Apocrypha With Ease: Book 4

Global Overview General Note The size and scope of this project ended up spanning such a large book that I was unable to sell it as Paperback and Hardback covers. Because of that, I decided to break down this “Project” or “Work” or whatever you’d like to call it. So instead of one massive book, it’ll be split into separate books (Book 1, book 2 and so forth) then the price will be adjusted accordingly so the total cost of all the books together, will be equivalent to what the full book was previously. Another “Positive” about doing it this way, means if I ever decide to expand this project into a lot of other types of books along a similar premise, I can always release them as other books in the same series and it’ll be easier to manage and maintain. So for now I have taken all the books associated with this project, and split up the table of contents, and broken them down into separate “books” each one will have the associated books updated on the Amazon Description page, but it’ll also allow me to create them all as Ebook, Paperback and Hardback. Later on I may decide to add “more” books incorporating other Apocrypha that are not necessarily specifically “christian” related. Depending on how this project expands, and if time allows. Preface: I am a Christian, and I’ve read the Bible. I’ve always had an interest in the Apocrypha, but I found it overwhelming to identify what to read and where to find them. Even though they are all in the public domain, they are scattered all over the Internet in a variety of places. On a basic level there are a few dozen books, but on a deeper dive there are over fifty that were recovered from the original Dead Sea Scrolls. I’ve spent the time to gather everything together in one place, where you’ll never have to run all over the Internet researching and finding them again. A lot of these books were ported in from the Internet. I tried to make sure each one was in public domain, and the ones that were not, I translated myself. If you see something in here that is NOT in the public domain, and I have it in here by mistake, please let me know and I’ll fix it. Please see all the following notes before continuing: As you proceed, please keep the following things in mind. 1. At the top of each book, in the information section, I’ve put a field called “Status”. If the Status is Public Domain it means what I copied and put in my book, was from public domain. If I am mistaken about any of those, let me know. The ones that say “My Translation” are ones that I translated myself using a combination of translation technology, and human editing. They may not be perfect but I did the best I could. All the ones I translated myself have “My Translation” beside each book name below, and it says it in the status of each one as well. 2. The formatting for some of the books may change quite a bit between the various books. Porting these over from various sources into one place was already difficult, trying to get the exact formatting for all of them to be the same was almost impossible. So please note the parts of the book that incorporate the old texts, the formatting can be sporadic and at times unexpected, so please keep that in mind as you read through them. 3. There is some overlapping. At times you may notice some texts are part of a bigger texts, and in those cases both sets are included. I did this for completion sake. 4. Note: I spent a great deal of time working on this book, which is an experimental project for me. It was a great deal of time pulling together all of these pieces into one place, some I had to translate and/or create myself using a combination of AI translation, and paid human reviewers to edit it. It was a great deal of time and money involved in this project. If the project takes off and proves to be successful (and worth the time I put in) then I do have ideas for expansions on this project later on down the road. One idea is to release new versions of the book every once in awhile as separate projects, each one adding more and more books as well. Another idea I have is to translate this entire book itself (and all associated works) into various languages (Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese and so forth.). All this depends on how this one goes. Another idea is to compile a similar set of writings for other cultures. Perhaps one for ancient greece, ancient norse, and so forth. Again, time will tell depending on the success of this and other related projects. NOTE: This was so big I could not make Paperback and Hardback versions of this, so I decided to break it down into specific books and refine it to an extent. It’s all part of a bigger work but broken down into smaller books. Each book will have the “global overview” that is the same, and