The Priests are the converts of Israel who departed from the land of Judah, and (the Levites are) those who joined them. The sons of Zadok are the elect of Israel, the men called by name who shall stand at the end of days. Behold the exact list of their names according to their generations, and the time when they lived, and the number of their trials, and the years of their sojourn, and the exact list of their deeds... (They were the first men) of holiness whom God forgave, and who justified the righteous and condemned the wicked. And until the age is completed, according to the number of those years, all who enter after them shall do according to that interpretation of the Law in which the first (men) were instructed. According to the Covenant which God made with the forefathers, forgiving their sins, so shall He forgive their sins also. But when the age is completed, according to the number of those years, there shall be no more joining the house of Judah, but each man shall stand on his watch-tower: The wall is built, the boundary far removed. During all those years Belial shall be unleashed against Israel, as He spoke by the hand of Isaiah, son of Amoz, saying, Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the land. Interpreted, these are the three nets of Belial with which Levi son of Jacob said that he catches Israel by setting them up as three kinds of righteousness. The first is fornication, the second is riches, and the third is profanation of the Temple. Whoever escapes the first is caught in the second, and whoever saves himself from the second is caught in the third. The ‘builders of the wall’ who have followed after ‘Precept’ - ‘Precept’ was a spouter of whom it is written, They shall surely spout - shall be caught in fornication twice by taking a second wife while the first is alive, whereas the principle of creation is, Male and female created He them’ V Also, those who entered the Ark went in two by two. And concerning the prince it is written, He shall not multiply wives to himself; but David had not read the sealed book of the Law which was in the ark (of the Covenant), for it was not opened in Israel from the death of Eleazar and Joshua, and the elders who worshipped Ashtoreth. It was hidden and (was not) revealed until the coming of Zadok. And the deeds of David rose up, except for the murder of Uriah, and God left them to him.[1] Moreover, they profane the Temple because they do not observe the distinction (between clean and unclean) in accordance with the Law, but lie with a woman who sees her bloody discharge. And each man marries the daughter of his brother or sister, whereas Moses said, You shall not approach your mother’s sister; she is your mothers near kin. But although the laws against incest are written for men, they also apply to women. When, therefore, a brother’s daughter uncovers the nakedness of her father’s brother, she is (also his) near kin.[2] Furthermore, they defile their holy spirit and open their mouth with a blaspheming tongue against the laws of the Covenant of God saying, ‘They are not sure.’ They speak abominations concerning them; they are all kindlers of fire and lighters of brands, their webs are spiders’ webs and their eggs are vipers’ eggs. No man that approaches them shall be free from guilt; the more he does so, the guiltier shall he be, unless he is pressed. For (already) in ancient times God visited their deeds and His anger was kindled against their works; for it is a people of no discernment, it is a nation void of counsel inasmuch as there is no discernment in them. For in ancient times, Moses and Aaron arose by the hand of the Prince of Lights and Belial in his cunning raised up Jannes and his brother when Israel was first delivered.[3]
They shall be inscribed in the order, one after another, each according to his understanding and his deeds in the Law, that all may obey one another, the man of lesser rank the greater. And they shall examine their spirit and their deeds in the Law yearly so that each man may be advanced in accordance with his understanding or moved down in accordance with his aberrations. They shall rebuke one another (in) loving-kindness. Let no man address his companion with anger or ill-temper or wicked envy. Also let no man accuse his companion before the Congregation without having rebuked him before witnesses. These are the ways in which all of them shall walk, each man with his companion, wherever they dwell. The man of lesser rank shall obey the greater in matters of work and property. And they shall eat in common and bless in common and deliberate in common.[4] Hear now, my sons, and I will uncover your eyes that you may see and understand the works of God, that you may choose that which pleases Him and reject that which He hates, that you may walk perfectly in all His ways and not follow after thoughts of the guilty inclination and after eyes of lust. For through them, great men have gone astray and mighty heroes have stumbled from former times till now. Because they walked in the stubbornness of their heart the Heavenly Watchers fell; they were caught because they did not keep the commandments of God. And their sons also fell who were tall as cedar trees and whose bodies were like mountains. All flesh on dry land perished; they were as though they had never been because they did their own will and did not keep the commandment of their Maker so that His wrath was kindled against them.[5]
And in the age of devastation of the land there arose those who shifted the boundary and made Israel stray. And they razed the countryside, for they spoke of rebellion against God’s precepts through the hand of Moses and also of the holy anointed ones. They prophesied deceit in order to divert Israel from following God. But God remembered the covenant of the forefathers. And he raised from Aaron men of knowledge and from Israel wise men, and made them listen. And they dug the well: A well which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people delved with the staff. The well is the law. And those who dug it are the converts of Israel, who left the land of Judah and lived in the land of Damascus, all of whom God called princes, for they sought him, and their renown has not been repudiated in anyone’s mouth.[6] ... But all those who have been brought into the covenant shall not enter the temple to kindle his altar. He will be the one who closes the door, as God said: “Whoever amongst you will close its door so that you do not kindle my altar in vain!”. They should take care to act in accordance with the exact interpretation of the law for the age of wickedness: to be keep apart from the sons of injustice; to abstain from wicked wealth which defiles, either by promise or by vow, and from the wealth of the temple and from stealing from the poor of his people, from making their widows their spoils, and murdering orphans; to separate unclean from clean and differentiate between the holy and the common; to keep the sabbath day ...
