The Book of Jubilees and the Temple Scrollmediary. This view contrasts radically with that of Jubilees. Jubilees has
added a new angelic intermediary between God and Moses. The Temple
Scroll has removed Moses, so that there is no intermediary between God
himself and Israel.
Messianic Theology
The book of Jubilees includes extensive material indicating the author's
views on the End of Days. The book expects, as part of its ex eventu "proph
ecy," that Israel will fail to fulfill the words of God's covenant (23:16,19; 15:33-
34). Chaps. 1 and 23 indicate that great misfortune will come upon Israel be
cause of its apostasy. However, both chapters also expect repentance and the
onset of a new age, ushered in by study of the law and observance of God's
ritual and moral commandments. People will live lives of happiness with a
life span of 1,000 years. Neither a messiah nor resurrection of the dead is
mentioned. Essentially, the proper observances of God's law by the people is
the desired expected eschaton.^31 Jub 1:29 describes that time as follows: "the
day of the [new] creation when the heavens and earth shall be renewed...
until the sanctuary of the Lord shall be made in Jerusalem on Mount
Zion."^32
Eschatological issues are hinted at only twice in the Temple Scroll.
Like Jubilees, the Temple Scroll does not mention either the messiah or res
urrection of the dead. In column 29, the Temple Scroll makes brief refer
ence to the sacrificial practices it requires and the architectural plan it puts
forth for the temple as being in force "up until the day of the blessing" (so
Yadin)^33 or "[new] creation" (so Qimron).^34 The verbal similarity (if one
reads with Qimron against Yadin) is striking. In the Temple Scroll, it is ap
parently expected that the End of Days would bring with it a new temple,
built by God, to replace the present imperfect, man-made temple.^35 This
- J. C. VanderKam, "Jubilees, Book of," in ABD 3:1031-32.
- Charles, Jubilees, 9-10.
- Yadin, The Temple Scroll, 2:129.
- E. Qimron, The Temple Scroll: A Critical Edition with Extensive Reconstructions
(Beersheva and Jerusalem: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Israel Exploration Soci
ety, 1996), 44. - Cf. L. H. Schiffman, "The Theology of the Temple Scroll," JQR 85 (Qumran
Studies, 1994): 109-23; D. R. Schwartz, "The Three Temples of 4Qflorilegium," RevQ 10
(1979): 83-92; M. O. Wise, "4QFlorilegium and the Temple of Man," RevQ 15 (1991): 103-32;