Discoveries in the Judaean Desert, vol. XL

1QHodayota is one of the large scrolls taken from Cave 1 by the Bedouin and has always been recognized as one of the most important of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It contains a collection of psalms, addressed to God, in which the author(s) give thanks to God for deliverance, salvation, knowledge and divine mercy. This document is key for understanding the specific worldview and piety of its author(s), and at least some of the psalms may be compositions of the Teacher of Righteousness. This volume presents the Hebrew text as reconstructed and read by the late Hartmut Stegemann, with text preserved in 4QHa-f and 1QHb incorporated. Extensive Notes on the Readings discuss difficult readings and alternate proposals for readings; much of this material was written by Stegemann in his 1968 unpublished commentary, and has been supplemented and updated by Eileen Schuller. A detailed description, written by Stegemann, explains the process and rationale for the reconstruction of the manuscript. The complete text has been translated, with brief notes, by Carol Newsom.Many important questions still remain resolved about the Thanksgiving Psalms, particularly the origin and authorship of these psalms, the explanation of the different collections that are found in some of the 4Q manuscripts, their relationship to the Teacher of Righteousness, their function in establishing sectarian and community identity, and their possible liturgical use. This volume provides scholars with an edition of 1QHodayota that can be the basis for ongoing scholarly research on this important text.