Reading for History in the Damascus Document : : A Methodological Study / / Maxine L. Grossman.

• Superior document: Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah Series ; Volume 45
• VerfasserIn: Grossman, Maxine L.,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, The Netherlands : : Koninklijke Brill NV,, [2002]; ©2002
• Year of Publication: 2002
• Edition: First edition.
• Language: English
• Series: Studies on the texts of the desert of Judah ; Volume 45.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (xii, 255 pages)

Scholars tend to view the Damascus Document as a historical source, but a reading of the text in light of contemporary (audience-oriented) literary criticism finds its emphasis in the ideological construction of history and communal identity, rather than in the preservation of a historical record. An introduction to contemporary literary criticism is followed by a series of thematic readings, focusing on historical narrative, priestly imagery, and gender in the covenant community. Each theme is examined in terms of its potential for multiple (sometimes contradictory) interpretations and for its place in the larger sectarian discourse. This study offers an alternative approach to the historiography of ancient Jewish sectarianism, acknowledging the presence of competing claims to shared traditions and the potential for changes in textual interpretation over time or among diverse communities.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- PREFACE -- LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS -- CHAPTER ONE METHODOLOGY: TOWARD A LITERARY-CRITICAL HISTORIOGRAPHY -- CHAPTER TWO TWO TEST CASES -- CHAPTER THREE HISTORY AND TIME IN THE DAMASCUS DOCUMENT -- CHAPTER FOUR READING FOR HISTORY AND TIME IN THE DAMASCUS DOCUMENT -- CHAPTER FIVE READING FOR IDENTITY IN THE DAMASCUS DOCUMENT -- CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSIONS AND CHALLENGES -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- MODERN AUTHORS -- INDEX OF ANCIENT SOURCES -- SELECTED SUBJECT INDEX -- STUDIES ON THE TEXTS OF THE DESERT OF JUDAH.