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Prof. Solomon Zeitlin's New Challenges:

Are Dead Sea Scrolls' Defenders Who
ignore Him Fashioning a False Image?

mill Justice Triumph
Question of World Conscience

(Continued from Page 1)
ing leadership in the Arab
world;" whether to the loser
will be given all the advantages;
whether Israel is to be turned
into the scapegoat in the tragic
world developments into which
Britain and France were drawn
by a desire to prevent another
Munich and a third world war.

and must renounce their proj-
ects for the destruction of that
country."
ti
Nevertheless, Hammarskjold
apparently continues to follow
a policy of appeasing Nasser. So
much so, that French Foreign
Minister Christian Pineau stated
upon his return to Paris from
"I presented what I believe
the UN sessions: "All depends
Dr. Zeitlin demolishes the
unimpeachable evidence that arguments of Prof. Charles T.
on whether the interested pow-
O
the scrolls were written much Fritsch. He charges that "Prof.
ers respect the decisions of the
Egyptiann deportations, stating United Nations, as the democ-
later than the period of Bar Fritsch shows that he cannot
that "despite an Egyptian de- racies do, or show contempt for
Kokba and hence they are of pass judgment on the Hebrew
nil, there is enough evidence them, as the dictatorships do."
no value for the history of style" and accuses the Christian
now that Jews are being de- And the New York Times stated
Judaism and the beginnings scholar of having "misunder-
pted from Egypt --because editorially:
of Christianity. My challenge stood even simple words."
thy are Jews — to require
"It will be necessary to keep
was ignored and all my argu-
Of
major
interest
in
this
Uited Nations intervention," in mind that it was the Arab
ments passed by in silence
article by Dr. Zeitlin is his
the New York Times stated edi- states which, in defiance of the
. . . Is the silence of the
accusation that Dr. Theodore
tor ially:
United Nations partition of
professors an admission that
"T his is an issue on which the Palestine which created Israel,
Herzl Gaster's "attempted
my arguments cannot be
ni States Government and attacked that new nation and
translations" of the Dead Sea
Uted
refuted?"
e United Nations can demon- have constantly threatened its
Scriptures "a r e inaccurate
the
Not only were Dr. Zeitlin's and often misleading." He
a that they are not adopt- annihilation. It will be neces-
strte
arguments ignored, but his "ap- states that Gaster's transla-
in g a deliberate policy of sup- sary to keep in mind that Egypt,
peal to the directors of the tion "is neither complete nor
r
poting
President Nasser of in persistent defiance of the
American Schools of Oriental
reliable."
Egypt
on all counts. If a wrong United Nations, established a
Y
Research to publish without de-
is being done, it should be blockade of Israeli shipping,
Dr. Zeitlin states that the He-
lay a photostat of the Hebrew
co
recognized
and denounced."
that it was COlonel Nasser who
B
text of the copper scrolls" also brew text of Gaster's book
But
the protests against Egyp- precipitated the Suez crisis by
"makes
no
sense
and
Gaster's
has received no attention.
tia n deportations are falling on seizing the canal in disregard
rendering is imaginary." Quot
de af ears. While Cardinal Mind- of an international treaty and
In his most recent article, Dr. ing from "Hyman of the -Initi-
n remains the martyr of the established international or-
szety
Zeitlin quotes The Detroit Jew- ants," he adds: "Anyone who is
n
Hugary,
there is silence over der, and that he called in Soviet
ish News statement: "That is acquainted with Hebrew will
implications in the resigna- Russia to help him in his law-
not scholarship but prejudice. readily recognize (1) that this is
The value of Prof. Zeitlin's the
Such an attitude cannot be con- not a faithful rendering of the challenges is enhanced by an- tion of Chief Rabbi Haim Na- less ambitions. Theirs is, there-
hu m of Egypt, who only a few fore, the original aggression of
sidered intellectual honesty."
Hebrew, and (2) that this He- other • important article in this
e
ago defended the Nasser which the British, French and
The presence in this country brew could not have been writ- Jewish Quarterly Review— weeks
of one of the leading propaga- ten during the Second Jewish Dr. Oskar Rabinowicz's essay reg i me. The explanation is a Israeli actions are a conse-
one: as long as the hand quence, and it would be folly to
tors of the idea that the Dead Commonwealth. T h e Hebrew on "The Shapira Forgery Mys- simple
of th
the
chief
American delegate reward them for it, or to give
Sea Scrolls belong to pre-Chris- text is ungrammatical and con- tery." This calls for an-
th UN hangs limply when a them a free hand to resume ag-
tian times—Yigael Yadin—ought sists of a group of words which other article. Dr. Zeitlin's essay to the
c
gression under United Nations
to bring the issue to the fore, are unconnected and make no on Toynbee and his critics also con l iliatory vote is asked in auspices.
dea ing with Israel, Britain and
in the hope thatthe matter will sense. The author did not know is illuminating.
n the Afro-Asian bloc can
Frace,
"Only when they renounce
be treated properly. Many ama- how to write Hebrew. In the
It is to be hoped that histori- dominatee the scene. With the aggression and lawlessness and
teurs have made a phobia of Second -Jewish Commonwealth
ans, theologians and philologists American vote bolstering the
the scrolls and are advocating those who knew how to write will pay attention to Dr. Zeit- enemies of Israel, the UN re- consent to serious negotiations
for a just and durable peace
them as the greatest occurence wrote, and those who did not
lin's charge that " a false image mais an utterer of protests With Israel and a settlement for
in all history. That, in itself, know how to write, did nat
has been fashioned" by the Dead when dealing with the Com- the Suez Canal that will safe-
sounds utterly ridiculous. Either write . . . Gaster's translation is
n
it proves past events, or it not only faulty, it is worse, be- Sea Scrolls. Either he or those muists and an adopter of guard it for all nations under
