The Composite Character of the Qumran Sectarian Literature as an Indication of its Date and Provenance

The article draws the attention to a feature shared by three of cave 1 manuscripts: 1QS, 1QHa and 1QM. They represent the fullest and most elaborate text among the respective copies of each work. For 1QS and 1QHa the fullest is also the oldest textual tradition. Partly this is true also for 1QM. All three works were copied on manuscripts of large format, and 1QHa and 1QM were carefully executed. These data suggest that cave 1 copies were particularly respected by the Qumranites and may have served as the model copies for the major sectarian works. This explains why they were carefully placed in jars and hidden in cave 1.