The Book of Esther and Qumran
Esther - Kristin Joachimsen
Kristin De Troyer [+]
Paris Lodron University, Salzburg
Mika S. Pajunen [+]
University of Helsinki
Description
Whether there is a Hebrew or Aramaic book of Esther among the Dead Sea Scrolls seems to have been settled: the texts found in Cave 4, labeled as 4Q550a–e, most likely are not witnesses to the biblical book. This contribution will present the research done on 4Q550a–e and show why these fragments are not Esther fragments. That does not mean, however, that the book of Esther was not known in Qumran. The chapter will include an investigation of any potential textual traces of the book in the writings of the Qumran movement, which could indicate it was known by members of the movement after all. Then, the authors will bring new arguments to buttress this hypothesis and, more importantly, demonstrate that not just any version of the book of Esther, but the Hebrew version, was known at Qumran.