Claiming Israel’s Angels as their Own: The Angelic Realm and the Religious Identity of the Qumran SectCross-file under New Book.
Several ancient Jewish texts suggest that a connection, correspondence, or parallel was thought to exist between the faithful angels of heaven and Israel on earth. The Qumran sect put their own stamp on these broader convictions by boldly claiming both fellowship with the angels and that they outranked the angels in some sense. In doing so, the sectarians bolstered their claims to be the true Israel.
See Also: Angels Associated with Israel in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Angelology and Sectarian Identity at Qumran (Mohr Siebek, 2019).
By Matthew L. Walsh
Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies
Acadia Divinity College
July 2019
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.