The War Scroll 1QM, 4Q49l-496
Armageddon: the war to end all wars. These words stir up images of inevitable
conflict, the final focus on the dark side of human nature, the ultimate
catharsis that ushers in an age of peace. Al1 of these issues come to a
head in th War Scroll, a text that describes the eschatological last battle
in gory detail a righteousness is fully victorious and evil is forever
destroyed. This vivid account gives us insight into how, at about the time
of Jesus. some Jews conceived of Armageddon.
The first lines of the scroll (1QM 1:1-7) lay the framework for a three-stage
conflict between the Sons of Light, that is, members of the Yahad (see
1Q' 3:13) and the Sons of Darkness. The first battle finds the adversaries
led by the Kittim of Assyria. (Although the name Kittim is often used in
the scrolls as reference to the Romans, its basic sense seems to have been
Òarchetypical bac guys.") The Kittim of Asshur come in alliance
with the biblical enemies Edom, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. Cooperating
with this unholy alliance are the "violators of the covenant": Jews who
had spurned the message of the Yahad and in so doing aligned themselves
with the Sons of Darkness. The second stage expand~ the war's influence
to the Kittim who dwelt in Egypt, and then finally to the Kings of the
North.
Although this war is said to extend over forty years, the writer of
the scrol1 was particularly concerned with the details of the very final
day of battle. After six bloody engagements during this last battle, the
Sons of Light and Sons of Darkness are deadlocked in a 3-3 tie. In the
seventh and final confrontation "the great hand of God shall overcome [Belial
and al]l the angels of his dominion, and all men of [his forces shall be
destroyed forever]" (1QM 1:14-15).
Along the way, in true apocalyptic fashion, the scroll goes into elaborate
detail concerning the battle trumpets (2:15-3:11), banners (3:12-5:2),
and operational matters (5:3-9:16). Priestly prayers for the various phases
of the conflict are corded next (9:17-15:3). Finally, the seven savage
engagements of the final day battle are detailed (15:4-18:8), culminating
in a ceremony of thanksgiving on the day following the victory (18:1~19:14).
As with biblical representatives of apocalyptic literature, Ezekiel
38-39 and the revelation of John as pertinent examples, one can easily
lose sight of the primary purpose of the work. It is not to be found in
the intricate and often mysterious tails of the text. Rather, the author
was concerned with the tribulation and hopelessness that his readers were
currently experiencing. He built his enouragement on a biblical theology
of rescue: the defeat of Goliath at the hand of David (1QM 11:1-2), and
Pharaoh and the officers of his chariots at the Red Sea 1:9-10). Coupled
with this aspect was his understanding that great suffering was part of
God's will for the redeemed. Indeed, God's crucible (17:9) was seen as
a necessary component of man's existence so long as evil continued to exist
in the World. Ultimately, God's purpose was to exalt the Sons of Light
and to judge the Children of Darkness. The message is one of hope. In the
face of such perverse evil, the Sons of Light are encouraged to persevere
to the end. God was preparing to intervene and bring a permanent solution
for the problem of evil.
The scroll itself is one of the first seven texts found by the Bedouin
in 1947. Nineteen columns of text are preserved, lacking only a few lines
at the bottom edge and the final page or pages of the composition (see
text 54). Although six dditional manuscripts were found seven years later
in Cave 4 (4Q491-496), they are only moderately helpful in reconstructing
the missing portions of 1QM.
The description of the eschatological war.
Col. 1 For the In[structor, the Rule of] the War. The first attack
of the Sons of Light shall be undertaken against the forces of the Sons
of Darkness, the army of Belial: the troops of Edom, Moab, the sons of
Ammon, the [Amalekites], Philistia, and the troops of the Kittim of Asshur.
Supporting them are those who have violated the covenant. The sons of Levi,
the sons of Judah, and the sons of Benjamin, those exiled to the wilderness,
shall fight against them 3with [ . . . ] against all their troops, when
the exiles of the Sons of Light return from theWilderness of the Peoples
to camp in the WilderneSs of Jerusalem. Then after the battle they shall
go up from that place 4a[nd tile king of; the Kittim [shall enter] into
Egypt. In his time he shall go forth Vvith great wrath to do battle against
the kings of the north, and in his anger he shall set out to destroy and
eliminate the strength of I[srael. Then the]re shall be a time of salvation
for the People of God, and a time of dominion for all the men of His forces,
and eternal annihilation for all the forces of Belial. There shall be g[reat]
panic [among] the sons of Japheth, Assyria shall fall with no one to come
to his aid, and the supremacy of the Kittim shall cease that wickedness
be overcome without a remnant. There shal1 be no survivors of [all the
Sons of] Darkness.
Then [the Sons of Rig]hteousness shall shine to all ends ofthe world
continuing to shine forth until end of the appointed seasons of darkness.
Then at the time appointed by God, His great excellence shall shine for
all the times of e[ternity;] for peace and blessing, glory and joy, and
long life for all Sons of Light. On the day when the Kittim fall there
shall be a battle and horrible carnage before the God of i¡Israel,
for it is a day appointed by Him from ancient times as a battle of annihilation
for the Sons of Darkness. On that day the congregation of the gods and
the congregation of men shall engage one another, resulting in great carnage.
The Sons of Light and the forces of Darkness shall fight together to show
the strength of God with the roar of a great multitude and the shout of
gods and men; a day of disaster. It is a time of distress fo[r al]1 the
people who are redeemed by God. In all their afflictions none exists that
is like it, hastening to its completion as an eternal redemption. On the
day of their battle against the Kittim, they shall g[o forth for] carnage
in battle. In three lots the Sons of Light shall stand firm so as to strike
a blow at wickedness, and in three the army of Belial shall strengthen
themselves so as to force the retreat of the forces i4[of Light. And when
the] banners of the infantry cause their hearts to melt, then the strength
of God will strengthen the he[arts of the Sons of Light.] In the seventh
lot : the great hand of God shall overcome [Belial and al]l the angels
of his dominion, and all the men of [his forces shall be destroyed forever].
The annihilation of the Sons of Darkr~ess and service to God during
the war years.
|6[, . . ] the holy ones shall shine forth in support of [ . . . ] the
truth for the annihilation of the Sons of Darkness. Then [ . . . ] 17[
. . . ] a great [r]oar [ . . . ] they took hold of the implement[s of war
. ] 18[,, . ] 19[ . . . chiefs of the tribes . . . and the priests, 1 20[the
Levites, the chiefs of the tribes, the fathers of the congregation . .
. the priests and thus for the Levites and the courses of the heads of]
Col. 2 the congregation's clans, fifty-two. They shal1 rank the chiefs
of the priests after the Chief Priest and his deputy; twelve chief priests
to serve in the regular offering before God. The chiefs of the courses,
twenty-six, shall serve in their courses. After them the chiefs of the
Levites serve continually, twelve in all, one to a tribe. The chiefs of
their courses shall serve each man in his office.
The chiefs of the tribes and fathers of the congregation shall support
them, taking their stand continually at the gates of the sanctuary. The
chiefs of their courses, from the age of fifty upwards, shall take their
stand with their commissioners on their festivals, new moons and Sabbaths,
and on every day of the year. These shall take their stand at the burnt
offerings and sacrifices, to arrange the sweet smelling incense according
to the will of God, to atone for all His congregation, and to satisfY themselves
before Him continually 6at the table of glory. All of these they shall
arrange at the time of the year of remission. During the remaining thirty-three
years of the war the men of renown, those called of the Congregation, and
all the heads of the congregation's clans shall choose for themselves men
of war for all the lands of the nations. From ail tribes of IsraeI'they
shall prepare capable men for themselves to go out for battle according
to the summons of the war, year by year. But during the years of remission
they shall not ready men to go out for battle, for it is a Sabbath 90f
rest for Israel.
