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Debate Continues About the Dead Sea Scrolls

Ben-Zvis Back from Vacation

Dr. Stendahl's New Volume and Article by
Dr. Gordis Disputed by Dr. Solomon Zeitlin

The debate over the ques- i Johnson, Prof. Karl Georg sight into the history of Juda-
hai tioned antiquity and importance Kuhn, Dr, Bo Reicke, Prof. ism regardless of their rela-
of the Dead Sea Scrolls is far I Kurt Schubert and Fr. Ernest tion with Christianity.' This
I'D from over. In fact, it is becom- Vogt and one Jewish scholar, essay will give us .a fallacious
ing more heated as the months Dr. Nahum N. Glatzer.
insight into the history of Juda-
/-4
go by.
I Dr. Stendahl states that there ism and a delusive view of the
C4 I Thus. the man who chal- is universal agreement on the sage Hillel. It is full of half-
E-4
lenges the claimants that the point that the Dead Sea baked hypotheses and distor-
A scrolls belong to pre-Christian , Scrolls "add substantially to tions. Dr. Glatzer places great
cr4 times, Dr. Solomon Zeitlin, is our knowledge of the Jewish stress upon the term hesed
leaving for Europe the end of background of Christianity." He which occurs in the scrolls and
E4
this month to attend the 24th ' states that the scrolls add so also in the sayings of Hillel.
I I International Congress of Oni- much to the background of The term hesed, occurs in the
r. I entalists, in Munich, and to Christianity "that we arrive Bible and in the rabbinic liter-
km
cn
challenge those who lay an- at a point where the signifi- ture down to our own days, it
'-: tiquity claims to the scrolls. cance of similarities definitely is not particularly a Hillelian
CA6 Prof. Zeitlin says that he hopes rescued Christianity from false
term. In the Targum of Jeru-
▪ to explode what he calls "the I claims of originality in the salem on Gen. 40.23 above re-
•-•
travesty on scholarship" in the popular sense and leads us ferred to, the term hesed oc-
,'") sensationalism about the scrolls. back to a new grasp of its true curs three times in one line.
Towards the end of this foundation in the person and "In using the Talmud for his-
pcs month, in the Jewish Quarterly the events of its Messiah."
torical • purposes one must take
Review, published by Dropsie
Dr. Cullman, writing on the cognizance of the fact that many
1.14 College, Philadelphia, will ap- beginning of Christianity, calls passages are legendary and
pear another article by Dr. attention to the "intense faith • must deal with them according-
Zeitlin under the title "The in the real saving efficacy of ly. Dr. Glatzer failed to do so.
Dead Sea Scrolls: Fantasies and that which Jesus accomplished He is of the opinion that Jona-
Mistranslations." Dr. Zeitlin ; for the world," in his emphasis than the son of Uzziel was a
does not pull any punches in I on the originality of the early distinguished disciple of Hillel
his refutations of the claims I church.
and the same Jonathan was the
made by some archaeologists. I The Catholic and Protestant author of the so-called Targum President Itzchak Ben-Zii, of Israel, and Mrs. Ben-Zvi are
He charges that as a result writers in this book—and the of Jonathan. Judging by some
shown after a Mediterranean cruise aboard the new Israeli
of the Dead Sea Scrolls fan- single Jewish writer—join in of his statements we surmise
luxury liner, SS Theodor Herzl of the Zim Lines, disembarking
tasies some authors overnight placing emphasis on the role that he did not fully compre-
at Haifa, after a vacation voyage that took them to Italy and
became authorities on the de- of the Essenes in the writing bend the passages of the Tal-
France. Directly behind the President is Joseph Sprinzak,
velopment of Judaism and the of the scrolls and on their in- mud with which he dealt. A
Speaker of the Knesset, who took over Psesidential duties
during Ben-Zvi's absence.
history of the Second Jewish fluence, • as they accept it, on case in point is his statement,
Commonwealth.
early Christianity.
"This Talmud report shows that
Dr. Zeitlin criticizes one of a * a Hillel's method of midrash was
the latest books, Rev. Duncan ' Dr. Zeitlin has much to say an innovation." The reason the
Howlett's "The Essenes and about this book. Pointing out Elders of Bathyra did not ac-
Christianity," who stated that , that to Dr. Stendahl and to , cept Hillel's midrash is not that
the Essenes had written the ' the other contributors to his I it was an innovation. His meth-
By MILTON FRIEDMAN
scrolls and that they had a book "the belief in the an- od was used by the sages who
stimulating settlement in the
(Copyright, 1957, JTA Inc.)
great influence on early Chris- ' tiquity of the scrolls became preceded him.
Negev.
I
tianity's origin. "If the Essenes an act of faith," Prof. Zeitlin,
NPA's study explores possi-
"One cannot help noting while
WASHINGTON — Expansion
really had such a strong in- commenting on Dr. Stendahl's reading these essays that Chris- of Israeli economic development bilities of developing agricul-
fluence on early Christianity," claim of "universal agreement" ' tianity goes through a crisis. through low cost power from ture in the Northern_Negev and
