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11Q13

The Heavenly Prince Melchizedek

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1 […] … […] 2 […] and as for what it says, “In [this] year of jubilee [each of you shall return to his property,” and about it he said, “And] this 3 [is the manner of the release:] every creditor shall release what he has lent [to his neighbor. He shall not press his neighbor or his brother, for there has been proclaimed] a release 4 for God.” [Its interpretation] for the end of days concerns the captives, who […] and whose 5 teachers have been hidden and kept secret, and from the inheritance of Melchizedek, for […] … and they are the inheritance of Melchizedek, who 6 will bring them back to them. He will proclaim liberty to them,⁠ to release them from [the burden of] all their iniquities.⁠ And [thus] this thing will happen 7 in the first week of the jubilee that follows the nine jubilees.⁠ The Day of Atonement is the end of the tenth jubilee,⁠ 8 to atone on it for all the sons of [light]⁠ and the men of the lot of Melchizedek. […] … upon them … according to all their deeds, for 9 this is the time of the year of favor for Melchizedek⁠ and for his armies, the people of the holy ones of God, for a reign of judgment, as it is written 10 about him in the songs of David, who said, “God stands in the assembly [of El]; in the midst of the gods he judges.”⁠ And about him he said, “And above it 11 return to the heights; God will judge the peoples.”⁠ As for what he said, [“How long] will you judge unjustly and show favor to the wicked? Selah,” 12 its interpretation concerns Belial and the spirits of his lot,⁠ who […] … in their turning away from the statutes of God [to act wickedly]. 13 But Melchizedek will carry out the vengeance of the judgments of God, [and on that day he will] deliver them [from the hand of] Belial⁠ and from the hand of all the spirits [of his lot]. 14 To his aid come all the gods [of righteousness], and he is the one who […] all the sons of God, and the … 15 this … is the day [of peace], of which he spoke [… through] Isaiah the prophet, who said, [“How] lovely 16 on the mountains are the feet of the herald who proclaims peace, the herald [of good news who proclaims salvation], who says to Zion, ‘Your God [is king].’” 17 Its interpretation: the mountains [are] the prophets, they … […] … for all … […] 18 And the herald is the one anointed of the spirit,⁠ as Daniel said [about him, “Until an anointed one, a prince, there are seven weeks.” And the herald of] 19 good news who proclaims [salvation] is the one about whom it is written that […] 20 “to comfort the [mourners.” Its interpretation:] to instruct them in all the ages of the world […] 21 in truth … […] … […] 22 … […] was removed from Belial and will return […] … […] 23 […] by the judgments of God, as it is written about him, [“who says] to Zion, ‘Your God is king.’” Zion is 24 [the congregation of all the sons of righteousness, those] who uphold the covenant, who turn aside from walking in the way of the people. And “your God” is 25 [… Melchizedek, who will] deliver them from the hand of Belial. As for what he said, “You shall sound the horn throughout all the land,”

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalms 7:8 and 11Q13 2:11

Hebrew Bible · Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical Interpretation

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Summary

In Psalm 7, the psalmist asks God to rise above the assembled peoples and judge them. In 11Q13 from the Dead Sea Scrolls, this language describes Melchizedek, who carries out judgment against Belial.

Passages

Psalms 7:8

Hebrew Bible
6 Stand up angrily, Lord. Rise up with raging fury against my enemies. Wake up for my sake, and execute the judgment you have decreed for them. 7 The countries are assembled all around you; take once more your rightful place over them. 8 The Lord judges the nations. Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent, because I am blameless, O Exalted One. 9 May the evil deeds of the wicked come to an end. But make the innocent secure, O righteous God, you who examine hearts and kidneys32.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

11Q13 2:11

Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical Interpretation · The Heavenly Prince Melchizedek
9 this is the time of the year of favor for Melchizedek and for his armies, the people of the holy ones of God, for a reign of judgment, as it is written 10 about him in the songs of David, who said, “God stands in the assembly [of El]; in the midst of the gods he judges.” And about him he said, “And above it 11 return to the heights; God will judge the peoples.” As for what he said, [“How long] will you judge unjustly and show favor to the wicked? Selah,” 12 its interpretation concerns Belial and the spirits of his lot, who […] … in their turning away from the statutes of God [to act wickedly]. 13 But Melchizedek will carry out the vengeance of the judgments of God, [and on that day he will] deliver them [from the hand of] Belial and from the hand of all the spirits [of his lot].
100–50 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in 11Q13

References

“... Psalm 7:8b-9a "and above it, to the heights, return: God shall judge the nations" is cited in lines 10-11 and seems to describe Melchizedek's movement from earth to heaven. This is precisely what we should expect from a human high priest who on the Day of Atonement enters the Holy of Holies and thereby moves from earth to heaven. Nowhere in contcmpo- rary Jewish texts does an angel undergo an upward movement with the kind of salvific effect ascribed to Melchizedek in our text. Yet, this is the language of human transformation, enthronement and apotheosis. [...] But, on the other hand, to speak of Melchizedek's return to the heights picks up also the theme of Jubilee return for the human cap- tives in exile which lies at the heart of our Peshcr. Leviticus 25 repeatedly refers to 1.11c Jubilee as a time of return and Leviticus 25:13—"in this year of Jubilee each of you shall return to his prop- erty" is cited in line 2 (cf. Lev 25:10, 41) of our text and in line 6 Melchizedek makes the people return. 201 This has led Kobelski to con- elude that in lines 10 — 11 it is not the return of Melchizedek but the captives that is view. 2 0 8 However, it would be wrong to play off against one another the two possibilities. Rather, Psalm 7:8-9 has, it seems, been carefully chosen to describe Melchizedek's heaven- ward movement as representative of and determinative for the return of the people as a whole. This again tells against Melchizedek being "an angel", but is consistent with Melchizedek's divine (and rcpre- sentative) humanity. ...”
Crispin H. T. Fletcher-Louis, All the Glory of Adam: Liturgical Anthropology in the Dead Sea Scrolls, STDJ 42 (Leiden: Brill, 2002), 219–220.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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