B — Hymns and Poems

Chapter 4

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Badly worn remains of five columns of a Scroll with apocryphal psalms, at least partly devoted to exorcism, have survived in Cave 11. Most of the columns are so poorly preserved that no continuous reading is possible. In col. I, where the name of Solomon implies that this was one of the poems attributed to him, the repeated use of the term 'demons' and mention of 'healing' suggest the genre of the composition. In col. a 'powerful angel' is mentioned who seems to be charged with defeating the demon and casting it to the 'great abyss' and the 'nethermost hell'. Col. v, 3—13 has been recognized as the canonical Psalm xci, preceded by small remains of the exorcistic poem of col. and followed by a liturgical formula, 'And they shall answer, Amen, amen. Selah.' All the lacunae of col. have been conjecturally filled by E. Puech in a French rendering. His presentation will be reproduced here in English; it provides a possible general understanding of the text, but with no guarantee that any of the restored details is correct. For preliminary editions, see J. P. M. van der Ploeg, 'Un petit rouleau de psaumes apocryphes ', in G. Jeremias et al. eds. Tradition und Glaube, 128-39; E. Puech, 'Les deux derniers psaumes davidiques du rituel d'exorcisme, IIQPsApa 4-v 14', in D. Dimant and U. Rappaport, eds. The Dead Sea Scrolls: Forty Years of Research, 64-89; cf. esp. pp. 68-9. For the editio princeps, see F. García Martinez et al. DJD, XXIII, 181-205.

III.. Who has performed these signs and marvels on the earth?

The Lord is the one who performed these through His might. He adjures all His angels and all the seed of holiness who stand before Him, and makes all the heavens testify and the whole earth against those who sinned against all men, and acted wickedly against every human. And they know the mysteries of His marvels which they do not.. and they fear the Lord.. to kill... the Lord.. the Lord.. and they will fear that great blow.

IV.. The Lord will strike you with a great blow for your destruction.. and in His anger He will send against you a mighty angel to execute all His decisions, who will be without mercy on you.. against all these, who will take you down to the great abyss, and to the nethermost hell.. dark in the great abyss.. no more on the earth.. for ever, and.. by the curse of Abaddon..the furious anger of the Lord..

V.. Raphael healed them. Amen, amen. Selah. Of David.. an incantation in the name of the Lord. Call any time on heaven, for He will come to you in the night, and you will say to Him: Who are you, one born of man And of the seed of the holy ones? Your face is a face of inanity And your horns are horns of dream. You are darkness and not light, Injustice and not righteousness. The Prince of the host, the Lord,

will send you down to the lowest hell, and will close the gates of bronze through which no light passes and the sun which rises on the righteous will not enlighten you.. And you will say..

VI.. To David. On words of incantation. Cry out all the time in the name of the Lord towards heaven when Belial comes to you. And say to him: Who are you? Be afraid of man and of the seed of the holy ones. Your face is a face of nothing and your horns are horns of dream. You are darkness and not light; injustice and not righteousness. The prince of the host is against you; the Lord will cast you to the nethermost hell, closed by bronze gates through which no light shall pass; nor shall shine there the light of the sun which will rise over the righteous to illumine his face. And you will say: Is there not an angel with the righteous when judgement comes for Satan for he caused him evil? And the spirit of truth will save him from darkness because righteousness is for him.. for ever all the son of Belial. Amen, amen. Selah.