Dr. Zeitlin retorts, "it is strange on the scrolls' substantiation of . On the one hand the purpose nuclear reactors has been in- industry in the North, Central,
the gospels never refer to background facts about early of this book was to counteract vestigated by the National Plan- and South Negev. It outlines
them."
Christianity, de res: the hysteria - engendered by the ning Association of Washington. schemes for development by
Dr. Zeitlin also disputes the
"Pace Professor! There is no theories of Dupont - Sommer,
Cheap atomic power might 1975-1980 which would add at
statements made by Dr. Robert , universal agreement. Those, Wilson and Allegro, that Jesus help solve problems intensified least two or three percent per
Gordis in his recent article in who are versed in the history was a reincarnation of the by the renewed surge of immi- year directly to Israel's gross
the Jewish Frontier on the of the Second Jewish Common- teacher of righteousness, that gration. According to a com- national product, increase total
significance of the scrolls. Dr. wealth cannot accept the writ- Christianity preceded Jesus. On prehensive NPA study, it could power consumption during that
Gordis' reliance upon the Car- ings of semi-literates as a the other hand the Christian make possible large-scale irri- period by nearly one-fourth,
bon 14 test does not coincide contribution to our knowledge theologians sought to prove that gation, development of mineral and :-epresent foreign exchange
with the view of many scien- of the Jewish background of the gospels are substantiated by resources, and introduction of savings of $20 to $30,000,000
a year.
tists of note who maintain that Christianity."
the writings of the Dead Sea new industry in the Negev.
Bef ore 1965, nuclear power is
the test is not reliable, Dr.
Dr. Zeitlin also declares:
Scrolls. The methods and the
J.
Watkins,
research
Ralph
Zeitlin declares. Dr. Zeitlin
"In a Symposium on the arguments employed by the director of Dun and' Bradstreet, unlikely to be of direct sig-
states, in his reply to Dr. Dead Sea Scrolls I strongly theologians are more in accord Inc., is chairman of the NPA's nificance for Israel, the study
Gordis:
advanced arguments against with medieval theology than special policy committee on observes. Projected power ex-
"As to using Hebrew paleo- their antiquity and I stated also with sound translations. (Comp. productive uses of nuclear en- pansion until then is already
graphy of the pre-Christian that the term teacher of the balanced Editorial in the ergy. The research staff of his planned for the most part.
To switch from conventional
period as • a criterion, I en- righteousness was coined by Church Quarterly Review, group has just rompleted a sur-
deavored to show that this the Karaites, and I asked the London, Jan.-March 1957.' vey of nuclear development po- power to nuclear power imme-
diately might present too many
must be ruled out since we scholars to refute me if I was
Dr. Zeitlin pours the utmost tentialities in Israel.
risks. There is danger of nuclear
have no other Mss. of that in error in my contentions. scorn on every one of these
As Israel makes rapid strides, reactors becoming obsolete and
period for the purpose of corn- Prof. Stendahl was in the audi- assertions and shows how little
parison. Dr. Gordis, though a ence. Since he is convinced on there is in the originals to sup- its power needs double every the unreliability of operating a
scholar of the Old Testament, the matter of the. teacher of port them . • • Until we have four years. Israel requires nu- large plant in a small power
ignored my contention that the righteousness and the Essenic that decision — an agreement clear power to increase self- system.
Israel has no major power-
matres lectionis were intro- authorship of the scrolls, he among the experts as to their sufficiency. Such power would
duced in the Holy Scriptures must have convincing argu- time — it is really a waste of make productive the cultivable consuming industries except the
after the destruction of the ments against my contentions. time to try to estimate the value land and mineral resources of pumping of water for irriga-
Second Temple, and that the Why did he not present them? of the finds for the history of the Negev to meet requirements tion. In 1954 about 22 percent
of the expanding population.
of the total electric output went
five final letters, as well as The answer is very simple— doctrine.')
for
this purpose. Irrigation will
Israeli
scientists
are
thinking
the locative heh, were intro- he has no evidence, it is a fig-
"The Jews at large did not
duced in the Holy Scriptures ment of his imagination."
get excited about the Dead Sea in atomic terms. They welcome continue a heavy power user.
The NPA estimates that ten
a * *
even later. All these occur in
Scrolls. Scrolls written by semi- this display of interest by a
Referring to Dr. Cullman's literate Jews cannot affect Juda- leading American planning years from now irrigation will
the Isaiah scroll. Also, I would
