Words of Michael
4Qmich=4Q529, 6Qunidar=6Q23
Paraphrase and comments by Pete Garczynski
Introduction
The Archangel Michael is the "protector of Israel"; he
plays a prominent role in Jewish literature. Michael is
considered as the leader of the angels and for this reason
is considered the Chief messenger of God. In The Words of
the Archangel Michael, he is portrayed as talking to other
angels. Also he is seen in the text as being a given a
vision from Gabriel. It is this vision that causes
speculation of to what city they are actually referring to
within the text. It at first looks like the author is
starting to talk about the tower of Babel, but after further
consideration it looks as if he is talking about Jerusalem
and the building of the temple. If this assumption is
right, then Michael may be asking why there is an angelic
force stationed on the mountains. Gabriel vision may be an
explanation to why they are there and a premonition to the
great city that is to be built there.
Paraphrase
4Q529, 6Q23
1 Wording of text which Michael addressed the angels of
God[...]2 Michael said, "I have located there an army of
angels[1][...]3[...] nine big hills:
two to the Eas[t...]4[and two to the] South. It was at
this place Michael met with the Angel Gabriel [...][2] 5... During their meeting Michael
translated a dream of Gabriel'. Gabriel then said to
Michael:[...]6 It was written in his text that God, the
all powerful,[...]7 the boys of Ham to the boys of Shem.
And see my Supreme being, the god of the earth[...]8
When it rains freely[...]9 view a city Made to worship
the Supreme being, Lo[rd Eternal...]10Anything that is
bad will be performed before God[3], the
Almighty Lo[rd Eternal...]11 God will remember his
people[...]12 the Supreme being; to him the prizes and
praises and to him[...]13 in a far away place there will
be a man[...]14 the man will say to him: 'Observe
this[...]15 bring to me silver and gold[...]...
[...]16 the good man[4]
Footnotes
[1] The original text reads, "troops of fire". In
certain texts the existance of fire has been understood to mean a Godly
or angelic presence.
[2] The Angel Gabriel is considered to serve as a
guide in the Highest Heaven
[3] A hint that the city that may be refered to is
Jerusalem
[4] From 13 to 16 Cook suggests a possible parallel
to 4Q522 in which the nations bring things to Jerusalem for the Temple
(WAC, 427).
Bibliography
Eiserman, Robert. Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered; The
First Complete Translation and Interpretation of 50 Key
Documents Withheld for Over 35 Years,Penquin Press,
New York, 1992.
Martinez, Florentino. The Dead Sea Scrolls
Translated; The Qumran Texts in English, E.J.Brill &
Leiden, New York, 1996.
Vermes, Geza. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in
English, Penguin Press, New York, 1997.
Wise, Abess, and Cook. The Dead Sea Scrolls; A
New Translation, Harper Collins Publishers, Inc., New
York, 1996
12/98
prepared for
Intro. to the Hebrew Bible
by
Pete Garczynski
Garczynski@albnet.alb.edu