The Qumran Sectaries and the Karaites

THE QUMRAN SECTARIES AND THE KARAITES By N. WIEDER, London IN A previous article entitled "The Doctrine of the Two

Messiahs Among the Karaites" I dealt with the resemblances between the Qumran sectaries and the Karaites with regard to the belief in two Messiahs.' The following pages are a sequel to that article, their object being to draw attention to further resemblances in respect of a number of designations or epithets which both sects applied to themselves. I shall deal with these designations one by one. I THE PERFECT OF WAY,

-n'I ''Dnn

The designation 'nr 'ion or the singular 'nr nion or simply inaion, "the perfect ones," and the cognate forms such as nrn rin, "perfection of way" and noin -rrnnn, noin 1nr, "to walk perfectly," are the most characteristic phrases of the Manual of Discipline where they occur, including the recently published fragment,2 twenty-three times. They also appear, six times altogether, in the Damascus Fragments.3 The expression l-r ''nn is further found in both the Thanksgiving Scroll4 and in the Scroll of See The Journal of Jewish Studies, 1955, pp. 14-25. Cf. D. Barthelemy and J. T. Milik, Discoveries in the Judaean Desert, Qumran Cave, I, Oxford, 1955, p. 110, lines 17, 28. 3 Cf. A. M. Habermann, Edah we-Eduth, Index, pp. 152-53. 4 Cf. E. L. Sukenik, mmrn nimnn nxl, Jerusalem, 1955, PI. 35, line 36. See also P1. 38, lines 30-31 (lin nln)and line 32 ('l-n ,n;,). I 2

97

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THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

the War of the Sons of Light.5 The cognate forms l;nnrr Onrn-,n ,arDn are again present in the Benedictions discovered in the Qumran cave I.6 The exceptionally frequent occurrence of these expressions testifies to their great importance in the sectarian vocabulary. While the term "the perfect of way" was used as an epithet for the adherents of the sect, the cognate forms were employed to characterize the religious conduct which was in conformity with their conception of Judaism. It is significant to observe that the expression l-r 'inn was also used by early Karaite authors as an honorific designation for the members of their own sect, and most especially for the religious and intellectual elite who resided in Jerusalem and led an ascetic mode of life dedicated to continuous study and prayer by day and by night. The recognition of this fact enables us, in addition, to gain a proper understanding of certain passages in Karaite sources as well as in Rabbanite polemical writings against them. The evidence adduced derives in the first instance from Karaite writers of the ninth and tenth centuries, but also from the encyclopedic work Eshkol Ha-Kofer (composed 1148) by Judah Hadassi, who made extensive use of earlier Karaite writings.6" The first place in our evidence must be accorded to the most prominent Karaite Bible commentator (10th century), Yefet ben 'Ali - and this for three reasons. First, the term 1'n inn occurs very frequently in his works. He uses it either in isolation or in conjunction with other epithets s Op. cit., PI. 29, line 7. 6 Cf. Discoveries in the Judaean Desert, p. 120, line 2 and p. 127,

line 22. See now the complete list of the expressions under discussion compiled by Yigael Yadin in his Avin 'a nim' rtnnnSn nn,:, Jerusalem 1955, pp. 242 f. 6a His work has been aptly described as "a sea into which all the streams of Karaite learning flow" (Jost, Geschichte der Juden, II, 352).

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

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which the Karaites appropriated to themselves. Secondly, on account of the lengthy excursus which he devoted in his commentary on Ps. 119 to pointing out that the term n'r 'iinn in the superscription of the Psalm referred to the sect of the Karaites (]'pnp% p'n). And thirdly, it is in his writings that we find expressed in the most pronounced manner the view, shared also by other Karaite scholars, that the entire Psalm 119 includes nothing but "the utterances and prayers" of the Karaite elite. In other words, the "I" of the Psalm is regarded as the corporate "I" of that elite and the Psalm itself as having been composed by David "on their behalf" (nm:ynor lteV by, 1bD, 5y)7 in the sense that it contains an anticipatory description of the contemporary religious situation, namely the conflict between the Rabbanites and the Karaites. In the following pages this interpretation will, for the sake of brevity, be called the prognostic interpretation of the Psalm.8 Yefet ben 'Ali's excursus,9 extolling in graphic terms the merits of the Karaites and denouncing the Rabbanites, may be summarized as follows: The nin I'inn are the members of the Karaite sect who hold fast to the Torah of the Lord (n' nuin). They have abandoned the "commandment of men, learned by rote" 7 Cf. below note 94. Since the Karaite ascetics in the Holy Land believed that they were living in the eschatological epoch of the "final days" (see below), their method of interpretation which applied the biblical text to contemporary events is, at the same time, "eschatological interpretation." - Ever since the discovery of the Habakkuk commentary scholars have been searching for a parallel to the peculiar type of biblical interpretation exhibited in it. In a recent discussion of the problem (C. Rabin, V. T., 1955, p. 148) it has even been suggested that to find an exact parallel "we have to go outside Jewish literature." Actually what scholars were seeking is to be found in the biblical expositions of Karaite authors, beginning with Anan, which furnish a parallel of surprising congruity. A number of examples will be found in this paper. However, the subject deserves a separate study. 9 See Appendix no. 1, at the end of this paper. 8

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and do not rely on the Mishnah and Talmud; they have forsaken the ways of the former generations whose eyes were not opened properly; they have separated themselves from their parents and brothers who partake of meat and wine, wear the best of garments, use oil to anoint themselves, offer incense,IO and at the same time hate and persecute the Karaites. The lnr ,,win, on the other hand, are dedicated to continuous study of the Torah by day and by night, wear sackcloth and wallow in ashes; they pray incessantly for themselves and for the people of God and yearn for the messianic salvation. It is not necessary to emphasize that the schismatics depicted here and on whom the epithet "the perfect of way" is conferred are none other than the Karaite ascetics in Jerusalem in the ninth and tenth centuries who sometimes called themselves "the Mourners for Zion" (I l'',n=) and to whom Yefet ben 'Ali himself belonged. Indeed, in his commentary on the Song of Songs he explicitly equates the Mourners for Zion with "the perfect of way."" In the same passage he draws a clear distinction between the Karaite scholars who remained in the Diaspora and those who settled in the Holy Land; only the latter are invested with the title lin 'onrn: u3 Mt p' , n 0-isMN NDTIBcfr

J19 L

y

l

lY 1lnr9 Do1y

r '?ywb

nl nml p ID Chip j1vti

1I7 t 1Rra n n -,l~ m wl p nynt

rag

tenI DON-nnm fii DiS

itp

y tpDiM D3yl

6

nmin DBy

.ryrNW

'Ipl 1II IN Amp

D0;19 i;n

h l '1)1 3-iDIty Vnipsn 11nICIM nOItuVl HMI jT1 OMMD3N 1-11 In'= MDn.mn l I h ICD1 1 3 n n i s n~~t

r ^nlipD

iw1=

nmT1 .')I

I

I

n1In

I

alIL

Io Cf. J. Mann, Texts and Studies in Jewish History and Literature, II, p. 77, note 23; S. Lieberman, ly'pw, pp. 9 f.; lopn ,Inr-, p. 41. " Cf. Rabbi Yaphet Abou Aly... In Canticum Canticorum Commentarium Arabicum, ed. J. J. L. Barges, Paris, 1884, pp. 32-33 (transcribed by me into Hebrew characters). I2 MS. British Museum of Yefet's commentary on the Song of Songs

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

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nrM n 'in ni-sr' 'in tw33n 'n Tp 'irn nrs'l ^^ n n W n11 n PiD ^33 nvtN I 1D b3aY In-r p l . i .I n p 1n ?pT ly ;r~1918'n 1ir1 ibtp "Dn 9m lna' anrNi D 3 3 n,. 1"11 ,DlDn lY 5ip'nlnryxD ff nn' 11n In b. p inb' pay ' yt 4rin mntp li lp"ir ~5ipnra 1e mnSn 1~w DneDn. ,5D lNDTTSP] 'TN niDy The words the voice of the turtle is heard in our land (Cant. 2.12) refer to the terebinths of righteousness, the mourners for Zion (Isa. 61.3) who will go from the exile to the Land of Israel and separate themselves for the purpose of continuous study, prayer and supplication. They will not flag in doing so until the salvation will come. Of these said the prophet Isaiah (62.6): I have set watchmen on thy walls, 0 Jerusalem, etc.; and give Him no rest, till he establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth (ver. 7). They are identical with "the perfect of way" who described themselves as those who study the Torah and [claimed] that the Law is more precious to them than money and riches, as it is said: The law of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver (Ps. 119.72). They are those who keep night vigils as it is stated in Ps. 119, verses 55, 62, 147, 148, and Ps. 130.6. Therefore he said: The voice of the turtle, etc. The scholars of the Diaspora are designated as "flowers" (3VX)I3 because they will flourish in their (Oriental 2513, fol. 75b) reads in both places lbp ba:, "as they said," that is, "the perfect of way." This is undoubtedly the correct reading, since it is in conformity with Yefet's view on the character of Ps. 119, according to which the collective "I" of the maskilim is speaking through it (see further on in the text). This manner of quoting is usual with Yefet not only in the case of Ps. 119 (cf., e. g. his commentary on Hosea, ed. Philip Birnbaum, pp. 94, 108, 220), but also in connection with other Psalms which the Karaite prognostic exegesis assigned to the sectarians, cf., for example, op. cit., p. 178 (translated below) with reference to Ps. 22, which was given an eschatological interpretation. See Der XXII Psalm ... von R. Jephet ben Eli Ha-Bacri, ed. Theodor Hofmann, Tubingen 1880, p. 7. This interpretation of Ps. 22 was shared by David al-Fasi (infra) and by Elijah ha-Melammed (infra). the expressions "lilies," "flowers," !3 The method of allegorizing "figs" and "vine," etc. occurring in the Song of Songs to denote Karaite

