4Q521

A Messianic Apocalypse

Dead Sea Scrolls · 100 B.C.E. - 50 B.C.E.

Based on the text provided by Martin G. Abegg Jr., James E. Bowley, and Edward M. Cook (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Commonly referred to as the ‘Resurrection Fragment’, this writing consists of sixteen fragments and is dated to the beginning of the first century BCE. The writing comes across as a composition in verse akin to the poetry of the late biblical period. As in the New Testament Gospels, healing and resurrection are linked to the idea of the Kingdom of God.

Fragment 1 i

2 […] … 3 […] … 4 […] …

Fragment 1 ii

1 […] … […] 2 and you have heard […] 3 and the work of […] 4 … you crossed […] 5 and to fear … […] 6 the righteous have multiplied […] 7 and those who stand […] 8 and he loved […] 9 and the […]

Fragments 2 i+3

7 […] … it will go well for us 8 […] judgment 9 […] those who wait for you, for salvation 10 […] 11 […] … he will go up.

Fragments 2 ii+4

1 [For the] [1]heavens and the earth will listen to his messiah, 2 [and all] that is in them will not turn away from the commandments of the holy ones. 3 Strengthen yourselves, you who seek the Lord, in his service. 4 Will you not find the Lord in this, all who hope in their heart? 5 [2]For the Lord seeks out the faithful and calls the righteous by name. 6 Over the humble his spirit hovers, and the faithful he renews with his strength. 7 [3]For he will honor the faithful on the throne of an everlasting kingdom, 8 [4]setting prisoners free, opening the eyes of the blind, raising up those who are bowed down. 9 And forever I will cling to those who hope, and in his kindness … 10 and the fruit of a good [deed] will not be delayed for anyone. 11 And the Lord will do glorious things that have not been, as he [said]. 12 [5]For he will heal the wounded and give life to the dead; he will bring good news to the humble, 13 and the [poor] he will satisfy, the uprooted he will lead, and the hungry he will make rich, 14 and the [discerning …] … and all of them like the [holy ones] 15 and … […]

Fragment 2 iii

1 and the statute of your kindness, and I will set them free with [… for] 2 it is certain: [6]the fathers are coming to the sons. [Blessed …] 3 whom the blessing of the Lord in his good will […] 4 the land rejoiced in every place […] 5 for all Israel in rejoicing […] 6 and his scepter, and they will exalt [… for] 7 they found […]

Fragments 5 i+6

1 […] … 2 […] 3 […] 4 [… the Lord will do] for him, who will not serve with these 5 [and he will do good with] his fellow and with his neighbor 6 [and then it will be] well with you, and strengthen your power 7 [and because of the abundance of] food the faithful will grow.

Fragments 7+5ii

1 […] see all that [he has made,] 2 [the Lord: the] earth and all that is in it, the seas [and all] 3 [that is in them,] and every reservoir of water and the streams. 4 [… all of you] who do what is good before the Lord […] 5 [bless, and not] like these who curse; and they shall be for death [when] 6 the one who gives life [raises] the dead of his people. 7 And we will give thanks and tell you the righteous deeds of the Lord, who […] 8 the sons of [death], and he opens [the graves …] 9 and he [opens …] 10 and […] 11 and the valley of death in […] 12 and the bridge of the [depths …] 13 the accursed have congealed […] 14 and the heavens have come forward […] 15 [and all] the angels […] 16 […] … […]

Fragment 8

1 […] a wall between 2 […] 3 […] 4 […] 5 […] … they will appear 6 […] Adam 7 [… the] blessings of Jacob 8 [… the temple] and all its holy vessels 9 [… the priesthood] and all her anointed ones 10 […] they will speak [… to sanctify themselves], and the word of the Lord and […] 11 […] they will speak [… bless] the Lord 12 […] the eyes of

Fragment 9

1 […] you shall not be […] 2 […] … and by the servant of the [Lord …] 3 […] … you will leave by the hand of the messiah […] 4 […] … […] … […]

Fragment 10

1 […] … […] 2 […] they will keep the covenant […] 3 [… any longer] wickedness among them 4 […] … in their midst.

Fragment 11

1 […] … […] 2 […] 3 […] … they will inherit it […] 4 […] … from him … […] 5 […] priesthood … […]

Fragment 12

1 and he gave … […] 2 [and a] kingdom […]

Fragment 13

1 […] … […] 2 […] … […]

Fragment 14

1 […] … […] 2 [… between the righteous] and the wicked […] 3 […] … […]

Fragment 15

1 […] … […] 2 […] 3 […] Israel […] 4 […] the … […]

Fragment 16

1 […] … all […] 2 […] … […] 3 […] … […]

Glossary