Scripture as a Spiritual Phenomenon: The Evidence of the 11Q Psalms Scroll Colophon

According to the colophon to the 1st-century Cave 11 Psalms Scroll, the psalmist David was a composing scribe endowed by the divine spirit. In the light of a pattern of legitimation by the divine spirit for social power well attested in the HB, we can discern how the colophon attributes divine efficacy for social power— hitherto exercised only through persons—to David's psalms as they resound in Israel's calendric communal cultic observances. The 11Q Psalms Scroll colophon provides early evidence for an enduring understanding of Scripture as a socially potent spiritual phenomenon that shapes the life of a religious community.