then the “book overview’ Which is basically the table of contents for that specific book. Book Overview Qumran Texts The Qumran Texts refer to the vast collection of writings discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were found in caves near the ancient settlement of Qumran on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. These texts date from approximately 300 BCE to 70 CE and are believed to have been produced or collected by a Jewish sect, commonly associated with the Essenes, a separatist group during the Second Temple period. This community viewed themselves as the faithful remnant of Israel, awaiting divine intervention and the restoration of true worship. The Qumran texts include a mix of sectarian documents specific to the community, parabiblical writings that expand upon or reinterpret biblical narratives, and calendrical and liturgical works that reflect their unique approach to worship and ritual. Together, these writings provide unparalleled insight into Jewish thought, theology, and practices during a crucial period in Jewish history, bridging the Hebrew Bible and the rise of early Christianity. Qumran Texts - Sectarian Texts Overview: The Sectarian Texts are unique to the Qumran community and reflect their distinct worldview, ethics, and rules for living. These writings suggest that the community viewed itself as the true remnant of Israel, separate from what they saw as the corruption of mainstream Jewish practices in Jerusalem. They emphasized purity, strict adherence to the Law, and preparation for the coming eschatological age. Central to these texts are their apocalyptic beliefs, which included a cosmic battle between good and evil and the ultimate triumph of divine justice. They also document the daily life of the sect, including their governance, initiation rites, and moral obligations. These writings reveal a community that was both deeply devout and highly structured, with a clear sense of its role in God’s plan for history. Significance: 1. Provides insight into the practices and theology of the Qumran sect, likely the Essenes. 2. Highlights their eschatological vision of a cosmic battle and divine intervention. 3. Includes ethical, legal, and liturgical writings central to their identity. List of Books: 1. The Community Rule 2. The War Scroll 3. The Temple Scroll - My translation 4. The Damascus Document - My translation 5. The Rule of the Congregation - My translation 6. Hodayot - My translation 7. Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice - My translation Qumran Texts - Parabiblical Texts Overview: The Parabiblical Texts from Qumran reinterpret or expand upon stories from the Hebrew Bible, often adding vivid details or alternate perspectives. These writings suggest that the Qumran community was deeply engaged with their sacred scriptures, reimagining them in ways that aligned with their unique theological framework. By doing so, they reinforced their identity as the faithful remnant of Israel and expressed their eschatological hopes and moral values. These texts often reflect messianic expectations and apocalyptic themes, tying the stories of the past to the community’s vision of the future. They offer a glimpse into the creative process of biblical interpretation during the Second Temple period, as well as the ways in which sacred texts were adapted to address contemporary concerns and challenges. Significance: 1. Sheds light on how biblical stories were understood and retold during the Second Temple period. 2. Reflects messianic expectations and eschatological themes. 3. Highlights the creative engagement of the Qumran community with their sacred texts. List of Books: 1. The Genesis Apocryphon - My translation 2. The Book of Noah - My translation 3. The Book of Giants - My translation 4. The Testament of Levi - My translation 5. The Words of Moses - My translation Qumran Texts - Calendrical and Liturgical Texts Overview: The Calendrical and Liturgical Texts reflect the Qumran community’s unique approach to worship and timekeeping. Unlike mainstream Jewish practices, which followed a lunar calendar, the Qumran sect adhered to a solar calendar with 364 days. This calendrical system, which they believed was divinely ordained, allowed them to maintain precise festival dates and avoid the perceived corruption of temple rituals in Jerusalem. These texts also include hymns, prayers, and psalms, many of which were previously unknown and specific to the Qumran community. These writings reveal a deep emphasis on angelic worship, ritual purity, and a mystical connection to God. Together, they showcase the community’s innovation and devotion in crafting a distinct liturgical identity that reflected their theological priorities. Significance: 1. Provides insight into the Qumran community’s distinct calendrical system, contrasting with mainstream Jewish practices. 