From Rewritten Bible to Reputation: A Fresh Methodological Approach to Appropriating Jeremiah in the Dead Sea Scrolls

Abstract

The Apocryphon of Jeremiah c is represented within the Qumran scrolls, but this presents a bit of a contradiction with the comparatively sparse manuscript evidence and a seemingly lower interest in scriptural Jeremiah within the same collection. This chapter submits that part of the problem with understanding Jeremiah in the Dead Sea Scrolls in the past is largely a generic one: because the primary witnesses in the Apocryphon of Jeremiah c have been classified as parabiblical there is a tendency to appreciate them exclusively in terms of how they functioned exegetically, in their treatment and relationship to other texts. The chapter considers the appropriateness of the designation to describe the Apocryphon c, and discusses alternative methods for reading the Apocryphon c that focuses more attention on the prophet Jeremiah's persona, his distinction as a renowned founder, and as a revered prophet.Keywords: Apocryphon of Jeremiah c; Dead Sea Scrolls; Qumran scrolls; rewritten Bible