whom he criticizes are right. threatening resolutions in its international control will they
demolishes them. In that case, cause the layman who reads his
treatment of one of the weakest be entitled to call on the United
all of ancient Jewish history beautiful English will assume The only way to establish the
truth is by giving him the plat- UN member nations, Israel. It Nations for protection and aid."
May be relegated to a position that these ideas are found in
And, the question remains:
form he has earned by his great is lip service versus bravado-
of insignificance.
the Hebrew text, which certain- scholarship. If he is ignored, the wors
d as weapons against arro- Is Nasser being rewarded for
If the latter is fact, then ly is not the case."
so-called scholars who attack gan t Russia, economic and mili- having created the causes of
present tensions and crises?
its advocates MUST prove it.
In a concluding comment on him will be indicating that they tary threats against Israel.
* * *
It is because of the unfortu-
Else, what are they gloat- misleading translations in Gas- a r e merely subscribing to a
ISRAEL,
HOWEVER,
HOLDS
nate
pressures,
outlining
"the
ing about?
ter's work, chosen by him at sham. —P. S.
moral foundation of United hard to hope and faith: hope
States policy," that Walter Lipp. that there will be eventual rec-
mann wrote: "We should not ognition of the justice of her
allow ourselves to remain in the case; faith that the demo-
positi
cratic powers will stand by her
drifted and been pushed, where as the only sound democratic
the w hole weight of our in- force in that entire area. Israel,
(Continued from Page 1)
Palestine from "the outside" to compromise with its Arab fluece
n is against the wrong therefore, appears to be yield-
U. S. officials in Middle Eastern dispossess the local inhabitants. neighbors."
done by our allies and no ser- ing to every UN demand, in
affairs. Half of the seminar's
Four years ago the United
Wright's articles have ap- ious part of our influence is the hope that the next move by
participants come from the U. S. Press quoted an "American of-
peared
in such learned publica- against the wrong done to our the U.S and the UN will be
armed forces, the remainder ficial" later identified as Wright.
to bring her and the Arab na-
tions
as
the Eycyclopedia Brit- allies."
from the U. S. Information "He said the United States had
tions together for direct peace
Agency, the Central Intelligence to give financial aid to Israel tanica. But his degree of au-
negotiations.
Agency, International Coopera- when the United Jewish Appeal thority has been challenged. Has 0
Israel's brilliant Ambassador
tion Administration, and similar fell short in its quest for funds his advice to the State Depart- S
to this country, Abba Eban,
ment
proved
expert?
Did
he
agencies. They are guests of the but, he contended, as long as
m
speaking last week at the dinner
American University of Beirut, American aid is forthcoming, contribute toward the success or dl
of the American Committee for
failure
of
American
diplomacy
a notorious anti-Israel propa- Israel does not feel the need to
the Weizmann Institute, com-
in the Middle East?
ganda center. They are made
mented upon the reference to
thoroughly familiar with the
sp
the development of an "electric
Arab viewpoints, Wright indi-
ni
brain" at the Rehovoth Insti-
cated. The group does visit Is-
of
tute, and said: "If we could
rael for a few days so that there
ac
order 79 of these and install
may be some chance to see
bu
them in the section of the
things at first hand.
of
mighty, I might have better
Wright once addressed a
he
luck than I had at this session."
group of American editors
w
It sounded like galgenhumor,
bound for the Middle East. He
ed
but its truth was apparent.
wanted . to know why they
Isr
Equally effective was the
wished to go to Israel. His sug-
th
comment at that dinner by Sen-1
gestion was that Israel gets all
as
ator Herbert H. Lehman, who
the publicity it needs. The edi-
p1
was referring to the Canadian
tors were urged to concentrate
guest, Ambassador to the UN-
instead on the Arab states where
co
Dr. R. A. Mackay: "There is
they could see the Arab refu-
ati
not a single fortress or pillbox
gees.
ne
on the entire U.S.-Canadian
Yo
Wright has made speeches
3,000-mile border. I wish all
tli
throughout the country. He usu-
the countries in the world
ial,
ally places the burden of blame
would- take that as an example
cip
for the Middle East's troubles
of sympathy and amity. Peace
try
on Israel. He has addressed fo-
would inevitably come to the
thi
rums, universities, civic clubs,
world."
the national Army, Navy, and
Is this a vain hope? Israel
tha
Air War Colleges, . the U. S.
and her friends — the realistic
ant
Academies at West Point and
proponents of peace — hope for
Ar
Annapolis, and Colorado
its effective realization.
Springs.
tior
me
At public appearances, Wright
144-Mile Oil Pipeline
Henry Edward Schultz, national chairman of the Anti-
nec
often states that he is not speak- Defamation League of Bnai Brith, presents 1956 America's
Under Construction
ing officially for the Govern-
Demberatic Legacy medallions to Sen. Herbert H. Lehman of
U
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — The
ment. But at an occf,sion in the New York, Secretary
of Labor James P. Mitchell, and Mayor
Co
building of the State Depart-
work of laying a 144-mile long
Charles P. Taft of Cincinnati. The awards were given to out-
th
ment itself he once went as far standing members of the three major faiths for their "contribu-
pipeline to carry oil from Elath
ed
back in history as the days of tions to the enrichment of America's democratic
to Beersheba was begun this
legacy"
at
th
the Patriarch Abraham to ac- the League's 43rd annual meeting held in Washington, D.C.
week. The oil line, to be con-
of
cuse Jews of aggression. He Left to right: Secretary
structed entirely from locally-
Mitchell,
Philip
M.
Klutznick,
president
m
charged that Abraham entered
produced steel pipe, is expected
of Bnai Brith, Senator Lehman, Mr. Schultz, and Mayor Taft.
to take four months to finish