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own places, but "the perfect of way" are compared with the turtle because they will come from the ends of the earth to the Land of Israel, just as the turtle emigrates to a cultivated region when the summer comes. The passage cited may also serve as evidence for Yefet ben 'Ali's conception of Ps. 119 as reflecting the religious situation of his own time. Even more explicit evidence is to be found in the following quotation which is of interest also by reason of another noteworthy point - namely the identification of "the perfect of way" with ,D'5tUn ,'nin 'p'-Dm in Dan. 12.3 and with the Suffering Servant of Isa. 54:'4 ' are identical with the They [i. e. ',n iI'p,'ini ',tvoin] 1n 'nion; their prayer is recorded and their words expressed in the twenty-two eight-lined stanzas [Ps. 119]; they are those who say to him who seeks instruction: Ho, everyonethat thirstest, comeye to the waters (Isa. 55.1).'1 scholars and saints, and assigning to each expression a distinctive significance was also practised by Sahl ben Mazliah, as he tells us in the following passage (Skoss, Jdmi' al-Alfdz, II, p. cxxxvii): o;nin -rpr niz n-rn 3Sya -rrnii izi m 3=3 Hy'p nmDnnl nm=MIn]D -Inhl ;Znl 9ai1 n^K8 lpy3 P''Tsyn:'syDn 'D D9 ti. 14 Cf. A Commentary on the Book of Daniel by Jephet Ibn 'Ali the Karaite, ed. D. S. Margoliouth, Oxford, 1889, p. 140 (Arabic part). As to the identification of the Suffering Servant with the Karaite elite, see also infra. Is The meaning is: Karaite scholars impart instruction without remuneration, in contrast to Rabbanite scholars who hold paid positions and receive monetary rewards for replying to queries in religious matters addressed to them (cf., e. g., Seder Rabh Amram, ed. Warsaw, p. la: n;:,t' nm9ip1'nm1i) 'n ,n:1v', n-nvww ':in mivy). Also Sahl ben Mazliah expressed the same idea by quoting Isa. 55.1: ply Dn'-i '1;n.,1'vID o'-ind "'a, l1 N"ix (S. Pinsker, Liqqute Qadmonioth, Appendices, p. 31). The Isaiah verse seems to belong to the "testimonia" of the Karaite ascetics. Daniel al-Qumisi (Melilah II, p. 201) already condemns the heads of the Babylonian academies for taking i'7 7w, 2vN ... money from the people: ynan ,, nory ,, ,rI, . Tarbiz, rnr Kara iteaccordingg to S A ssaf, . anlsote polemics ofap i n-iD^ D 'VM nxt: Dn D'9H ',-13 -i-7,111 O3t:ynlo,.i -7,m1nnrla nlx. Cf. also the polemics of an early Karaite (according to S. Assaf, Tarbiz,

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

103

And in the chapter ,nny ,zw mni , (Isa. 54) he says: By his knowledge shall my servant justify many. In that chapter the groaning of the Maskil [the Karaite spiritual leader], his griefs and his great knowledge and piety are recorded. These then are referred to in the words the Maskilim shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. Of particular significance is the fact that this prognosticeschatological interpretation of Ps. 119 is shared, as indicated, by other prominent representatives of Karaism. It evidently represented a prevalent exegetical tradition among the early Karaites. It is highly probable that it goes back to Anan himself, as it will be shown at the end of this section of our study. According to this tradition the "arrogant" (cnrt) are the Rabbanites who scorn (v. 51) "the perfect of way," oppress them (v. 122) and forge lies against them (v. 69). The whole Psalm was elevated to a grand Karaitic hymn, portraying the intellectual elite, describing their meritorious deeds, their fervent devotion to study, their fidelity to the Law, their night vigils, their prayers, the affliction and persecution they suffer at the hands of their Rabbanite antagonists. The Psalm may perhaps be styled "the Evangelium of the Karaites." We meet this conception of the Psalm in the writings of Daniel al-Qumisi, who next to Anan and Benjamin alNahawandi ranks as the third eminent expounder of Karaism. The following three facts bear this out: (a) he interprets the "arrogant" as referring to the Rabbanites;16 IV, 1932-33, pp. 36 f., the writer of the tract is Ibn Sakawaiah) who accuses his Rabbanite opponent (according to Assaf: Saadya Gaon) of "eating the bread of the people and taking their money unjustly" (op. cit., p. 42, lines 13-14). See also infra. As to the authorship of the polemics mentioned, see further I. Davidson, The Book of the Wars of the Lord, p. 26, and M. Zucker in Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research, XVIII (1949), Heb. part, p. 5. I6 Cf. the extracts from his commentary on the Minor Prophets, published by I. D. Markon in Melilah, II, p. 195.

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THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

(b) he states that the prayer, Open Thou mine eyes, that I may beholdthe secretsof Thy law (v. 18) was offered by David on behalf of the Karaites;17 and (c) he proves that the words I have gone astray like a lost sheep (v. 176) refer to "the shepherds of the dispersion" (nlima lri), i. e. the Rabbanite spiritual leaders.'8 Other tenth-century authors who hold this view are Salmon ben Yeruhim, the famous controversialist of Saadya Gaon, the grammarian and lexicographer David al-Fasi, and probably also Sahl ben Mazliah. Salmon ben Yeruhim's commentary on the Psalms is still in manuscript and is at present inaccessible to scholars in the West. The few published extracts,'9 however, furnish sufficient data to substantiate our contention. He interpreted the "arrogant" in two passages as denoting the Rabbanites. In the first he says that the verse (51) the arrogant have derided me greatly alludes to the Rabbanites who composed

"works of mockery"

(mnl5

,=n)).20

In the

second passage he comments on verse 122 as follows: "Why does he designate them [the Rabbanites] as arrogant? On account of their arrogance against the Lord's Torah. First, they maintain that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai two laws... and secondly, they changed the divine precepts."21 These two comments already warrant the conclusion that he applied the Psalm to contemporary history. 17 See the fragment printed by L. Ginzberg, Genizah Studies, II, 1 y-r, 1rn mrn. p. 473: "nm sm name,, y ).~ :n-3-13-113r3 18 Cf. JQR, N. S., XII, 1921, p. 279, lines 12-14: ns l=,z3nm 0i1 lnril ;n'Vl s = n3-m3 ItR= lyn 1 ivy 'w'3] anr ypaw'lnlm Yrn ~ 'w' nrtm ... (176 ,a',p Oarnn) '1i n;r 'nyn, 'n 13 yl Oarnyipn lntl nm: n-n'O nlm Pylniy nr nn-r;nln3r yirn. The tract from which this quotation is derived is by Daniel al-Qumisi, cf. Mann, Texts and Studies, II, p. 5. '1 Cf. Mann, op. cit., pp. 83-6. 20 op. cit., p. 83. 21 Ibid., p. 85. In his diatribe against Saadya Gaon (The Book of the Wars of the Lord, ed. I. Davidson, New York, 1934) Salmon ben Yerubim calls Saadya -t several times (41,19; 42,60; 54,76; 74,47). See also pp. 91,118; 101,65; 103,11.

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

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This conclusion is confirmed by his exposition of the last verse of the Psalm, where he categorically declares: "Without doubt, the entire Psalm is said with reference to the people of the dispersion" (int 'Vy mlpnnix lnmtr infcn ;ls lp Nh ,i'~,N5).22 That also David al-Fasi followed this interpretation is evidenced by the fact that he took the term amnt to be a designation for the Rabbanites, and, moreover, explicitly asserted that the complaint contained in ver. 69 was made by the Psalmist on behalf of those who turned away (Karaites=yw tn=v

'5 ~y)23

1=D o,;n=l'n5i

It is also very probable that Sahl ben Mazliah shared this view, as it may be inferred from the statement in his polemical

poem

against

Jacob

ben

Samuel:24

1-rn

,nn

.. . . y 'n :m3wnnn,"The perfect of way supplicate: Open Thou mine eyes." In other words, v. 18 represents the prayer of the Karaite elite, a view already expressed by Daniel al-Qumisi. Judah Hadassi, too, uses the epithet "the perfect of way," or simply "the perfect ones," several times, either in isolation or together with other epithets. Thus commenting on the words (Dan. 12.12): Happy is he that waits, , he says:25 DVwlmllRC N -inn

,,nn

on

,'nrmn. Again, the

following passage may be quoted which contains a typical accumulation of honorific designations and in which the superscription of Ps. 119 is cited in full:26 nn4l HcpY Drl ^= inm DIMM3 nDN 'n

'n minn a"inn

0#y3a.^Donn

int)^-

pY"

mw

nto nt_ Y-1^1r won ^ntt "jii ap3wi.

vpysD s"-IM rhi!

wmn a^t-rn

Dn

Ibid., p. 84. See Skoss, Kitab Jami' al-Alfdz, II, p. 20, lines 30-34. 24 Cf. Pinsker, Appendices, p. 23. The author of the poem is not Yefet ben All, as stated on the copyist's heading, but Sahl ben Mazliab, see Mann, op. cit., pp. 26, 117. 25 Eshkol ha-Kofer, p. 155, col. 2, bottom. 26 Op. cit. Alphabet 22, end. 22

23

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THE JEWISH QUARTARLY REVIEW

Finally, he too followed the tradition as to the character of the Psalm under discussion, as is attested by the following two statements: '10'Mm1 "rty

)'i)rDWni

Dmlnn) Dnw 'DWn 'I nml '":D lnnln ('T bv)

199n'

nln-n

rm

by

. ... (t4)

nr IYl . . . (M) .('z nlt ,nI"p3N)

inDn it y-n:

,,m-
The close association of the epithet "the perfect of way" with the Karaite ascetics in the Holy Land is perhaps best illustrated by a reference in David al-Fasi's Kitdb Jami' Al-Alfdz. In order to understand the full significance of the reference, it is necessary to say a few words about the eschatological thinking of the ascetics mentioned. The dominant force in their life, like in that of the Qumran sectaries, was the deep sense of the approaching messianic era; the conviction that they were living in the period of the "final days"; the belief that by abandoning the sinful life of the former generations and by returning to the true observance of the Torah as conceived by them, and by means of continuous study and prayer they would open the gate for the advent of the Redeemer. Not only would the final salvation occur in their own days, but it would be and ,own achieved by them and through them, the ywnv 1nr and hence also the bten nntw. Now David al-Fasi speaks of two attempts made by some scholars to calculate the "end" (yp) on the basis of the well-known messianic verse niiW a,,:

niy (Gen. 49.10).27

One of the calculations consisted in the discovery that the numerical value of the letters making up the words: 'nw 'nn ,n'nn was somehow contained in the verse mentioned. This calculation must at first sight appear wholly enigmatic. The object of all messianic calculations is to figure out the 27 Kitdb Jami' '" n rpl al-Alfdz, II, p. 665, lines 16-18: Dap 14 por nBozD311 mniU '9 olmnl UnD Ija- lpI y p ;IA jnnijnD 1]r3r lmn^N--ry n -r7-y. ' D n ' - v m al-p p I-l -Yi

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

107

period of the advent of the Messiah, but one fails to see how this arithmetical equation could be taken as indicating this period. What is the ideology underlying it? But knowing that 1"iT'n'n was an appellation for the Karaite elite, and bearing in mind their messianic belief referred to, we find that the object and tendency of this calculation becomes quite clear: the Karaite "calculators of the end" (le'p 'tvns) endeavored to advance pentateuchal proof for their belief that the coming of the Messiah would take place in their own time, in the time of "the perfect of way" and - one may add - through their efforts. I now pass on to an interesting illustration - this time from a polemical treatise against the Karaites by an unknown Rabbanite author, in which the former are referred to as "the perfect of way," evidently in a sarcastic tone. The treatise is couched in paytanic phraseology and many of its polemical allusions have not yet been recognized.28 The example I am quoting29 contains such an allusion hitherto unrecognized. It runs as follows30 -in : ni.

