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The Visions of Amram (4Q543-547), five copies of an Aramaic text found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, stems from the pre-Hasmonean period and provides evidence of a highly variegated society in early Judaism. In this book, Robert R. Duke offers a new reading of all the fragments and an in-depth discussion of their significance, illuminating a time period in Jewish history that needs more understanding and culminating in a suggested social location for its production. Duke concludes that 4Q543-547 was written by a disenfranchised group of priests who resided in Hebron. The importance of the patriarchal burials, chronology, endogamy, the figure of Moses, and angelology argue for a priestly group, whose members were also influenced by apocalyptic thinking. The suggestion of Hebron as the geographical location for this group is based on the theories of George Nickelsburg’s and David Suter’s work on 1 Enoch. Pre-Hasmonean Judaism was an intense time of dialogue and disagreement, and 4Q543-547 is one more item to consider in reconstructing these social realities.
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The Social Location of the Visions of Amram (4Q543–547) Studies in Biblical Literature Hemchand Gossai General Editor Vol. 135 PETER LANG New York y Washington, D.C./Baltimore y Bern Frankfurt y Berlin y Brussels y Vienna y Oxford Robert R. Duke The Social Location of the Visions of Amram (4Q543–547) PETER LANG New York y Washington, D.C./Baltimore y Bern Frankfurt y Berlin y Brussels y Vienna y Oxford Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Duke, Robert R. The social location of the visions of Amram (4Q543–547) / Robert R. Duke. p. cm. — (Studies in biblical literature; v. 135) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Dead Sea scrolls. 4Q543–547. 2. Jews— History—586 B.C.–70 A.D. I. Title. BM488.5.D85 296.1’55—dc22 2009036561 ISBN 978-1-4331-0789-4 ISSN 1089-0645 Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council of Library Resources. © 2010 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York 29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006 www.peterlang.com All rights reserved. Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm, xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited. Printed in Germany For M, D, E, D: Your love and support made this possible TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor’s Preface ............................................................................................ ix Acknowledgments........................................................................................ xi 1. Introduction and Methodology Introduction and Purpose ...................................................................................1 Literature Review.................................................................................................2 Methodology and Thesis .....................................................................................7 2. Visions of Amram: New Edition and Discussion Introduction ........................................................................................................9 Episode One: Amram and His Children ..........................................................12 Episode Two: Amram’s Charge to Moses .........................................................14 Episode Three: Amram’s Sojourn in Canaan...................................................16 Episode Four: Amram’s Vision .........