רעיון שתי הדרכים בטקסטים מקומראן

The notion that two ways are open before man has been discussed primarily in the context of early Christian writings. The present essay takes a closer look at evidence relating to this idea that is embedded in some of the Qumran texts. Two Qumran fragments are re-edited and discussed in this context, one in Hebrew and the other in Aramaic. The second fragment of 4Q473 furnishes an early Hebrew testimony of the two-ways idea. It reworks the covenant blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 28, as is obvious from the contrastive blessing and annihilation terminology, taken from Deut 28:22, 24. The Qumran passage connects these to the Deuteronomic choice between two options offered to the people of Israel (Deut 30:15, 19), the good one resulting in life, and the bad one resulting in death. However, in the Qumran text, the option involves two ways, a good one and a bad one. Therefore, while the Torah speaks of modes of existence in the frame of the covenant between Israel and God, the Qumran fragment introduces a new term, "way" (דרך), which seems to suggest a general human mode of behavior. The other passage discussed here is taken from the Aramaic Visions of Amram, a work that perhaps predates the above Hebrew text. Attributed to the father of Moses, it
Contains a scene, revealed in a dream to Amram, depicting good and evil angels ruling over two respective groups of people. The account of this scene survived in three copies of the work: 4Q543 5–9, 4Q544 1-2, and 4Q547 1–2. The passage describes the two angels that Amram saw and communicated with in his vision. The angels explain that they rule over all human beings. The dark and fearsome angel rules over the dark domain whereas the bright and laughing one rules over the light domain. Amram is presented with a choice between the two and he chooses to be under the rule of bright angel. This passage clearly outlines man’s freedom to choose between the two modes of existence.