The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

182 The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context
Teacher of Righteousness who admonishes the (Hasmonean) high
priest whom we might consider a Sadducee?
C. The 'Halakhoth1 of the Mishnah and the Ma'dse ha-Torah in
4QMMT
How can we handle this rather complicated situation, created by
4QMMT? Must we dismiss the important reports of Josephus on the
three (four) Jewish religious groups in the time of the Second Temple
as unreliable or even false? L.H. Schiffman does not want to do this. 15
He also believes that the talmudic material on which he comments in
his very helpful studies on 4QMMT is much better than some modern
critics believe, precisely with regard to its historical reliability. I
agree with him on these points. But how can we explain the difficulties
and solve the problems which are created by L.H. Schiffman's view
that 4QMMT must be a Sadducean document or that the so-called
'Essenes' originated from the Sadducees?
We must consider the method which was applied by L.H. Schiffman.
I think that he has done a great job and given us important insights for
the understanding of 4QMMT. But we have to examine this text,
found in a Qumran cave, above all in the light of the other writings
from Qumran, before we can compare it with the Mishnah. It is
striking, of course, that quite a few controversial issues in 4QMMT
reappear in the Mishnah. But there is the danger of superimposing on
such an early text terms and ideas which are much later and alien to it.
I believe that this danger was not avoided in the case of 4QMMT.
Rabbinic terms were introduced for the interpretation of this text. On
the one hand, they helped to clarify some of the most difficult passages;
on the other hand, they obscured somewhat its historical 'setting
in life'. These terms suggested the view that this document was a
Sadducean letter, and led to the conclusion that the origin of the
Essenes must be Sadducean. There are points of agreement between
the Qumranites = Essenes and the Sadducees. But we should not
overlook common views and terms in 4QMMT and the Qumran
writings known to us, and in the doctrines, held by the Essenes of
Josephus. Above all, 4QMMT's own language should be used for the
description and critical evaluation of it.
15. Schiffman praises Josephus for his general accurateness ('The Sadducean
Origins', p. 44).