... of his brother and not to be unfaithful against his blood relation; to refrain from fornication 2 in accordance with the regulation; for each to reprove his brother in accordance with the precept, and not to bear resentment 3 from one day to the next; to keep apart from every uncleanness according to their regulations, without anyone defiling 4 his holy spirit, according to what God kept apart for them. For all those who walk 5 according to these matters in holy perfectness, in accordance with all his teachings, God’s covenant is a guarantee for them 6 that they shall live a thousand generations ... And if they reside in camps in accordance with the rule of the land, and take 7 women and beget children, they shall walk in accordance with the law ... and according to the regulation 8 of the teachings, according to the rule of the law, as he said: Between a man and his wife, and between a father 9 and his son. But for all those who despise: when God visits the earth in order to empty over them the punishment of the wicked, 10 when there comes the word which is written in the words of Isaiah, son of Amoz, the prophet, 11 who said: There shall come upon you, upon your people and upon your father’s house, days such as 12 have not come since the day Ephraim departed from Judah». When the two houses of Israel separated, 13 Ephraim detached itself from Judah, and all the renegades were delivered up to the sword; but those who remained steadfast[7] 14 escaped to the land of the north ... As he said: I will deport the tent of your King 15 and the Kiyyun of your images away from my tent to Damascus ... The books of the law are the Sukkat 16 of the King, as he said: I will lift up the fallen Sukkat of David ... The King 17 is the assembly; and the Kiyyune of the images ... and the Kiyyun of the images are the books of the prophets, 18 whose words Israel despised ... And the star is the Interpreter of the law, 19 who will come to Damascus, as is written: A star moves out of Jacob, and a scepter arises 20 out of Israel. The scepter is the prince of the whole congregation and when he rises he will destroy 21 all the sons of Seth ... These will escape in the age of the first visitation. And the renegades will be delivered up to the sword. Thus will be the judgment of all those entering his covenant but do not remain steadfast in these; they shall be visited unto destruction at the hand of Belial. This is the day which God will appoint, as he says: “The princes (of Judah) were
... the sons of light to keep apart from the paths of ... until the completion of the appointed time of visitation ... God ... all its deeds, bringing destruction upon ... to those who move the boundary, and he shall wreak destruction upon those who act wickedly ... And now, listen to me and I will inform you of ... the terrible ... his marvel, I will tell you ... from man ... who lives ... in the depth of ... seal ... by the precepts ... by the offering ... they did not listen to the voice of Moses ... slander against the laws and precepts of God ... small and great ... Inform us, then, ... your concern, if ... you stood and considered ... they shall bring back the ... dust and ashes, and whoever ... not understand ...
