The first few lines give the setting: Daniel is
speaking to Belshazzar with the story of Noah Ős flood (Gen 6-9).
.
1 [ . . . ] 2 [ . . . ] 3 [ . . . ] 4 [ . . . ] after the
flood [ . . . ] 5 [ . . . Noah from [Moun] Lubar [ . . . ]
.
The story of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11).
.
6 [ . . . they built a] city [ . . . ] 7 [ . . ] a tower,
[its] height [reached the heavens . . . ] a [ . . . ] 9 [ . . . agai]nst the
tower and He sent [them~away . . . ]
.
This section may have described GodŐs choice of
Abraham to produce a chosen race (Gen. 12).
.
10 [ . . . ] to search among the sons of [men, to find one
righteous . . .
[ . . . Abraham, I]s[aac, and Jacob . . . ]
.
The prediction to Abraham of the Egyptian captivity
(Gen. 15:13J.
.
12 [ . . . four hundred [years~ . . . ]
.
The Exodus is predicted (Gen. 15: 14; Exod. 15-16).
Note the division of history into jubilees (cf: text 81 for such a method).
.
13 [ . . . ] all of them shall come out of l4 Egypt
by the hand of [Moses . . . the day] thtey cross the Jordan is the [x]thJubilee
[ . . . ]
.
The Israelite apostasy is described in terms
borrowedfrom the Old Testament.
.
15 [ . . . ] but their descendants [sinned . . . ] 16 [ .
. . ] 17 [ . . . ] the children of Israel hid themselves from [the presence of
God] l8 [and sacrifi]ced their children to the demons of idols (Ps. 106:37).-So
God grew angry with them (Ps. 106:40) and commanded that they be given l9 into
the power (Ps. 106:41) of Nebu[chadnezzar king of Ba]bylon and that their land
be destroyed from them, and whatever [ . . . ]
.
The punishment of the Exile is limited to seventy years
(Jer. 25:12J, and then God will bring the Israelites back.
The arrangement of the fragments is hypothetical, and follows J. T. Milik.
.
20 [ . . . ] the exiles [ . . . ] 21[ . .:. ] He scattered
them [ . . . ] 22 [ . . . ] seventy years [ . . . ] 23 [ . . . by] his strong
hand, and He will save them [ . . . ]
.
Daniel describes a succession of kingdoms to come after
Babylon. The text apparently gives the names of some of the kings, none of which
is recognizable as historical. The name Balakros may correspond to the name
Belibra, a wicked Samaritan, who, according to the apocryphal Martyrdom of
Isaiah (second century B. C.E.), brought about the death of the prophet Isaiah.
.
24 [ . . . ] mighty [kings,] the kingdoms of the Gentiles
[ . . . ] 25 [ . . . ] it is the first kingdom [ . . . ] 26 [ . . . ]She will
reign for [x] years . . . ] 27 [ . . . ] Balakros [ . . . ] 28 [ . . . kingdom]
will tbe . . ] 29 [ ., . he will reign for x] years [ . . . ] 30 [ . . . ] RHWS
son of [ . . . ] 31 [ . . . he will reign] thirty-five years [ . . . ] 32 [, . .
] they will speak [slanderous lies . . . ] 33 [ . . . ] will go astray [ . . . ]
.
A gathering of some kind is forktold -- perhaps the
formation of a sect?
.
34 [ . . . in that time] those who are called [by name]
shall be gathered [ . . . ] 35 [ . . . from among] the Gentiles, and it shall
be, from [that] day [ . . . ] 36 [ . . . the ho]ly ones, and the kings of the
Gentiles [ . . . ] 37 [ . . . ] servants to the day [that . . . ]
.
At this point Daniel apparently speaks of a writing of
some kind containing a list of names of some of the priests and kings of Israel.
Some of the names may refer to the Hasmoneans John and Simon (1. 47).
.
40 [ . . . ] Daniel 41 [ . . . ] a writing that was given
42 [ . . . ~ Kohath 43 [ . . . ] Uzziah 44 [ . . . ] Abiathar 45 [ . . .
Zede]kiah 46 [ . . . ] Jehoniah 47 [ . .; Jo]hn, Simon 48 [ . . . ] David,
Solomon 49 [ . . . ] Ahaziah [ . . . ] 50 [ . . . ]
.
God will bring the final apostasy to an end.
.
51 [ . . . ] to end evil 52 [ . . . ] these in blindness
and error 53 [ . . . th]ese then shall arise 54 [ . . . ] the holy ones~will
return 55 [ . . . and there wil1 be an end of] evil.
The Vision of
Daniel
[Notes and dates
added by Mr. Charles will not be given due to length and difficulty in scanning
and editing.
If this information is desired, please see his book.]
Selection made from Mr. Charles
Qumram
