Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Caster Describes Affinities Between Dead
Sea Scrolls and Epistles of New Testament

Seizure of Israeli. Ship by Egypt Called
`Piracy% Panagia Captain Reports Bias

UNITED NATIONS, N.Y.,
(JTA) — Israel has submitted
to the United Nations Security
Council a note on the persecu-
tion and harassment suffered
by the ca,ptain and crew of the
Israel - chartered Greek ship
Panagia during the time when
it was detained by Egyptian
officials and refused passage
through the Suez Canal.
Submission of this note fol-
lowed a protest which Israel
filed with. the Security Council
earlier against Egypt's illegal
confiscation of the Israeli
freighter Bat Galim, which
Egyptian authorities seized en
route from Eritrea to Haifa.
Citing a report in the Egyp-
tian press that the Bat Galim
was incorporated into the
Egyptian Navy "because no
purchasers could be found for
the vessel when it was put up
for sale at public auction,"
Israel's protest called the
• Cairo government's action in
this respect "piracy."
. Mordecai R. Kidron, deputy
chairman of Israel's delegation,
pointed out in his letter of pro-
test to the president of the Se-
curity,_ Council that a majority
of the C o u n c i l considered
Egypt's detention of the ship as
a violation of the Constanti-
nople Convention of 1888 and of
the Council's own resolution of
1951 — both of which guarantee
freedom of passage through the
Suez Canal for ships of all flags.
The Israel representative re-
minded the Council that it dis-
cussed the Bat Galim issue at
seven sessions late in 1954 and
early in 1955. "Twenty months

