Chapter Seven. The prophet at the end of days: The development of a tradition

Abstract

The treatment of the eschatological prophet at Qumran begins in this chapter by considering the biblical and Second Temple period texts that provide the literary and theological context within which the Qumran evidence is formed and cultivated. This material provides important evidence for ascertaining any contextual meaning for the Qumran traditions in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The chapter focuses on literary traditions that are unmistakably pre-Qumran and as such provide the literary and theological backdrop for the Qumran traditions. The Qumran corpus contains two additional texts that speculate about the nature of the eschatological prophet: 4Q558 (4QpapVisionb ar) and 4Q521 (4QMessianic Apocalypse). Each of these texts shares elements with the traditions found in Malachi and Ben Sira and is likely and directly influenced by the Malachi tradition. Additional evidence concerning the role of the eschatological prophet is provided by two passages in 1Maccabees (1Mac 4:42-46 and 14:41).Keywords: Ben Sira; Dead Sea Scrolls; eschatological prophet; Maccabees; Malachi; Qumran traditions