Dead Sea Scrolls Manuals

¶ … Community Rule Texts

The incredible finds at Qumran have provided many new insights about faith, God and the way religion was practiced many years ago. The Rule of the Community or the Manual of Discipline, as it is known in some circles, is a very central text that represents many of the core principles of the sectarian movements during the times before the new era. This text provides a keen insight into the possible practices of these people.

The Rule of Community is a highly organized instruction manual that appears to be directed an elite level of society due to its tone and content. This manual presented many laws and rule much like other texts such as the Damascus Document and the Miqsat Ma' ase Ha Torah, also referred to as 4 QMMT. The rule of community spelled out many principles about the organization of community by clarifying what behaviors needed to be observed and what tasks needed to be performed in order to stay in order and at peace with their god. The Rule of Community did not include women in their sect and, unlike the aforementioned companion texts, prescribed a male dominated society that most likely did not include women at all.

When comparing the various ideas contained in these texts it suggests that the break from traditional Judaic practices in Jerusalem had made these secular writings inflammatory. The laws actual content of the rules listed in this text can't apply in today's modern world, their spirt and essence still can live on when considering the baseline principles that are inherent within the words.