Also known as
The War Scroll. This is a text from the
Dead Sea Scrolls found at
Qumran. It is a work detailing
Armageddon (dun dun Dunnn!)
The scroll is
partially damaged, and after about 20 lines in each column it's unreadable. Even so, it is a pretty
substantial work. I cannot cram it all into one node! The second half will be at
1QM : II and I'll stick a little synopisis in
The War Scroll for those who are interested in it but not interested enough to read the whole text. :Þ
Column 1
1 For the Instructor, the Rule of the War. The first attack of the Sons of Light shall be undertaken against the forces of the Sons of Darkness, the army of Belial: the troops of Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon,
2the Amalekites, Philistia, and the troops of the Kittim of Asshur. Supporting them are those who have violated the covenant. The sons of Levi, the sons of Judah, and the sons of Benjamin, those exiled to the wilderness, shall fight against them
3with … against all their troops, when the exiles of the Sons of Light return from the Wilderness of the Peoples to camp in the Wilderness of Jerusalem. Then after the battle they shall go up from that place
4and the king of the Kittim shall enter into Egypt. In his time he shall go forth with great wrath to do battle against the kings of the north, and in his anger he shall set out to destroy and eliminate the strength of
5Israel. Then there shall be a time of salvation for the People of God, and a time of dominion for all the men of His forces, and annihilation for all the forces of Belial. There shall be great panic
5 among the sons of Japheth, Assyria shall fall with no one to come to his aid, and the supremacy of the Kittim shall cease that wickedness be overcome without a remnant. There shall be no survivors
7of all the Sons of Darkness.
8 Then the Sons of Righteousness shall shine to all ends of the world continuing to shine forth until end of the appointed seasons of darkness. Then at the time appointed by God, His great excellence shall shine for all the times of
9eternity; for peace and blessing, glory and joy, and long life for all Sons of Light. On the day when the Kittim fall there shall be a battle and horrible carnage before the God of
10Israel, for it is a day appointed by Him from ancient times as a battle of annihilation for the Sons of Darkness. On that day the congregation of the gods and the congregation of men shall engage one another, resulting in great carnage.
11The Sons of Light and the forces of Darkness shall fight together to show the strength of God with the roar of a great multitude and the shout of gods and men; a day of disaster. It is a time of
12distress for al1 the people who are redeemed by God. In all their afflictions none exists that is like it, hastening to its completion as an eternal redemption. On the day of their battle against the Kittim,
13they shall go forth for carnage in battle. In three lots the Sons of Light shall stand firm so as to strike a blow at wickedness, and in three the army of Belial shall strengthen themselves so as to force the retreat of the forces
14of Light. And when the banners of the infantry cause their hearts to melt, then the strength of God will strengthen the hearts of the Sons of Light. In the seventh lot the great hand of God shall overcome
15Belial and all the angels of his dominion, and all the men of his forces shall be destroyed forever. The annihilation of the Sons of Darkrness and service to God during the war years.
16… the holy ones shall shine forth in support of … the truth for the annihilation of the Sons of Darkness. Then …
17… a great roar … they took hold of the implements of war
18…
19… chiefs of the tribes ... and the priests
20 the Levites, the chiefs of the tribes, the fathers of the congregation ... the priests
and thus for the Levites and the courses of the heads of
Column 2
1 the congregation's clans, fifty-two. They shal1 rank the chiefs of the priests after the Chief Priest and his deputy; twelve chief priests to serve
2in the regular offering before God. The chiefs of the courses, twenty-six, shall serve in their courses. After them the chiefs of the Levites serve continually, twelve in all, one to a
3tribe. The chiefs of their courses shall serve each man in his office. The chiefs of the tribes and fathers of the congregation shall support them, taking their stand continually at the gates of the sanctuary.
4The chiefs of their courses, from the age of fifty upwards, shall take their stand with their commissioners on their festivals, new moons and Sabbaths, and on every day of the year.
