4Q521, the Second Benediction of the Tefilla, the Hasidim, and the Development of Royal Messianism

Comparison of 4Q521 2 ii 1-15 with the second benediction of the Tefilla shows that 4Q521 has roots in the liturgy of the Palestinian synagogue in the late 2nd century BC, and not at Qumran. The Tefilla (at least in part) and the Psalms of Solomon come from the hasîdîm, and it is likely that 4Q521 was also written among the hasîdîm. Particularly characteristic of the hasîdîm as revealed in these texts were belief in the resurrection of the dead and a fervent hope for a Davidic messiah. It is likely that משיחו in 4Q521 2 ii 1 is a reference to an exalted Davidic messiah. 4Q521 is important evidence for the development of royal messianism in Palestinian Judaism, and it may help explain the development of the idea of a miracle-working messiah as we find it in the Jesus tradition.