T?

T

n..: :

which may be rendered thus: "The perfect of way imagine in their heart that they behold secret things." Against whom is this dictum directed and what is its polemical implication? As to the first question, the identity of "the perfect of way" has by now become evident beyond doubt. But what about the claim to behold secret things? What is the nature of these secrets? 28

See infra.

The fragment from which this citation is taken was first published by L. Ginzberg (Genizah Studies, II, pp. 494-96) who assigned it to the circle of Benjamin al-Nahawandi. Mann (op. cit., p. 60) however correctly identified it as part of the polemical tract by an unknown Rabbanite, cf. now Judah Rosenthal, HUCA, XXI, 1948, pp. 37-54 (Hebrew part). 30Ginzberg, p. 495; Rosenthal, p. 53, lines 4-5. 29

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THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

To answer these questions the remarkable fact - which I shall demonstrate elsewhere - must be pointed out, namely that the Karaites believed that their interpretation of the Bible was the result of a special divine inspiration; it was this inspiration that enabled them to perceive the mysteries of the divine words and guaranteed the authenticity of their interpretations. The polemical implication of the above dictum is now obvious: The Rabbanite author of the treatise, whose whole work was devoted to challenging the Karaite claim to possess the genuine interpretation of the Bible, ridicules the boast on the part of the self-styled "perfect of way" to behold the mysteries of the Law, i. e. the boast to be the sole possessors of the true understanding of Scripture, vouchsafed them through divine inspiration. The earliest occurrence, as far as I know, of the term "perfect ones" as a Karaitic epithet is in a poem by the renowned Tiberian Massorite, Moses ben Asher, father of Aaron ben Asher. I have deferred calling attention to this up till now, because it is only now that we are in a position fully to appreciate the significance of the fact that Moses ben Asher designated those whom he regarded the spiritual forebears of Karaism as ?nnn. I refer to "the poem of the vine,"3I an allegorical composition based on the comparison of Israel with "vine," in which the comparison is extended to the various parts of the vine, such as the roots, branches, grapes, flowers, etc., all of which are taken to represent the leaders of the nation, beginning with the patriarchs. In this poem the following lines occur:32 Jsih 31 32

'i

n:

n:

":t?

v t "?nirn .n.

a1? a:

See B. Klar, Tarbiz, XV, 1943, pp. 43-44 ('mlyl n'pnp, Tarbiz, p. 44, lines 22 f. (Mehqarim, p. 311).

n

pp. 310 f.).

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

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"The perfect ones of the vine are the Elders of Bathyra, the inheritors of the prophets, the possessors of understanding. Deep waters that utter mysteries; their heart comprehends wisdom like a flowing brook." As B. Klar rightly observed, Moses ben Asher traced the chain of Karaitic tradition to the Elders of Bathyra, the spiritual ancestors of Karaism who had inherited the prophetic traditions and transmitted them to the Karaites. The latter are thus in the direct line of descent from the prophets. Now it is highly significant that the epithet Moses ben Asher conferred upon the Elders of Bathyra is precisely "the perfect ones." This epithet was considered a sufficiently clear identification mark to indicate their religious affiliation. And now from the father to the son. Also Aaron ben Asher uses the term "perfect ones" in a context which leaves no doubt as to the identity of those to whom the term is applied. In an interesting passage33he emphasizes that although the cessation of prophecy resulted in religious confusion in the nation, nevertheless one is still capable of discovering the secrets of the Torah, if only one thoroughly searches in it with one's heart directed to heaven. In fact, he says, the secrets of the Torah are known to the wise, God-fearing perfect ones (,, 'N'in 'nDnn on ynmnn :' rDIn;l) .33a

In conclusion, attention should be drawn to the fact that 33 Cf. Diqduqe ha-Te'amim, ed. S. Bear and H. L. Strack, Leipzig, 1879, pp. 53 f. That Ben Asher was a Karaite may now be regarded as an established fact, see Klar's study referred to. To the arguments adduced by him further evidence may be added. 33a Also the use of the term ", 'ns' is not gratuitous; it is borrowed from the sectarian vocabulary, see al-Qumisi (infra note 104 and JQR, N. S., XII, p. 284, line 25); Salmon, op. cit., p. 124, line 76; Sahl in Pinsker, Appendices, p. 33; Yefet on Dan. 12.4 (ed. Margoliouth, Arab. part, p. 141) and infra Appendix, n. 1.

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

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Ps. 119 was incorporated in the Karaite liturgy,34which, as is well known, consists of a conglomeration of biblical passages, chiefly Psalms. The question as to the guiding principle, or principles, which determined the selection of the passages is still unexplored ground and cannot be fully discussed here. For the present purpose, however, it will suffice to state briefly that a number of biblical quotations that were accorded a place in the Karaite order of prayers owe their selection to a distinctive sectarian interpretation given to them - an interpretation which associated them with aspects of Karaite history, practice and doctrine.35 A case in point is our Psalm which, as has been sufficiently shown, was considered a basic religious document of Karaism; hence its inclusion in the liturgy. Support for this explanation may be found in the introductory verses with which the reading of the Psalm is prefaced: , n 'linl ln npnn'Br 5y I ,y ;(16 ,O"' ',yr) -rDn bn3n r 'ir DnnC1 'i:pnD i -Ton nn 6orIT ininn 1 I" iK nn iKl :3Di nN 'N'tDn wrn I'13 lyl 131D,1Y1I n~nn nN Qw,. 6int (6-7 ,:"D ,W) Kmra The question as to appropriateness of these verses as an exordium (in-prn) to the recitation of the Psalm had already puzzled a Karaite scholar of the calibre of Aaron ben Elijah of Nicomedia (d. 1369) who, however, advanced a highly strange explanation :36 uInXiV -11My .... flI1 1=1'n'-7iN ,nnr pi:B QW'rrv r11Drnn

by

Q1p-i B

3D 1D

nIDInn

InDD Msnn

M)nDD .... O'p-rB np pn=D pnyln DDinr-rUD

W nIrp=n. 1nDt10 NIND1W

In the light of what has been said about the character of the Psalm, the appropriateness of the introductory verses 34See further on. 35Cf. infra. 36 Gan Eden 75d.

111

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

appears obvious to us, if we bear in mind that these verses formed the basis for the pre-eminent custom of the Jerusalem ascetics to hold night vigils devoted to study and prayer at the temple site. The opening verses -which are frequently and on every possible occasion cited in the works of those ascetics -indicate as it were the identity of the of are none other than the "nightway:" they "perfect watchmen" on the walls of Jerusalem. It is instructive to recall the words of Yefet ben 'Ali, cited above:37 "... they [the Mourners for Zion] are identical with "the perfect of way" . . . they are the night-watchmen ..." If our assumption that Ps. 119 owes its inclusion into the Karaite liturgy to the sectarian interpretation placed upon it is correct, then we are in a position to draw a very important conclusion as to the origin of the Karaite conception of the Psalm in question: it goes back to Anan himself, as it was he who introduced it into the liturgy. This conclusion recommends itself all the more as we have definite information that Anan was in fact motivated in the selection of Psalms for liturgical use by his interpretation of these Psalms as referring to some aspect of the conflict between the Rabbanites and himself. Thus alQirqisani38records the significant fact that Anan prescribed Ps. 74 for the liturgy of the New Moon and festivals (with the exception of Pentecost) on account of verse 4 (and also 8): Thine adversaries (= Rabbanites) have roared in the midst of Thy festivals; they have set up their own signs for 37See p. 101. Cf. Kitdb al-Anwdr wal-Mardqib, ed. L. Nemoy, p. 613, lines 5-11: DNi HDfc nlyla;l an -pa -"ryb9 8ptv yo in97 Dbri 'i^ yj n3fcoHnlibib ,ur m blp'3f;1f9 nx9 nnnr l t D1~ 9 ~,tt n;lln 38

n Ifbtvn

?

i r~y D

s

ns iebty 1D

1in'Hb . D 3ra h

t

,

c ,DnI a o7 I a NN Dr-D nnl fciL rf O;Da cli rnI-Iybt I" bI L o ibt- 1t b n31 n NrD 1J'm l p' ir nI th nyHyIDnI nIylnav fnn3nIlc -3in nbNtby Donrni vLdynI(transcribed by me into Heb. characters).

112

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

signs, i. e. the Rabbanites had abolished the festivals appointed by God, and instead of the moon which according to Gen. 1.14 was set up as a sign for the festivals, they appointed other signs. The recitation of the Psalm was thus intended by Anan as a public condemnation of the Rabbanite calendar and at the same time as a glorification of his own practice of fixing the festivals by observation of the moon - a subject which figured prominently in the polemics between the two camps from the very inception of the schism. We gather from a Genizah fragment of his Book of Precepts39that Anan introduced Ps. 119 into the liturgy. At a certain point during the service, which cannot be determined owing to a lacuna in the fragment, three strophes of the Psalm were recited together with two Psalms from the first part of the Psalter and two from the group of Psalms commonly known as "the Songs of Ascents":

n-n-n Ionln nv[NW]D'p[DIB] 'I 1ID[H1] WID 'PD 11nm n'tD 'pD'B [1]'"nm n';ml IDD. nlyn Jacob Mann,4owho rendered the word 'pD'B as "verses," failed to understand the liturgical provisions contained in this passage. Its meaning is: the reading of the twenty-two strophes of Ps. 119 and that of the fifteen "Songs of Ascents" is to be extended over the whole week: three strophes (on Sabbath: four) of the former and two Psalms (on Sabbath: three) of the latter are to be read on each week-day. This was in fact the Karaite custom as late as the fourteenth century, as we learn from Aaron of Nicomedia :4 See Mann, "Anan's Liturgy" in Journal of Jewish Lore and Philosophy, I, p. 350, lines 4-6. Cf. also Steinschneider, Catalogue Leiden, p. 129. 40 Op. cit., p. 340. '4 See Gan Eden, 75d. Cf. also Hadassi, Alphabet 17, letter s. In the later Karaite ritual the reading of Ps. 119 was limited to the seven 39

