David Volgger, «The Day of Atonement according to the Temple Scroll», Vol. 87 (2006) 251-260
The Temple Scroll (11Q19) dedicates about two and a half columns to the Day of
Atonement (25,10-27,10). The present study concentrates on the content of the
transmitted text (25,10-16; 26-3-13, and 27,01-02.1-10), analyses its structure,
and explains its development of thought. The focus of the text seems to be on the
concept of the sin-offering. First, the sin-offering of a he-goat makes part of the
common festival sacrifice. Second, the two rams belong as burnt-offering to the
special sin-offering of the Feast. And third, a he-goat for YHWH is offered as a
special sin-offering on the altar of burnt-offering, whereas, a second he-goat for
Azazel bears all the sins of Israel and is sent out into the desert. Since the he-goat
for Azazel does not get in touch with the altar of burnt-offering, it cannot be
classified as a burnt-offering. Moreover, it shares only one major feature with the
other sin-offerings, namely, to remove sins.
254 David Volgger
for the one who contravenes this rule: he should be exterminated from his
people: “Anyone who does not humble himself on this very day shall be cut
off from its people†hym[m htrknw hzh µwyh µx[b hn[tt awl rça çpnh lwk. Both
sentences are connected by the conjunction yk “forâ€; so the prescription to
humble oneself on the tenth day of the seventh month is clearly underlined as
a fundamental norm for the entire people of Israel.
The final section returns to the topic of humbling oneself in 27,6-7 and
repeats the sentence from 25,11-12 in a new context.
25,11-12 27,6-7
çpnh lwk yk çyah lwk
hkalm wb hç[y rça
hzh µwyh µx[b hn[tt awl rça wb ˆn[ty awl rça wa
hym[m htrknw hmm[ ˆwtm wtrknw
Although the conjunction yk from 25,11 is missing in 27,6, it is actually
used in the same section in order to motivate the prohibition of working on
this day: hmhl hyhy ˆwtbç tbç yk hkalm lwk wb wç[y awl “they shall not do any
work on this day, for it is Shabbat Shabbaton for themâ€. Both nouns çpn in
25,11 and çya in 27,6 correspond to each other so that the same legal entity is
intended in both sentences. The legally relevant profile of the perpetrators is
finally defined in the rça–clause (27,7-8) which first refers to the prohibition
of work. Then, it takes up the theme of self-humiliation from 25,11-12. Thus,
the clause wb wn[ty awl rça “who do not humiliate themselves on this [day]†in
27,7 represents an insertion. It links together the first and final section of the
text about the Day of Atonement.
The comparison of these two sections further makes clear that 25,11-12
is formulated in the second person singular (hn[tt, htrkn), while 27,6-8 is in
the third person singular (hç[y) or in the third person plural (wn[ty, wtrkn). This
difference also applies to the possessive suffixes connected with the noun µ[
in 25,12 hym[ and hmm[ in 27,8. The suffix of the phrase hym[ refers to the
subject of the verb htrkn (third person, sg., f.). It is the noun çpn in 25,11.
Whereas the suffix of the phrase hmm[ refers to the subject of the verb wtrkn
(third person, pl., m.). It is the phrase çyah lwk (27,6). Here it is constructed
in the first rça-sentence with a verb in the singular, hç[y. In the second,
however, it is constructed with a verb in the plural, wn[ty. Therefore the noun
hmm[ must contain a plural suffix = hm.
If one solely examines the final section 27,5-10, the numerous repetitions
draw one’s attention. The phrase ˆwrkzl “to the remembrance†is repeated in
27,5 and 9, hkalm lwk wb wç[y awl “they do not do any work on this [day]†in
27,6 and 27,9-10, and ˆwtbç tbç “Shabbat Shabbaton†in 27,6 and 8. In
addition, the root-characters of the adjective çdwq “holy†in 27,8 reappear in
the verb hmtçdq “you sanctify†in 27,9.
Finally, the inconsistent usage of the second and third person plural in
27,5 and 10 is worth noting. From 27,2 to 27,8 all “sons of Israel†larçy ynb
(27,2.4) are addressed in third person plural. But in 27,8 the second person
plural is used: “A holy convocation is this day for you†hmkl. Further, the
following verse uses the second person plural and agrees in this respect with
the first I, II and III sections until line 25,16.