During the thirty-five years of service the war shal1 be waged. For
six years the whole congregation shall wage it together, :¡and a
war of divisions shall be waged during the twenty-nine remaining years.
In the first year they shal1 fight against Mesopotamia, in the second against
the sons of Lud, in the third they shall fight against the rest of the
sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Togar, and Mesha, who are beyond the Euphrates.
In the fourth and fifth they shall fight against the sons of Arpachshad,
in the sixth and seventh they shal1 fight against all the sons of Assyria
and Persia and the easterners up to the Great Desert. In the eighth year
they shall fight against the sons of Elam, in the ninth year they shall
fight against the sons of Ishmael and Keturah, and during the following
ten years the war shall be divided against all the sons of Ham i4according
to [their] c[lans and] their lterri]tories. During the remaining ten years
the war shall be divided against all [sons of Japhe]th according to their
territories.
The description of the trumpets.
~6[The Rule of the Trumpets: the trumpets] of alarm for all their service
for the [ . . . ] for their commissioned men, i7[by tens of thousands and
thousands and hundreds and fifties] and tens. Upon the t[rumpets . . .
]
[ . . . ] )8[ . . . ] 19[ . . . which ] 20[,, . they shall write .
. . the trumpets of Col. 3 the battle formations, and the trumpets for
assembling them when the gates of the war are opened so that the infantry
might advance, the trumpets for the signal of the slain, the trumpets of
2the ambush, the trumpets of pursuit when the enemy is defeated, and the
trumpets of reassembly wben the battle returns. On the trumpets for the
assembly of the congregation they shall write, "The called of God."
30n the trumpets for the assembly of the chiefs they shall write, "The
princes of God." On the trumpets of the formaons they shall write, "The
rule of God." On the trumpets of the men of renown [they shall write],"The
heads of the congregation's clans." Then when they are assembled at the
house of meeting, they shal1 write, "The testimonies of God for a holy
congregation." On the trumpets of the camps Sthey shall write, "The peace
of God in the camps of His saints." On the trumpets for their campaigns
they shall write,"The mighty deeds of God to scatter the enemy and to put
all those who hate 6justice to flight and a withdrawal of mercy from all
who hate God." On the trumpets of the battle formations they shall write,
"Formations of the- divisions of God to avenge His anger on all Sons of
Darkness." 70n the trumpets for assembling the infantry when the gates
of war open that they might go out against the battle line of the enemy,
they shall write, "A remembrance of requital at the appointed time 80f
God."
On the trumpets of the slain they shall write, "The hand of the might
of God in battle so as to bring down all the slain because of unfaithfulness."
On the trumpets of ambush they shall write, 9"Mysteries of God to wipe
out wickedness." On the trumpets of pursuit they shall write,"God has struck
all Sons of Dark~ness, He shal1 not abate His anger until they are annihilated."
i¡When they return from battle to enter the formation, they shall
write on the trumpets of retreat, "God has gathered." On the trumpets for
the way of return from battle with the enemy to enter the congregation
in Jerusalem, they shall write,"Rejoicings of God in a peaceful return."
The description of the banners.
13Rule of the banners of the whole congregation according to their formations.
On the grand banner which is at the head of all the people they shall write,"People
of God," the names "Israel" and ~4"Aaron," and the names of the twelve
tribes of Israel according to their order of birth. On the banners of the
heads of the "camps" of three tribes i5they shall write, "the Spirit [of
God," and the names of three tribes. O]n the banner of each tribe they
shall write, "Standard of God," and the name of the leader of the t[ribe
] ~60f its clans. [ . . . and] the name of the leader of the ten thousand
and the names of the chief[s of . . . ] i7[ . . . ] his hundreds. On the
banner [ ] 18 20[,, . ] Col. 4 ~On the banner of Merari they shall write,
"The Offering of God," and the name of the leader of Merari and the names
of the chiefs of his thousands. On the banner of the tho[us]and they shall
write, "The Anger of God is loosed against 2Belial and all the men of his
forces without remnant," and the name of the chief of the thousand and
the names of the chiefs of his hundreds. And on the banner of the hundred
they shall write, "Hundred 30f God, the power of war against a~~ sinf-
~ fiesh," arid the name of the chief of the hundred and the names of the
chiefs of his tens. And on the banner of the fifty they shall write, "Ended
4iS the stand of the wicked [by] the might of God," and the name of the
chief of the fifty and the names of the chiefs of his tens. And on the
banner of the ten they shall write, "Songs of joy for God on the ten-stringed
harp," and the name of the chief of the ten and the names of the nine men
in his command.
6When they go to battle they shall write on their banners,"The truth
of God,""The righteousness of God,""The glory of God,""The justice of God,"
and after these the list of their names in full. 7When they draw near for
battle they shall write on their banners,"The right hand of God,""The appointed
time of God,""The tumult of God,""The slain of God"; after these their
names in full. 3When they return from battle they shall write on their
banners,"The exaltation of God,""The greatness of God,""The praise of God,"
"The glory of God," with their names in full.
9The Rule of the banners of the congregation:When they set out to battle
they shall write on the first banner,"The congregation of God," on the
second banner,"The camps of God," on the third, i¡"The tribes of
God," on the fourth, "The clans of God," on the fifth,"The divisions of
God," on the sixth, "The congregation of God," on the seventh,"Those called
by God," and on the eighth, "The army of God." They shall write their names
in full with all their order.When they draw near for battle they shall
write on their banners, ~2"The battle of God,""The recompense of God,""The
cause of God," "The reprisal of God,""The pov`.Ter of God,""The retribution
of ~od,""The ...ight of God," "The annihilation by God of all the vainglorious
nations." And '3their names in full they shall write upon them.When they
return from battle they shall write on their banners,"The deliverance of
God,""The victory of God," "The help of God," "The support of God," ~4"The
joy of God," "The thanksgivings of God,""The praise of God," and "The peace
of God."
15[The Length of the Bannjers. The banner of the whole congregation
shall be fourteen cubits long; the banner of th[ree tribes' thir]teen cubits
[long;] 16[the banner of a tribe,] twelve cubits; the banner of ten thousand,
eleve[n cubits; the banner of a thousand, ten cubits; the banner of a hu]ndred,
[n]ine cubits; i7[the banner of a fifty, ei]ght cubits; the banner of a
ten, sev[en cubits . . . ].
The description of the shields.
18-20[ . . . ] Col. 5 and on the sh[ie]ld of the Leader of the
whole nation they shall write his name, the names "Israel,""Levi," and
"Aaron," and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel according to their
order of birth, 2and the names of the twelve chiefs of their tribes.
The description of the arming and deployment of the divisions.
3The rule for arranging the clivisions for war when their army is complete
to make a forward battle line: the battle line shall be formed of one thousand
men. There shall be seven forward rows 4to each battle line, arranged in
order; the stahon of each man behind his fellow. All of them shall bear
shields of bronze, polished like 5a face mirror. The shield shall be bound
with a border of plaited work and a design of loops, the work of a skillful
workman; gold, silver, and bronze bound together 6and jewels; a multicolored
brocade. It is the work of a skillful workman, artistically done. The length
of the shield shall be two and a half cubits, and its breadth a cubit and
a half. In their hands they ch~n hold a lance 7and a sword. The length
of the lance shall be seven cubits, of which the socket and the blade constitute
half a cubit. On the socket there she be three bands engraved as a border
of plaited 8work; of gold, silver, and COppe~ bound together like an artistically
designed work. And in the loops of the de sign, on both sides of the band
9all around, shall be precious stones, a multicolored brocade, the work
of a skillful workman, artistically done, and an ear of grain. The socket
shall be grooved between the bands like 10a column, artist) cally done.