... until there comes upon them ... for there is no advancing or delaying their festivals... There is determined a moment of wrath for a nation that does not know him, and he has established times of favour for those who examine his precepts and walk on the perfect path. He uncovered their eyes for hidden things and they opened their ears and heard profound things and understood everything that happens before it comes upon them. And now, listen, all those of you who know justice, and understand the actions of God; for he has a dispute with all flesh and will carry out judgment on all those who spurn him. For when they were unfaithful in forsaking him, he hid his face from Israel and from his sanctuary and delivered them up to the sword. But when he remembered the covenant with the forefathers, he saved a remnant for Israel and did not deliver them up to destruction. And at the period of wrath, three hundred and ninety years after having delivered them up into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, he visited them and caused to sprout from Israel and from Aaron a shoot of the planting, in order to possess his land and to become fat with the good things of his soil. And they realised their iniquity and knew that they were guilty; but they were like blind persons and like those who grope for a path over twenty years. And God appraised their deeds, because they sought him with a undivided heart and raised up for them a Teacher of Righteousness, in order to direct them in the path of his heart. And he made known to the last generations what he had done to the last generation, the congregation of traitors. These are the ones who stray from the path. This is the time about which it has been written: “Like a stray heifer so has Israel strayed”, when “the scoffer” arose, who poured out over Israel waters of lies and made them stray into a wilderness without path, causing the everlasting heights to sink down, diverging from tracks of justice and removing the boundary with which the forefathers had marked their inheritance, so that the curses of his covenant would adhere to them, to deliver them up to the sword carrying out the vengeance of the covenant. For they sought easy interpretations, chose illusions, scrutinised loopholes, chose the handsome neck, acquitted the guilty and sentenced the just, violated the covenant broke the precept, banded together against the life of the just man, their soul abominated all those who walk in perfection, they hunted them down with the sword and provoked the dispute of the people.
... and those of firm power in what has been revealed ... those who hold fast to his holy name ... are ... for in Judah there is found a conspiracy to return ... to Israel when arises ... peace. And all those who are left ... each one according to his spirit they shall let approach ... they shall be removed by order of the Inspector, and all ... shall walk in them. All the converts of Israel ... the sons of Zadok, the priests. Behold, they are ... the last interpretation of the law. And these are the ordinances for the Instructor ... in them for all Israel, for God shall not save ... to walk ...
... for all the upright of heart in Israel ... they declared his regulations to be just with ...
And anyone who is not quick to understand, and anyone who speaks weakly or staccato, without separating his words to make his voice heard, such men should not read in the book of the Torah, so that he will not lead to error in a capital matter ... his brothers, the priests, in service. And not ... Anyone of the sons of Aaron who has been a captive among the gentiles ... to defile it with their impurity. He should not approach the service of ... from the house of the veil. And he should not eat of the most holy things ... Whoever of the sons of Aaron emigrates to serve ... to teach his people in the council of the people, and also to betray ... And whoever of the sons of Aaron has allowed his name to fall from the truth ... walking in the stubbornness of his heart to eat of the holy ... of Israel the council of the sons of Aaron ... he who eats shall incur the fault of the blood ... in their genealogy . And this is the rule of the session of ... of holiness in their camps and their cities in all ... the session of ...
... But if the tumour or the rash is deeper than the skin ... the priest, and the priest sees in it something like living flesh, or like ... it is leprosy which has taken hold of the living skin. And in accordance with this regulation, ... The priest shall examine it on the seventh day; if something live has been added to the dead, ... it is malignant leprosy. And the regulation for ringworm of the head or of the beard: ... the priest shall examine whether the spirit has come into the head or the beard, taking hold of the artery, and the disease has sprouted from underneath the hair, changing its appearance to yellowish - for it is like a plant under which there is a worm, which cuts its root so that its fruit turns pale. And what he said: “The priest shall order them to shave their head, but not to shave their ringworm”, it is so that the priest can count the dead and living hairs, and see whether living (hairs) have been added to the dead ones during the seven days, (then) he is impure; but if living (hairs) have not been added to the dead ones and the artery is full of blood, and the spirit of life goes up and down through it, that disease is healed. This is the regulation of the law of leprosy for the sons of Aaron, so that they can differentiate ... Regulation concerning the man with a discharge. Every man with a discharge ...
... and a man who approaches her, the iniquity of impurity is upon him; and if she sees (it) again, whilst she is not in the period of her impurity of seven days, she shall not eat anything holy or enter the temple until sunset on the eighth day. And the woman who is pregnant and gives birth to a male she shall be impure during seven days, as in the days of impurity ... her and ... she shall not eat ... it is a capital offense ... the child to a wet-nurse in purity ... And if her means do not stretch ... and she may substitute the lamb ...
