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For example the Magi mentioned at the beginning of Mathew 2:1-12, it was sometimes thought that these Magi had learned of the birth of Christ from the books written by Seth. The way in which the Magi knew about the coming of Jesus attracted the attention of certain Christians. |
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The Dead Sea Scrolls -- Possible Parallels to Mormon Doctrine and Practices |
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Monday, 09 August 2004 |
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Page 28 of 30 31. THE TEN
COPIES OF ISAIAH IN THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS AND THE BOOK OF MORMON:
The GREAT ST. MARKS ISAIAH SCROLL from cave 1 of Qumran, "was found
to be marked, mainly in the margins, (sometimes between the lines,
sometimes in Hebrew written backwards, called ATBASH, and most often by
the mark of the Tau, an X, later perhaps incorporated in to XMAS?) with
a number of symbols. In the Isaiah MS there are a dozen of these
symbols, all different. Some of them look like the letters of the Greek
alphabet. One or two of them like combinations of others. It is not in
every case possible to determine which is the column and line of the
text that is being marked, but it may well be that these symbols
represent some kind of exegetical code. By way of experiment let us
take first passages marked with one of the symbols as X or Greek chi,
and then some marked variously with other symbols" SHONFIELD p. 49. He
then identifies from ISAIAH: xxxii. l, xlii. l, 6, and 21, xliv. 28,
xlix. 7. Liv. 14, lv. 4, lvi. 1, lviii. 13, lxvi. 5. Compare these with
those quoted in the Book of Mormon. Then on page 50, he continues: "It
is obvious that some of these passages are identical with those
regarded as prophet of Christ and Christianity. But they exactly
reflect the Messianic expectations and the teaching of the new Covenant
Party." Then SHONFIELD lists another set of references that are
identified on the scroll by different symbols: ISAIAH: vii. 8, viii,
16, 19, ix. 2, xxviii, 15, xxix. 13, 21, xxxiii. 1, xl. Ii, xliii. 14,
xliv. 1, xlv. 1, xlviii. 20, xlix. 5, 8, li. 7, lii. 7, liii. 1, 5. On
page 51, he lists other passages that are also identified by the
strange use of symbols: ISAIAH: iii. 1, v. 30, vii. 20, viii. 8, xi.
15, xxi. 12-13, xxx. I., xli. 1, 4, 16, 21, xlii. 12, xlv. 11, xlix. 1,
lxi. 9, lvii. 5, lxiv. 12, lxv. 1, lxvi.4. He then points out: "Here
again some of the passages were employed as proof texts by Christian as
well as by the Qumran Community. .If we are correct in suggesting
that the signs have to do with prophetic exegesis we have an important
piece of evidence relating to the last period of the Community's
existence, where it appears to begin to link on to the
Judaeo-Christians." An LDA student of the Book of Mormon will recognize
the connection with the use of ISAIAH in the Book of Mormon through
these marked passages and the doctrines they expound concerning the
Christ. SHONFIELD continues on page 51. "But it is at least obvious
that the Nazarenes (a very early Christian group) employed the same
method of exegesis as the Commentators of the New Covenant Community.
It is also to be noted that out of six passages where Jerome gives the
interpretation of the Nazarenes no less than four are identical with
marked passages in the Isaiah Scroll. The LDS student will find many
many more.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 12 July 2006 )
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