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

113

n DI1 m... - n'" nn WmNOpnHn nxp -rDD . . . 1 yn;l 'DID Dillnor1 :: Di'pi;r Dlplrn ... ni ynrn 'Cht r onl nllynn "ne1 Dy. The Hebrew term w'pnb is here used by Aaron of Nicomedia in the same sense as the Aramaic 'pD'B by Anan. The latter term denotes "sections" and refers either to whole Psalms or, in the case of Ps. 119, to the eight-lined alphabetical strophes. That this is the meaning of the passage is further borne out by the Prayer-book of the Karaites in Jerusalem42 which preserved the custom of reciting the "Songs of Ascents" during the week, beginning on Sabbath with the recitation of Psalms 120-22. Of special significance is the fact that Anan prescribed the aforementioned recitations also for the "Morning Watch" (wnriX'NDnD), i. e. the third of the three night watches.43 It is also noteworthy that the recitation itself was conducted in a ceremonious fashion: the priests and Levites took their stand on a mat on the left side of the Ark, while the right side was occupied by certain people whose identity cannot be determined because of a lacuna in the MS. The ceremony was evidently calculated to lend special dignity and solemnity to this act of worship. (To be continued)

Sabbaths between Passover and Pentecost; see the passage from IKaleb Afendopolo's nlmiDD,Fnty cited by Steinschneider, op. cit., 28 and the Karaite Prayer-book II (Odessa), pp. 91 f.; 321. On the other hand, on the Day of Atonement the entire Psalm and the complete "Songs of Ascents" were recited, see Karaite Prayer-book III (Vienna), p. 128. Cf. also Hadassi, Alphabet 21, letter a. 42 MS British Museum, Cat. No. 726. 43 Op. cit., p. 350, lines 14-15.

THE QUMRAN SECTARIES AND THE KARAITES N. WIEDER, London

(Continued from JQR N. S. XLVII [1956] 97-117)

II - *.

*T

T

Another attribute common to both sects is the term yw 'vto, "those who turn from transgression." It occurs in the Damascus Fragments44 and in the Manual of Discipline45 as well as in the Thanksgiving Scroll.46 Significantly, in the two first-mentioned sources it is used as an antithesis to -rin,mID, "those who deviated from the way" -a term used as a designation for the antagonists. Both terms are expressive of the general ideology of the sect and are thus apt characterizations of the schismatics and their opponents. The very rise of the sect, it may be recalled, sprang from the conviction that the former generations, as well as the contemporaries who followed in their footsteps, had misinterpreted the Torah, had deviated from the right path and were steeped in impiety. The New Covenant and its is, therefore, a "covenant of return" (;tmln n.n)47 adherents are consequently called "those who turn from transgression," while all others are "those who deviated from the way." But the designation Shabhe Pesha' carries yet another and deeper implication: it is indicative of the eschatological 44 II, 5; xx, 17. 45X, 20. 46 nlln nmi'D-i nYi, P1. 36, 9; 40, 6; 48, 24. 47Damascus Fragments, xix, 16. 269

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THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

consciousness of the Qumran sectaries who believed that the period in which they were living represented the final stage in human history before the commencement of the messianic era and, further, that they were the ywv nvwof whom Isaiah (59.20) predicted: And the redeemerwill come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression. It is they who will be saved in the cataclysm that is to precede the coming of the Redeemer, while those who refuse to return will be handed over to the sword. In addition to the designation Shabhe Pesha', which clearly and unmistakably points to the Isaiah verse (the only place in the Bible where the expression appears), the elliptical term 'ow was also current among the Qumran sectaries, as in the much-discussed expression itn, ,"t=48 and further in minnrr,tr occurring in the recently published fragment from a commentary on the Psalms.49 We met a similar ellipsis in the preceding section regarding the epithet 'In ,'eon which was shortened to o'won, and another example will be encountered in the following section relative to the term iNt' nmnwa which became ninmwnor These very terms (tnv ,ywv tnv) were employed by the early Karaites, especially by the ascetics domiciled in Jerusalem, to designate themselves.50 Particularly frequent 48Op. cit., iv, 2; vi, 5; viii, 16; xix, 29. Cf. Appendix, no. 2. See PEQ, 1954, p. 71. s0 Notwithstanding the fact that the designation in question occurs rather frequently in early Karaite literature, it escaped the notice of scholars who treated of this history of Karaism. Only L. Ginzberg who published a Genizah text by an early Karaite author (Genizah Studies, II, 437-42) in which the term Shabhe Pesha' appears twice, observes somewhat hesitatingly that he is inclined to take it as a sobriquet for Karaites (D'mip '1z mn yw mt ,avv i ,ny'i, ibid., p. 435). On the other hand, one looks in vain to find the term in the extensive index (pp. 1487-1596) to Mann's Karaitica (Texts and Studies II), although it does in fact occur there in the extracts from a commentary on the Psalms (p. 102). 49

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

271

is the full designation Shabhe Pesha', but also the elliptical term shabhimS5and its Arabic equivalent l'n'nt were in vogue among them.52 Not only is the designation common to both sects, also the ideology underlying it is the same. As already indicated above, Messianism held a central place in the thought and life of the Karaite ascetics; the belief in the imminent approach of the messianic era shaped their peculiar frame of mind and determined their mode of life. It is highly significant that even the cardinal teaching of Karaism, the rejection of Rabbanite traditions, was closely linked up with its Messianism. The early spokesmen of Karaism were indefatigable in reiterating time and again that the adherence to Rabbanism had been the cause of the prolonged exile and the chief obstacle to the messianic salvation, and that it was only now, with the advent of the Karaites who discarded Rabbanism, that the way for the coming of the Messiah had at last been opened. The Shabhe Pesha', those who turned from Rabbanism, have at last appeared and they will be instrumental in achieving the final redemption. Eloquent expression to this belief was given by Daniel al-Qumisi in his appeal to the fellow-sectaries in the Diaspora to come and settle in Jerusalem:53 s5 Cf. al-Qumisi in Melilah II, p. 202; Sahl ben Mazliah in Pinsker,

Appendices, p. 36; anonymous Karaite writer in Ginzberg, op. cit., p. 440, line 22. 52 See David al-Fasi, Kitab Jdmi' al-Alfdz, I, p. 396, line 83; II, p. 20, line 31. 3 JQR, XII, pp. 278 f.: rni ;mDn nt4 03333 ' irn' l'N n nnyi ....N61 K' m3z n nl'nl ,.13tyD3w $ : nli nnini3 ni3Nnl~i 3 ,-Nh ini)Dn M'r...'' .

$

. . .';'

3With r1n' 3p

'; ' n-nin3 niDn

1i-1 iY-0i

'3 Ip

o n iln 3n i1 DID v' N n ID3z).m Di$ -y i '; 133,, i 1]. As to the antithetical expressions "the Lord's 13'lt' Torah" (';, nnn) and "commandment of men learned by rote" (nlm mmD1D mD3N), see my article in The Journal of Jewish Studies, 1955, pp. 24-25.

272

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

"And now my brethren in Israel, contemplate in your heart: Why is our Galuth lasting so very long? The Galuth of our forefathers, the Babylonian exile, lasted seventy years, but our Galuth is lasting exceedingly long ... Know, that they [the forefathers] knew the way of the commandments of the Lord's Torah, they realised therefore that they must repent . . but in the Galuth of to-day people serve God through 'commandments of men learned by rote,' contrary to God's Torah ... therefore the Lord does not answer us, nor does He help us.

."54

The Shabhe Pesha' only will take part in the messianic salvation. On Amos 5.2 (The virgin of Israel is fallen, she shall no more rise) al-Qumisi observes that in fact since the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel a little less than 1500 years have elapsed, and they have not yet risen from their exile, and they will not rise even in the messianic age, only those "who turn from transgression," according to Isa. 59.20 and 1.27.55 The earliest reference to the designation under discussion occurs in a Genizah fragment of the lost commentary on Exodus by Benjamin ben Moses al-Nahawandi (c. 830 CE), 54 See also the fragment from al-Qumisi's commentary on Leviticus (JQR, XII, p. 474): "Wherefore does He not help us? Surely, it is on account of the alteration of the precepts in our midst, and because of the 'statues that are not good' which the shepherds who lead [the people] astray have taught us" (nlxn ,lln In nrri;S ?nPyivl ti no1 Cf. also Elijah ben I y-Inlln -iPN D'1D N, O'pinim l;'n Dynon n). Abraham (12th cent.) in his o,-n ; oy Dinpm piln (Pinsker, Appendices, p. 100): . . . "It is for this reason that we have been forgotten all these years, and when we cry: Remember, 0 Lord, against the children of . ..i Edom (Ps. 137.7) we are not heard" (o yl ,noM lumntnit rSy D ,ItK). D'133 13N l'1 O 1 'N 32 Cf. further 'in n-1 DplY 'p ' ibid., p. 102 and Hadassi, 124, letter (lmnlia'lyl lys'v;n -iN niNmn~ ntDvmlnnY-l inn-) and 125, letter n. ss Melilah II, p. 199 (partly also Mann, op. cit., p. 78): n; 3 , ' n piv nl iD i$t nin' mni)oIrD nn4 .nl~i np3 K'n ' D n N 1 1 111m Dm1 Dmn~inO1 1m1' T1 yn DoN'9 ioip' W-n nNo i? iri-in n ti1r ' l' 1 '99 ^YW I i 'noi mpy ' P yv i 9 n p -T

m.

273

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

who next to Anan ranks as second in the Karaite hierarchy. He allegorises the four kinds of material from which the curtains in the tabernacle were made (Ex. 25.4) and sees in the "fine linen" a symbol for the yv ,ir.s6 The best illustrations, however, both for our term and the ideology lying behind it are in Yefet ben 'Ali's biblical commentaries. A few examples will suffice. On Hos. 6.1-2 he says that the words, Come, let us return to the Lord apply to the present time and represent the exhortation of the Shabhe Pesha', the mentors of the nation (ay -,ti, yt,nt), who recognized the corruption of many of the practices current in Israel,57 and admonish, therefore, the people to return to "the way of the Torah" (rnnnn ln').58 Or, as he paraphrases the same idea in another place,59 the verses allude to the Remnant, to "those who turn from none ), who will transgression in Jacob" (=py, ym t m repent at the "end of the exile" (nlmiN nDN),in the period called by Daniel (12.1) "time of tribulation" (rrnxny). 56Cf. Ha-Zofehle-HokhmathYisrael,VIII, 1924, p. 324. See Mann, op. cit., p. 17, note 32. 57 On Hos. 14.3 Yefet is more explicit with regard to the "corrupt practices" which, according to him, the prophet had in mind when urging the people to return to the Lord. He observes that by saying Return,0 Israel (ver. 2) the prophet meant the abandonmentof capital sins concerningwhich there is no disagreementamong the nation. But by saying: And return unto the Lord (ver. 3) he meant: forsake the corrupt practices which the people of the Galuth initiated and concerning which there exist disagreement and dissension among them. Thus they have permitted the Sabbath lamp and cohabitation on the Sabbath and instituted the 'Erub. They have introduced the calculation of the calendar and changed the festivals of the Lord from their due seasons.. . To these and similar practices the prophet refers when he says: and return unto the Lord.

