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orion Who were Sons of Light and of Darkness?
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 14:06:42 -0500
To: orion@mscc.huji.ac.il
From: David Goldman <davic@pop.erols.com>
Subject: Who were Sons of Light and of Darkness?
I wanted to inquire as to the identification of Sons of Light and Darkness.
Can this be a code-identification for the Jews in general and the Romans?
The scrolls are not very explicit that the Sons of Light are only those who
are in the Sect. Can it be inferred that the reference in the Community
Rule (1QS III 13-14:1) is to the distinction in general between the Jews
and their Hellenised enemies, including the Greeks or Romans, etc., who are
idolators from the Pit, etc.?? In 1QS it also says that there are those who
will say "We have strayed! We have disobeyed" suggesting that these are
Jews who have fallen away from Judaism into Hellenism but are repenting.
This is quite different from the fatalistic notion that there are some who
are born as Sons of Light and others as Sons of Darkness, and are eternal
enemies.
In the War Scroll is the poem (col. XIII) which talks of the G-d of "our
fathers" who established a covenant with "our fathers". Then: "You have
created us for you, eternal people, and you have made us fall into the lot
of light in accordance with your truth".
There seems to be contrast of light and darkness as between the Jews and
their enemies here.