ABOUT THE COURSE
Course Introduction: The Theology of the Dead Sea Scrolls Exploring Divine Revelation through Targum, Midrash, and Pesher Every Saturday Welcome to this immersive journey into the theological depths of one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in biblical history—the Dead Sea Scrolls. In this course, we will unlock the voices of the Qumran community and trace their vision of divine reality through three ancient interpretive traditions that illuminate Scripture with profound nuance: Targum, Midrash, and Pesher. These are not merely methods of interpretation. They are hermeneutical worlds—each a sacred vessel carrying centuries of spiritual insight, cultural memory, and theological debate. 🕎 Targum: The Sacred Paraphrase In this unit, we will explore how the Aramaic Targumim, with their reverent expansions and clarifications, reflect a theology that balances reverence with relevance. The Targum does not merely translate—it interprets. It avoids anthropomorphisms of the divine, amplifies messianic expectation, and elevates hidden motifs. What the biblical text whispers, the Targum dares to proclaim. 📜 Midrash: The Sacred Inquiry We will then turn to Midrash, the art of sacred investigation. Rooted in the principle of darash—to seek—we will see how the Qumran community reimagined biblical passages, interweaving them with contemporary realities, and often reshaping theological categories such as covenant, purity, and eschatology. Through Midrashic expansions, the Dead Sea Scrolls speak not just to what the text said—but what it means for the believing community now. 🪶 Pesher: The Inspired Decoding Finally, we will immerse ourselves in the Pesharim, the inspired commentaries found at Qumran that declare: “This concerns…” These interpretations claim prophetic revelation for their own time. The scrolls reflect a radical theology where scripture speaks directly to the sectarian experience—Rome is the Kittim, the Wicked Priest opposes the Teacher of Righteousness.