... the lustral water ... God ... and the grapes of the vineyard: up to ten berries the grape... and all the gleanings up to one seah per bushel. And that in which (is only) its seed, in it there is not sacred offering nor fallen grapes ... and in its grapes are up to ten berries, and at the beating of the olive and fruit of its produce, if ...
... plants of the vineyard, and every and all trees ... in accordance with their regulation on the holy soil and in the land of residence, and afterwards they shall sell from them to buy ... And if a man plants, in the fourth year he may not eat (of it) but he shall consecrate it in that year ... to add for him ...
... destroys them ... and his unfaithfulness. No-one should bear resentment towards ... the children of his nation, except with reproof of just humility of them ... and bearing iniquity ... and not did he desire ...
... the whole camp ... its quarter... which is not according to the regulation ... and he who ...
enter ... in front of the Inspector ... to the Inspector who is over the camp... he shall ask from him ... who spurns the law ... deeds ... he ...
... he stands in front of the Inspector, lest he appears simple when he examines him. But when he has imposed upon himself to return to the law of Moses with all his heart and all his soul they will exact revenge from him if he should become unfaithful. All that has been revealed of the law for the multitude of the camp — if he inadvertently fails, the Inspector should teach him and give orders concerning him and he should learn for a full year. And in accordance with (his) knowledge he will approach. And no-one stupid or deranged should enter; and anyone feeble-minded and insane, those with eyes to weak to see, and the lame or one who stumbles, or a deaf person, or an under-age boy, none of these shall enter the congregation, for the holy angels ...
... also this rule (applies) ... will be punished he who dedicates ... the sixth part of the money which corresponds ... For the judges, in order to judge with justice ... then the dedicated thing ... If it is appropriated by violence until ... and the violator shall pay; if he has not spoken the truth to his fellow, and until ... like it, because he has not kept his word ... And as for what he said: “Every man who vows to destruction anyone else”, shall be executed according to the laws of the gentiles... And what he said: ...
... any precept, deliberately, until he has been purified to return. And this is the rule of the judges of the congregation. Ten men in number, chosen from among the congregation, for a period: four from the tribe of Levi and of Aaron and six from Israel, learned in the book of hagy and in the principles of the covenant; between twenty-five and sixty years. And no-one over sixty years should hold the office of judging the congregation, for on account of man’s unfaithfulness his days were shortened, and because of God’s wrath against the inhabitants of the earth, he ordered to remove knowledge from them before they completed their days. Concerning purification with water. No-one should bathe in water which is dirty or which is less than the amount which covers a man. No-one should purify a vessel in it. And every cavity in the rock in which there is no
... or into water while they are still alive, as this is the regulation for their species. And all the wood and the stones and the dust which are defiled by man’s impurity, while with stains of oil in them, in accordance with their uncleanness will make whoever touches them impure. And every utensil, nail or peg in the wall which is with a dead person in the house will be unclean with the same uncleanness as tools for work. Rule for the assembly of the cities of Israel. In accordance with these regulations, to keep the unclean apart from the clean, and distinguish between holy and profane. And these are the ordinances for the Instructor, so that he walks in them with every living thing, according to the regulation for every time. And in accordance with this regulation shall the seed of Israel walk.
