Otherworldly and Eschatological Priesthood in the Dead Sea Scrolls

Departing from scholarship dedicated to the socio-historical realities of priesthood at Qumran, this book explores, in two parts, the most pervasive literary representations of priesthood in the Dead Sea Scrolls as a reflection of the religious worldview of the Qumran community and broader segments of Second Temple society. Part one compares depictions of otherworldly priesthood in non-sectarian and sectarian documents. Part two examines the historical and traditional roots of portrayals of messianic/eschatological priesthood. The study reveals a fresh understanding of the integral role of priestly imagery in the tension-filled eschatological identity of the Qumran community. It concludes with a consideration of the relationship of the evidence treated to the phenomenon of democratization of priestly holinesses in rabbinic Judaism and Christianity.

Joseph L. Angel, Ph.D. (2008) in Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University, is Instructor of Bible at Yeshiva University. His research concentrates on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the history and literature of Judaism in the Second Temple Period.