5These shall take their stand at the burnt offerings and sacrifices, to arrange the sweet smelling incense according to the will of God, to atone for all His congregation, and to satisfy themselves before Him continually 6
6at the table of glory. All of these they shall arrange at the time of the year of remission. During the remaining thirty-three years of the war the men of renown,
7 those called of the Congregation, and all the heads of the congregation's clans shall choose for themselves men of war all the lands of the nations. From all tribes of IsraeI they shall prepare
8capable men for themselves to go out for battle according to the summons of the war, year by year. But during the years of remission they shall not ready men to go out for battle, for it is a Sabbath
9Of rest for Israel. During the thirty-five years of service the war shal1 be waged. For six years the whole congregation shall wage it together,
10and a war of divisions shall be waged during the twenty-nine remaining years. In the first
year they shal1 fight against Mesopotamia, in the second against the sons of Lud, in the third
11they shall fight against the rest of the sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Togar, and
Mesha, who are beyond the Euphrates. In the fourth and fifth they shall fight against
the sons of Arpachshad,
12in the sixth and seventh they shal1 fight against all the sons of Assyria and Persia and the easterners up to the Great Desert. In the eighth year they shall fight against the sons of
13Elam, in the ninth year they shall fight against the sons of Ishmael and Keturah, and during the following ten years the war shall be divided against all the sons of Ham
14 according to their clans and their territories. During the remaining ten years the war shall be divided against all sons of Japheth according to their territories.
15
16 The Rule of the Trumpets: the trumpets of alarm for all their service for the … for their commissioned men,
17by tens of thousands and thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens. Upon the trumpets …
18…
19… which
20… they shall write … the trumpets of
Column 3
1 the battle formations, and the trumpets for assembling them when the gates of the war are opened so that the infantry might advance, the trumpets for the signal of the slain, the trumpets of
2the ambush, the trumpets of pursuit when the enemy is defeated, and the
trumpets of reassembly when the battle returns. On the trumpets for the assembly of the congregation they shall write, "The called of God." 3
3On the trumpets for the assembly of the chiefs they shall write, "The princes of God." On the trumpets of the formations they shall write, "The rule of God." On the trumpets of the men of
4renown they shall write, "The heads of the congregation's clans." Then when they are assembled at the house of meeting, they shal1 write, "The testimonies of God for a holy congregation." On the trumpets of the camps S
5 they shall write, "The peace of God in the camps of His saints." On the trumpets for their campaigns they shall, "The mighty deeds of God to scatter the enemy and to put all those who hate
6 justice to flight and a withdrawal of mercy from all who hate God." On the trumpets the battle formations they shall write, "Formations of the divisions of God to avenge His anger on all Sons of Darkness." 7
7On the trumpets for assembling the when the gates of war open that they might go out against the battle line of the enemy, they shall write, "A remembrance of requital at the appointed time
8 Of God." On the trumpets of the slain they shall write, "The hand of the might of God in battle so as to bring down all the slain because of unfaithfulness." On the trumpets of ambush they shall write,
9 "Mysteries of God to wipe out wickedness." On the trumpets of pursuit they shall write, "God has struck all Sons of Darkness, He shal1 not abate His anger until they are annihilated."
10 When they return from battle to enter the formation, they shall write on the trumpets of retreat, "God has gathered." On the trumpets for the way of return
11 from battle with the enemy to enter the congregation in Jerusalem, they shall write, "Rejoicings of God in a peaceful return."
12
13 Rule of the banners of the whole congregation according to their formations: On the grand banner which is at the head of all the people they shall write, "People of," the names "Israel" and
14"Aaron," and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel according to their order of birth. On the banners of the heads of the "camps" of three tribes
15 they shall write, "the Spirit of God," and the names of three tribes. On the banner of each tribe they shall write, "Standard of God," and the name of the leader of the tribe
16 Of its clans … and the name of the leader of the ten thousand and the names of the chiefs of …
17 … his hundreds. On the banner
18
19
20
Column 4
1 On the banner of Merari they shall write, "The Offering of God," and the
name of the leader of Merari and the names of the chiefs of his thousands. On the
banner of the thous and they shall write, "The Anger of God is loosed against
2 Belial
and all the men of his forces without remnant," and the name of the chief of the
thousand and the names of the chiefs of his hundreds. And on the banner of the
hundred they shall write, "Hundred
3 Of God, the power of war against all sinful flesh
flesh," arid the name of the chief of the hundred and the names of the chiefs of his
tens. And on the banner of the fifty they shall write, "Ended
4 is the stand of the
wicked by the might of God," and the name of the chief of the fifty and the names of
the chiefs of his tens. And on the banner of the ten they shall write, "Songs of joy
5 for
God on the ten-stringed harp," and the name of the chief of the ten and the names of
the nine men in his command.