The blade shall be of shining white iron, the work of a skillful workman,
artistically done, and an ear of grain of pure gold inlaid in the blade;
tapered towards ~~the point. The swords shall be of refined iron, purlfied
in the furnace and polished like a face mirror, the work of a skillful
workman, artistically done, with figures of ears of grain i7Of pure gold
embossed on both sides. The borders shall go straight to the point, two
on each side. The length ofthe sword shall be a cubit i3and a half and
its width four fingers. The scabbard shall be four thumbs wide' end four
handbreadths up to the scabbard. The scabba~d shall be tied on either ~4side
with thongs of five handbreadths. The handle of the sword shall be of choice
horn, the work of a skillful workman, a varicolored design with gold and
silver and precious stones.
16And when the [ . . . take their] stand, they shall arrange seven
battle lines, one behind the otherj ~7and there shall be a space [between
. . . t]hirty cubits, where the infan[try] shall stand i8[,, . ] forward
[ . . . ] i9-20[ . . . they shall sling]
Col. 6 iseven times, and return to their position. After them,
three divisions of infantry shall advance and stand between the battle
lines. The first division shall heave into 2the enemy battle line seven
battle darts. On the blade of the first dart they shal1 write, "Flash of
a spear for the strength of God." On the second weapon they shall write,
3"Missiles of blood to fell the slain by the wrath of God." On the third
dart they shall write,"The blade of a sword devours the slain of wickedness
by the judgment of God." 4Each of these they shall throw seven times and
then return to their position. After these, two divisions of infantry shall
march forth and stand between the two battle lines, 5the first division
equipped with a spear and a shield and the second division with a shield
and a sword; to bring down the slain by the judgment of God, to subdue
the battle line 6Of the enemy by the power of God, and to render recompense
for their evil for all the vainglorious nations. So the Kingship shall
belong to the God of Israel, and by the holy ones of His people He shall
act powerfully.
The description of the deployment of the cavalry.
8Seven rows of horsemen shall also take position at the right and at
the 1eft of the battle line. Their ranks shall be positioned on both sides,
seven hundred horsemen on one side and seven hundred on the other. Two
hundred horsemen shall go out with one thousand men of the battle line
of the infantry, and thus i¡they shall take position on all sides
of the camp. The total being four thousand six hundred men, and one thousand
four hundred cavalry for the entire army arranged for the battle line;
iififty for each battle line. The horsemen' with the cavalry of the men
of the entire army, will be six thousand; five hundred to a tribe. All
the cavalry that go out i2to battle with the infantry shall ride stallions;
swift, responsive, unrelenting, mature, trained for battle, i3and accustomed
to hearing noises and seeing all kinds of scenes. Those who ride them shall
be men capable in battle, trained in horsemanship, the range ~4Of their
age from thirty to forty-five years. The horsemen of the army shall be
from forty to fifty years old, and they i5[ . . . ], helmets and greaves,
carrying in their hands round shields and a lance eig[ht cubits long, .
. . ] 16[ .,, ] and a bow and arrows and battle darts, all of them prepared
in [ . . . ] i7[ . . . ] and to shed the blood of their guilty slain. These
are the [ . . . ]
The recruitment and age of the soldiers.
18-20[ . . . ] Col. 7 and the men of the army shall be from forty
to fifty years old. The commissioners of the camps shall be from fifty
to sixty years old. The officers 2shall-also be from forty to fifty years
old. All those who strip the slain, plunder the spoil, cleanse the land,
guard the arms, 3and he who prepares the provisions, all these shall be
from twenty-five to thirty years old. No youth nor woman shall enter their
encampments from the time they leave 4Jerusalem to go to battle until their
return. No one crippled, blind, or lame, nor a man who has a permanent
blemish on his skin, or a man affected with ritual uncleanness of shis
flesh; none of these shall go vvith them to battle. All of them shall be
volunteers for battle, pure of spirit and flesh, and prepared for the day
of vengeance. Any 6man who is not ritually clean in respect to his genitals
on the day of battle shal1 not go down with them into battle, for holy
angels are present with their army. There shall be a distance 7between
all their camps and the latrine of about two thousand cubits, and no shameful
nakedness shall be seen in the environs of all their camps.
The ministry of the priests and Levites.
9When the battle iines are arrayed against the enemyÑbattle line
against battle lineÑthere shall go forth from the middle opening
into the gap bet\veen the battle lines seven ~¡priests of the sons
of Aaron, dressed in fine wlute linen garments: a linen tunic and linen
breeches, and girded with a 1inen sash of twined~fine linen, violet, '"purple,
and crimson, and a varicolored deSign, the work of a skillful workman,
and decorated caps on their heads; the garments for battle, and they shall
not take them into the sanctuary. The one priest shall walk before all
the men of the battle line to encourage them for battle. In the hands of
the remaining six shall be t3the trumpets of assembly' the trumpets of
memorial, the trumpets of the alarm, the trumpets of pursuit, and the trumpets
of reassembly.When the priests go out i4into the gap between the battle
lines, seven Levites shall go out with them. In their hands shall be seven
trumpets of rams' horns.
Three officers from among the Levites shall walk before ~5the priests
and the Levites. The priests shall blow the two trumpets of assem[bly .
. . of ba]ttle upon fifty shields, ~6and fifty infantrymen shall go out
from the one gate and [ . . . ] Levites, officers. With 7each battle line
they shall go out according to all [this] o[rder.... men of the] infantry
from the gates i8[and they shall take positi]on between the two battle
lines, and [ . . . ] the bat[tle ] ~9 20[,, . ] Col. 8 the trumpets shall
blow continually to direct the slingmen until they have completed hurling
seven 2times. Afterwards the priests shall blow on the trumpets of return,
and they shall go along the side of the first battle line 3to take their
position. The priests shal1 blow on the trumpets of assembly, and 4the
three divisions of infantry shall go out from the gates and stand between
the battle lines, and beside them the cavalrymen, Sat the right and at
the left. The priests shall blow on their trumpets a level note, signals
for the order of battle. 6And the columns shall be deployed into their
formations, each to his position.
When they have positioned themselves in three formations, 7the priests
shall blow for them a second signal, a low legato note, signals for advance,
until they draw near to 8the battle line of the enemy and take hold of
their weapons. Then the priests shall blow on the six trumpets 90f the
slain a sharp staccato note to direct the battle, and the Levites and all
the people with rams' horns shall blow '¡a great battle alarm together
in order to melt the heart of the enemy.With the sound of the alarm, i~the
battle darts shall fly out to bring down the slain. Then the sound of the
rams' horns shall quiet, but on the tru[m]pets i2the priests shall continue
to blow a sharp staccato note to direct the signals of battle until they
have hurled into the battle line ~30f the enemy seven times. Afterwards,
the priests shall blow for them the trumpets of retreat, ~4a low note,
level and legato. According to this rule the [pr]iests shall blow for the
three divisions.When 5the first division throws, the ~riests and the Levites
and all the people with rams'] horns shall blow a great alarm ~6to direct
the bat[tle until they have hurled seven times. Afterwards,] the priestS
[shall blow] for them ~70n the tn~mpe[ts of retreat . . . and they sha~i
take their stan]d in their positions in the battle line, i8[ . ] and shall
take up pOSition '9[ . . . the sl]ain, 20[and all the people with rams'
horns shall blow a very 1oud battle alarm, and as the sound goes out] Col.