For many months, a debate has been raging about the Dead
Sea Scrolls. Few, however, have had access to the actual texts
of these documents. "A complete and reliable" translation of
them now is offered, for the first time, in "The Dead Sea Scrip-
tures in English Translation" by Dr. mm ,
Theodor H. Gaster, published by Dou-
bleday.
In addition to his translation, Dr.
Gaster also has written an introduc-
tion and the notes to these Scriptures.
•
In his preface, in which Dr. Gaster
says that "this book is addressed to
laymen," that it concerns itself "only
with what the Scrolls themselves have
to say" and that "it is not intended as
an independent scholarly contribution
to the problem of the Scrolls; nor as
a survey of the current controversy
about them," he nevertheless "holds
the view that:
"(a) The texts here presented were
composed at various dates between
about 170 B. C. and 68 A. D.
Dr. Gaster
"(b) They were conserved in the library of at Essene
monastery or meeting-house at Qumran, but represent the reli-
gious repertoire of the Essene - Brotherhood as a whole. Some
elements of this literature may even have been inherited by the
Essenes from earlier sources.
"(c) The Dead Sea Scrolls and the religious movement -which -
they depict help us to reconstruct the spiritual climate of early
Christianity and throw light especially on the mission of John
the Baptist and on the constitution of the primitive Church. But
the Scrolls contain no anticipation of, or parallel to, distinctive
Christian doctrines, e.g. Incarnation, Vicarious Atonement or
Communion.
"(d) The religious brotherhood represented by the Scrolls
did not believe, as has been supposed, in a martyrized Messianic
`Teacher of Righteousness' who reappeared posthumously to his
disciples and whose Second Coming was awaited."
Thus, while Prof. Gaster adds to the above an (e)—that
"it is unsafe at present to draw historical conclusions from
the texts or to speculate about historical allusions in them,"
he nevertheless,' at the very outset, on the very firSt page of
his book—preceding the translations--sets down as fact that
Recovers from
the Scrolls have certain pre-Christian historicity.
Syrian Capture
In his dissents, in the debates over the antiquity of the
Scrolls, Dr. Solomon Zeitlin has mentioned the views of Dr.
Gaster and has rejected them. Proof still is lacking that
Dr. Gaster and his associates are right in claiming the dates
of 170 B. C. E. to 68 C. E. as the authentic ones for the
Scrolls. Prof. Zeitlin's contentions are yet to be demolished:
Dr. Gaster, of course, renders a service by providing so fine
a translation of the Scrolls, "made in all cases from the facsimile
plates, not from the editors' transcriptions." This in itself would
'have been sufficient to attach great value to his new book. But
by claiming antiquity for the Scrolls, he reopens the issue and
he compels ius to turn to Dr. Zeitlin's criticisms of him and
his views.
-
The texts, as translated by Dr. Gaster, are, of course, of
great importance, regardless of their dating. So much interest
is being attached to them that possession of their 'contents
represents an important phase in present discussions.
"The War of the Sons of Light and Sons of Darkness." "A
Manual of Discipline," "The Zadokite Document," commentaries
on Micah, Habakkuk and Nahum and other hymns and
psalms are presented in Dr. Gaster's masterful style, with
introductions.
—International Photo
The over-all lengthy introduction is, of course, of special
Joshua, G. Horowitz, • 50,
interest. Dr. Gaster states: - "We do not yet know for certain
born in Brooklyn, N.Y., is
who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls, when and where. Attempts
shown in Tel Aviv, Israel,
have been made to date them by palaegraphy—by the form of
after his release by Syrian
script which they employ—and by detecting in them allusions
troops. Horowitz told of being
to known persons or events." He links them to the time of
captured when he and a com-
John the Baptist and he adds: -
panion wandered into a Gali-
"We are introduce _ d by, the - Dead_ Sea Scrolls to -a group of
lee demilitarized zone. He
people who believed that they constituted the true and ideal
points to a black eye, caused
Congregation of Israel,- the small remnant that- had stayed
by the throwing of a stone by
faithful to the traditional covenant and that was thereb ensur-
a Syrian. Horowitz said it
ing the continuance of God's people and the eventual clbansing
would . "not deter me from
of His land from the - stain of guilt. The Covenant, it .was - held,
seeking my future in Israel."
had been maintained and preserved throughout history only
by' a succession of such pious -`remnants'."
Israel Seeks to Amend
Posing the question-;-"Do the Dead Sea Scrolls restore to'
U6 a long-lost foreru_nner of Christianity?' Dr. Gaster replies: Atomic Agency Charter
UNITED NATIONS, N. Y.,
"The answer is, Yes and No Yes, in - the sense that they
(JTA) — Israel was, one _of a.
furnish a picture of the religious and cultural climate in
which John the Baptist conducted 'his mission and in which. number of governments whose
Jesus was initially reared . No, in the sense that what we delegations were preparing to
amend the proposed charter of
have in these documents is, as it were, but the rude clay as
the new International Atomic
- yet unmolded ' by Christian hands . . "
.
He presents examples to show "affinities between the thought Energy Agency in such a way as
and language of the Dead Sea Scrolls and that of the New Testa- to give a greater part to small
ment," and states: "Especially illuminating . . . is a comparison nations.
The 81-nation conference
of the Dead Sea Scrolls with the General Epistle of. James, the
opened last week, began steps to
earliest of all the epistles contained in the New, Testament."
"On the strength of these comparisons," Dr. Gaster writes, ma4e the proposed charter more
"we may perhaps not unreasonably conclude that the' Dead Sea democratic than envisioned in
Scrolls indeed open a window upon the little community of the draft of the charter brought
Jewish Christians clustered around James in Jerusalem. These to the sessions by a group -of 12
men may have been °vaginally - the urban brethren of the hardier nations, including the Big. Four
Souls that betook themselves to Qumran and to 'other camp, - - powers.
The Israel delegation incliades
settlements in the Desert of Judah."
Prof. Israel Dostrovsky, direc-
Dr. Gaster states that "on the other hand. it must b'e
tor of research of the Israel
" stated emphatically—particularly in view of recent exagger- Atomic Energy Commission, and
,ated claims—that the Dead Sea Covenanters were in no sense Dr. Giulio Racah, 'professor of
Christians and held none of the fundamental doctrines of the
theoretical physics at the He-
Christian faith."
brew University in Jerusalem.
_ Thus, Prof. Gaster's book reopens the discussion of the They are joined by Victor Sal-
Status of the Dead Sea Scrolls, their historical importance, their kind and Dr. Ephraim Lahavi
i 'antiquity," "etc. It is through such discussion that we are des- both of whom are scientific
d..in the course of time to arrive at truth regarding the counsellors to the Israel Embas-
aomiar44ota,s_41
,siariteStAg: .4. -orars„-

-

have passed since then," Israel
complained, "and instead of re-
leasing the Bat Galim and its
cargo to its rightful owners, the
government of Egypt has now
put a seal on its lawless conduct
by confiscating the vessel and
incorporating it into the Egyp-
tian Navy."
.."If further proof were need-
ed of the worthlessness of
Egypt's protestations of fideli-
ty to the international com-
pacts guaranteeing unre-
stricted freedom of passage
through the Suez Canal," the
Israel protest mai-tained, "the
case of the Bat Galim pro-
vides it."
The Israel note to the Securi
ty Council on the mistreatment
of the Panagia crew by Egypt
was accompanied by a full re-

port from the ship's master,
Costa Koutales. Egyptian offi-
cials told him plainly, Capt.
Koutales said ,that . "it seems
that the Jews have finally un-
derstood that their endeavors
through the United Nations
were of no avail."
Capt. Koutales told of the
Egyptian`persecutions from May
25 the date he reached Port
Said, en route from Haifa to
Elath, to Sept. 8 when he was
recalled to Haifa.
The Israel note to the Securi-
ty Council appeared to be one
more effort by Israel to point
up Egypt's violation of the
Council resolution and the Con-
stantinople Convention of 1888
guaranteeing free passage to
ships of all nations through the
Suez Canal:

