Abstract
1.1. The sapiential text 4QInstruction (Musar le-Mevin) contains different kinds of material, consisting of theological discourses and sapiential admonitions for everyday life addressed to a student or a son, as is customary in sapiential works.' The preservation of this work in seven copies indicates its importance for the people of Qumran, even though there is no distinctive sectarian terminology or contents in this work, as has been claimed by scholars. No organizational institutions, such as the council of the many or the overseer, are mentioned there. On the contrary, the admonitions deal with financial and agricultural matters pertaining to individuals, family affairs, and relationships between the individual and the authoritiesall customary subjects of traditional wisdom literature. The discourses deal with the importance of studying the mysteries of wisdom, the status of the understanding one, and the eschatological judgement, but are without such dualistic theological terms as sons of light and sons of darkness, Belial, prince of light, etc. Nevertheless, it contains clear evidence of the apocalyptic outlook of its author/ authors, who both in the theological discourses and in the admonitions for everyday life call upon the addressee to relate to ilrin n (the mystery that is to be). However, this term by itself is insufficient for establishing the consistent outlook of this work or for determinung its possible authorship.2
Published Version
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