The Rule of the Blessing
Encyclopedia
The Rule of the Blessing (1QSb) is a very fragmentary text once thought to be part of the text of the Community Rule
. It is added as one of two appendices (including the equally eschatological Rule of the Congregation
) following the book of the Community Rule
, on one of the first seven scrolls discovered at the Qumran
site. The Rule of the Blessing includes three benedictions for use during the eschaton
: one for the general assembly of the eschatological Tribe of Israel
, which describes a sort of “living water” bringing them into a new covenant
with God, one concerning the Kohen (priest) Sons of Zadok
, chosen by God who will act “like angels” and lead Israel
after the War. The third prayer is that for the messianic meal, to bless the
“Prince,” or Davidic messiah
, who has come to deliver Israel
. These blessings are meant to praise the sect who inhabited Qumran
and its leaders, for the ultimate perfection had dawned, and they had been its harbingers. Similar prayers are found elsewhere in the scrolls, and some believe that this particular manuscript many be a collection of prayers for general, daily use.
Community Rule
The Community Rule , which was previously referred to as the Manual of Discipline and in Hebrew Serekh ha-Yahad is one of the first scrolls to be discovered near khirbet Qumran, the scrolls found in the eleven caves between 1947 and 1954 are now referred to simply as the Dead Sea Scrolls...
. It is added as one of two appendices (including the equally eschatological Rule of the Congregation
The Rule of the Congregation
The Rule of the Congregation is an appendix to one of the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in caves near the Qumran site in 1946. Three related sectarian documents were discovered in Qumran Cave 1: The Community Rule , The Rule of the Congregation , and The Rule of the Blessing...
) following the book of the Community Rule
Community Rule
The Community Rule , which was previously referred to as the Manual of Discipline and in Hebrew Serekh ha-Yahad is one of the first scrolls to be discovered near khirbet Qumran, the scrolls found in the eleven caves between 1947 and 1954 are now referred to simply as the Dead Sea Scrolls...
, on one of the first seven scrolls discovered at the Qumran
Qumran
Qumran is an archaeological site in the West Bank. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalia...
site. The Rule of the Blessing includes three benedictions for use during the eschaton
Eschaton
The term Eschaton refers to the end of the present world and is addressed in the study of eschatology.Eschaton may also refer to:*Eschaton , a 2006 black metal album by Anaal Nathrakh* Eschaton, a weblog written by Dr. Duncan B...
: one for the general assembly of the eschatological Tribe of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, which describes a sort of “living water” bringing them into a new covenant
Covenant (religion)
In Abrahamic religions, a covenant is a formal alliance or agreement made by God with that religious community or with humanity in general. This sort of covenant is an important concept in Judaism and Christianity, derived in the first instance from the biblical covenant tradition.An example of a...
with God, one concerning the Kohen (priest) Sons of Zadok
The Kohanim sons of Tzadok
The Sons of Zadok are a family of priests descended from Zadok, the first high priest to in Solomon's Temple.The sons of Zadok are mentioned three times in the Hebrew Bible, as part of the Third Temple prophecies in the final chapters of the Book of Ezekiel, and are a theme in Jewish and Christian...
, chosen by God who will act “like angels” and lead Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
after the War. The third prayer is that for the messianic meal, to bless the
“Prince,” or Davidic messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
, who has come to deliver Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. These blessings are meant to praise the sect who inhabited Qumran
Qumran
Qumran is an archaeological site in the West Bank. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalia...
and its leaders, for the ultimate perfection had dawned, and they had been its harbingers. Similar prayers are found elsewhere in the scrolls, and some believe that this particular manuscript many be a collection of prayers for general, daily use.