Christian Texts and History • Re: Hypothesis: Wicked Priest = Herod Agrippa I, Teacher of Righteousness = Simeon of Jerusalem, Man of the Lie = Paul

And "smooth things" is used in CD 1.18-2.1, along with other behavior of the sort that we see the Pharisees do in the NT.

The part in CD 1.18-2.1 is inspired by Isaiah 30:10 (ESV):

... who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, ...

Compare with CD 1.18-19 (Vermes):

For they sought smooth things and preferred illusions (Isa. xxx, 10) and they watched for breaks (Isa. xxx, 13) and chose the fair neck; and they justified the wicked and condemned the just ...

So we see that the phrase "they sought smooth things" is not used as a sobriquet (like in Pesher Nahum). It's just a general insult, just like in Isaiah where Isaiah certainly didn't mean Pharisees by that (he was talking about wicked prophets). Moreover, in CD 1.18-19, the group that sought smooth things was not even the one saying them, IMO. In Isaiah, prophets are saying smooth things (and prophesy illusions) but in CD, the other group, probably like builders of the wall in Ezekiel, are seeking these smooth sayings of prophets (and preferring illusions of prophets).

There is another problem regarding the identification of Pharisees with the group described in CD 1.18-19. This group seems to be already annihilated:

CD 1.21-2.1 (Vermes):

And the anger of God was kindled against their congregation so that He ravaged all their multitude; and their deeds were defilement before Him.

CD 1.21-2.1 (Martinez):

And kindled was the wrath of God against their congregation, laying waste all its great number, for their deeds were unclean in front of him.

CD 1.21-2.1 (Abegg, Cook, Owen):

Because of all this God became very angry with their company. He annihilated the lot of them, because all their deeds were uncleanness to Him.

So I don't see the connection with Pharisees in CD 1.18-2.1

But God considered their deeds, that they had sought Him with a whole heart. So He raised up for them a teacher of righteousness to guide them in the way of His heart. vac He taught to later generations what God did to the generation deserving wrath, a company of traitors. They are the ones who depart from the proper way. That is the time of which it was written, ‘Like a rebellious cow, so rebelled Israel’ (Hos 4:16). When the Man of Mockery appeared, who sprayed on Israel lying waters, ‘he led them to wander in the trackless wasteland’ (Ps 107:40; Job 12:24). He brought down the lofty heights of old, turned aside from paths of righteousness, and shifted the boundary marks that the forefathers had set up to mark their inheritance, so that the curses of His covenant took hold on them. Because of this they were handed over ‘to the sword that avenges the breach of His covenant’ (Lev 26:25). For they had sought flattery, choosing travesties of true religion; they looked for ways to break the law; they favoured the fine neck. They called the guilty innocent, and the innocent guilty. They overstepped covenant, violated law; and ‘they conspired together to kill the innocent’ (Ps 94:21), for all those who lived pure lives they loathed from the bottom of their heart. So they persecuted them violently, and were happy to see the people quarrel. Because of all this God became very angry with their company. He annihilated the lot of them, because all their deeds were uncleanness to him.

Pharisees saw their "fence" as something that protected the written Torah, but as Jesus points out in Mk. 7, it in effect does the opposite in "many" cases (echoing Josephus' "a great many observances").

9He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain your own tradition. 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’11But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother. 13Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

These are cases (from Jesus' perspective) where the oral Torah (however well-meaning from the Pharisees perspective) was "bad" because it "nullified" the written Torah. To "neatly set aside the command of God" and what "Moses said" with the oral Torah would (I imagine) have likewise been seen by the DSS sect as "setting aside the command of God" (with their "smooth things"/halakhot).

But is Jesus talking about the "fence" laws? Because I don't consider all Pharisaic laws as "fence" laws. For example, how is saying Corban to father and mother a "fence" law? Yes, it is a part of tradition but it doesn't seem like a "fence" law. If you want to call it a smoothing of the law, that's ok, but I don't see a connection with the wall that builders built in CD.

The latter part of the verse [from Isaiah that Jesus cites in Mark 7 against the oral Torah] is applied in v. 8: "teachings that are commandments of people." This critique refers to the tendency of the Pharisees to create oral law to support the core biblical injunctions. These traditions were a fence around the law (m. 'Avot 3.14).


https://www.google.com/books/edition/Un ... frontcover

Statistics: Posted by John2 — Wed Jan 22, 2025 3:06 pm