('n-n nm ',n"

N

='

.-DID prnhyum 9.5 1 1I Ilp 1iNt N'9v fDiN I'mD',n 'pnN -in96. nnrnmD'I+ ink K '1' -n1l -nl"fii Nriny-InnnNe DX3 lyint '23' H .Da'm 'D^^NI1 nnDiS iN^ D LC'9 NrtD9 piPDN '-ri nwnPn~i 91?6^ tn 1byih nnDcN '5 ri ly'1 a'r ... N;lnNpjiN]D FyeI N Txyi 1NY-l ay I;o 1wN 1 11 m. ,'l ( 1' NbtIN^DN1 f' 1ilpn -'r' 59Ibid., p. 96. 58 Ed. Birnbaum, p. 94.

274

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

It is by now almost needless to repeat that the Shabhe Pesha' are identical with the "perfect of way." It is, however, instructive to compare the picture of the latter drawn by Yefet in the excursus to Ps. 119 with the following two passages in which the characteristic traits of the Shabhe Pesha' are described and where some new and interesting features are added. 1. On Hos. 11.10-11 he says that in these verses the prophet is foretelling what will happen at the "end of time," and continues:60 "A time will come when from their midst there shall arise some who will walk with eagerness and enthusiasm after me. They will roar in their prayers by night and by day like the roaring of the lion, striving thereby to hasten my deliverance, as they recite in their prayers:61 My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me (Ps. 22.2). And as the lion does not cease roaring until he reaches his object of prey, so the Shabhe Pesha' will not cease calling to the Master of the Worlds for rescue until He will bring them deliverance, as Isaiah says (62.7): And give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. And as the lion is the mightiest of the beasts62 (cf. Prov. 30.30), so are the Shabhe Pesha' the strongest and most powerful of the people in wisdom, intelligence and prayer." which he 2. Commenting on Hos. 14.5 (n;zn Qn On) renders: I will love them on account of their generosity, Yefet writes as follows:63 "God will love the Remnant of Jacob, the Shabhe Pesha', the Maskilim (D',DrDn yw ',W Mpy,nnem) who - in addition to fulfilling the prescribed duties and obligations -perform supererogatory works64 like fasting, 60Ibid., p. 177 f. 6i Cf. above, note 12. 63 Ibid., p. 220. See infra, p. 279. 64 Supererogatory prayers are also recommended by the anonymous Karaite author (Genizah Studies, II, p. 440) when he says: pllml non 62

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

275

wearing rough clothes and abstaining from excessive pleasures and rejoicings. They continually offer prayers saying: Accept, I beseech Thee, thefreewill offering of my mouth (Ps. 119.108). The name Shabhe Pesha' is further encountered in a Genizah fragment by an anonymous Karaite. As the meaning of the passage concerned escaped L. Ginzberg, who edited the fragment, its explanation may be given here. The author interprets Isa. 24.16 as foreshadowing the appearance in the pre-messianic age of the Shabhe Pesha', saying as follows :6

w- n I, ' try:n ms1E y:i:'t 'lrnn ,r anDn W n nr K mnnr nh nm1WKInn yT 7 lyw ,n IyDy nny ran.

lp : D nra p

"From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs means: from the four corners of the earth have we heard the songs of the Shabhe Pesha', i. e. we have now heard 9'D1'

pipnn by 9'Dliri'i,

Nin.

It is against the background of this type

of piety that Saadya's deprecation of voluntary fasting and prayer has to be viewed. The uncompromisingfighter against Karaism belittles what was regarded by the Karaite ascetics as the culmination of religious devotion. In his letter of thirty admonitionsaddressed to Egyptian Jewry (published by Revel in -r1, I, p. 185) he writes as follows: in nna113 ! 'a3 ,nsDln ;11sn W'aAs Disn n,'yn uD1A Dznn1 wpa s' i-wsl nr n'y imn'i. Revel (op. cit., p. 185, note 6) thought , rna 'm nnt

DS173

that what Saadya had in mind was the seventy-days fast, from the 13th of Nisan to 23rd of Sivan, instituted by Anan. However, this fast was considered by Anan as obligatory (cf. Harkavy, nlixn nonD ww,,ni1?Y, p. 130). So were the seven daily prayers demanded by Abu 'Isa (see al-Qirqisani,ed. Harkavy, p. 311; Nemoy, HUCA, VII,p. 382). Saadya, on the other hand, speaks of voluntaryacts of fasting and prayer, undertakenin the belief that they constituted a highly meritoriousdeed of piety. This being so, there is no contradiction (as Mann, op. cit., I, p. 72 thought) between Saadya's objection to voluntary fasting and the fact that he himself proclaimed several fast-days on the occasion of national calamity, especially during a plague. - As to the supererogatory works recommendedby Abraham Maimuni and practised in the circle of Hasidim influenced by Sufism, see my Islamic Influences on Jewish Worship, pp. 40, 41 f. 65Op. cit., p. 438.

276

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

something which was not customary among the former " generations. The key to the understanding of the passage66 lies - in addition to the recognition that Shabhe Pesha' refers to the Karaites - in the meaning of the word nritr, which does not simply denote "songs" but "Psalms."67 The author refers to the Karaite custom, inaugurated by Anan and accepted by all subsequent Karaites, having the prayers consist exclusively of biblical texts, strongly objecting to compositions like the 'Amidah and similar prayers of the Rabbanite liturgy. The author of the fragment himself states further on:68 11mOnnKN MM 13 11'i1nml 0'mair: nr i nunI nowv 1'm1r': ntrnnm o6Dnn Inns.

n

... %K:1W J

Indeed, it is obvious from the context that the sole purpose of introducing the exposition of the Isaiah verse was to show that the emergence of the Karaite form of worship was predicted by the prophet, and the whole passage was intended as a preface to the exhortation: "Let us return to the prayers of the prophets as recorded in the Bible, etc." That this is the meaning of the passage is corroborated by the fact that the same interpretation is, in fact, given by David al-Fasi. Rejecting the one which connected the word nlrrt with -Dr in the connotation "to prune," he writes thus:69

iDnmrim1'K mnDm yl' bI'1n3 bbrt

1rn1moD %rDv -ri7D

Dom Droin as

66

nT

nptIK

TnbDNtDnb.

Ginzberg explained the passage in the following words (note 9): n":pn51In: fil mln 3l1rmnin. 67 The term nrnr is still used to-day for the Psalms in the daily liturgy, commonly known as Pesuqe de-Zimra. 68Op. cit., pp. 439 f. 69 Kitab Jami' al-Alfaz, I, p. 492, lines 51 f. CN'T3 '"' nlnmt rmrnnmINtP n1

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

277

"The most plausible rendering is: 'we have heard songs of praise,' and it refers to the return of our people to the use of the Psalms as prayers, after having abandoned them for a long time." Continuing the prognostic interpretation of the verse, the author of the fragment writes :7 nl3: nm mnlinmn'rDi ', iW ,tn 'nn ... jx7 rmirlm w'n . .. at'1n in= nmn I'I yVD 'tm 1 Fl1 11 'r1

Kw 'D1 ...

, ,rn ,tn , iw1 ywD Cow 0m;l

0 t'ITl'l.

In the light of what has been said about the Messianic expectations of the Karaite ascetics in the Holy Land, the obscurity of this passage is removed and its meaning clearly revealed. Taking rn in its connotation of "secret," the author paraphrases the words ,~ ,rn thus: my secret, i. e. the secret of the things to come, has [at last] been revealed. It concerns the advent of the Shabhe Pesha' who will spring up among the nations, viz. in the Diaspora, and will proceed to Jerusalem. In other words, the final salvation will occur in the present epoch which saw the emergence of the Shabhe Pesha'. We are reminded of the Messianic speculators who sought to extract the secret of the "End" from Gen. 49.10 by figuring out that the coming of the Messiah will take place in the epoch of the "perfect of way" [= Shabhe Pesha'].7' These speculators may well have exclaimed: , 'rtI "the secret has at last been revealed!" 70

Op. cit., 438, lines 13-18.

71 For another occurrence of the designation

Shabhe Pesha' in a similar Messianic context, dealing with the calculation of the "End" based on Ps. 90.4, see the extracts from an anonymous Karaite commentary on the Psalms, Mann, op. cit., 102. In connection with this calculation Mann (p. 68) observes: "As against the numerous Rabbinic calculations of the 'End' (yp), this is the first instance, known to me, of a Karaite speculation of this sort." It appears astonishing that Mann should have overlooked the fact that speculations of this sort formed a favorite pursuit of the early Karaites from Benjamin al-Nahawandi onwards. Yefet ben 'Ali, to whom we owe this information, mentions also Josef Ibn Bakhtawi and Salmon ben Yeruhim as having engaged

278

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

Also the epithet under discussion is alluded to in the polemical tract against the Karaites referred to above. The relevant passage runs :7 .*ntie'j

nTw"?

non

pitjtoisys

.trrw al3 IKXn wftt fhon wna T

-

-

T

T

TheRabbanite polemicist refers to the notorious event The Rabbanite polemicist refers to the notorious event at Gib'ah in Benjamin (Judg. 19), a place mentioned by him in the foregoing verse, and says that "there they resided till to-day." S. H. Kook,73 followed by J. Mann,74 correctly interpreted "they" as alluding to vpiDl yn [=vplDl yW 'y:], namely to the Karaites who resided in Gib'ah (Kook) or its neighborhood (Mann). The biting sarcasm of the designation yW [=yW '3yS], however, has not been recognized. It lies in its being the reversal of the honorific designation yW ,Ov which the Karaites conferred upon themselves. III THE REMNANT,

WOI' rv"lw,

rnlvt,

rnlNWi

The idea of a continual preservation of a Remnant forms an essential feature in the historiographical conception of the Qumran sectaries. The historical pattern of the author of the Damascus Fragments is: apostasy of the nation, extirpation of the evil-doers and preservation of a remnant worthy to form the nucleus of a regenerated community.75 in calculations of the "End" (see Yefet's commentary on Daniel, Engl. trans. p. 86). Salmon ben Yerubim's calculation referred to by Yefet was published by S. Poznanski in MGWJ, 1901, pp. 519-29. Cf. also Adolf Poznanski, Schiloh, Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Messiaslehre, Leipzig, 1904, p. 267, and above, p. 107. 72 Ginzberg, op. cit., p. 495; Rosenthal, op. cit., p. 53. 73 Cf. onp ,rt (ed. B. M. Lewin), IV, p. 108. 74 Op. cit., p. 60, note 111. Cf. also J. Prawer in Zion, 1947, p. 143. 75 Cf. J. L. Teicher, JJS, 1951, 116 f.

