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Cited by 0Biblical Studies and InterpretationHistorical, Religious, and Philosophical StudiesReligion, Theology, History, Judaism, Christianity

What Angel or Prince Is Like Your Redemptive Help?: Revisiting the Assistance of 1QM 13:14

Walsh, Matthew L.·2025·Dead Sea Discoveries
DOI 10.1163/15685179-bja10065
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Abstract

The rhetorical flourish of 1 QM 13:14 has been interpreted as a reminder that the ultimate resource of the sectarian community is not an angel but the God of Israel. This reading, however, stands in tension with the many sections of the War Scroll that look expectantly to the eschaton for the martial “help” of the angels. This study will develop a lesser-known understanding of 1 QM 13:14: that no angel can compare to the “help” appointed by God, namely, the Prince of Light/Michael. Proposed reconstructions of the lacuna of 1 QM 13:14 and the relevance of a War Scroll-related fragment (4Q491 11 ii 14) will also be evaluated. It will be demonstrated that the ‮עז׳׳ר‬‎ root was frequently employed to describe angelic assistance in not only the War Scroll but also other Second Temple texts, indicating that the “redemptive help” of 1 QM 13:14 is most cogently read as the celebration of a divinely commissioned principal angel.

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Research works printed but not linked: 18

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Authors
Walsh, M. L.
Affiliations
Acadia University (CA)
Corresponding author
Walsh, Matthew L.
ORCID
Walsh, Matthew L.
Venue
Dead Sea Discoveries
Publisher
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Published
2025-06-20
Volume
32
Issue
2
Pages
231-261
ISSN
  • 0929-0761 (ISSN-L)
  • 1568-5179
DOI
10.1163/15685179-bja10065
OpenAlex
W4411615078
Semantic Scholar
d21f93e0858cc7edf207b64018d7ed2e7e78c761
Cited by
0
References
62
FWCI
0.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Dead Sea Discoveries (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Biblical Studies and Interpretation
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Religion, Theology, History, Judaism, Christianity
Keywords
War Scroll, Michael, eschatology, divine assistance, Second Temple Judaism, angelology, textual reconstruction, Qumran

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