The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

BETZ The Qumran Halakhah Text 4QMMT 191
F. The Holy Life and the Separation from the Unclean World
(4QMMT and 1QS)
The purpose of 4QMMT, addressed to the high priest in Jerusalem,
was the deep-felt obligation to preserve the holiness of Jerusalem and
of the people of Israel. It was enforced by the growing tendency of
the writer and his adherents, to separate themselves from the unclean
people and to establish a special center of levitical purity, priestly
sanctity, and atoning power. This dedication to a life of holiness we
find in all Qumran texts and in the description of the Essenes by
Josephus and by Philo. In my opinion, the Sinai-tradition has encouraged
the sect to transfer the atoning function of the temple-cult to
their own community so that its lay-members became a holy house of
God and its priests formed the Holy of Holies. There was no temple at
Mount Sinai, but the Israelites and the priests (Exod. 19.21-25) were
promised to become a holy people and a kingdom of priests (Exod.
19.5-6). Another source for the priestly aspirations of the Qumran
Community was the temple program of Ezekiel (chs. 40-48).
According to the major Qumran Scrolls the zeal for a holy life was
increased by the belief in the invisible presence of the angels, the holy
ones kat'exochen and by the expectation of the impending doom, the
coming judgment of God. Josephus mentions the important role of the
angels for the doctrine of the Essenes (War 2.142). According to the
War Scroll, the angels of God are the co-warriors of the Children of
Light. The worship of the angels in heaven is contemplated and followed
up by the saints at Qumran; this we learn from the Shiroth Ha-
Shabbat, discovered in Cave 4. But the Qumran doctrine of the angels
is marked by a sharp dualism: there are the good angels being servants
of God and protectors of the pious; in opposition to them are the hosts
of demons under the leadership of Belial (1QS 3.13-4.26; 1QM 13.2-
6). The antagonism of God versus Belial will be ended by the judgment
of God and by the victory of Michael with his angelic hosts over
Belial, the prince of darkness, and his lot (1QS 3.16; 4.19; 1QM
17.6).
In 4QMMT we find all these elements of Essene belief, especially in
the last section of the Letter (C). However, these theologumena are
not yet elaborated as in the major scrolls. In C 30-31 the addressee is
admonished to ask God, that he will make firm and straight his
counsel and remove the 'evil plans and counsel of Belial' from him