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

279

The members of the Qumran sect felt themselves to be "The Remnant" in a two-fold sense. First, they looked upon themselves as the minority who remained loyal to God's commandments in the general apostasy of the people; they claimed to be the sole repositories of the true and genuine Jewish tradition. Secondly, they regarded themselves as "The Remnant" who would be saved in the great destruction at the end of days. We also observe in this respect a remarkable correspondence between the Qumran sect and the early Karaites. They too felt themselves to be the only loyal remnant in the midst of the general apostasy and expressly designated themselves as the "Remnant of Israel" (or Jacob), or And if simply "The Remnant" (n'Nw;, Arabic: nr6t;i). the Qumran sectaries compared themselves with "those who sigh and groan" (Oap3R4N1 Oan-R),76- the remnant preserved in Jerusalem during the destruction of the first Temple - the Karaites thought of themselves not only as the spiritual successors77 to, but contended that they were the physical descendants of, "those who sigh and groan," who despite oppression and persecution remained steadfast in their fidelity to the law, as a kind of "underground movement."78 It was the crypto-existence of this faithful Remnant which ultimately resulted in the emergence of the Karaite movement. The term "Remnant" thus became a favorite designation for them. We already came across it in the citations from Yefet ben 'Ali's writings, where it figured together with the nlnrInn.79 It may now be observed that epithets ynvs 'a, 76 See Damascus Fragments, xix, 11-13.

Cf. S. Pinsker, Liqqute Qadmonioth, Appendices, p. 101: om .. . . -1 13i3'M O'mnm 0?'13pn D'2MV1 l1n- onn . ..'pm1 'no2D 1WY n't n'inl 1rinm P1Y -rnl-i. See also O'p:nm; p. 104: onD o'pr:nl o'nmn n ongt lon omni'pl opinpmnonmmrnAt Ilnm ' i,w n t i11. p. 103: ... 78 Ibid., p. 101. 79 Cf. above, p. 274. 77

D'mn

280

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

these three terms are the most frequent designations by which he refers to his fellow-schismatics. Here is one other example: Commenting on the superscription of Ps. 45 (atlviy), which he interprets as "concerning the lilies," Yefet says that this Psalm speaks of the Remnant of Israel who are likened to "a lily among thorns" (Cant. 2.2). Just as the lilies appear in the spring which marks the beginning of the summer, so "the perfect of way" will appear at the end of the exile which is compared to the winter (Cant. 2.11).80 We note that he began with the "Remnant of Israel" but continued with the "perfect of way"; this is illustrative of the interchangeability of the two terms. Salmon ben Yeruhim, an older contemporary of Yefet ben 'Ali, also uses this epithet. In the famous passage, which outlines the four epochs in the history of Karaism, he places the appearance of "The Remnant" (n'ntHS) at the close of the fourth epoch, which began with the settlement of the Karaites in Jerusalem. This coincides with his own time, since from the date of his writing (about 955)81only a few years were to elapse before the termination of history in general, as according to his computation, the Messianic "End" was to occur in the year 968.82 80 Quoted by Barges in his edition of Yefet's commentary on Cant., K n ' -i K nv 9 ' r K-iW' m 3 WI W Y 'n1 pp. 185 f.: linOD' l on n np n nm WW ya2-1?b IbIt m -r;inn IbDt:?^ l| I 1^ ?it 1 0D ' Dn 1 i to bNr N;K Jli'i -i5bt '1D ]n' ]xrDiilqr i~nDD: nt195n ' 2 y In D n n n n' ilp~ 'nvb'%. Cf. Elijah ha-Melammed's four reasons for the epithet "lilies" at the end of this section. See also Salmon ben Yerubim in Pinsker, op. cit., I, pp. 21-22 (Arabic original in Skoss' edition of Jdmi' al-Alfdz, II, p. cxxxvii); The Book of the Wars of the Lord, ed. I. Davidson, p. 37. Against this appropriation of the title "lilies" are directed the words of the Rabbanite: OnDmNK iy5j l 0 3 1s , lpiDn;I K (Mann, The Jews in Egypt and in Palestine under the Fatimid Caliphs, I, p. 141, note 1). 8I See Pinsker, Appendices, p. 130; S. Poznanski, lnun, II, p. 102, note 1. 82 Cf. Poznanski, MGWJ, 1900, p. 406.

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

281

Among the members of the Jerusalem community of ascetics, David al-Fasi seems to have had a special predilection for the term under discussion. He employs it several times without any qualification, just "The Remnant" A few instances are adduced here,83 which (nnwi6S). are of interest also from the point of view of the prognostic Bible exegesis in which these ascetics, like the Qumran sectaries, indulged so excessively. 1. Isa. 21.8 (And the lion cried: Upon the watch-tower, 0 Lord, I stand continually in the day-time and I am set in my wards whole nights) alludes, according to him, to "The Remnant," who are likened to a lion by reason of their pre-eminence.84 It need hardly be pointed out that he refers here to the day and night watches which formed a constant and typical feature in the ascetic life of the Jerusalem colony. His interpretation is significantly illuminated by Yefet ben 'Ali's exposition of Hos. 11.10-11, previously quoted,85 in which he compared the Shabhe Pesha' to a lion. The general term "pre-eminence," too, is amplified by Yefet's more explicit words: "They are the strongest and most powerful of the people in wisdom, intelligence and prayer." 2. The heading of Ps. 22: inronni, 'y ("concerning the Hind of the Dawn") is a metaphor for "The Remnant," who rise at dawn to divine worship as the thirsty hind runs to the water early in the morning.86 3. Isa. 53.7, depicting the Suffering Servant as He was oppressed, yet he humbled himself and opened not his mouth, is a description of "The Remnant."87 It is worthy of note that this feature of self-effacing humility, which is 83 For other examples see Kitab Jami' al-Alfdz, I, 77, line 116; 224, 56; 395, 53 f.; II, 617, 38. Cf. note 148 and infra, p. 148. 84 Op. cit., I, p. 151, lines 135 f. 85 Cf. p. 274. 86 I, pp. 77, 132 f. 87 I, pp. 104, 288-90.

282

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

given prominence also by Yefet ben 'Ali,88Sahl ben Mazliab89 and the anonymous author of the "Sermons,"90 is already mentioned in the Pesiqta Rabbati9I as a characteristic of the ancient Mourners for Zion: l1x '1'3:a 1i ipnml Onsnn no lytwl

DnI nm

isvnvww.

It should also be mentioned that the identification of the Suffering Servant with the Karaite intellectual elite was a widely accepted Karaite tradition.92 We cannot expatiate here on this point, but we must refer to Jacob ben Reuben (first half of 12th century) who in his compilation on the Bible93 explicitly equates the suffering figure with "The Remnant"; I bn I 1 n 1 Dn b Onp r n n' ,1 ,DN' (1 ,t3'ew) n l 31 f rmr,hW apt nbrainmrs wivi iD: ,(2 ov) V ivl==I nps bI1 nonet nivy n I r w ;;I 1p 1ln. ... Onp

The term further occurs in the fragment of an anonymous Karaite, cited above. The author identifies himself with "The Remnant" when he uses the expression "on behalf of our Remnant"

(lnnelw p6 1

y).94

88See Appendix, no. 1. 89 Cf. infra, p. 284. oxy O''DvWl... 'tv' 'i'Dvw Zion, III, pp. 37, 39, 40: ;nDi yKb r- D'7'n3;lo 1- inN inNt 7z ;D;''ryn O't3 OW 11'v '7nK D'7'WDI 90

Inxy nlt;rli l'pmr . 92 Cf. above, p. 279. 93Sefer ha-'Osher, ed. Firkowitsch, Koslov, 1835 (under the general title Mibhhar Yesharim). ',nD,' intKnmyml 94 Cf. Ginzberg, Genizah Studies, II, p. 439: i',nK i-n'NiW ]IlW iy lr3nt l 13nl npl 3nnl nsn nya l3nt 7^n bt'<'lK ly3D' bKi331 'y I ' 7 I- n -: DT oK -I IK n 1Dw n n t ,a'D o;nn) 7-8). The expression pl y (misunderstood by Ginzberg, ibid., note 11) is the hebraized form of the Arabic 1D, '5y and denotes "on behalf of." Both terms are used to express the idea that certain Psalms or other biblical texts were written by their ancient authors "on behalf of" "The Remnant," the Maskil, etc. Cf. David al-Fasi, I, pp. 395, 53 f.; ' '' -i nn'Nri 1NDi y ',p 396, 80; II, 20, 30f.: ; y n ', 7o in lNDi ,y. Y ,5 1N M Nv;ts,:o^t l'='sn7 tDi ',S The Hebrew equivalent is used in the same meaning. In addition to the fragment quoted (see also ibid., p. 440,22), it is employed by another Karaite, ibid., p. 502, 5 (5tnw' nD3: lvI by), by Elijah haMelammed (MS. British Museum, Or. 1263, fol. 332a) relative to Ps. 33

9' Ed. M. Friedmann, 159a.

283

QUMRAN SECTARfES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

Finally, reference should be made to the commentary on the Psalms by Elijah ha-Melammed, who drew extensively on earlier Karaite sources. Special note should be taken of the expression nnwn nrmy,the community of the Remnant. On Ps. 22 he writes, according to MS. British Museum, Oriental 1263, fol. 333a, as follows: n r n i51 Inwn n3 nortn prnno 'n rno 'D : nipn 5: I'n DK ,D nS,6n D=3 a,, nlm)=1D ,p3n -nwn n- y l ip' ntylo 'rl n1tl1 ,IDK111ntp33 ,xIy -ir' n * nK KV . Following an old Karaite tradition,95Elijah ha-Melammed interprets the term "lilies" in the superscription of several Psalms as an attribute of "The Remnant" and advances four reasons for this attribute (fol. 338a): n KWn 19 ,.'rmnl1n 3, l'rD lx3p' :'m n, n"nnI3 n I 1 K R ,' 1D ,INDO ,D,:3 IND,1

n

. ,tW'1tT ' aVn .l::ar ,1'l':ipt

n * K W,D-'p'p n I'wltm alWtur 1 .DnpW'n 'D'3 am1 ,nnWu nail.

