Community Rule

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The Community Rule is the name given to one of the documents found in the caves at Qumran, and as such is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The most complete manuscript was found in Cave 1, and is given the document reference name 1QS (which stands for : "Cave 1 / Qumran / "Serekh" = 'rule'). Numerous other fragments of this document, containing variant readings, were found in caves 4 and 5 (4QSa-j, 5Q11, 5Q13). Two other documents, known as the The Rule of the Congregation and the Rule of the Blessing, are found on the same scroll as 1Qs, and were originally thought to be part of the Community Rule, but are now considered separate texts that act as appendices.

There is some debate whether the community for which it legislates and describes is utopian or real and, if real, whether it refers to a community that may have been resident at the adjacent settlement of Qumran. The current majority opinion is that the document describes, together with the rest of the scrolls, the theology of a Jewish Essene sect resident at Qumran.

[edit] Key theological themes:

Yahad, or 'Union' The belief in a direct link between the community and the angels in heaven.
Determinism and Dualism Treatise on the two spirits. The righteous chosen ones of the group pitted against those not reckoned in God's covenant.
Covenant On freely entering the community one swears the covenant before God, crosses over into the covenant, and joins the Yahad.
Priestly primacy Priests preside and judge. Essential for quorum gatherings of the community.
Community as Temple Righteousness and prayer replace the sacrificial cult of mainstream Judaism. Sacral status of meals.
Zadokite affinities Aedificatory language. Military language. (compare 1QM & Leontopolis project).
Knowledge The mystical Union results in sevenfold blessings of hidden heavenly knowledge for the members of the community.
The Law of Moses To be absolutely followed, and studied, according to its correct interpretation as revealed to the community. The rule is full of often obscure scriptural allusions.
Eschatalogical expectations Messianic expectations. Destruction of the wicked. cf 1En91.