4Q246

The Dead Sea Scrolls were written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. Jewish Palestinian Aramaic was used between the time of 200 BCE and 200 CE, when sub-dialects were used to write the scrolls found in Qumran. ==Text==

The Son of God page has a short text. Column 1 (right hand) is damaged and requires some interpretative restoration. This is one of the smallest fragments found at Cave 4. The text includes phrases such as "son of God" and "the Most High", so the two references of Daniel 7:13-14 and Luke 1:32-33, 35 are considered to be related to the fragmental phrases. It is impossible to estimate exactly how long the complete scroll may have been, but the column length is only about half that of a normal size scroll. Paleographically, the text was said by Józef Milik (according to Fitzmyer) to date from the latter third of the first century BCE, a judgment with which Puech agrees. The letter forms are those of "early formal Herodian" script, although Milik's and Puech's dates may be too narrow. Below is the full text, formatted to reflect the actual text on the scroll. It is read from right to left, and the bracketed sections are the unknown parts where the scroll has been damaged: == Interpretation ==

One of the major debates among scholars on the son of God text is the identity of the figure called the "son of God." The text says he comes during "tribulation," his father "will be ruler over the land" and this figure "will be called The Great," and these two will reign for "a few years" while nations "trample" each other. While some say that this is an "eschatological prophet" or "messianic figure," others argue that this is "a negative figure," possibly a "Syrian king," such as Antiochus IV Epiphanes who is known for his role in the Maccabean revolt. When part of 4Q246 was first published in 1974, the phrase "he will be called the son of God, and the son of the Most High" (col. 2:1) recalled to many scholars the language of the gospels when describing Jesus: "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:32a) and he "will be called the Son of God" (v.35b). This added proof in some scholars' eyes that the Jewish belief was that the coming Messiah would be a king who brought peace, and would be "called by Second Temple Jews the 'Son of God'". Then, unlike the passage in Daniel 7, where the beast in the vision (Antiochus IV) is judged by God (vv. 11,26), the titles given to the figure in this manuscript are "never disputed, and no judgement is passed on this figure after the people of God arises." Since the fragment is so small it is difficult to come to a solid conclusion about this figure; a complete version of the text would likely solve this debate. ==References==