6
6 When they go to battle they shall write on their banners, "The truth of God," "The
righteousness of God," "The glory of God," "The justice of God," and after these the
list of their names in full.
7When they draw near for battle they shall write on their
banners, "The right hand of God," "The appointed time of God," "The tumult of
God," "The slain of God"; after these their names in full.
8 When they return from battle
they shall write on their banners, "The exaltation of God," "The greatness of God," "The
praise of God," "The glory of God," with their names in full.
9 The Rule of the banners of the congregation: When they set out to battle they shall
write on the first banner, "The congregation of God," on the second banner, "The
camps of God," on the third,
10 "The tribes of God," on the fourth, "The clans of God,"
on the fifth, "The divisions of God," on the sixth, "The congregation of God," on the
seventh, "Those called
11 by God," and on the eighth, "The army of God." They shall
write their names in full with all their order. When they draw near for battle they shall
write on their banners,
12 "The battle of God," "The recompense of God," "The cause
of God," "The reprisal of God," "The power of God," "The retribution of God," "The
might of God," "The annihilation by God of all the vainglorious nations." And
13 their
names in full they shall write upon them. When they return from battle they shall write
on their banners, "The deliverance of God," "The victory of God," "The help of God,"
"The support of God,"
14 "The joy of God," "The thanksgivings of God," "The praise
of God," and "The peace of God."
15 The Length of the Banners: The banner of the whole congregation shall be
fourteen cubits long; the banner of three tribes' thirteen cubits long;
16the banner
of a tribe, twelve cubits; the banner of ten thousand, eleven cubits; the banner of a
thousand, ten cubits; the banner of a hundred, nine cubits;
17 the banner of a fifty,
eight cubits; the banner of a ten, seven cubits ...
18...
19...
20 ...
Column 5
1and on the shield of the Leader of the whole nation they shall
write his name, the names "Israel," "Levi," and "Aaron," and the names of the twelve
tribes of Israel according to their order of birth, 2
2 and the names of the twelve chiefs
of their tribes.
3 Rule for arranging the divisions for war when their army is complete to make a
forward battle line: the battle line shall be formed of one thousand men. There shall be
seven forward rows
4 to each battle line, arranged in order; the station of each man
behind his fellow. All of them shall bear shields of bronze, polished like
5 a face
mirror. The shield shall be bound with a border of plaited work and a design of
loops, the work of a skillful workman; gold, silver, and bronze bound together 6
6 and
jewels; a multicolored brocade. It is the work of a skillful workman, artistically done.
The length of the shield shall be two and a half cubits, and its breadth a cubit and a
half. In their hands they hands hold a lance
7 and a sword. The length of the lance shall
be seven cubits, of which the socket and the blade constitute half a cubit. On the
socket there she be three bands engraved as a border of plaited
8 work; of gold,
silver, and copper bound together like an artistically designed work. And in the
loops of the design, on both sides of the band
9 all around, shall be precious stones, a
multicolored brocade, the work of a skillful workman, artistically done, and an ear of
grain. The socket shall be grooved between the bands like
10 a column, artistically
done. The blade shall be of shining white iron, the work of a skillful workman,
artistically done, and an ear of grain of pure gold inlaid in the blade; tapered towards
11the point. The swords shall be of refined iron, purified in the furnace and polished
like a face mirror, the work of a skillful workman, artistically done, with figures of
ears of grain
12 Of pure gold embossed on both sides. The borders shall go straight to
the point, two on each side. The length of the sword shall be a cubit
13 and a half and
its width four fingers. The scabbard shall be four thumbs wide, and four handbreadths
up to the scabbard. The scabbard shall be tied on either
14 side with thongs of five
handbreadths. The handle of the sword shall be of choice horn, the work of a skillful
workman, a varicolored design with gold and silver and precious stones.