.irn

y~'iD'

IV "THE POOR," Da31'=, "1ay

The members of the Qumran sect described themselves as "poor"-a term which already acquired in the Bible and most especially in the Psalms a religious coloring and (1= nrvt 1to y -'n nn ) and by Judah Hadassi, Alphabet 93, letter x innpye). On the other mnnm (I-nmD1Oi=t a0'mnnn nnnlrr 116By I hand, Daniel al-Qumisi uses the expression irnmyn to convey the same ' 'y yn', nn'm n t' , I nirn=1311 idea: nl N mys i (Ginzberg, op. cit., 473). As to the usage of the term among Rabbanite writers, cf. Ibn Ezra on Isa. 59.9 (mn= n' nwv Nwy lpV bly nn'p ,mn) and on verse 12 (anr ' llvt y wN',n '-i=' niN). See also Moses Maimonides' Epistle to Yemen (ed. A. S. Halkin, p. 56, line 2): no;fn5D , 1bD5 y ;nzivs p nra= irrnn, which Ibn Tibbon and Ibn Iasdai translated ptr 5y, while Nahum ha-Ma'arabhi has: plrin. 95Cf. above notes 13, 80.

284

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

became synonymous with "pious." Applied to the Qumran sect, the title "poor" had also a sociological significance: it corresponded with the actual economic circumstances of the members of the sect who lived in self-chosen poverty. With the exception of the Manual of Discipline, the title "poor" occurs in all sectarian writings at our disposal: the Habakkuk Commentary,96 the Scroll of the Wars of the Children of Light,97the Thanksgivings Scroll,98the fragment of a commentary on the Psalms99 and in the Damascus Fragments.I0O

The Qumran sectaries share this title with the Karaite ascetics in Jerusalem, and also with reference to them, the title carries an economic implication, since they relinquished their private possessions to live in self-imposed poverty. Indeed, one of the most conspicuous and striking features of the ascetics was their poverty, and the renunciation of worldly possessions was glorified as one of the chief merits of their ascetic regimen. This is how Sahl ben Mazliah, himself a member of the Jerusalem colony, portrays them :o01 WO3 nt IDKDl .DwnnU9 InDV1 .mnanoD lntr .0?1itD InWn .D'rnin 'Wn iK .nm^r p In N' .Dap 1331 .D"1DnN w'pt lvt3il .D't trn1 OWtS.DI11nn n11:.

"They abandoned their business, disregarded their families, rejected their homeland, forsook palaces and settled in nests, left the towns for mountain tops, suffered bitter degradation, took off beautiful clothes and donned sack-cloth." Salmon ben Yeruhim in eulogizing his partisans also employed similar terms':02 "they relinquished their pos96 Col. xii, 3, 6, 10.

97 PI. xxvi, 9, 13; xxviii, 14. PI. xxxvi, 32, 34; xxxvii, 25; xxxix, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22; lii, 14. 99PEQ, 1954, p. 71. -otCol. xix, 9. o10Pinsker, Appendices, p. 31. Cf. also Harkavy, a'n-n qD, no. 13, p. 198. 102 Skoss, Kitdb Jdmi' al-Alfda, II, p. cxxxvii; Pinsker, I, 22. 98

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

285

sessions and homes and retreated from this world" (liln Dspn

'lo rtln

esNlmI

D=noY31y).

But already Daniel al-Qumisi, who belonged to the earliest settlers in the Holy City, if not to the inaugurators of the settlement,103 declared "sparing bread and scant water" to be the criterium of the God-fearingI04and refers to Isa. 30.19-20. Al-Qumisi also provides the earliest evidence for the term "poor" being applied as a Karaitic epithet, interpreting as he does l,l-n y my in Zeph. 3.12 (I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people) as referring to the humble Mourners for Zion (l]x ,'

N D'l)).I?s

He is followed in this interpretation by Yefet ben 'Ali,1o6 and when the latter describes them in his portrait of the "perfect of way" as "an afflicted and poor people," adding that they live on "sparing bread and scant water,"107he is manifestly inspired by the sectarian interpretation of both Zeph. 3.12 and Isa. 30.19-20. This method of interpretation was adopted by Yefet also in explaining other scriptural texts containing one of the Hebrew terms for "poor." Thus Isa. 29.19 was explained by him as alluding to the Karaite spiritual leaders and their followers (MS. British Museum, Or. 2502, fol. 85a): V'DDWK

'K

nn :'13

6ilpi 1?8.p'DK9 4i pyt lNIn ptrDlri

Wt

ni-D' n tmyn

wa D ' 1 a 1 D ' 1 Inlp Dui- D'i1 Ilytmln Dtro lain ay a 1 313 K 1. -nn3 '' DV "

nno

See Mann, Texts and Studies, II, p. 6. Cf. Melilah, II, p. 194: ynr a'DI 'IY on nril 'r' ,w' ni ,n'; nri '3 a ' ,' ',yv,) ln 3... * l*-, "a'3 oy '3 (20-19 31 mn a3^ as. n Dbli yni o05 Op. cit., p. 200 (Mann, op. cit., p. 79). i6 MS. British Museum, Or. 2401, fol. 124b, and also in his exposition of Isa. 50.10, quoted further on in the text. 107 See Appendix, no. 1. 108Arabized form of nrp'O, the contributions for the maintenance of the Geonic academies. 103 104

286

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

"The humble shall increase their joy refers to the mentors of the nation who are meek and hold neither positions of headship nor receive donations. And the words the poorest among the people refer to their followers who are poor and weak." The above interpretation is all the more interesting as, by contrast, it contains a condemnation of the Rabbanite leaders who held positions of power and authority, and a denunciation of their practices in taking contributions from communities and individuals. While the "shepherds of the Galuth," the exilarchs and the heads of the academies, were indulging in a quasi-royal style of life and amassing wealth, the Karaite leadership was distinguished by its extreme humility and self-denial.'o9 It is indicative of the importance which Yefet ben 'Ali attached to poverty that he conferred upon his co-sectarians not only the ordinary biblical terms for "humble" and "poor," but also a term like D'nro in Isa. 50.10, which he understood as signifying "the dark ones." This is his exposition of the verse according to the afore-mentioned MS., fol. 85a-b :"o 1o9 Cf. above, note 15. Yefet ben 'Ali reverts to this subject whenever an opportunity presents itself. On Isa. 55.2, he writes: ". . . the Maskilim ... are generous with the dissemination of their wisdom, in return for which they accept no recompense" (quoted by Birnbaum, op. cit., p. xxix, note 83). Cf. further on Hos. 3.4: "He [the prophet] points out that they shall remain without king and without chief... But if anyone were to say, 'behold they do have in Captivity exilarchs and presidents of academies,' we should say to him: 'these are transgressors; God has not invested them with authority. Only teachers are requisite in Captivity and none else' " (ibid., p. xxvii f.; p. 53). Yefet follows here Daniel al-Qumisi who writes on the Hos. verse 1 l D ,} 1 'l nln'iz m a m quoted as follows: lp amn n v 'I dt- oDny. onlrns1I D-n'-p:a Donlbl'yun D0-m nlB:'r 'AR-C1 OD: nr) bad See also Salmon ben Yeruhim's vituperations in Mann, op. cit., p. 84. 110It appears very probable that the sectarian interpretation of this verse goes back to Daniel al-Qumisi, see Melilah, II, p. 194.

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

287

... 3. . D) ,5,i a09' 11 ( ' t n 15 n I ,t' n'"i 1,;pmlnDSK n:',3 '1m'aWnbt 1,'m103bt p0 'Wol =rlrlb n~Dtq -Up ,raimnlKi-:K ,~ip 1D =mtq-bri, n-lbNl 3 al ...

p 3

y :13

-ni Ntl

H

,rr1 ....

p

010DlI

.i'.

"Who is among you that walks together with the poor, the dark ones. This refers to the meek whose faces are darkened and bodies blackened from lack of food and abundance of tribulations . . and with reference to them the prophet said (Zeph. 3.12): I will leave in the midst of thee a poor and afflicted people ..." This interpretative practice we encounter also in Kitdb Jdmi' al-Alfdaz,1" where the terms ,rn'm Q'l'i in Isa. 14.30 are interpreted as relating to "The Remnant." However, the most important piece of evidence is contained in the following quotation from Yefet's exposition of Isa. 32.7, where we have an explicit statement that the terms o"ay and r1n'N are designations for his co-sectarians (MS. British Museum, Or. 2501, fol. 80a):

I 3IN m3piK

==I 1331

'in

Qn3t

3py,3 y9prmIn

D' C 1

1bI31 bt

Kb1

Q

031 ' a

3^ nDt

3 n tD 9 W D

-'1 Inon.

"To destroy the poor with lying words, when he speaketh right. The prophet and Q'1a', because these are surnames of way' 'who turn from transgression in

and the needy mentions oay of the 'perfect Jacob.' "

We have to revert at this point to the Qumran documents in order to call attention to a striking coincidence. In the foregoing quotation, as well as in the interpretation of Zeph. 3.12, Yefet equated "the poor" with the "perfect of way." Precisely the same parallelism occurs in the Scroll of the Wars of the Sons of Light, as the following juxtaposition shows, where in A and B the destruction of the heathen '"

II, p. 617, 37 f.

288

THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

nations is ascribed to "the poor," but in C to the "perfect of way": II2.l~nl,

'13

" wIIyMBa b

1:: 'IT n'non

13

lon 1m nv

1a 1 ' p I3

yl a

m 3'

.A

1 n 1 . 1...C

Noteworthy, too, is the following coincidence. The author of the Damascus Fragments (xix, 9) designates the adherents of the sect as "the poor of the flock" (leun "ly). The same designation is employed by Sahl ben Mazliah1"I with reference to the Karaites in the Holy City: ' ly-n ... .n

n , 'y

lmpnn ,'1DK OvW1i, 'W1v' a'nK.

We conclude this part of our study with a reference to the Karaite liturgy. It was suggested in a previous context"6 that one of the principles which governed the choice of scriptural texts for inclusion into the Karaite liturgy was a specific sectarian interpretation placed upon the texts concerned. Our present subject furnishes another illustration of this contention. Ps. 102 was incorporated in the Karaite liturgy. Even if we had no definite proof that a Karaite interpretation was given to this Psalm, we would have been on firm ground in assuming that the reason for its selection lies in the superscription of the Psalm oys rmsn which declared the Ps. to be "a prayer of the poor." In fact, we have the testimony of Salmon ben Yeruhim to the effect that this Psalm represented the prayers of "The Remnant."1'7

Significantly, the recitation of the Ps. is introduced by an exordium (,nnpn) of ten verses containing the terms 112PI. xxvi, 13.

