Texts in Conversation
The Prayer of Nabonidus in the Dead Sea Scrolls depicts a Jewish healer declaring forgiveness for the Babylonian king while healing him. A later rabbinic tradition in tractate Nedarim in the Babylonian Talmud reflects a similar idea, teaching that recovery from illness is not possible without forgiveness.
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4Q242
4QPrayer of Nabonidus
Dead Sea Scrolls
Words of the pr[ay]er which Nabonidus, king of [the] la[nd of Baby]lon, the [great] king, prayed [when he was afflicted] by a malignant inflammation, by decree of the G[od Most Hi]gh, in Teiman. [I, Nabonidus,] was afflicted [by a malignant inflammation] for seven years, and was banished far [from men, until I prayed to the God Most High] and an exorcist forgave my sin. He was a Je[w] fr[om the exiles, who said to me:] «Make a proclamation in writing, so that glory, exal[tation and hono]ur be given to the name of [the] G[od Most High». And I wrote as follows: «When] I was afflicted by a ma[lignant] inflammation […] in Teiman, [by decree of the God Most High,] [I] prayed for seven years [to all] the gods of silver and gold, [of bronze and iron,] 8 of wood, of stone and of clay, because [I thoug]ht that t[hey were] gods […]
Date: 160 B.C.E. - 60 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Nedarim 41a
Babylonian Talmud
Rabbinic
§ Rabbi Alexandri said that Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: The sick person recovers from his illness only when the heavenly court forgives him for all his sins, as it is stated: “Who forgives all your iniquity; Who heals all your diseases” (Psalms 103:3). Rav Hamnuna said: When he recovers, he returns to the days of his youth, as it is stated in a verse with regard to one recovering from illness: “His flesh is tenderer than a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth” (Job 33:25). Interpreting the verse: “The Lord will support him upon the bed of suffering; You overturned all his lying down in his illness” (Psalms 41:4), Rav Yosef said: That is to say that the sick person forgets his studies, as everything that is organized is overturned.
Date: 450-550 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Sin and disease were often associated in the ancient world, something the discussion surrounding the blind man in John 9:2–3 assumes, but Jesus rejects as automatic (Psalm 41:4; 103:3; James 5:15–16). Later in the Talmud, healing is not seen as possible without forgiveness (b. Nedarim 41a– “No one gets up from his sick-bed until all his sins are forgiven”) ... Although it is expressed as a divine passive that could attribute forgiveness to God, they see Jesus as crossing a sacred line (see Leviticus 4:26, 31; 2 Samuel 12:13 – Nathan announcing to David; or the debated Qumran’s Prayer of Nabonidus [4Q242], where a diviner either points to God forgiving and announces it or in an exceptional text makes a direct declaration) ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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