consume "nearly 35 percent of
like to have Dr. Gordis explain essay, Prof. Zeitlin challenges ism one way or another. As a agency.
the projected output of elec-
The NPA visualizes three
how it happens that the scribe him to show where in the matter of fact, the learned or-
tricity for the entire economy."
of the Isaiah Scroll drew a line scrolls he found that the Es- thodox rabbis and the serious reactors in Israel: a large one
NPA warns that perhaps by
on the Mediterranean coast, a
through the word and wrote senes had a settlement in rabbinic scholars have not con-
smaller one in the Central 1965 — certainly by 1967 — "all
the correct word above. This Damascus.
cerned themselves about the
Dr. Zeitlin criticizes the view Scrolls. Those who are well Negev, and a small reactor in available fresh water resources
method of correcting errors
the Southern Negev in the in Israel are expected to be in
came into vogue in the Hebrew of other writers in the new versed in the rabbinic literature,
general area of the Timna use." Israel would thus find it-
writings during the Middle book. Regarding Prof. Davies, and familiar with the history
self up against a problem of
copper mines.
Ages. There are other argu- whom he credits with being a and the development of Juda-
ments which I have brought scholar of note in his field ism paid little attention to the
The Timna reactor could even insufficient fresh water. The
against the antiquity of the (Pauline studies), he maintains scrolls. Judaism is based pri- furnish power for air-condition- foreseeable shortage might limit
scrolls all of which Dr. Gordis that the Christian scholar had marily on knowledge.
ing Elath's mushrooming homes. future agricultural expansion.
has ignored, but I repeat, as an "mistranslated and misrendered
• About a half-million acres of
"It is indeed Socratic irony Atomic development in the
Old Testament scholar he Hebrew texts." Then coming to that scrolls written in the Mid- Negev would create many new potentially productive farmland
should at least have dealt with the essay by Dr. Glatzer, "Hil- dle Ages by semi-literate Jews, jobs arising from industrial and — mainly in the Negev -- could
these arguments insofar as the lel the Elder in the Light of and perhaps cranks have delud- agricultural activities. It would remain unused.
The study points out the
the Dead Sea Scrolls" in the ed some Christian theologians ease population pressures by
Isaiah Scroll is concerned."
a * *
strategic and political reasons
book edited by Dr. Stendahl, int ()maintaining that they will
the Negev irrigation expan-.
Meanwhile another volume Dr. Zeitlin charges:
shed light on the origin of the answer is yet to be given
has been added to the many
"One may well wonder what into maintaining that they will to Prof. Zeitlin's challenges sion is important. It would
that already have been pub- was the editor's reason for in-
relieve population pressures.
in Israel's limited northern
lished on the scrolls. It is cluding an article on Hillel the substantiate the truthfulness of relative to the claimed anti-
the
New
Testament."
quity
of
the
scrolls.
Let
this
"The Scrolls and the New Elder in a book entitled The
region. The NPA indicates
There
is
this
concluding
chal-
discussion continue on a schol- agreement with Israeli Pre-_
Testament: History and Life of Scrolls and the New Testa-
mier Ben-Gurion's emphasis
the Early Church," edited by ment.' The editor assigns the lenge in Dr. Zeitlin's essay with arly basis, rather than permit
it to be dragged through vaude-
on Negev development.
Prof. Krister Stendahl, pub- following reason for including reference to another scroll:
"What is the reason for de- ville sensationalism, and we will
lished by Harper.
By 1975-1980, nuclear power
this essay: The last of the laying the publication of the then be able to Lope that we
may be available at low enough
There are 14 essays in this essays, dealing with Rabbi
Hebrew
text
of
the
Copper
shall
some
day
have
the
truth
cost to open new sources of
volume — the introduction by Hillel and the Scrolls (Hillel
the editor, 12 by noted Chris- was not a Rabbi; the title Rabbi Scrolls? Why are we not told whether the scrolls belong to irrigation water supply. Assum-
who
was
responsible
for
the
antiquity, as is claimed by most ing progress in the development
tian scholars (Raymond E. is an anachronism, it was intro-
Brown, Prof. W. H. Brownlee, duced after the destruction of joining of two scrolls into one advocates of the scrolls' value, of the technology of desalting
Prof. Oscar Cullman, Prof. W. the Second Temple) widens the under the name Manual of Dis- or whether they must be con- sea water, nuclear power might
cipline? Where were they sidered as of the Middle Ages, enable Israel to reclaim much of
D. Davies, Fr. Joseph H. Fitz- perspective by indicating how joined?"
as claimed by Dr. Zeitlin and its half-million potentially fer-
myer, the Rev. Sherman E. the Scrolls may add to our in-
Thus, the debate goes on—and the scholars who support him. tile acres.

n

Washington Probes Development
of Israel with Nuclear Reactors