Language:
English
Year of publication:
2020
Titel der Quelle:
Dead Sea Discoveries
Angaben zur Quelle:
27,2 (2020) 202-233
Keywords:
Bible. Comparative studies
;
Dead Sea scrolls. Criticism, interpretation, etc.
;
Dead Sea scrolls. Criticism, interpretation, etc.
;
Gentiles in post-biblical literature
;
Eschatology in post-biblical literature
Abstract:
The “Four Empires” scheme appears in literature from around the ancient Near East, as well as in the biblical book of Daniel. Daniel’s scheme was adopted in subsequent Jewish literature as a basic division of world history. In addition, the book of Daniel appears to have had a prominent place in the Qumran library. Scholars have identified, or suggested, the existence of the “Four Empires” scheme in two texts found among the Qumran scrolls, the “New Jerusalem” text (4Q554), and, especially, in the so-called “Four Kingdoms”(!) text (4Q552–553). This paper will examine these texts, will argue that the “four empires” scheme is not attested in the Qumran scrolls (apart from Daniel), and will suggest alternative understandings of those two texts.
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