Saturday, January 28, 2017

"the virgin's name was Mary" - Qumran and Jesus in the Dead Sea Documents


Tokyo


Qumran and Jesus in the Dead Sea Documents

There are some arguments about the relationship between Christ Jesus and the sect living and practicing their religious belief in Qumran.  But in most cases, the conclusion is that Christ Jesus was not from Qumran.  However, the basis of their argument is not so persuading.  One example is as follows:
Jesus’ movement shows some similarities to the Qumran sect/Essenes, such as the holding of communal meals and the pooling of possessions. Furthermore, both were apocalyptic Jewish movements that anticipated the imminent arrival of the end of days and a messianic era. However, differences between these two groups indicate that Jesus could not have been an Essene. For example, members of the Qumran sect/Essenes anticipated the arrival of not one but two Messiahs: a royal Messiah of Israel descended from David and a priestly Messiah descended from Aaron. Perhaps the most striking differences concern the observance of biblical purity laws and the admission of new members. Whereas the Qumran sect/Essenes strictly observed priestly purity laws, Jesus reportedly came into contact with the most impure members of Jewish society, including hemorrhaging women, lepers, and even corpses; and whereas the Qumran sect/Essenes were exclusive, with only unblemished adult males eligible to apply for full membership (the same qualifications necessary to serve as a priest in the temple), Jesus’s movement was inclusive and welcomed everyone. 
https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/places/main-articles/dead-sea-qumran.aspx

Even if Christ Jesus had been a pure believer of the Qumran sect, He should not have started His holy mission while being guided by a holy spirit.  Qumran must have been a place for young Jesus to learn and study traditions of Judaism.  It does not necessarily mean that Jesus turned to be a 100% follower of the sect.

Jesus must have grown up to find a need to see John the Baptists who was working among people and on the River Jordan.  It meas that Jesus advanced in His fath toward a more universal standpoint.  Jesus must have been wise enough to establish His own theory on religion before He came to the River Jordan where He received a holy spirit sent by God.

It is no wonder that no direct linkage between Christ Jesus and the Qumran sect was found in the Dead Sea documents found in Qumran caves.  Christ Jesus started His mission as the Son of God but not as a teacher of Qumran.

So, anyway where did young Jesus learn and study traditions of Judaism?  In the local village Nazareth or the temple of Jerusalem?  God indicated that the place was Qumran by revealing existence of the Dead Sea scrolls and allowing discovery of them 2000 years after Qumran was destroyed by Roam troops.  This miracle of the Qumran discovery means that we have to at lease focus on Qumran as 2000 years have passed since Christianity emerged.   There must be a holy meaning in Qumran.  



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Luk 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Luk 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
Luk 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.