9 itheir hands shall begin to bring down the slain, and all the people
shal1 quiet the sound of alarm, but the priests shall continue sounding
on the trumpets 20f the slain to direct the fighting, until the enemy is
defeated and turns in retreat.
The priests shall blow the alarm to direct the battle, 3and when they
have been defeated before them, the priests shall blow the trumpets of
assembly, and all the infantry shalI go out to them from the inidst of
4the front battle lines and stand, six diviSionS in addition to the division
which is engaged in battle: altogether, seven battle lines, twenty-eight
thousand soldiers, and six thousand horsemen. All these shall pursue in
order'to destroy the enemy in God's battle; a total annihilation The priests
shall blow for them the trumpets of pursuit, and they shall divide themselves
for a pursuit of annihilation against all the enemy. The cavalry shall
push the enemy back at the flanks of the battle until they are destroyed.When
the slain have fallen, the priests shall continue blowing from afar and
shall not enter 8into the midst of the slain so as to be defiled by their
unclean blood, for they are holy. They shall not allow the oil of their
priestly anointment to be profaned with the blood 90f the vainglorious
nations.
The description of the maneuvers of the battle divisions.
Rule for changing the order of the battle divisions, in order to arrange
their position against [ . . . ] a pincer movement and towers, lien arc
and towers, and as it draws slowly forward, then the columns and the flanks
go out from the [t]wo sides of the battle line [that] '2the enemy might
become discouraged. The shields of the soldiers of the towers shall be
three cubits long, and their lances eight cubits l[on]g. The towers '3shall
go out from the battle line with one hundred shields on a side. F[or] they
shall surround the tower on the three frontal sides, i4three hundred shields
in all. There shall be three gates to a tower, one on [the right and] one
on the left. Upon all the shields of the tower soldiers '5they shall write:
on the first, "Mi[chae]l," [on the second,"Gabriel," on the third,] "Sariel,"
and on the fourth "Raphael." i6"Michael" and"Gabriel" on [the right, and
"Raphael" and"Raphael" on the 1eft.
And [ . . . ] for to the four [ . . . They] shall establish an ambush
for the [battle line] Of [ . . . ] i8and [ . . . they shall fal]1 on the
s[lain . . . ]
The address of the chiefpriest.
19-20[ . , ] Col. 10 of our camps, and to keep ourselves from any shameful
nakedness, and he (Moses) told us that You are in our midst, a great and
awesome God, plundering all of'our enemies befo[re u]s. He taught us from
of old through a,, out generations, saying, whhen you approach the battle,
the priest shall stand and speak unto the people, 3saying,'Hear O Israel,
you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be afraid
nor fainthearted. 4Do not trem[ble, no]r be terrified because of them,
for your God goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, and
to save syou"' (:Deut. 20:2-4) Our [oflficers shall speak to all those
prepared for battle, those Willing of heart, to strengthen them by the
might of God, to turn back all who have who have lost heart, and to strengthen
all the valiant warriors together. They shall recount that which You slpoke]
by the hand of Moses, say ing:"And when there is a war 7in your land against
the adversary who attacks you, then yo[u] shall sound an alarm with the
trumpets that you might be remembered before your God 8and be saved from
your enemies (Num. 10:9)
The prayer of the chiefpriest.
Who is like You, O God of Israel, in he[av]en and on earth, that he
can perform in accordance with Your great works 9and Your great strength.WhO
is like Your people Israel, whom You have chosen for Yourself from all
the peoples of the lands; Òthe people of the saints of the covenant,
learned in the statutes, enlightened in understan[ding . . . ] those who
hear the glorious voice and see iithe holy angels, whose ears are open;
hearing deep things. [O God, You have created] the expanse of the skies,
the host of luminaries, 2the task of spirits and the dominion of holy ones,
the treasures of [Your] gl[ory . . . ] clouds. He who created the earth
and the limits of her divisions into wilderness and plain, and a~, her
o~~spring, `.vith fhe fru[its = . ] 7 the circle of the seas, the sources
of the rivets, and the rift of the deeps, '4wild beasts and winged creatures,
the form of man and the gener[ations of I his [see]d, the confusion of
language and the separation of peoples, the abode of clans 'Sand the inheritance
of the lands, [ . . . and] holy festivals, courses of years and times of
~6eternity. [ . . . ] these we know from Your understanding which [ .,
. ] 17[ . . . ] Your [ears] to our cry, for [ . . ] 18[ . ] his house [
. . . ] 9 2[ . . . ]
Col. 11 Truly the battle is Yours, and by the strength of Your hand
their corpses have been broken to pieces, without anyone to bury them.
Indeed, Goliath the Gittitej a mighty man of valor, 2You delivered into
the hand of David, Your servant, because he trusted in Your great name
and not in sword and spear. For the battle is Yours. 3He subdued the Philistines
many times by Your holy name. Also by the hand of our kings You rescued
us many times 4because of Your mercy; not according to our works, for we
have acted wickedly, nor for the acts of our rebelliousness. The battle
is Yours, the strength is from You, sit is not our own. Neither our power
nor the strength of our hand have done valiantly, but rather by Your power
and the strength of Your great valor.Jus[t ads You told 6us in time past,
saying: "There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, a scepter shal1 rite
out of Israel, and shall crush the forehead of Moab and tear down a~ sons
of Sheth, 7and he shan desceIld 'o~ Jacob and shall destroy the remnant
from the city, and the enemy shall be a possession, and Israel shal1 do
valiantly (Num. 24:17-19).
By the hand of Your anointed ones, 8seers of things appointed, You have
told us about the ti[mes] of the wars of Your hands in order that You may
glorify Yourself {fight} among our enemies, to bring down the hordes of
Belial, the seven 9vainglorious nations, at the hand of the oppressed whom
You have redeemed [vith powe]r and retribution; a wondrous strength. A
heart that melts shall be as a door of hope. You will do to them as You
did to Pharaoh '¡and the officers of his chariots in the Red Sea.
You will ignite the humble of spirit like a fiery torch of fire in a sheaf,
consuming the wicked. You shall not turn back until "the annihilation of
the guilty. In time past You foretold [the app]ointed time for Your handis
powerful work against the Kittim, saying: And Assyria shall fall by a sword
not of man, and a sword, '2not of men, shall consume him (Isa. 31: 8) .
13For into the hand of the oppressed You will deliver the [ene]mies
of all the lands; into the hands of those who are prostrate in the dust,
in order to bring down all mighty men of ~h\e peoples, to return the recompense
'4Of thewicked on the head of [ . . . ], to pronounce the just judgment
of Your truth on all sons of man, and to make for Yourself an everlasting
name among the people. 's[ . . . ] tee wars, and to show Yourself great
and holy before the remnant of the nations, so that [they] may know [that]
'6~ou are God . . . when You] carry out judgments on (fog and on all his
company that are as[semb]led [abou]t l,us . . . ] 17[ . . . ], for You
will do battle against them from the heave[ns . ] 18[,, . ] upon them for
confusion [ ] i9 20[ . ] Col. 12 For You have a multitude of holy ones
in the heavens and hosts of angels in Your exalted dwelling to pr[aise]
Your [name]. The chosen ones of the holy people 2You have established for
Yourself in a [community.
The nu]mber (or The b]ook) of the names of all their host is with You
in Your holy dwelling, and the n[umber of the holy one]s is in the abode
of Your glory. 3Mercies of blessing [ . . . ] and Your covenant of peace
You engraved for them with a stylus of life in order to reign o[ver them]:
for all time, 4commissioning the hos[ts of I Your [e]lect by their thousands
and tens of thousands together with Your holy ones [and] Your angels, and
directing them Sin battle [so as to condemn] the earthly adversaries by
trial with Your judgments. With the elect of heaven [they] shall prev[ail].