15
16And when the …take their stand, they shall arrange seven battle lines, one
behind the other
17 and there shall be a space between ... thirty cubits, where the
infantry shall stand
18 … forward …
19
20 …they shall sling
Column 61 seven
times, and return to their position. After them, three divisions of infantry shall advance
and stand between the battle lines. The first division shall heave into
2the enemy battle
line seven battle darts. On the blade of the first dart they shal1 write, "Flash of a
spear for the strength of God." On the second weapon they shall write,
3"Missiles of
blood to fell the slain by the wrath of God." On the third dart they shall write, "The
blade of a sword devours the slain of wickedness by the judgment of God."
4Each of
these they shall throw seven times and then return to their position. After these, two
divisions of infantry shall march forth and stand between the two battle lines,
5 the first
division equipped with a spear and a shield and the second division with a shield and
a sword; to bring down the slain by the judgment of God, to subdue the battle line
6Of the enemy by the power of God, and to render recompense for their evil for all
the vainglorious nations. So the Kingship shall belong to the God of Israel, and by the
holy ones of His people He shall act powerfully.
7
8Seven rows of horsemen shall also take position at the right and at the left of the
battle line. Their ranks shall be positioned on both sides, seven hundred
9 horsemen on
one side and seven hundred on the other. Two hundred horsemen shall go out with
one thousand men of the battle line of the infantry, and thus
10 they shall take position
on all sides of the camp. The total being four thousand six hundred men, and one
thousand four hundred cavalry for the entire army arranged for the battle line;
11 fifty
for each battle line. The horsemen with the cavalry of the men of the entire army, will
be six thousand; five hundred to a tribe. All the cavalry that go out
12 to battle with the
infantry shall ride stallions; swift, responsive, unrelenting, mature, trained for battle,
13 and accustomed to hearing noises and seeing all kinds of scenes. Those who ride
them shall be men capable in battle, trained in horsemanship, the range
14 Of their age
from thirty to forty-five years. The horsemen of the army shall be from forty to fifty
years old, and they
15... helmets and greaves, carrying in their hands round
shields and a lance eight cubits long ...
16 … and a bow and arrows and battle
darts, all of them prepared in …
17 … and to shed the blood of their guilty
slain. These are the …
18…
19…
20 …
Column 7
1and the men of the army shall be from forty to fifty years old. The
commissioners of the camps shall be from fifty to sixty years old. The officers
2 shall also be from forty to fifty years old. All those who strip the slain, plunder the
spoil, cleanse the land, guard the arms,
3 and he who prepares the provisions, all
these shall be from twenty-five to thirty years old. No youth nor woman shall enter
their encampments from the time they leave
4 Jerusalem to go to battle until their
return. No one crippled, blind, or lame, nor a man who has a permanent blemish on
his skin, or a man affected with ritual uncleanness of
5 his flesh; none of these shall go
with them to battle. All of them shall be volunteers for battle, pure of spirit and flesh,
and prepared for the day of vengeance. Any
6 man who is not ritually clean in respect
to his genitals on the day of battle shal1 not go down with them into battle, for holy
angels are present with their army. There shall be a distance
7 between all their camps
and the latrine of about two thousand cubits, and no shameful nakedness shall be
seen in the environs of all their camps.
8
9
When the battle lines are arrayed against the enemy battle line against battle line there
shall go forth from the middle opening into the gap between the battle lines seven
10 priests of the sons of Aaron, dressed in fine white linen garments: a linen tunic and
linen breeches, and girded with a linen sash of twined fine linen, violet,
11 purple, and
crimson, and a varicolored Sign, the work of a skillful workman, and decorated caps
on their heads; the garments for battle, and they shall not take them into the
sanctuary.
