אופייה המקורי ועריכתה המשנית של תורת המלך במגילת המקדש

Investigation of the textual development of the Dead Sea Scrolls has in many cases helped identify the stages in the development of the Qumran sect, its nature, its life-style and outlook. The identity of the Temple Scroll (=TS), the largest and most complex of the Qumran scrolls, has been the focus of inquiry since its discovery. Yadin was of the opinion that it was the main law book of the sect, but many others hold that it reflects, for the most part, pre-sectarian sources. Perhaps it reached Qumran as a complete scroll that was copied there by the scribes who accepted it as part of their library. The Law of the King is a separate and exceptional unit within TS. It is exceptional in its language, style, contents, and in the particular location of this 'additional law' within the corpus of TS. But above all, it is noteworthy that the king and kingship enjoy a place of honor and sympathy, in contrast to the norm in the writings of the sect. This article deals with the uniqueness of the Law of the King in relation to the other parts of TS, points out the gap between the canonical section and the 'additional law' (from which the independence of the latter can be deduced) and concentrates on the textual analysis of the 'additional law' (TS, cols. 57-59). The textual analysis of the Law of the King uncovers duplications and misplaced additions, and it is clear that there are at least two main compositional levels within this law. The original, early law related to the king with great sympathy and placed him at the head of the government hierarchy in Israel, particularly in military and legal matters. The second level is a later editing that generally sought to rein in the king and to subject him to frameworks that derive from the Torah and the priesthood. In several places it is possible to discern that the later editorial level is itself multi-layered, and apparently dev eloped alongside the changes in the nature of government which occurred during the early days of the Hasmonean dynasty. The uncovering of the various additions and the means of their insertion in the earlier text allows for the reconstruction of the original version of the Law of the King and its characteristics. At the same time, one sees from the careful secondary redaction of the Law of the King that we are not dealing with strict anti-monarchists, but with inner circles of the Hasmoneans who began to have reservations about the monarchical nature of the dynasty, which did not live u p to the hopes and declarations that had accompanied its founding.