I'm very curious what view on universalism/eschatology is found in the dead sea scrolls
I have read, that some of the works found there clearly support annihilation, as far as I know, the (in)famous book of Enoch also belongs to the dead sea scroll material, especially this book is interesting for me, it appears to me that at least some passages indicate finite punishment rather than endless torment, does anybody want to examine it together with me? - a part of it is available in Greek, the translation I think is not reliable and I suppose nobody here speaks Ethopian.
There are many great schorlarly articles of past centuries; as the dead sea scrolls have been found in about 1949 as far as I know, have these writings ever been examined by a contemporay universalist scholar in a similar exhaustive manner as universalists of recent times did investigation?
:cloud9: Fifteen years ago I was blessed to view a microfilm copy of the actual fragments a dead sea scroll copy of Isaiah, that was being translated by a Jewish scholar from Chicago. There were about 14 Messianic rabbis in there who could read Hebrew, and they wept at the revealing of it. They had no doubt it was authentic from the time period, so I think they would make for a good study. My :2c: Blessings....
One thing that I do know is that Elaine Pagels author of The Gnostic Gospels and other books is one of the leading experts on that language.
I have read all her books and she puts forth fact
with out her own belief system. I was moved by her above book, as to how politics effected the first 100 years of Christian Thought.
AND THE WINNERS WRITE HISTORY
Lee Damboise II
Elaine Pagels is a radical non-Christian who doesn't believe in the Bible, at least not as ordinary born again Christians do. That is how I understand her. I would say she is active enough too, so that "non" should be replaced with "anti," as in "anti-christ-ian." The word "demon" is based on "intellegience, a knowing one." I say that because knowledge goes only so far to commend someone. She can function academically, but her theories fit in with many contemporary anti-supernaturalist seminarians who don't believe the facts of faith enumerated by the Apostle's Creed or that the Bible is any kind of legitimate authority. Along with them, she believes the Bible is the result of many additions and deletions over the centuries as well as a product of the political manouverings of prejuced bureachrats in Institutional Christianity who suppressed the rest of what should be accepted on a level with the Holy Scriptures. If you want a good collection of Gnostic writings her book The Gnostic Scriptures is excellent, but she's one of the last I'd consult for factual information on the Bible and first Century Christianity.
Don't suppose these ideas exist in a vacuum. Proponents of the new morality which accompanies such views of Scripture in the mid fifties of last century, like Tillich and May (according to Tillich's widow,) indulged in that immorality.
If you search for them you can find able apologists whose books debunk the "modern" anti-supernatural, anti-biblical, anti-Christ error.
I guess this is just another example of agreeing to disagree, because I feel that she has the knowable to present facts as to old writings, I have investagated The Gnostic Gospel she wrote and find every word to be absolute fact and no miss quotes of any kind. "to my 'understanding', knowable"
But we differ quite a bit in Spiritual understanding anyway.
And this is "okay with me" because I know that Our Father Opens when He Opens and Closes WHEN He Closes.
Bless -- Lee Damboise II
the Dead sea scrolls are just like the rest of the scriptures.
Rev 5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the
throne a scroll with writing on both sides. AND SEALED WITH
SEVEN SEALS...
but no-one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could
open the scroll or even look inside.
Then one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep, see the Lion
of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has triumphed.
He is able to open the scroll and it's seven seals.
inside AND outside
Come quickly Lord Jesus!