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.
256 David Volgger
4. The burnt-offering for the sin-offering of atonement
After the section on the burnt-offering in 25,12-15, the text concentrates
on another burnt-offering in addition to “the sin-offering of atonementâ€
µyrwpkh tafj (cf. 25,15). According to 25,16, it consists of “two ramsâ€
µynç µyla. The high priest should offer one of them in favor of himself and his
father’s house. With line 25,16 the text of column 25 finishes. It does not
continue on column 26 because its first lines unfortunately are missing.
According to the Sacrificial Calendar of the Temple Scroll, the high
priest must also offer the burnt-offering on occasion of the Feast of the Wood
Offering (23,9-17; 24,10-16). Some of it is also offered on the occasion of his
own authorization as high priest (15,16-17; 16,6-10.14-18) (7). The lines 15,17
and 16,13.18 additionally share with 25,16 the differentiation of the persons
who will benefit from the sacrifices. Line 15,17 requires one bullock in favor
of the people and one bullock in favor of the sons of the priests.
On condition that section V (27,01-02) really returns to the burnt-offering
of the two rams, these two lines would conclude the agenda for the burnt-
offering. Section III would have listed its sacrificial animals and the persons
in whose favor the animals are offered. The text of 27,01-02 is, however, too
short to confirm this supposition.
5. The two he-goats
Subsequent to the relatively isolated word ?a¿mfy “he becomes impure†in
26,3 (8), the text directs his attention to the two he-goats which are treated
quite differently in the cult. Lines 26,5-10 regard the first he-goat. Lines
26,10-13 regard the second he-goat.
a) The first he-goat for YHWH
Before offering the first he-goat, the high priest has to differentiate
between both he-goats that stand side by side by casting lots (cf. 26,4: lrwg
“lotâ€). By these means both animals are clearly identifiable in the following
sacrificial process. The two lots which bear the labels “for YHWH†hwhyl and
“for Azazel†lazz[l become the new identification tags for the he-goats (cf.
26,4). When line 26,5 prescribes the slaughter of the he-goat “for YHWHâ€, it
becomes clear once again that its identification does not depend on the
sequence of certain sacrificial actions but must precede them.
What does the agenda for the first he-goat, according to 26,5-10, look
like? Line 26,5 commands that “they should slaughter the he-goatâ€
ry[çh ta wfjç. The plural of the verb suggests that the high priest no longer
acts alone but with other anonymous cult personnel. They are likewise
responsible for the burning of “its flesh, and its hide, and its entrailsâ€
wpwrçy wçrp taw wrw[ taw wrçb (cf. 26,8-9).
The same portions of a young bullock, wçrp µ[ wrw[ taw ?rph rçb¿, must
be burned according to 16,10-12 on the occasion of the authorization of the
(7) The high priest appears once more in 26,3 when he places ballots upon the two he-
goats; cf. 2.5.1.
(8) On this point see the text on the “ordination†ceremony of the high priest in 16,5:
He shall not defile himself, for he is holy.