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Re: orion Into the Temple Courts



From: "Ian Werrett" <werrett@email.msn.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 11:20:50 -0800

On March 15, Dunnlaw wrote:

>Is there any excavated structure at Qumran that fits the description or =
an
>area where people could sit arranged in rows, the younger below the =
elder?
>Dr. Binder also notes that in the War Scroll the phrase "house of =
meeting"
>appears (1QM 3.3-4) and another possible reference to a synagogue =
building is
>found in the Damascus Document (CD 11.22-23). =20

There is a small room just off of the "Scriptorium" which has a bench =
running along its interior walls, however, this room is nowhere near the =
size of the Masada synagogue or other synagogues discovered in this =
area.    Additionally, there is no evidence at Qumran of a stepped bench =
common to many synagogues (i.e., Masada, Ein Gedi).  Having said that, =
who is to say that the sectarians didn't sit on a single bench in an =
ordered row from "younger to elder"?=20
For more on the room I am referring to... consult de Vaux's, Archaeology =
and the Dead Sea Scrolls (London: Oxford University Press, 1973)  Sorry, =
I do not have a page number! =20
Also, there is a picture and short description of this room in the Dead =
Sea Scrolls Slide Set from BAR.  I believe that it has been suggested =
that this room may have been used as a study room for the sectarians =
because of its close proximity to the "Scriptorium".


Ian Werrett
MA Candidate=20
Trinity Western University

-----Original Message-----
From: Dunnlaw <Dunnlaw@aol.com>
To: orion@panda.mscc.huji.ac.il <orion@panda.mscc.huji.ac.il>
Date: Sunday, March 15, 1998 7:50 PM
Subject: orion Into the Temple Courts


>The Reverend Donald D. Binder, PhD has post to the internet an =
abstract,
>acknowledgement, bibliography and introduction to a work he has =
produced
>titled: "Into the Temple Courts."  He was kind enough to send me =
Chapter 7 of
>his work entitled: "Sectarian Synagogues."  I was particularly =
interested in
>this Chapter, because I have been wondering about the general notion =
that the
>area along the western shore of the Dead Sea on a line between Jericho =
and En
>Gedi was the home base of the Essene sect with Qumran serving as a =
central
>synagogue for ritual bathing, prayer, and the study and production of =
sacred
>texts.
>
>Dr. Binder discusses a passage from Philo where Philo use the term =
synagoge in
>connection with the Essenes:  "In these [the laws of their fathers] =
they are
>instructed at all other times, but particularly on the seventh day.  =
For that
>day has been set apart to be kept holy and on it they abstain from all =
other
>work and proceed to sacred spots which they call synagogai.  There, =
arranged
>in rows according to their ages, the younger below the elder, they sit
>decorously as befits the occasion with attentive ears.  Then one takes =
the
>book and reads aloud and another of especial proficiency comes forward =
and
>expounds what is not understood." (Prob. 80-83).
>
>Is there any excavated structure at Qumran that fits the description or =
an
>area where people could sit arranged in rows, the younger below the =
elder?
>Dr. Binder also notes that in the War Scroll the phrase "house of =
meeting"
>appears (1QM 3.3-4) and another possible reference to a synagogue =
building is
>found in the Damascus Document (CD 11.22-23). =20
>
>Mark Dunn
>
>