7And You, O God, are awe[some] in the glory of Your dominion, and the
company of Your holy ones is in our midst for etern[al] support.We [shall
direc3t our contempt at kings, derision 9and disdain at mighty men. For
the Lord is holy, and the King of Glory is with us together with the holy
ones. Migh[ty men and] a host of angels are with our commissioned forces.
9The Hero of Wa[r] is with our company, and the host of His spirits is
with our steps Our horser^lien are [as] ~he clouds and as the mist covering
the earth, '¡and as a steady downpour shedding judgment on all her
offspring.
Rise up, O Hero, take Your captives, O Glorious One, take iYour plunder,
O You who do valiantly. Lay Your hand upon the neck of Your enemies, and
Your foot upon the backs of the slain. Crush the nations, Your adversaries,
and may Your sword ~7devour guilty flesh. Fill Your land with glory, and
Your heritance with blessing. An abundance of cattle in Your fields; silver
and gold and precious 13stones in Your palaces. O Zion, rejoice greatly,
and shine with joyful songs, O Jerusalem. Rejoice, all you cities of Judah,
open your gate[s] forever that the wealth of the nations might be brought
to you, and their kings shall serve you. All they that oppressed you shall
bow down to you, and the dust 15[of your feet they shall lick. O daughter]s
of my people shout out with a voice of joy, adorn yourselves with ornaments
of glory Rule over the ki[ngdom of the ],16[,, . and I]srael to reign eternally.
17[ . . . ] them the mighty men of war, O Jerusalem [ . . . ] 18~3e
exalt]ed above the heavens, O Lord, [and let Your glory be above all the
earth . . . ]
19[ . . . ]
The blessings of the war recited by all the leaders after the
victory.
20[,, . And then the Chief Priest shall stand] Col. 13 land his brothers
the [pr]iests, the Levites, and all the elders of the Army with him. They
shall bless _ from their position, the God of Israel and all His works
of truth, and they shall curse 2Bepi]al there and all the spirits of his
forces. And they shall say response: "Blessed is the God of Israel for
all His holy purpose and His works _ of truth. And blessed are 3an those
who serve Him richteously. who know Him by faith. 4And cursed is Belial
for his contentious purpose, and accursed for his reprehensible rule. And
cursed are all the spirits of his lot for their wicked purpose. sAccursed
are they for all their filthy dirty service. For they are the lot of darkness,
but the lot of God is light 6[eterna]1.
7Y[o]u are the God of our fathers. We bless Your name forever, for we
are an [eter]na[l] people. You made a covenant with our fathers, and will
establish it for their seed 8throughout the ages of eternity. In all the
testimonies of Your glory there has been remembrance of Your [kindness]
in our midst as an assistance to the remnant and the survivors for the
sake of Your covenant 9and to re[count] Your works of truth and the judgments
of Your wondrous strength. And You, [O God], created us for Yourself as
an eternal people, and into the lot of light You cast us l¡in accordance
with Your truth. You appointed the Prince of Light from of old to assist
us, for in [His] l[ot are all sons of righteous]ness and all spirits of
truth are in his dominion. You yourself llmade Belial for the pit, an angel
of malevolence, his [dominio]n is in darkne[ss] and his counsel is to condemn
and convict. All the spirits 120f his lot -- the angels of destruction--
walk in accord with the rule of darkness, for it is their only [des]ire.
But we, in the lot of Your truth, rejoice in 13Your mighty hand.
We rejoice in Your salvation, and revel in [Your] hel[p and] Your [p]eace.
Who is like You in strength, O God of Israel, and yet 14Your mighty hand
is with the oppressed. What angel or prince is like You for [Your] effe[ctual]
support, [fo]r of old You appointed for Yourself a day of gre[at battle
[ . . . ] 13[ . . . ] to [sup]port truth and to destroy iniquity, to bring
darkness low and to lend might to light, and to [ . . . ] 16[ . . ] for
an eterna1 stand, and to annihilate all the Sons of Darkness and bring
joy to [al]l [the Sons of Light....] 17[ . . . ]
18[ . . f]or You Yourself designated us for an app[ointed time . . .
]
19-20[,,, ] Col. 14 like the fire of His fury against the idols of Egypt."
The blessings of the war recited by all the leaders in the morning
before the battle.
7After they have withdrawn from the slain to enter the camp, all of
them shall sing the hymn of return. In the morning they shall wash their
clothes, cleanse themselves 30f the blood of the sinful bodies, and return
to the place where they had stood, where they had formed the battle line
before the slain of the enemy fell. There they shall all bless 4the God
of Israel and joyously exalt His name together. They shall say in response:
"Blessed is the God of Israel, who guards loving-kindness for His covenant
and the appointed times 50f salvation for the people He redeems. He has
called those who stumble unto wondrous [accomplishment]s, and He has gathered
a congregation of nations for annihilation without remnant in order to
raise up in judgment 6he whose heart has melted, to open a mouth for the
dumb to sing [God's] mighty deeds, and to teach feeble [hands] warfare.
He gives those whose knees shake strength to stand, 7and strengthens those
who have been smitten from the hips to the shoulder. Among the poor in
spirit [ . . . ] a hard heart, and by those whose way is perfect shall
all wicked nations come to an end; 9there will be no place for all their
mighty men. But we are the remn[ant of Your people. Blessed is]
Your name, O God of loving-kindness, the One who kept the covenant for
our forefathers. Throughout 9all our generations You have made Your mercies
wondrous for the rem[nant of the people] during the dominion of Belial.With
all the mysteries of his hatred they have not led us astray l¡from
Your covenant. His spirits of destruction You have driven [away from us.
And when the me]n of his dominion [condemned themselves], You have preserved
the lives of Your redeemed. You raised up lithe fallen by Your strength,
but those who are great in height You will cut dow[n to humble them. And]
there is no rescuer for all their mighty men, and no place of refuge for
their swift ones. To their honored men 12You will return shame, and all
[their] vain existence [shall be as not]hing. But we, Your holy people,
shall praise Your name for Your works of truth. 13Because of Your mighty
deeds we shall exalt your] splendor in ~] epochs and appointed times of
eternity, at the beginning of day, at night i4and at dawn and dusk. For
Your [glorio]us p[urpose] is great and Your wondrous mysteries are in [Your]
high heavens, to [raise u]p those for Yourself from the dust 15and to humble
those of the gods.
16Rise up, rise up, O God of gods, and raise Yourself in power, [O King
of Kings . . . ] t71et all the Sons of Darkness [scatter from before You.]
Let the light of Your majesty shi[ne forever upon gods and men, as a fire
burning in the dark places of the damned] ~8Let it burn [the damned of
Sh]eol, as an [eternal] burning [among the transgressors . . . in all the
appointed times of eternity."]
19[They shall repeat all the thanksgiving hymns of battle there and
then return to their camps ] 20[,, . ] Col. 15 For it is a time of distress
for Isra[el, a fixed gime of battle against all the nations. The purpose
of God is eternal redemption, 2but annihilation for al1 nations of wickedness.
All those pr[epared] for battle shall set out and camp opposite the king
of the Kittim and all the forces 3Of Belial that are assembled with him
for a day [of vengeance] by the sword of God.
The final battle the first engagement.
4Then the Chief Priest shall stand, and with him his brothers the p[riests],
the Levites, and all the men of the army. He shall read aloud Sthe prayer
for the appointed time of batt~e, as is written in the boo]k SereLh Itto
(The Rule of His Time), including all the words of their thanksgivings.
