____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ February 29, 2004 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) The Dead Sea Scrolls (Steve Klein) 2) Memories of Mother and the Oilcloth (Tom L. Childers) 3) Jesus Calls Matthew Into His Service (Clarence R. Johnson) ____________________________________________________ -1- The Dead Sea Scrolls by Steve Klein A few fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with some ancient Bibles, are being exhibited at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville during the month of January. Those who love the Bible and are interested in its history may be curious to know more about the Dead Sea Scrolls. This article is intended to give a brief overview. The Discovery of the Scrolls As the tale is told, the initial discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was made by a young Bedouin herdsman named Muhammed edh-Dhib (Muhammed the wolf) in 1946 or 1947. Looking for a stray goat, Muhammed stumbled onto a cave near the Dead Sea containing a number of jars, some holding ancient scrolls. This chance discovery was the beginning of one of the most significant archeological finds of the 20th century, a collection of manuscripts and fragments now collectively known as the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS). Initial Selling and Collection In 1947, the Bedouins sold the seven scrolls they had taken from the cave to two antiquities dealers in Bethlehem, who in turn peddled them to two separate parties for a total of less than $130. Eventually these seven priceless scrolls were sold to representatives of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. They are now housed in The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Among these scrolls, there are two ancient copies of the Book of Isaiah, a Commentary on Habbakuk, and the Manual of Discipline -- which is a book of regulations for the community that had originally produced or preserved these manuscripts. Further Discoveries As news of the scrolls spread, both archeologists and Bedouins began to search feverishly for more caves containing scrolls in the area of the original find. Among the hundreds of caves explored, a total of eleven caves actually containing manuscripts were found in the region of the Wadi Qumran (meaning Qumran Creek) on the northwest side of the Dead Sea. These eleven caves have not only produced twelve complete scrolls, but also thousands of scraps and fragments. In all, parts of 800 distinct manuscripts were discovered in the 11 caves. Cave 4 alone yielded thousands of bits and fragments representing nearly 400 different manuscripts (Lasor, 1979). The most significant finds were in Caves 1, 4 and 11. Types of Manuscripts The scrolls are typically divided into three main categories based upon the subject matter and authorship of the text. The chief categories represented are Biblical, apocryphal and sectarian writings. The sectarian writings relate directly to the Jewish sect that produced and preserved the scrolls. Apocryphal scrolls are those that may claim to be or seem to be inspired, but are not. Among the many Biblical scrolls, there are 200 copies or partial copies of various books of the Old Testament -- all except Esther. A fragment from Leviticus may well date to the fifth century BC, representing the oldest extant copy of any portion of the Bible. Dating of the Scrolls Scholars are now nearly unanimous in assigning the majority of the scrolls dates from 250BC to 68AD. The scholarly basis for this range of dates is excellent, and includes evidence from archaeology, ancient writing analysis (paleography), coins found nearby, language studies, and Carbon14 dating. An important factor in dating the scrolls is their relationship to the ruins of a nearby community, which apparently produced, used and preserved the scrolls. The pottery found in the caves matches that found at the nearby Qumran ruins (Khirbet Qumran). Coinage found at Khirbet Qumran verifies that the site was occupied in the first centuries BC and AD. The Qumran Community When archaeologists excavated Qumran, they uncovered a large rectangular community center as well as other large "assembly" rooms. There were a number of mikvehs (ritual baths), a common cemetery, and also a room which appeared to serve as a writing room or scriptorium, complete with table, benches and two well-preserved ink wells. Another inkwell was found in a neighboring room. Some scholars believe that the writing or copying done in these rooms "likely produced some -- though surely not all -- of the Qumran manuscripts." Many scholars believe that this community was made up of a Jewish sect known as the Essenes. -- The Significance of the Scrolls for the Modern Bible Student -- No Direct Connection to New Testament Characters and Doctrine Some have tried to enhance the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls by invention, claiming for instance that John the Baptist was raised at Qumran, or that he and/or Jesus obtained doctrinal training there. Magen Broshi's article in the current issue of Biblical Archaeology Review is a case in point. He asserts that Jesus' doctrine on divorce and remarriage "came directly from the Essenes to Jesus" (Jan/Feb 2004, p. 35). Of course, such claims are without any foundation. Charles Pfeiffer in his book The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible points out that there are far too many differences between the teaching of John and Jesus on the one hand, and those of the Essenes on the other, to accept the notion that one relied on the other. John evangelized and taught baptism for remission of sins, whereas the Essenes shunned evangelistic work and only allowed members in good standing to engage in their ceremonial washings. Jesus taught that it was right to help those in distress on the Sabbath, He came eating and drinking, He did not practice the traditional ceremonial washings, and He supported the temple system of sacrifices and taxes -- yet all of this was directly contrary to Essene doctrine (Pfeiffer, pp. 97-100). Verification of the Ancient Origin of the Old Testament While the Dead Sea Scrolls have little bearing on the text, doctrine, or characters of the New Testament, they are quite valuable when it comes to demonstrating certain facts relating to the Old Testament. Most