And no-one should make a purchase or sell anything, without informing the Inspector of the camp; he shall proceed in consultation lest they err. And likewise with regard to anyone who marries a woman: it should be with consultation. And likewise he shall pay attention to anyone who divorces; he shall instruct their children ... and their small children with a spirit of modesty and with compassionate love. He should not bear resentment against them in anger and rage because of their sins. And that which is not determined ... their judgments ... And this is the assembly of the camps for all the seed of
and in all the regulations of the law, to formulate them in accordance with their regulations. And the Inspector who is over all the camps will be between thirty years and fifty years of age, mastering every secret of men and every language ... On his authority, the members of the assembly shall enter, each one in his turn; and any matter which any man needs to say to the assembly, should be told to the Inspector, in connection with any dispute or judgment. This is the rule of the Many, to provide for all their needs: the salary of two days at least. It shall be placed in the hand of the Inspector and of the judges. From it they shall give to the injured, and with it they shall support the needy and the poor, and to the elder who is bent, and to the afflicted, and to the prisoner of a foreign people, and to the girl who has no redeemer, and to the youth who has no-one looking after him, and for all the task of the association; and the house of the association shall not be deprived of its means. This is the exact interpretation of those who live in the camps, and these are the foundation walls of the assembly. And this is the exact interpretation of the regulations by which they shall be ruled until the rise of the messiah of Aaron and Israel. And their iniquity will be atoned through meal and sin-offerings ... And the man who lies knowingly with regard to riches they shall exclude from the pure food
two hundred days, and he shall be punished for one hundred days. And if he bears resentment in a capital matter, he may not return anymore. And whoever insults someone else inadvertently, shall be excluded for one year, and he shall be punished for six months. And whoever utters a senseless word with his mouth, shall be punished for twenty days, and he shall be excluded for three months. And whoever speaks in the middle of a fellow’s words, and is deranged, shall be punished for ten days. And whoever lies down and goes to sleep during the meeting of the Many ... shall be excluded for thirty days and shall be punished for ten days. And thus with whoever goes away, without the permission of the Many, and that up to three times in one session, he shall be punished for ten days; and if they raise up and he withdraws from the session he shall be punished for thirty days. And whoever walks naked in front of his fellow in a house, or walks naked in the field in front of the creatures, shall be excluded for six months and shall be punished thirty days. And whoever takes out “his hand” from under his clothes, ... he shall be excluded thirty days, and shall be punished for ten; and whoever giggles inanely, causing his voice to be heard, shall be excluded for thirty and shall be punished for fifteen days. And he who takes out his left hand to gesticulate with it, shall be punished for ten days. And whoever goes around defaming his fellow ...
over the Many and he will readily receive his judgment, as he said through the hand of Moses about the person who sins through oversight: “they should present his sin-offering or their guilt-offering”; and about Israel it is written: “I shall go to the edges of the heavens, and I shall not smell the aroma of your pleasant fragrances”. And in another place it is written: “to return to God in tears and in fasting”. And in another place it is written: “Tear your heart and not your clothes”. And anyone who despises these regulations according to all the precepts which are found in the law of Moses, shall not be considered among all the sons of his truth, for his soul has loathed the disciplines of justice. In rebellion, he will be expelled from the presence of the Many. And the priest who governs over the Many will speak to him; he will begin to speak, saying: “Blessed are you, who art everything, in your hands is everything, you do everything, you have founded the nations according to their families, and according to their languages, and according to their tribes, and you have led them astray in a trackless wilderness. You chose our fathers and gave their descendants your truthful regulations and your holy precepts, so that man could carry them out and live. And you established frontiers for us, and you curse those who cross them. And we are the people of your ransom and the flock of your pasture. You curse those who cross them but us you have raised up”. And the one who has been expelled will leave, and the man who eats from his riches, and the one who seeks his peace, and the one who is agreement with him. And his sentence will be written down by the Inspector’s hand, as an engraving, and his judgment will be complete. And all those who dwell in the camps will assemble in the third month and will curse whoever tends to the right or to the left of the law. This is the exact interpretation of the regulations which they are to observe in the whole age of visitation, with which they will be visited in all the ages of wrath and their routes, to all ...
... of holiness ... according to the measure of ... the nations, doing ... who does not warn his fellow ... the blood ... who does not ...
And kindled was the wrath of God against their congregation, laying waste all its great number, for their deeds were unclean before him. Now, then, listen to me, all who enter the covenant, and I will open your ears to the paths of the wicked and from all the tracks of the sinners I shall divert you. God loves knowledge; wisdom and counsel has he established before him; prudence and knowledge are at his service; patience is his and abundance of pardon to atone for those who repent from sin ... without there being a remnant or survivor ... For God did not choose them at the beginning of the world, and before they were established he knew their deeds, and abominated the generations on account of blood, and hid his face from the land until their extinction. And he knew the years of their existence, and the number ... and detail of their ages, of all those who exist over the centuries, and of those who will exist, until it occurs in their ages throughout all the everlasting years. And in all of them he raised up for himself, men of renown, to leave a remnant for the land and in order to fill the face of the world with their offspring. And he taught them by the hand of the anointed ones with his holy spirit and through seers of the truth. With precision their names were established. But those he hates, he causes to stray.