Then he shall form there 6all the battle lines, as writ[ten in the Book
of the Wair. Then the priest appointed for the time of vengeance by 7all
his brothers shall walk about and encourage [them for the battl]e, and
he shall say in response:"Be strong and courageous as warriors. 9Fear not,
nor be discoura[ged and let not y]our [heart be faint.] Do not panic, neither
be alarmed because of them. Do not 9turn back nor [flee from the]m. For
they are a wicked congregation, all their deeds are in darkness; i¡it
is [their] desire. [They have established al]l their refuge [in a lie],
their strength is as smoke that vanishes, and all litheir vast assembly
[is as chaff which blows away . . . de]solation, and shall not be found.
Every creature of greed shall wither quickly away 2[1ike a flow]er at
ha[rvest time.... Come,] strengthen yourselves for the battle of God, for
this day is an appointed time of battle 13[for~G]od against all the n[ations,
. . . judgm]ent upon all flesh. The God of Israel is raising His hand in
His wondrous [streng]th 14[againsq all the spirits of wick[edness.... m]ighty
ones of the gods are girding themselves for battl[e, and] the formation[s
of the3 h[o]ly ones is[are rea]dying themselves for a day of [vengeance
. . . ] 16the God of I[srae]l [ . . . ] i7to remove Bel[ial . . . ] 15in
his hell [ ] 19-20[ . . ] Col. 16 [until every source [of . . . is come
to an end. For] the God of Israel has called out a sword against all the
nations, and by the holy ones of His people He will do mightily."
3They shall carry out all this Rule [on] that [day] at the place where
they stand opposite the camps of the Kittim. Then the priests shall blow
for them the trumpets 4Of remembrance. The gates of w[ar] shall open, [and]
the infantry shall go out and stand in columns between the battle lines.
The priests shall blow for them Sa signal for the formation and the columns
[shall deplo]y at the sound of the trumpets until each man has taken his
station. Then the priests shall blow for them 6a second signal: [signs
for confron]tation.When they stand near the battle line of the Kittim,
within throwing range, each man shall raise his hand with his weapon of
7war. Then the six [priests shall blow on the tr]umpets of the slain a
sharp staccato note to direct the fighting. The Levites and the all the
people with 8rams' horns shall blow [a battle signa]l, a loud noise. As
the sound goes forth, the infantry shall begin to bring down the slain
of the Kittim, and all 9the people shall cease the signal, [but the priest]s
shall continue blowing on the trumpets of the slain and the battle shall
prevail against the Kittim.
The final battle the second engagement.
ÒWhen [Belial] prepares himself to assist the Sons of Darkness,
and the slain among the infantry begin to fall by God's mysteries and to
test by these mysteries all those appointed for battle, 12the priests shall
blow the trumpets of assembly so that another battle line might go forth
as a battle reserve, and they shall take up position between the battle
lines. ~3For those employed in battle they shall blow a signal to return.
Then the Chief Priest shall approach and stand before the battle line,
and shall encourage ~4their heart by [the wondrous might of God and] fortify
their hands for His battle.
I5And he shall say in response: ["Blessed is God, for] He tests the
he[ar]t of His people in the crucible. And not [ . . . ] have your slain
[ . . . ]. For you have obeyed from of old i6the mysteries of God. [Now
as for you, take courage and stand in the gap, do not fear when God strengthens
. . . ] 17-20[ . . ] Col. 17 land He shall appoint their retribution with
burning [ . . . ] those tested by the crucible. He shall sharpen the implements
of war, and they shall not become blunt until [all the nations ofl wickedness
[come to an end]. 2But, as for you, remember the judgment [of Nadab and
Abi]hu, the sons of Aaron, by whose judgment God showed Himself holy before
[all the people. But Eleazar] 3and Ithamar He preserved for Himself for
an eternal covenant [ofpriesthood].
4But, as for you, take courage and do not fear them [ . . . for] their
end is emptine and their desire is for the void. Their support is without
st[rength] and they do not [know that from the God] of Israel is all that
is and that will be. He [ . . . ] in all which exists for eternity. Today
is His appointed time to subdue and to humiliate the prince of the realm
sof wickedness.
He will send eternal support to the company of His redeemed by the power
of the majestic angel of the authority of Michael. By eternal light 7He
shall joyfully light up the covenant of Israel peace and blessing for the
lot of GodÑto exalt the authority of Michael among the gods and
the dominion 8Of Israel among all flesh. Righteousness shall rejoice on
high, and al1 sons of His truth shall rejOice in eternal knowledge. But
as for you, O sons of His covenant, 9take courage in God's crucible, until
He shall wave His hand and complete His fiery trials; His mysteries concerning
your existence."
The final battle the third engagement.
¡And after these words the priests shall blow for them a signal
to form the divisions of the battle line. The columns shall be deployed
at the sound of the trumpets, ~~until each man has taken his station. Then
the priests shall blow another signal on the trumpets, signs for confrontation.When
i2the infa[ntry] has approached [the battle] line of the Kitt[im], within
throwing range, each man shall raise his hand with his weapon. Then the
priests shall blow on the trumpets i30f the slain [and the Levites and
the al]1 the people with rams' horns shal1 sound a signal for battle. The
infantry shall attack the army ~40f the Kittim, [and as the soun]d [of
the si]gnal [goes forth], they shall begin to bring down their slain. Then
all the people shall still the sound of the signal, while the priests iScontinuously
blow on [the trumpets of the slain], and the bat[tl]e p[revail]s against
the K[ittim, and the troops of Belia]l are defeated before them. ~6Thus
in the th[ird] lot [ . . . ] to fall slain [ . . . ]
The final battle the fourth, fifth, and sixth engagements. Nothing
of these engagements is preserved. The final battle the seventh engagement.
Col. 18 [and in the seven]th [log, when the great hand of God shall
be lifted up against Belial and against all the fo[rc]es of his dominion
for an eternal slaughter 2[,, . ] and the shout of the holy ones when they
pursue Assyria. Then the sons of Japheth shall fall, never to rise again,
and the Kitum shall be crushed without 3[remnant and survivor. So] the
God of Israel shal1 raise His hand agcunst the whole multitude of Belial.
At that time the priests shall sound a signal 4[on the six trumpegs of
remembrance, and all the battle formations shall be gathered to them and
divide against all the ca[mps of the Ki]ttim Sto completely destroy them.
[And] when the sun hastens to set on that day, the Chief Priest and the
priests and the [Levites] who are 6with him, and the chiefs [of the battle
lines and the men] of the army shall bless the God of Israel there.
They shall say in response: Blessed is Your name, O God [of god]s, for
7You have done wondrous things for Your people, and have kept Your covenant
for us from of old. Many times You have opened the gates of salvation for
us 8for the sak[e of ~ Your [co]venant. [And You provided flor our affliction
in accord with Your goodness toward us. You, O God of righteousness, have
acted for the sake of Your name.
Thanksgiving for final victory.
[ . . . ] You have idone w]onders upon wonders with us, but f om of
old there has been nothing like it, for You have known our appointed time.
Today [Your] power has shined forth i~for us, [and] You [have shown] us
the hand of Your mercies with us in eternal redemption, in order to remove
the dominion of the enemy, that it might be no more; the hand of Your strength.
'7In bat[tle You shall show Yourself strong aga]inst our enemies for an
absolute slaughter. Now the day is pressing upon us [to] pursue their multitude,
for You ~3[ . . . ] and the heart of warriors You have broken so that no
one is able to stand. Yours is the might, and the battle is in Your hand,
and there is no i4[God like You . . . ] Your [ . . . ] and the appointed
times of Your will, and reprisal [ . -. . ] Your [enemie]s, and You will
cut offfrom [ . . . ] is i9[,,, ] 20[,, . And we shall direct our contempt
at kings,] Col. 19 i[derision and disdain at mi]ghty men. For our Majestic
One is holy. The King of Glory is with us and the h[ost of His spirits
is with our steps. Our horsemen are] 7[as the clouds and as the rnis]t
covering the earth; as a steady downpour shedding judgment on ap1 her offspring.]