importantly perhaps, they establish beyond any doubt the very ancient origin of the Old Testament Hebrew inspired scriptures. The fact that all of the Old Testament existed before the time of Christ had long been proven by the very existence of the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament dating to around the 2nd century BC). But before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest manuscript of any significant portion of the Hebrew Old Testament was from the 10th century AD. Most of the Dead Sea manuscripts of Old Testament books predate this by over 1,000 years. Two important observations should be made. First, the Old Testament Hebrew text that had been copied and handed down over the centuries, and from which the King James Version was translated, varies little from the texts of Old Testament books found at Qumran. Second, the variations that do exist are also often found among the Dead Sea Scrolls themselves in instances where multiple scrolls of the same texts have been discovered and compared. The fact that there are slight variations among even the Dead Sea texts indicates that they themselves must have been the end product of copying copies of copies for centuries. This is strong evidence that the origin of the Old Testament is quite ancient, far earlier than the 2nd century BC timeframe in which many of the Dead Sea Scrolls produced. Old Testament Textual Clarifications The Dead Sea Scrolls have also been somewhat useful in clarifying a few obscure readings or textual variations in the Old Testament Hebrew text. As has been mentioned, the number of variations that have been found is fairly small, and so the actual benefit we have received from the scrolls along this line has been correspondingly minute. Conclusion To the scholar, the Dead Sea Scrolls contain valuable information regarding the transmission of the ancient Biblical text and sectarian Judaism in the intertestamental period. The scrolls continue to be studied by scholars, and it is doubtful that their full usefulness in the field of Biblical studies has yet been realized. To the Christian, the scrolls are evidence of truths that have already been accepted by faith, such as the ancient origin of the Old Testament and the reliability of the Bible text. They offer no real proof of or threat to our faith, but are of interest because they contain and relate to the word of God, which "lives and abides forever" (1 Peter 1:23). -- via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, January 11, 2004 ____________________________________________________ -2- Memories of Mother and the Oilcloth by Tom L. Childers One of the strange things about memories is not only the pictures stored in the mind, but also the smells. I can still recall the smell of the oilcloth that covered our kitchen table. Oilcloth is a vinyl product used as tablecloths that were easily cleaned with warm, soapy water. It was waterproof and protected with a clear finish that was stain and soil resistant. When I was about 14 years old, I recall mother calling her four children to the kitchen table. We were 14, 11, 9, and 6 years old. She opened the Bible to Matthew 26 and read the story of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Even though it has been 45 years, I can smell the oilcloth, hear her reading about Jesus and watching her tears falling and splattering on the oilcloth. Thirteen years later, mother died at the age of 46 and all we had left of her short life were the precious memories. Paul wrote to Timothy to tell him he remembered his mother. "When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also" (2 Timothy 1:5). Precious memories: Four young children, an open Bible, a mother who shed real tears when she read about Jesus, and the unforgettable smell of oilcloth. -- Via The Susquehanna Sentinel, May 11, 2003 ____________________________________________________ -3- Jesus Calls Matthew Into His Service by Clarence R. Johnson In Mark 2:13-17, Mark records the call of Levi, better known to us as Matthew. We learn that Jesus went out "by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. And as He passed by, He saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and said to him, `Follow Me.' And he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, `How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?' `Then Jesus heard it, He said to them, `Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.'" Let us observe a number of facts from the record of these events. First, note that before he became a disciple of Jesus, Matthew or Levi was a tax collector. The King James Version uses the term "publican." A publican was a Jew who took a job collecting taxes for the despised Roman government. In our society, he would correspond to a customs agent. In the minds of the scribes, Pharisees and most other Jews, such tax collectors were lumped together with those who were called "sinners" -- prostitutes, whoremongerers, and others who had chosen to live ungodly life styles. Jesus called a customs agent to leave the tax tables and become a disciple. Second, in response to Jesus' call, Matthew left the tax office and followed. He also invited Jesus to come into his home, made a great feast, and invited his own friends and acquaintances -- other tax collectors, and others who were not in favor with the Pharisees and the religious elite. The Pharisees complained that Jesus, a religious leader, would associate with the ungodly. Jesus responded, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." Those who are already sinless do not need preaching to. Preaching should be directed to those who need to grow and develop. (Jesus was not saying that anyone is sinlessly perfect, but the Pharisees often gave the impression that they thought they were.) In Matthew's own account of this incident, we learn that Jesus cited a passage of Scripture found in Hosea 6:6. "But go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'" The Jews of Hosea's day were careful to offer every sacrifice according to the law, but were not careful to live in harmony with that law. The Pharisees of Jesus' day were much the same. Jesus says in Matt. 23:3, "Whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do." -- Via The Susquehanna Sentinel ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________