Author Description

This volume contains a collection of previously unknown compositions from the Second Temple period found in Cave 4 at Qumran. The specialized terminology used in these works allows them to be classified as sapiential (or instructional) literature. As such, they are part of the larger genre of wisdom literature, common in the Ancient Near East. These compositions, including work such as Mysteries, Ways of Righteousness, and Admonitory Parable, enhance our understanding of the keen interest in theological and ethical issues both of the Qumran community specifically and of Second Temple period Judaism in general.