[Rise up, O Hero,] 3[Take Your captives, O Glorious One, and ta]ke Your
plunder, O YouWho do valiantly. Lay Your hand upon the neck of Your enemies,
and Your fo[o]t [upon the backs of 1 4[the slain. Crush the nations, Yo]ur
[adversaries,] and let Your sword devour flesh. Fill Your land with glory,
and Your inheritance with blessing. An ab[undance of cattle is] s[in Your
fields, silver and gold] in Your palaces. O Zion, rejoice greatly, and
rejoice, all you cities of Ju[dah. Open] 6[your gates forever, so thag
the wealth of the nations [might be brought to you, and their kings shall
serve you. All they that oppressed] you shall bow down to you, 7[and they
shall lick the dust of your feet. O dau]ghters of my [peo]ple, burst out
with a voice of joy. Adorn yourselves with ornaments of glory, and r[ule]
over the ki[ngdom of the . . . ] 8[,, . ] Your [ . . . ]. and Israel for
an [egernal dominion.
Ceremony after the final battle.
9[Then they shall gather] in the camp that n[ig]ht for rest until the
morning. In the morning they shall come to the p[La]ce of the battle line,
i¡[where the mi]ghty men ofthe Kittim [fell], as well as the multitude
of Assyria, and the forces of all the nations that were assembled unto
them, to see whether [the mu]ltitude of slain [are dead] ~~[with none to
bury them; those who] fell there by the sword of God. And the Hi[gh] Priest
shall approach there [with] his [depu]ty, his brothers [the priests,] ~2[and
the Levites with the Leader] of the battle, and all the chiefs of the battle
lines and [their officers . . . ] i3[ . . . together.When they stand before
the s]lain of the Kitt[im, they shall pr]aise there the God [of Israel.
And they shall say in response: . . . ] 14[ . . . to God most high and
. . . ]
4Q491 (4Q Milhamah)
In the publication by the original editors, the fragments of 4Q491 were
considered to be the remains of a single work. This work was thought to
be a form of the War Scroll, one with extensive portions that found no
exact match in the Cave 1 copy. A recent thorough study of the evidence,
however, suggests that 4Q491 is instead three distinct manuscripts. The
original editors had been deceived by the similar appearance of these manuscripts
and had mistakenly grouped three texts together.
Thus reorganized, the manuscripts can now be characterized as follows.
Manuscript A represents a text that is similar to the Cave 1 copy, but
with a fuller representation of the seven engagements of the troops in
the final battle. Manuscript B appears to be a shorter, "Reader's
Digest"
form of the Cave 1 composition. Manuscript C comprises a hymn that is not
even related to the War Scroll. Rather, it is related to the Thanksgiving
Psalms (text 3).
The original publication of Manuscript C's poem suggested that it was
spoken by the Archangel Michael (cf. Dan. 10:13; Rev. 12:7), who features
prominently in the War Scroll (lQM 17:6-7). The recently available manuscripts
from Cave 4, however, now show that this notion is mistaken. Instead, the
identity of the speaker here must be directly connected to that of the
speaker in the Thanksgiving Psalms. Col. 26 of those psalms contains the
same key elements we find here in Manuscript C. The first-person account,
so characteristic of the Thanksgiving Psalms, is the form of address in
both places. Moreover, in both poems the author makes the fantastic claim
that none can be compared to him, because he is on equal footing with the
heavenly beings (probably to be understood as angels)! If it is concluded
that the Teacher of Righteousness wrote the Thanksgiving Psalms, he penned
Manuscript C's text as well.
A variant of the blessings of the war recited by all the leaders
in the morning before the battle. Compare 1QM. 14:4419 above.
4Q491 Manuscript A Frag. 10 Col. 2 7[ ]8 in the Kitti[m . . . ] 9the
infantrymen shall begin [to bring down the casualties of the Kittim . .
. And the] I battle [shall prevail] against the Kittim [ . . . ] the corpses
of the place of refining [shall begin] to fall by [the mysteries] of God.
And the p[riests shall sound the trumpets of assembly . . . ] 12battle
among the Kittim. And to the first battle formation . . . ]13 And the priest
designated for the battle shall draw near and stand [be]fore [the battle
formation . . . ]14 and he shal1 strengthen their hands by recounting His
wondrous deeds. Then he shall sa[y] in response [ . . . fire of I vengeance,
to consume among gods and men. For [He shai3] not [ . . . ] 16 flesh, except
dust (?). For now [ . . . ] 37and [tne fire] shall consume as far as Sheol.
And the council of wickedness [ . . . ]
Frags. 11-15 represent a variant of 1QM cols. 1~17 above.
Frag. 11 Col. 2 14[ . . . He is] faithful, and the relief which His
redemption [ . . . ] i5[ . . . son]s of truth and to remove the faint of
heart and to strengthen the he[art ] 16[,, . the batt]le today, the God
of Isr[ael] shall subdue him (Belial?) [ . . . ] 17[ . . . ] with no place
to stand. And [the kingdo]m shall be for God and the salvatio[n] for His
people [ ] 18[,,, ] like as to Belial. But God's covenant is peace [for]
Israel in all the times [of eternity . . . ] i9And.after these words the
prfests shall blow to order the second battle with the Kit[tim. And when
each man has taken] 20his station, then the priests shall blow a second
signal for advance.When they have approached the ba[ttle line of the Kittim,
within throwing range,] 2leach man [shall ra]ise his hand with his battle
weapon. Then the priests shall b[lo]w on the tr[umpegs of the [slain a
staccato note] 22[to direct the battle and the Levites] and the all the
people with rams' horns shall so[u]nd [a loud] n[ote . . . And when] 23[the
sound of the blast is heard, they shall begin to bring do]wn the casualties
of the guilty. The sound of the [ ] 24[,,, ]
Frag. 13 1[ . . . width the gods [ . . . ] 2[ . . . ] the smallest of
you shall pursue a tho[usand . . . ] 3[ . . . And after] these [w]ords,
[the priests] shall blow [to order the third battle with the Kittim and
the columns] 4[shall deploy at the sound of the trum]pets. When each m[an]
has taken [his position] by division, [the priest shal1 blow a second blast
on the trumpets for] S[advance. When] they [have approached] the battle
line of the Kittim, within throwing range, [each man] shall raise his hand
[with his battle weapon. The priests shall blow, to direcq 6[the battle,
on the (rumpets of the slain, a staccato note. Then the Levites and all
[the people with rams' horns shall sound a battle blast, and the formations]
7[shall be figh]ting one behi-nd the other with no space between them.
For [ ] 8[ . . . and] all the people shall answer, raising [on]e voice,
and say [ . . . ]
Frag. 15 1[ . . . ] and there is no [ ] 2[,, . ] and a processio[n behold
we are taking position to advance [ . . . ] 4[ . . . ] 5[ . . . And] he
shall say to them in response,"Be strong and courageous [,,, ] 6[,, . For
the] outstretched [hand] of God is upon all the Gentiles, [He shall] not
[ . . . ] 7[ . . . ] kingship is [for God] Almighty and salvation is for
His petple. And y[ou ] 8[,, . ] his [im]purity, the gods shall advance
upon you with [ . . . ] 9[ . . . ] and to cast all [their] corpse[s . .
. ] i¡[ . . . ] and all the spirits of [his] lot [ . . . ] 11[ .