12 The one priest shall walk before all the men of the battle line to encourage
them for battle. In the hands of the remaining six shall be
13 the trumpets of assembly
the trumpets of memorial, the trumpets of the alarm, the trumpets of pursuit, and the
trumpets of reassembly. When the priests go out
14 into the gap between the battle lines,
seven Levites shall go out with them. In their hands shall be seven trumpets of rams'
horns. Three officers from among the Levites shall walk before
15 the priests and the
Levites. The priests shall blow the two trumpets of assembly ... of battle upon fifty
shields,
16 and fifty infantrymen shall go out from the one gate and … Levites,
officers. With
17each battle line they shall go out according to all this order … men of
the infantry from the gates
18 and they shall take position between the two battle lines,
and … the battle
19…
20 …
Column 81
the trumpets shall blow continually to direct the slingmen
until they have completed hurling seven
2 times. Afterwards the priests shall blow on
the trumpets of return, and they shall go along the side of the first battle line
3 to take
their position. The priests shall blow on the trumpets of assembly, and
4 the three
divisions of infantry shall go out from the gates and stand between the battle lines, and
beside them the cavalrymen, S
5 at the right and at the left. The priests shall blow on
their trumpets a level note, signals for the order of battle.
6 And the columns shall be
deployed into their formations, each to his position. When they have positioned
themselves in three formations,
7 the priests shall blow for them a second signal, a low
legato note, signals for advance, until they draw near to
8 the battle line of the enemy
and take hold of their weapons. Then the priests shall blow on the six trumpets
9 of
the slain a sharp staccato note to direct the battle, and the Levites and all the people
with rams' horns shall blow
10a great battle alarm together in order to melt the heart of
the enemy. With the sound of the alarm,
11 the battle darts shall fly out to bring down the
slain. Then the sound of the rams' horns shall quiet, but on the trumpets the
12 priests
shall continue to blow a sharp staccato note to direct the signals of battle until they
have hurled into the battle line
13 of the enemy seven times. Afterwards, the priests shall
blow for them the trumpets of retreat,
14 a low note, level and legato. According to this
rule the priests shall blow for the three divisions. When
15 the first division throws, the
priests and the Levites and all the people with rams' horns shall blow a great alarm
16to direct the battle until they have hurled seven times. Afterwards, the priests shall
blow for them
17 on the trumpets of retreat ... and they shall take their stand in their
positions in the battle line,
18 … and shall take up position
19 … the slain,
20 and all the
people with rams' horns shall blow a very loud battle alarm, and as the sound goes
out
Column 91
their hands shall begin to bring down the slain, and all the people shall quiet
the sound of alarm, but the priests shall continue sounding on the trumpets
2 of the slain
to direct the fighting, until the enemy is defeated and turns in retreat. The priests shall
blow the alarm to direct the battle,
3 and when they have been defeated before them,
the priests shall blow the trumpets of assembly, and all the infantry shall go out to
them from the midst of
4 the front battle lines and stand, six divisions in addition to the
division which is engaged in battle: altogether, seven battle lines, twenty-eight
thousand
5 soldiers, and six thousand horsemen. All these shall pursue in order to
destroy the enemy in God's battle; a total annihilation.
6 The priests shall blow for them
the trumpets of pursuit, and they shall divide themselves for a pursuit of annihilation
against all the enemy. The cavalry
7 shall push the enemy back at the flanks of the battle
until they are destroyed. When the slain have fallen, the priests shall continue blowing
from afar and shall not enter
8 into the midst of the slain so as to be defiled by their
unclean blood, for they are holy. They shall not allow the oil of their priestly
anointment to be profaned with the blood
9 Of the vainglorious nations.
10
Rule for changing the order of the battle divisions, in order to arrange their position
against … a pincer movement and towers
11 en arc and towers, and as it draws
slowly forward, then the columns and the flanks go out from the two sides of the
battle line that
12 the enemy might become discouraged. The shields of the soldiers
of the towers shall be three cubits long, and their lances eight cubits long. The
towers
13 shall go out from the battle line with one hundred shields on a side. For
they shall surround the tower on the three frontal sides, 4
14 three hundred shields in all.
There shall be three gates to a tower, one on the right and one on the left. Upon all
the shields of the tower soldiers 5
15 they shall write: on the first, "Michael," on the
second, "Gabriel," on the third, "Sariel," and on the fourth "Raphael."
16 "Michael"
and "Gabriel" on the right, and "Sariel" and "Raphael" on the left.
17 And . . . for to
the four … They shall establish an ambush for the battle line Of …
18 and …
they shall fal1 on the slain ...
19
20
continue:
1QM : II