What Is A Scriptural Text In The Second Temple Period? Texts Between Their Biblical Past, Their Inner-Biblical Interpretation, Their Reception In Second Temple Literature, And Their Textual Witnesses

Abstract

This chapter addresses the question: what is a scriptural text at Qumran? It also talks about the history of the notion of text, from the biblical period through the Second Temple period. The texts in the Bible are first of all texts thought in antiquity to derive from the biblical period. As illustrated by the sub-discipline of inner-biblical interpretation, these texts were subject to, and carried the freight of, interpretation(s). These texts became objects of close interpretation from the eighth or seventh century on. The chapter discusses the famous example, Deut 32:8-9. Biblical scholars have long detected evidence of theological alteration in the differences among the manuscripts of Deut 32:8-9. Deuteronomy 32 recounts how Israel became associated with Yahweh. Deut 32:8-9 shows a number of thematic links with Psalm 82, and many scholars have related the two texts, especially as they both mention Elyon. Keywords: Deuteronomy 32; inner-biblical interpretation; Psalm 82; Qumran; scriptural text; Second Temple period