. . ] eternal, together wi[th ] 13[ . . . ] war [ . . . ]
Manuscript B presents a much shorter version of the War Scrol1
than the one discovered in Cave 1.
4Q491 Manuscript B Frags. 1-3 1Korah and hus congregation [ . . . ]
judgment [ . . . ] 2before the whole congregation of [ . . . jud]gment
as sign[s . . . ] 3and the chief of his angels with their [forces,] to
direct their hand [in] battle. [ . . . ] for the chariotry and the hor[semen
. . . ] 4The hand of God shall strike [ . . . ] for eternal annihilation
[ . . . ] they shall atone for you [ . . . ] all the princes [ . . . ]
sHis holiness in eternal lio]y [ . . . ] And after [ . . . ] the congregation
and apl] the prince[s . . . ] shall not go to the enemy battle lines [
. . . ]
6This is the rule when they camp and [ . . . and in] their divisions
[ . . . ] around, outside [ . . . ] and women, young boys, and any man
who is aff~icted with impurity in his flesh shall not come near]
7[the battle] line. The craftsmen [and blacksm]iths and those enlisted
as [ . . . ] for their watches [ . . the battle line until they return.
And there shall be two thousand cubits between the [camps and the latrine,
so] 8no nakedness might be seen in their surroundings. And when they set
out to prepare for battle [so as to sub]due [the enemy], some of them [shall
be] dismissed by lot from each tribe according to those enlisted for [each]
day's duty. 9That day, men from each tribe [shall] go out from the camps
to the house of me[eting . . . and] the [priest]s, the Levites, and all
the chiefs of the camps [shall] go out to them. Then they shal1 pass before
[them] there [ . . . ] i¡by thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
Each man who is not [clean in regard to his genitals] that [nig]ht [shall]
no[t g]o out with them to battle. For the holy angels are with their battle
lines [ . . . ] '~[When] the formation standing ready to pass to all [
. . . ] of battle for that day [g]oes up [ . . . ], three formations shall
stand one behind the other, and they shall establish a space between [each]
battle formation. i2[Then they shall go out] to the battle in turn. These
are the [infan]trymen and alongside them are [cavalry]men, [and they shall
take their position between the battle] formations. But if they establish
an ambush for a battle formation, the three ambushing formations shall
[stay at a dist]ance and not ris[e up . . . ] '3[ . . . ] the battle.When
they [h]ear the trumpets of alarm, the [infantry]men [shall begin to bring
do]wn the guilty casualties. Then the ambush shall rise up from its place
and also order its [battle form]ations [ . . . 3
14The reassembly: from the right and left, from be[hind and before,
the f]our direction[s . . . ] in the battles of annihilation. All the battle
formation[s] which engaged the en[emy] for battle [shall be gathered] :5together.
The [fi]rst battle formation shall [set out-to battle] and the second shall
remain standting] at their post.When their period is completed, the first
shall return and s[tand . ] :6The sec[ond foray . . . ] when the battle
is arrayed.When the second battle formation shal1 have completed their
period, they shall return and t[ake their position.] i7And the t[hird foray
. . . Then the Chief Priest shall take his stand with his brothers the
priests,] the Levites, and men [of the arm]y.
And all the while the priests shall be sounding on the trumpets[ . .
. ]
[ ] 18A lin[en] sash [of twined fine linen, violet, purple, and crimson,
and a varicolored design, the work of a skillful workman, and decorated
c]aps [on 'their heads. And they shall not take them into the sanctuary,3
f [or] they are garments for bat[tle.]
According to all [this] rule i . . . ] chiefs of the camp [ . . . ]
2¡for [ . . . ] all [ . . . ] they will completely annihilate [ .
. . ]
This manuscript, mistakenly labeled as a copy of the War Scroll,
is instead a copy of a hymn similar to the Thanksgiving Psalms.
4Q491 Manuscript C Frag. 11 Col. 1 8[,, . ] who does wondrous things
[ . . . ] 9[ . . . in the pow] er of his strength the rig[hteou]s cry out,
and the holy ones rejoice [ . . . ] justly lOt . . I]srael. He established
His truth from of old, and the mysteries of His cunning in eve[ry . . .
] strength ~~[ . . . ] and the society of the oppressed as an eternal congregation
[ . . . ] perfect of 2[ . . . ] eternal, a mighty throne in the congregation
of the gods. None of the ancient kings shall sit on it, and their nobles
tshall] not [ . . . There are no]ne comparable 3[to me in] my glory, no
one shall be exalted besides me; none shall associate with me. For I dwelt
in the [ . . . ] in the heavens, and there is no one i4[ . . . ]. I am
reckoned with the gods and my abode is in the holy congregation. [My] desi[re]
is not according to the flesh, and everything precious to me is in the
glory ~5[ofl the holy [habit]ation.
[Wh]om have I considered contemptible? Who is comparable to me in my
glory? Who of those who sail the seas shall return telling i6[of] my [equa]l?Who
shall [experience] troubles like me? And who is like me [in bearing] evil?
I have not been taught, but no teaching compares i7[with my teaching].Who
then shall attack me when [I] ope[n my mouth]?Who can endure the utterance
of my lips? Who shall arraign me and compare with my judgment i3[ . . .
Fo]r I am reck[oned] with the gods, [and] my glory with that of the sons
of the King. Neither [refined go]ld, nor the gold of Ophir 19[ . . . ]
20[,, . ] righteous ones among the gods of [ . . . ] in the holy habitation.
Praise Him in song [ ] 2~[ . . . P]roclaim the meditation of joy [ . .
. ] joyously forever. There is not [ ] 22[,, . ] to raise up a horn Of
[ ] 23[,,, ] to make known His hand in strength [ . . . ]
4Q493 (4Q Milhamahc)
This manuscript is reminiscent of 1QM 7:9-9:9, but it diverges
markedly from the Cave 1 copy. Perhaps it represents another "deviant"
version such as 4Q491 (Manuscripts A and B). But it is equally possible
that this arragment may have been unrelated to the War Scroll literature,
instead coming from a handbook on priestly duties.
The number of this fragment suggests a physical connection with
frag. 1 1 col 2. The original publication proposed a join of two separate
pieces of parchment that is not accepted here.
For the war: The priests, the sons of Aaron, shall take their stand
before [the] battle formations 2and sound a blast on the trumpets of remembrance.
Afterwards they shall open the gates for the 3infantrymen. Then the priests
shall sound a blast on the trumpets of battle [to adva]nce on the battle
line 40f the Gentiles. The priests shaI1 go out from among the slain and
stand on [either] side of the [ . . . ], Sbeside the catapult (?) and the
ballista (?). Thus they shall not profane the anointing of their priestly
office [with the blood of the s]lai[n]. 6[And] they shall not approach
any battle formation of the infantry. They shall sound an alarmÑwith
a sharp note in order that the me[n of] battle 7might set out to advance
between the battle linesÑon the trumpets [of the slain]. Then [they]
shall [beg]in ato draw near to the battle.When their periods of engagement
are completed, they shall sound a blast for them on the tru[mp]ets of withdrawal
9to enter the gates. Then the second formation shal1 set out.
According to this entire rule the Le[vites] i¡shall be signaling
them at the proper time.When they set out, they shall blow a signal for
them on the t[rumpets of assembly], iiand when [they] have comple[ted their
foray], on the trumpets of alarm, [and when] they return, they shal1 sound
a sig[nal for them on the trumpets] i20f as[sembly.] According to [this]
ordin[ance] they sound the signal for ev[ery ba]ttle formation.
13[ . . . ] upon the trumpets of the Sabbaths [it is written . . . ]
14[ . . . for] the regular [grain offering] and the burnt offerings it
is written, [ . . . ]
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