Creation Imagery in Qumran Hymns and Prayers

Research notes: 
reader checked 7/11/2011 AL
Reference type: 
Journal Article
Author(s): 
Gordley, Matthew E.
year: 
2008
Full title: 

Creation Imagery in Qumran Hymns and Prayers

Translated title: 
Journal / Book Title || Series Title: 
Journal of Jewish Studies
Volume: 
59
Issue / Series Volume: 
2
Number of volumes: 
0
Series Title: 
Abbreviated Series Name: 
Collaborating Author: 
Place of Publication: 
Publisher: 
Pages: 
252-272
Chapter: 
Work type: 
Abstract: 

The hymns and prayers found in the Dead Sea Scrolls provide examples of the ways Second Temple Jewish poets both preserved and adapted earlier traditions. This study explores one specific motif, biblical creation imagery, to examine how it is utilised across the corpus of Qumran hymns and prayers. By observing the deployment of creation imagery in liturgical and non-liturgical texts, both those composed at Qumran and those composed prior to the founding of the community, this study demonstrates the ways that Qumran creation imagery echoes the biblical models. Further, this study shows that creation imagery is deployed in ways that go beyond the biblical models only in the Qumran hymns and prayers which serve an instructional purpose. These didactic hymns and prayers provide examples of how some Second Temple Jewish writers drew upon earlier, honoured traditions about creation and creatively adapted them to meet the needs of the day. Copyright © Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies

Notes: 
Language: 
Alternative title: 
JJS
Date: 
Hebrew bible: 
Book: 
Genesis
Chapter(s): 
1^2
Verse(s): 
Primary Texts: Judean Desert Documents: 
Scroll / Document: 
4Q504
Section type: 
Fragment
Passage: 
1-2
Scroll / Document: 
1QH a
Section type: 
Column
Passage: 
9
Edition: 
Original Publication: 
Reprint edition: 
URL: 
DOI: 
ISBN: 
Accession number: 
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Label: 
17/11/2008
Record number: 
4 512