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Assemblies | New Jerusalem
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IntroductionNew Jerusalem descriptions were written in Aramaic and paralleled Ezekiel xl - xliii, as well as, Revelation xxi. It is thought that a surveyor of the era was a visionary in ancient Judea who provided a detailed picture of the entire city's dimensions. The parallels this work has to the Hebrew Bible is that both measure the city in detail from east to west escorted by the guidance from a heavenly being. Ezekiel was a prophet that earnestly awaited the restoration of Israel to its once prosperous state. Other parallels like Isaiah and the book of Tobit speak of a rejuvenated city and temple of the Lord. Revelation is less detailed in the actual measuring, but more vivid in depicting the visual heavenliness of the city with references to jewels, gold, and a running crystal stream. Ezekiel and Revelation cover more of the rules governing the Lord's people and the manner in which the twelve tribes of Israel should divide the city. The purpose to the Qumran community is that of a basic picture of a rewarding place for following the laws of the Lord. Judeaism and Christianity are similar in many basic concepts in their respective scriptures. |
Then[4] he took me into the city to
measure all the city blocks. He measured the length and width of the blocks to
be a 51 x 51 rod[5] square [4Q554 + 5Q15, Frag.
1 col. I] (357 cu. on each side). The portico of the street
measured 3 rods (21 cu.[6]). He showed me all the
measurements of all the blocks. Each street between the blocks measuring 6 rods
in width (42 cu.). Two main streets running East to West measured 10 rods (70
cu.) in width with the third street (which runs by the left of the temple)
measuring 18 (126 cu.). The two streets running South to North measured 9 rods,
4 cu. in width (67 cu.) with the main one in the middle he measured at 13 rods,
1 cu. (92 cu.). All the city streets are paved of white stone, alabaster and
onyx.[7] [vacat]
The [...][8] eighty posterns were
then measured: each 2 rods (14 cu.) with stone jambs measuring 1 rod (7 cu.). He
showed me the dimension of the twelve [gates]. Their doors' widths were 3 rods
(21 cu.). Each door had two jambs measuring 1½ rods (10½ cu.). On either side
of each of the doors were towers. Their height and width were 5 rods by 5 (35
cu.). A staircase runs by the inner door, going up to the height of the towers
being 5 cu. wide. The towers and the staircases are each 5 rods, 5 cu. square
(40 cu. on each side of the door)[....] He showed me that the porches of the
blocks were 2 rods (14 cu.) in width, and the width of the [...] measured in
cubits. He measured the top of each threshold with its jambs, measuring inside
13 (length) by 10 cu. (width). He then led me inside the vestibule where there
was another threshold and door on the right side of the inner wall. The wall was
proportional to the outer gate, and measured 4 cu. wide by 7 cu. high. He
measured the door to the room, measuring 1 rod in width. Col. II (7 cu.).
The length of the entrance was 2 rods (14 cu.), with a height of 2 rods (14
cu.). The corresponding door had the same dimensions as they left the room. To
the left he showed me a stairwell that goes around and up, with identical
dimensions, 2 rods by 2 (14 cu.). The doors opposite are the same size. A pillar
stands in the middle of the staircase that goes up and around [9]
which measures 6 by 6 cu. [5Q15 + 4Q555] The staircase, which
goes up beside it, measures 4 cu. wide and ascends 2 rods up to [....]
He brought me to the interior of the city block and
showed me the houses between the gates, fifteen in all. Eight went one direction
to the corner gate and seven in another direction to the other gate. The houses
were 3 rods (21 cu.) long by 2 rods (14 cu.) wide. They all have the same floor
plan, and they are each 2 rods (14 cu.) high. Each has a 2 rod (14 cubit) door
in the middle of the house. He measured the interiors of the houses[... ? An
interior feature was ?...] 4 cu. in length and 1 rod (7 cu.) high. The site has
19 cu. long and 12 wide. The house has 22 beds, and eleven lattice windows above
[...]. On the side was an outer gutter[...] the window, 2 cu. high [...]
thickness and width of the wall [...] the platform, 19 cu. wide [and 12] cu.
wide. [...] their height [...] 2 rods (14 cu.) [... a width] of 3 cu. and a
length of 10 [cu....] 1½ cu.[...][10]
[Note: the text continues with a description of the sacrificial activities in the new temple and a prophecy about the surrounding nations]
VanderKam, James C., The Dead Sea Scrolls Today, Eerdmans Publishers, Mich., 1994, pp. 163-165.
Stendahl, Krister, The Dead Sea Scrolls And The New Testament, Harper & Bros. Publishers, pp. 187-194.
Gold, Norman, Who Wrote The Dead Sea Scrolls?, Scriber, pp. 361- 383.
Yadin, Yigael, The Message of the Scrolls, Simon & Schuster, pp. 73-80.
Wise, Michael Owen, The Dead Sea Scrolls: a new translation, Harper, San Francisco, 1996, pp. 180- 185.
Vermes, Geza, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English, Penguin Books, New York, 1987.
5/15/98
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