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orion belated response to R. Gmirkin
>I forward a message that bounced. SG
>>Several days ago Russell Gmirkin invited a response from me. I did not
>>respond right away, given the objection of one list member that the Essene
>>identity could not be supported and our moderator's instruction to let
>>some threads end. Admittedly, I am unlikely to persuade one who avers that
>>an identity cannot be supported but I assume the word "Essene" itself
>>is not excluded from the list. Writing on Qumran without that word would be
>>like writing a biography of Bill Clinton without the word "Arkansas." IMO,
>>it is one task of historians now to use the new data to clear up some
>>misunderstandings about Essenes. In any case, R. G. accepts an
>>Essene-Qumran link, though he dates it later than most. That said, a brief
>>response.
>> IMO: the difference in worldview between 1,2 Macc is not "vague."
>>Macc celebrates a military victory which Qumran mss do not. Q mss express
>>disapproval of national and temple administration. 1/4QM deals with a
>>future, 40-year war which never happened. 1/4QS is an Essene text, with
>>changes over a long time, regardless of the dates. Jubilees and parts of
>>Enoch I also consider Essene. Qumran Essene texts are more like Daniel (and
>>Apoc. John) than Macc in that they express hope that God and the angels
>>will defeat enemies. They do not call for armed revolution. The proposal
>>that Essenes copied texts of "Hasidim" is not persuasive to me. But I read
>>Russell Gmirkin's posts with interest, partly because he engages in
>>substantial research, and because he has shown willingness to consider
>>new data, such as the C14 exclusion of a 63 BCE deposit date, as well as
>>old data, such as the link of S and Essenes.
>> It may be of interest to note that Gabriele Boccaccini (inventor of
>>"Middle Judaism") intends to publish in 1988 a book titled _Beyond the
>>Essene Hypothesis: the parting of the ways between Qumran and Enochic
>>Judaism_. I do not know the content, and how it explains the Enoch
>>literature found at Qumran, but merely mention it, as the title suggests it
>>may present another interpretation relevant to some of the current
>>discussion.
>>sincerely,
>>Stephen Goranson goranson@duke.edu
>>
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