Qumran and Christian Origins

Over the past twenty-five years, Jörg Frey has been a leading voice at the nexus between New Testament and Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship. Representing his work over more than two decades, Qumran and Christian Origins is a collection of twelve essays examining how and in what ways the Qumran corpus can contribute to a deeper understanding of the New Testament. Eleven of the essays appeared in the collected volume Qumran, Early Christianity, and New Testament Interpretation (ed. J. Cerone, Mohr Siebeck, 2019), but have been slightly updated in this volume. The last essay, chapter 12, is reprinted from Dreams, Visions, Imaginations: Jewish, Christian and Gnostic Views on the World to Come (ed. J. Schröter, T. Nicklas, and A. Puig i Tárrech, de Gruyter, 2021). This volume also includes an introduction and a lengthy concluding chapter on the current state of New Testament and Qumran studies, neither of which have been previously published.

Chapters 1 through 3 provide an overview of New Testament and Scrolls scholarship. The first chapter reviews differing phases of Scrolls scholarship and the potential intersection with New Testament studies, as well as methodological considerations for interdisciplinary and comparative work. Chapter 2 explores hermeneutical matters regarding Qumran and New Testament writings in their specific social and political contexts. Chapter 3 is an exhortation to students of the New Testament to integrate insights from Qumran studies into the study of the historical Jesus and the early Jesus movement.

Chapters 4 through 6 focus on specific aspects of Pauline thought in light of the Qumran corpus. It is in these chapters that Frey demonstrates his careful reading of the texts and sensitivity to matters of hermeneutics and methodology outlined in chapters 2 and 3. The fourth chapter examines the parallels between Paul’s view of the spirit vis-à-vis the notion of the spirit in the Qumran corpus, specifically that found in the “Treatise on the Two Spirits” section of the Community Rule (1QS 3:13–4:26) and the Hodayot (1QH^a). Frey examines Paul’s anthropological use of “flesh” and “spirit” in light of Qumran wisdom texts, such as 1Q/4QInstruction and 1Q/4QMysteries, in chapter 5. Here, Frey concludes that Paul’s idea of the sinful flesh is rooted in Palestinian Jewish tradition. That said, Frey notes that Paul’s use of the terms evidences a development of that tradition. Finally, in chapter 6, Frey reviews the scholarly discourse surrounding Paul’s usage of the term “the works of the law” (Rom 3:20, 28 and Gal 2:16; 3:2, 5, 20) and the occurrence of “some works of the Torah” (מקצת מעשי התורה) in 4QMMT C 27. Frey cautiously suggests that, while the usage of the phrase in 4QMMT does not clarify the precise meaning of the Pauline usage, it does point to a common discourse regarding halakic interpretation and varied practices of the law as identity markers within various ideological factions.

Chapters 7 through 10 explore the intersection of the Qumran corpus and early Christian thought and practice. In chapter 7, Frey compares the dualist language in the Qumran corpus with that in the Johannine corpus. Through his careful analysis of Qumran dualistic thought, Frey argues (rightly in my estimation) that the view of Johannine dualism that directly influenced dualistic thought at Qumran should be abandoned. The eighth chapter takes up a reconsideration of common meals within the Qumran movement and to what degree they might shed light on the context of the Last Supper. Careful not to overstate the case, Frey does suggest that in the communal meal in 1QSa we do have an analogy for early Christian communal meals. Frey surveys the presence of authoritative “Scriptural” writings at Qumran in chapter 9, asking what this evidence might say about Scripture in the time of Jesus and the New Testament writers. Finally, in chapter 10, Frey explores apocalyptic writings at Qumran, specifically regarding the movement’s view of eschatology and history. He then shifts to examine parallels with eschatological thought in early Christianity. This chapter is one of the high-water marks in the volume and a subject Frey has worked on extensively.

The last two chapters, 11 and 12, address thematic issues important to the New Testament, but not addressed in the corpus. Chapter 11 examines the historical sources for our understanding of the Essenes (an early Jewish sect) and to what degree we might speak of the Qumran movement as “Essene.” Chapter 12 surveys the archaeological evidence from Khirbet Qumran and its link to the manuscripts discovered in the caves surrounding the archaeological remains. As mentioned previously, Frey concludes the book with a new chapter surveying what has been learned in the past seventy-five years of Qumran and New Testament research, as well as charting a course ahead for areas of research in the future. This concluding chapter is one of the most crystalized discussions available on the gains made in New Testament studies because of research into the Scrolls. As Frey notes, the Scrolls have provided invaluable insight into the ancient Jewish context and background, insight that is essential for understanding the New Testament.

This collection of essays showcases Frey’s careful and judicious reading of textual evidence. Whereas some scholars are prone to overstating comparisons between the two corpora, Frey takes a decidedly nuanced approach, writing instead of how connections between the New Testament and the Scrolls illuminate the cultural soil from which both Judaism and early Christianity flourish. While this volume chronicles Frey’s past writings on the Qumran corpus and Christian origins, it is an essential contribution for those currently working in the field of New Testament studies. The volume models judicious comparative work, underscores the importance of the Scrolls in understanding New Testament thought and writings, and consitututes a solid starting point for future research on the topic.

Michael DeVries, Ph.D. (University of Birmingham) is a Senior Adjunct Professor at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.

Michael DeVries

Date Of Review:

July 29, 2024