Revelation And Perspicacity In Qumran Hermeneutics?

Abstract

This chapter focuses on one question: If biblical interpretation is central in Second Temple Judaism, what is unique about biblical hermeneutics in the Pesharim ? The importance of the question becomes evident when we perceive that the First Temple period was shaped by the prophecies of the classical prophets, especially Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and that the Second Temple period began after Ezekiel and was highlighted by the prophecies preserved in the Books of Haggai and Zechariah. The chapter shows that the Qumranites claimed that their biblical interpretation was guided by the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was thus revelatory. Through their exegesis, comprehension of the biblical text, and clever insights into the meaning of recent historical events, they displayed unusual perception, even perspicacity that provided meaning for those who had exiled themselves in the wilderness east of Jerusalem. Keywords: biblical hermeneutics; perspicacity; Pesharim ; Qumran; revelation