Social Identity and Sectarianism in the Qumran Movement (2013 Jokiranta), book

Social Identity and Sectarianism in the Qumran Movement (2013) is a book by Jutta Jokiranta.

Abstract

"Identity and sectarianism, two crucial and frequently used concepts in Qumran studies, are here problematized, praised, and redefined. Two social-scientific theories inform the investigation of the serakhim (rule documents) and pesharim (commentaries). Sociology of sectarianism is presented in retrospect in order to identify appropriate methodological tools for speaking about sectarianism in the ancient context, and for comparing sectarian stances in the serakhim. Furthermore, a social-psychological perspective into identity is introduced for the first time for appreciating the dynamic and context-dependent nature of a person s social identity. The final chapter takes a fresh approach to the study of the pesharim, arguing for the need to read each Pesher as a whole. It analyses the prototypical teacher and brings forward new interpretations on this captivating and cloudy figure."--Publisher description.

Editions

Published in Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2009 (Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, 105).