"3 PI. xxvi, 9.

14

PI. xxix, 7.

I6 See above, p. 276. "s Harkavy, op. cit., p. 199. "7Cf. MGWJ, 1901, p. 520: n IrnH nl , x in l~I 1 y I D MK3 ' :P-p P1p tp 'itH I -Tp YPiS p 1Hil

trin Yib

14 ,ap rc.nn). Cf. further Hadassi, 93, letter x: rIn mnnm mnpyx -lDn ,D 1 ,n ,D '..a"n I1m. See n29. notesandm 94 1 Ey ' ' D Vy iaD. .. n'D'n . See notes 94 and 129. nm9n

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

289

,y or 1l'= no less than fourteen times."8 This fact emphatically underlies the word "poor" in the superscription, drawing the worshipper's attention to the character of the Ps., and at the same time is expressive of the importance attributed to the epithet "poor" in Karaite quarters."9

APPEN

DIX

YEFET BEN 'ALI'S PORTRAYALOF THE 1n'

v1o paas?1-T Inn

on i^ntvl; C.Tny1n

I21,1

1nn1.M

mDpBtnPt

; 1jHipim

'D'on.2?0

On ID .1 -i -1 pInD

;n)n

In

DI n an

-] T

nrlm nlA;.r -1lnnm n1MwV y aymw "nDl D cvmD nl?2, ;l0n1nn0 1Dvwo r ,''1 niin qlitn nlyD nyi D'sD D, -iW

3ito nmvvz~.Q^ ncDo ['31$$It r12 "1rr Vp-IDt 12410tv wnp-il tVI.IM 118Karaite Prayer-bookI (Wilna), p. 65; II (Odessa), 33; Hadassi, p. Alphabet 20, letter n; Gan Eden, 75c. A Genizah fragment of a Karaite Prayer-bookin CambridgeUniversity Library, T-S.H. 10/203, fol. la, has only the verses illustrative of 'lp but not those of the word lyp', as in the printed editions. 119As to the term ,3yattached to the name of certain membersof the Mournersfor Zion, see Mann, op. cit., p. 1472. It is worth noting that Ibn Ezra, who had a liking for puns, designated the Karaites nyrn "ay in the introduction to his commentary on the Pentateuch ('#n gnm.). 120 See Barges' edition of Yefet's commentary on the Song of Songs, pp. 187 f. 121 122

See note 53. Isa. 28.16.

23 Amos 6.4, 6. Cf. Sahl ben Mazlia.h'sAppeal to the Karaites in the Diaspora, ed. A. Harkavy, oDnn3 jDND,no. 13, p. 204. 24 The Karaite ascetics abstained from the use of oil as a manifestation of mourning for the destruction of the Temple. This is evident

290

THE JEWISH QUARTERLYREVIEW

- m:=l D nmupl 1i'm i= Mt rn,,n.wr,: ,:, aNi,' Q25s:3,-mLn. nttD:1I1" nnpNt'261,n't, O,'qN "I'lDD:ar mD'NDDom1 lnmw-6l n I, nrta m qrW ily;n ,p:yn mptvynDn;pn'- -1l1; ."inD 'K on'innnUr 'V 'K nK 127"5-IM ,Dj iL4totrW 1w' ntr oy nrtn mOn ,1, nInnl 1'1,o1 n nii 1.n:lml nnn niyi o;ni Inmnnm:' 'nmlnvp~1 1nl3: 1= .rD IaniltD n;nmil l viln, ri n;i, r.It[ 1, "D91D'I.l "19DD ,:an "8's3 nyl ='lpml ~1t onn: , ;lt 1 ;'" y-n: rn,,D' m1191 nlmnn DlM= :-in2Dntp 13l': N

=?

,-):=: nli- ,tN1

-3l1mDn,

-)m9t,1 '30pm mCp:=? ;nn:Km= :nlaWI

lK;nnaa 3 o11 ymp'ol nn31 ;11 mlyml nvii o1301, oy I3: Q D tyr ID is 'jlvl ~0pWDDgll nniam I'll D ^^ninas 'y01^3 tay ^.-Mbl nyyrunD

Ki

t

from Yefet's comment on Jer. 31.15 (MS. British Museum, Or. 2503, 44a): ''n fln In D 'ip nn 1inn,' irn,) 1] in Oml 3p ',-i1 'p ,, nvNm1,o'npi03l wnDtyallDi OwDimm loD'n 1" ninvi 1mw iDzsnmiv IMi:~M: mn mDnn 4 p,Y nlymnl: ;,INm .nlnvil ~1 , ,p lrny, n.n 1= 'Y .0m:3 =,-n-u3 ,IKrl ,,nn I', owI n-ir -p: ,,nw :in 'I, n, . ND nD in- ;i Nd rl '11'1 D-Ian unn,' y?D P ir -T2y1 N13 i p. 30 *...' 125 Isa. 65.11. Al-Qumisi had already expounded the text as referring to those who partake of meat and wine in Galuth, see JQR, N. S., XII, pp. 281 f. 126 Isa. 56.12. 127 Isa. 66.5. Karaite exegetes interpreted the verse as alluding to the persecution and excommunication of the sect by the Rabbanites. 128Cf. Ps. 102.10. 129 Ibid. w. 7-8. The fact that Yefet applied these verses to his partisans may be taken as evidence that he, too, interpreted Ps. 102 as representing the prayers of the intellectual dlite of the sect who bore the title "poor." Cf. above, p. 285. 330 The custom of wearing sack-cloth is constantly harped upon by the Jerusalem ascetics. Cf. Sahl ben Mazliah (Pinsker, Appendices, 31 and Harkavy, op. cit., 198, 203); Yefet (commentary on Hosea, p. 220, cited above, p. 101) and David al-Fasi (II, 233, lines 96 f.). The anonymous Rabbanite polemicist ridicules this custom when he says nrm tpnDljy; riw'' ,y, "they wear a hairy mantle in order to deceive" Ginzberg, op. cit., 495; Rosenthal 53). but is to be taken literally, cf. N. '3I This is no mere metaphor, Wieder, Islamic Influences, 50 and note 208a. To the sources adduced there add Hadassi, Alphabet 181, letter 9: 16' ?.. . * Inyminr 1si u1,

QUMRAN SECTARIES AND KARAITES-WIEDER

nmXp n;l n;ib noni

Imni

1-[n

a In

I3a.ili i nPY'02

In

291

t3v n'Dln yn1 noln nt nxn inn fy 1c nnmwn an-m;I . wm '111. 'p

i an1;fl ilp Bwl

'133."ntIn.

2 THE TERM

t n1W'

'

W

The expression Lnvw'vo has been the subject of divergent interpretations. Apart from the quite unfounded emendation by Aptowitzer'34 who suggested the reading nvw ,3xal,there have been three different renderings. S. Schechter,'35 followed recently by I. Rabinowitz,'36 translated "the Captivity of Israel," thus vocalizing '.A. On the other hand, already in 1912 Z. M. Segal maintained that the expression signified "the Elders of Israel," a view which he reaffirmed in his recent publications,'37 and lately accepted by S. Zeitlin.138 The majority of scholars, among them Ginzberg,'39 Biichler,140I. Levi,I4I W. Bacher,142 and Charles,'43 are agreed on the rendering "the penitents of Israel." The covering of the face with ashes 1 Omnhtl n-ay On;,n 1,ozyn.as a sign of grief and mourning was still practised in the 12th cent. even in cases of private mourning; see the letter by the Jewish courtphysician of the Sultan Al-Malik Al-'Aziz, published by S. D. Goitein vol. 2-5 (1955), pp. 62 f., lines 6, 21. in 0lltr, I3a Cf. p. 285. I32 Isa. 61.3. 33Ibid., 58.12. '34 Cf. Parteipolitik der Hasmonaerzeit, p. 190. s of a Zadokite Work, p. xxxv, note 1. 35Fragments 136 Cf. JBL, LXXII, 1954, 16, n. 20. 7 Ha-Shiloah, XXVI, 487; JQR, N. S., III, 309; JBL, 1951, 141; Tarbiz, xxii, 1951, 145. 138 See JQR, 1954, 22. 39 MGWJ, 1911, 683 f. 140 JQR, N. S., III, 473. 141REJ, 1911, 178. 142 ZfHB, XV, 1911, 16, and note 1. I43 Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, II, 808.

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THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW

However, the genitive construction of this expression requires an explanation. How is the seemingly superfluous addition of ,Arzw qualifying the term ':o to be accounted for? I suggest that the construction owes its origin to, and was inspired by, the antithetical term wir ,yan, used by the Qumran sectarians as a designation for their opponents.144 In this case, the addition of "Israel" was necessary in order to distinguish the "wicked" in their own midst from "the wicked of the nations." As an antonym to Ibrw ,yn the term Arrwnt:w was coined. Karaite parallels suggest this solution. The term "the wicked of Israel," not found in the entire Bible, was also in vogue among them to designate their own opponents.145 In contradistinction to this term they created, side by side with the ordinary Karaite epithet pnllwn, also the expression

fnw,'

, xwD.146

Even more significant is the formation of itn, ,5,I147 a variation of the title p'rn ,~, which according to Isa. 59.3 would be conferred upon the mourners for Zion and which the Karaite ascetics appropriated to themselves.148 A similar formation will be discussed in another context - namely, the term vn,' 'cns, which represents a parallel to the much-discussed rnmnl,ens in the Habakkuk Scroll (xii, 4). '44 See PEQ, 1954, p. 71.

14sCf. Ginzberg, Genizah Studies, II, 438 f.: nnoxn, y'rIn ' n,... . '31 ...* * mm |inm

I'I I :' m ymS .iM B 1 all' In I I 3 n L '9 jx l' m 13^' HS IrS nI1' Dn-flD1 131I ' Hi1 Dm2 IS Dy-l

l

I 1- I 3-1

v

wlrin. More references elsewhere.

146Cf. Sahl ben Mazliah (Pinsker, Appendices 36) and Yefet ben 'Ali on Cant. 2.9 (ed. Bargds). I47 Yefet, op. cit., p. 4. 7 148Cf. above, pp. 100-2; Yefet on Cant. 1.2: 'n-i 'p'xD oy ,,onP p-ixn,'N ; al-Fasi (I, 77, line 116): -i p i n '6 ~,n1nD1i, '9 p nhnDI uni. p-ix-Yr '4'm