Seven Detroiters Join UJA's
80-Man Overseas Study Tour

Prominent Detroit leaders will join the United Jewish
Appeal's -Overseas Study Mission, it was announced this week
by William Rosenwakl, UJA's general chairman.
Made up of 80 prominent communal and philanthropic
leaders, the Study Mission will include the following Detroiters:
Judge Theodore Levin, Leonard N. Simons, Max Fisher, Joseph
Holtzman Jack 0. Lefton, Harvey Goldman and Isidore Sobeloff.
Mr. Rosenwald stated that this mission's findings will be
presented in the form of recommendations for future action
before the UJA's national conference at the end of November.
The 80 leaders will leave New York, on El Al planes, for
Paris, Oct. 12. They will attend the 11th annual Country
Directors' Conference of the Joint Distribution Committee, and
then will proceed for a series of meetings with Israeli leaders
and for a tour of Israel.

411M041=11.0.111 ■ 0.11 ■ 001111114

I

f

Boris Smolar's

'Between You
... and Me'

(Copyright 1956,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency,

Inc.)

Zionist- Affairs:

A powerful campaign against Secretary of State John Foster

Dulles, for his Middle East policy, is being launched by the
Zionist Organization of America . . ZOA leadership is -anxious
to prove that it does not hesitate to criticize the Administration
whle, at the same time, maintaining a non - partisan attitude with

-

respect to both the Democratic and Republican parties . . . It is
therefore determined to show up what it terms "the melancholy
record" of the State Department policy in the Middle East .
The four-year record of Mr. Dulles with regard to the Middle
East is considered by the ZOA 'a "calendar of calamity" . . . And
to prove this, ZOA will give - wide dissemination to a review
containing the high points of. the State Department's stand_ on
Middle East issues during the four years since Mr. Dulles became
Secretary of State . . . From this a picture emerges showing that,
since 1953, Mr. Dulles has tried to demonstrate friendShip for
the Arabs by "toughness" towards Israel . . . While offering
AmeriCan arms to Arab countries in 1954, he ignored Israel's
request for military aid . , - .AlthoUgh repeatedly stating that -
Israel's application for arms aid "is under active consideration,"
he never took any action on it . . . In the meantime, Israel was
publicly attacked, in May 1954, by Assistant Secretary_ of, State
Henry A. Byroade who also made statements calculated 'to in-
timidate American Jews. and diminish their support for Israel .
The ZOA stresses that Secretary Dulles failed to reprimand Mr.
Byroade, who later played an important' role in building up
Egyptian dictator Col. NaFser, who has now seized the Suez
Canal . . . In the opinion of. the ZOA, the State Department,
under Secretary Dulles, has employed a "strategy of defeat" in
the Middle East and has weakened American interests .and in-
fluence there . . . Instead of recognizing Israel as a friend, the
State Department has for the last four years comforted Israel's
enemies . . . The ZOA request, for a new State Department policy
on.Israel will, no doubt, find a strong echo at next week's ZOA
convention in Washington.
* .
*

Washington. Moods:

It cannot be said that Israel diplomats in Washington are
happy about the ZOA blast against Dulles . . . Nor is the
American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs which is active
in Washington among members of Congress . . . There is a
"wait and see" sentiment both in Israeli circles and in the ranks
of the American Zionist Committee foi Public Affairs, due to
the fact that Mr. Dulles himself has realized that he was con-
ducting a mistaken policy by appeasing the Arabs, especially
Egypt . This could be seen from indications given by Mr.
Dulles in private conversations . . . Thus, in some Israeli and
'Zionist circles in Washington there is a feeling that it would
serve no useful purpose to embarrass Secretary Dulles at present
. . . This explains why Israel > is not pressing its request for
American arms, which still remains a major Israeli request . . .
This may also be the reason why there is a geheral lull in
Washington with regard to other problems dealing with Israel,
including Israel's application for a large loan to the Export..
Import Bank . . . On the whole; it can be said that the atmos-
phere at the State Department is now more friendly toward
Israel than it was pri6r to Nasser's acceptance of arms from
Soviets and his seizure of the Suez Canal . It is expected
that no obstacles will be IAA' in the' way of a loan for Israel
from the Export-Import, Bank by the State Department and
144:-the - Idan: _will
be forfhComing very soon.
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