In an article in the current
issue of the Jewish Quarterly
Review, in which he continues
the discussion over the anti-
quity of the so-called Dead Sea
Scrolls, Prof. Solomon Zeitlin,
of Dropsie College, Philadelphia,
poses this question:

In another article in the cur-
rent issue of Jewish Quarterly
Review, Prof. Zeitlin reviews
"Recent Literature on the Dead
Sea Scrolls." This article, too,
must be studied and its chal-
lenges heeded—in the interest
of historical truth.

random, Dr. Zeitlin states that
"to cite all would be a melan-
choly and laborious drudgery."
Referring to Gaster's use of
parentheses, he repeats an
earlier admonition that "so far
as I know parentheses were not
used in • the pre-Christian pe-
riod." He makes numerous other
charges, philological, historical
and others, and concludes:
"Unfortunately, the entire
subject of the Dead Sea
Scrolls has been inflated be-
yond the limitations of scho-
larly sobriety. Unparalleled
sensationalism h a s plagued
the subject from its inception.
Wild assumptions have been
blared forth over the radio,
in the press and in super-
ficially imposing publications.
Serious scholarly objections
are disregarded. H i s to r y,
philology and the unadorned
text itself are ignored or dis-
torted. A false image has been
fashioned. A pseudo-historical
chapter is being foisted upon
us, which is untrue to Judaism
and Christianity alike. This
gross misconception will not
survive the test of time."-

Wright's _Partisan Views on Near East
Exposed by Columnist Milton Friedman

Name Three to Win ADL Awards

