Teacher of Righteousness Martin G. Abegg, Jr.Expectation of the End in the Dead Sea Scrolls John J. CollinsJesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls from Qumran Cave 4 Craig A. EvansThrone-Chariot Mysticism in Qumran and in Paul James M. Scott"And When That One Comes": Aspects of Johannine Messianism Dietmar Neufeld---------------------A comapanion read would be C. Marvin Pate's book,Communities of the Last Days : The Dead Sea Scrolls, the New Testament & the Story of Israel