The Dibrê Moshe, also known as the Dires de Moïse or Words of Moses (identified as 1QDM = 1Q22),[1] is a Hellenistic-Roman era manuscript fragment found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran Cave 1.[2]
| Words of Moses | |
|---|---|
| דברי הימים | |
 Moses depicted with the 10 Commandments | |
| Material | Parchment |
| Writing | Hebrew |
| Period/culture | Hellenistic period |
| Identification | 1QDM; 1Q22 |
| Scans of plate fragments | |
Contents
editName
editThe Dibrê Moshe is not a name found within the book or a name from a contemporary source. The name was, at earliest, assigned during the 1950s following excavation, translation, and identification efforts.[3]
Summary
editWithin the fragment, similar to a farewell discourse, God commands Moses to interpret the law for the Israelite community, and predicts that the people will fall away from his worship. Moses then tells his son Eliezer to speak the words of the law. Moses orders the people to choose for themselves who can interpret God's law for them, and then goes on to speak the law. He gives a warning to the people, stating that they should be careful in obeying God's law and keeping their given precepts.[4]
The manuscript is influenced by the structure of Deuteronomy, which itself is a speech by Moses to the people of Israel.[5] The text is seemingly a reworking of Moses's instructions to the Israelites prior to their entrance to Canaan. The total length of the writing is 4 columns.[6]
References
edit- ^ Najman, Hindy; Tigchelaar, Eibert (2014). "A Preparatory Study of Nomenclature and Text Designation in the Dead Sea Scrolls". Revue de Qumrân. 26 (3 (103)): 305–325. ISSN 0035-1725. JSTOR 24663194.
- ^ Fitzmyer, Joseph A. (2008-09-15). A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-8028-6241-9.
- ^ Najman, Hindy; Tigchelaar, Eibert (2014). "A Preparatory Study of Nomenclature and Text Designation in the Dead Sea Scrolls". Revue de Qumrân. 26 (3 (103)): 311. ISSN 0035-1725. JSTOR 24663194.
- ^ Lundberg, Marilyn J. "Commentary on the scrolls: The Words of Moses (1Q22 [1QDM])". Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
- ^ Ricks, Stephen D. "1Q22 Words of Moses" (PDF). Brigham Young University. Retrieved 23 Jun 2023.
- ^ García Martínez, Florentino; Tigchelaar, Eibert J.C. (1999). The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition (PDF). Leiden: Brill Publishers. pp. 59–60.