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<DIV>On March 15, Dunnlaw wrote:</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&gt;Is there any excavated structure at Qumran that fits the =
description or=20
an<BR>&gt;area where people could sit arranged in rows, the younger =
below the=20
elder?<BR>&gt;Dr. Binder also notes that in the War Scroll the phrase=20
&quot;house of meeting&quot;<BR>&gt;appears (1QM 3.3-4) and another =
possible=20
reference to a synagogue building is<BR>&gt;found in the Damascus =
Document (CD=20
11.22-23).&nbsp; <BR></DIV>
<DIV>There is a small room just off of the &quot;Scriptorium&quot; which =
has a=20
bench running along its interior walls, however, this room is nowhere =
near the=20
size of the Masada synagogue or other synagogues discovered in this=20
area.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Additionally, there is no evidence at Qumran of =
a=20
stepped bench common to many synagogues (i.e., Masada, Ein Gedi).&nbsp; =
Having=20
said that, who is to say that the sectarians didn't sit on a single =
bench in an=20
ordered row from &quot;younger to elder&quot;?&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>For more on the room I am referring to... consult de Vaux's,=20
<EM>Archaeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls </EM>(London: Oxford University =
Press,=20
1973)&nbsp; Sorry, I do not have a page number!&nbsp; </DIV>
<DIV>Also, there is a picture and short description of this room in the =
Dead Sea=20
Scrolls Slide Set from BAR.&nbsp; I believe that it has been suggested =
that this=20
room may have been used as a study room for the sectarians because of =
its close=20
proximity to the &quot;Scriptorium&quot;.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Ian Werrett</DIV>
<DIV>MA Candidate </DIV>
<DIV>Trinity Western University</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: =
Dunnlaw &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:Dunnlaw@aol.com">Dunnlaw@aol.com</A>&gt;<BR>To: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:orion@panda.mscc.huji.ac.il">orion@panda.mscc.huji.ac.il</=
A> &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:orion@panda.mscc.huji.ac.il">orion@panda.mscc.huji.ac.il</=
A>&gt;<BR>Date:=20
Sunday, March 15, 1998 7:50 PM<BR>Subject: orion Into the Temple=20
Courts<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>&gt;The Reverend Donald D. Binder, PhD has =
post to=20
the internet an abstract,<BR>&gt;acknowledgement, bibliography and =
introduction=20
to a work he has produced<BR>&gt;titled: &quot;Into the Temple=20
Courts.&quot;&nbsp; He was kind enough to send me Chapter 7 =
of<BR>&gt;his work=20
entitled: &quot;Sectarian Synagogues.&quot;&nbsp; I was particularly =
interested=20
in<BR>&gt;this Chapter, because I have been wondering about the general =
notion=20
that the<BR>&gt;area along the western shore of the Dead Sea on a line =
between=20
Jericho and En<BR>&gt;Gedi was the home base of the Essene sect with =
Qumran=20
serving as a central<BR>&gt;synagogue for ritual bathing, prayer, and =
the study=20
and production of sacred<BR>&gt;texts.<BR>&gt;<BR>&gt;Dr. Binder =
discusses a=20
passage from Philo where Philo use the term synagoge =
in<BR>&gt;connection with=20
the Essenes:&nbsp; &quot;In these [the laws of their fathers] they=20
are<BR>&gt;instructed at all other times, but particularly on the =
seventh=20
day.&nbsp; For that<BR>&gt;day has been set apart to be kept holy and on =
it they=20
abstain from all other<BR>&gt;work and proceed to sacred spots which =
they call=20
synagogai.&nbsp; There, arranged<BR>&gt;in rows according to their ages, =
the=20
younger below the elder, they sit<BR>&gt;decorously as befits the =
occasion with=20
attentive ears.&nbsp; Then one takes the<BR>&gt;book and reads aloud and =
another=20
of especial proficiency comes forward and<BR>&gt;expounds what is not=20
understood.&quot; (Prob. 80-83).<BR>&gt;<BR>&gt;Is there any excavated =
structure=20
at Qumran that fits the description or an<BR>&gt;area where people could =
sit=20
arranged in rows, the younger below the elder?<BR>&gt;Dr. Binder also =
notes that=20
in the War Scroll the phrase &quot;house of meeting&quot;<BR>&gt;appears =
(1QM=20
3.3-4) and another possible reference to a synagogue building =
is<BR>&gt;found in=20
the Damascus Document (CD 11.22-23).&nbsp; <BR>&gt;<BR>&gt;Mark=20
Dunn<BR>&gt;<BR>&gt;</BODY></HTML>

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