2. Demonstrates their liturgical innovation and focus on angelic worship. 3. Highlights their emphasis on precision in ritual observance. List of Books: 1. The 364-Day Calendar - My translation 2. The Mishmarot Texts - My translation 3. Previously Unknown Psalms and Hymns - My translation The Community Rule (Manual of Discipline) Entry: The Community Rule (Manual of Discipline) Category/Type: Qumran Texts - Sectarian Texts Status: Public Domain Title: The Community Rule Date and Origin: • Estimated Date: Circa 2nd century BCE–1st century CE. • Language: Originally written in Hebrew. • Geographical Context: Composed by the Qumran community in the Judean Desert. Historical Context: The Community Rule, also known as the Manual of Discipline, provides the foundational framework for the beliefs, practices, and governance of the Qumran sect. It describes the initiation process for new members, rules for communal living, and ethical obligations of sect members. This text reflects the sect’s separation from mainstream Judaism and its focus on purity and obedience to the Law. The text also includes eschatological elements, preparing the community for the ultimate divine judgment and the arrival of the messianic age. The Community Rule demonstrates the highly structured nature of the sect and their commitment to strict moral and ritual discipline. Content Summary: 1. Initiation Process: • Describes the steps for new members to join the sect, including a probationary period and swearing an oath of obedience. 2. Rules for Communal Living: • Emphasizes sharing resources, resolving disputes, and strict adherence to the Law. 3. Eschatological Teachings: • Includes references to the "Sons of Light" and "Sons of Darkness" and their roles in the apocalyptic battle. 4. Moral and Ethical Obligations: • Provides guidance on personal conduct, including honesty, humility, and reverence for God. Significance: 1. Offers detailed insights into the communal and religious life of the Qumran sect. 2. Reflects the sect’s dual focus on purity and eschatological hope. 3. Serves as a key text for understanding the structure and theology of the Essenes or related groups.   THE COMMUNITY RULE Translated by G. Vermes 1QS COL.I . . . Book of the Community Rule, that they may seek 2. God with a whole heart and soul. and do good and right before Him as 3. He commanded by the hand of Moses and all His servants the Prophets; that they may love 4. all that He has chosen and hate all that he has rejected; that they may abstain from all evil and 5. hold fast to all good; that they may practise truth, righteousness, and justice 6. upon earth and no longer stubbornly follow a sinful heart and lustful eyes committing 7. all manner of evil. He shall admit into the Covenant of Grace all those who have freely devoted themselves to the observance of God’s precepts, 8. that they may be joined to the counsel of God and may live perfectly before Him in accordance with all that 9. has been revealed concerning their appointed times, and that they may love all the sons of light, each 10. according to his lot in God’s design, and hate all the sons of darkness, each according to his guilt 11. in God’s vengeance. All those who freely devote themselves to His truth shall bring all their knowledge, powers, 12. and possessions into the Community of God, that they may purify their knowledge in the truth of God’s precepts and order their powers according to His 13. ways of perfection and all their possessions according to His righteous counsel. They shall not depart 14. from any command of God concerning their times; they shall be neither early nor late for any of 15. their appointed times, they shall stray neither to the right nor to left of any of His true precepts. 16. All those who embrace the Community Rule shall enter into the Covenant before God to obey 17. all His commandments so that they may not abandon Him during 18. the dominion of Satan because of fear or terror or affliction. On entering the Covenant, the Priests and 19. Levites shall bless the God of salvation and all His faithfulness, and all those 20. entering the Covenant shall say after them, ‘Amen, Amen!’ 21. Then the Priests shall recite the favours of God manifested in His mighty deeds and 22. shall declare all His merciful grace to Israel, and the Levites shall recite the 23. iniquities of the children of Israel, all their guilty rebellions and sins during the dominion 24. of Satan. And after them, all those entering the Covenant shall confess and say: ‘We have strayed! 25. We have [disobeyed!] We and our fathers before us have sinned and done wickedly in walking 26. [counter to the precepts] of truth and righteousness. [And God has] judged us and our fathers also; COL.II 1. but He has bestowed His bountiful mercy on us from everlasting to everlasting.’ And the Priests shall bless all the 2. men of the lot of god who walk perfectly in all His ways, saying: ‘May He bless you with all 3. good and preserve you from all evil! May He lighten your heart with life-giving wisdom and grant you eternal knowledge! May 4. he raise His merciful face towards you for everlasting bliss!’ And the Levites shall curse all the men of the 5. lot of Satan, saying: ‘Be cursed because of all your guilty wickedness! 6. May He deliver you up for torture at the hands of the vengeful Avengers! May He visit you with destruction by the hand of all the Wreakers 7. of Revenge! Be cursed without mercy because of the darkness of your deeds! Be damned in the shadowy 8. place of everlasting fire! May God not heed when you call on Him, nor pardon you by blotting out your sin! May 9. He raise His angry face towards you for vengeance! May there be no “Peace” for you in the mouth of those who hold fast to the Fathers!’ And after the blessing and the cursing, 10. all those entering the Covenant shall say, ‘Amen, Amen!’ 11. And the Priests and Levites shall continue, saying: ‘Cursed be the man who 12. enters this Covenant while walking among the idols of his heart, who sets up before himself his stumbling-block of sin so that he may backslide! 13. Hearing the words of this Covenant, he blesses himself in his heart and says, “Peace be with me, even 14. though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart” (Deut. xxix, 18-19), whereas his spirit, parched (for lack of truth) and watered (with lies), shall be destroyed without 15. pardon. God’s wrath and His zeal for His precepts shall consume him in everlasting destruction. All the 16. curses of the Covenant shall cling to him and God will set him apart for evil. He shall be cut off from the midst of all the sons of light, and because he has 17. turned aside from God on account of his idols and his stumbling-block of sin, his lot shall be among those who are cursed for ever.’ And after them, 18. all those entering the Covenant shall answer and say, ‘Amen, Amen!’ 19. Thus shall they do, year by year, for as long as the dominion of Satan endures. The Priests shall enter 20. first, ranked one after another according to the perfection of their spirit; then the Levites; and thirdly, 21. all the people one after another in their Thousands, Hundreds, 22. Fifties, and Tens, that every Israelite may know his place in the Community of God 23. according to the everlasting design. No man shall move down from his place nor move up from his allotted position. 24. For according to the holy design, they shall all of them be in a Community of truth and virtuous humility, 25. of loving kindness and good intent one towards the other, and (they shall all of them be) sons of the everlasting Company. No man [shall be in the] Community of His truth who refuses to enter 26. the Covenant of] God so that he may walk in the stubbornness of his heart, for COL.III 1. his soul detests the wise teaching of just laws. He shall not be counted among the upright for he has not persisted in the conversion of his life. 2. His knowledge, powers, and possessions shall not enter the Council of the Community, for whoever ploughs the mud of wickedness returns 3. defiled (?). He shall not be justified by that which his stubborn heart declares lawful, for seeking the ways of light he looks towards darkness. He shall 4. not be reckoned among the perfect; he shall neither be purified by atonement, nor cleansed by purifying waters, 5. nor sanctified by seas and rivers, nor washed clean with any ablution. Unclean, unclean shall he be. For as long as he despises the precepts of 6. God he shall receive no instruction in the Community of His counsel. For it is through the spirit of true counsel concerning the ways of man that all his 7. sins shall be expiated that he may contemplate the light of life. He shall be cleansed from all 8. his sins by the spirit of holiness uniting him to His truth, and his iniquity shall be expiated by the spirit of uprightness and humility. And when his 9. flesh is sprinkled with purifying water and sanctified by cleansing water, it shall be made clean by the humble submission of his soul to 10. all the precepts of God. Let him them order his steps to walk perfectly in all the ways commanded by God concerning the times appointed for him, straying neither to right nor to left and 11. transgressing none of His words, and he shall be accepted by virtue of pleasing atonement before God and it shall be to him a Covenant of the 12. everlasting Community. 13. The Master shall instruct all the sons of light and shall teach them the nature of all th children of men 14. according to the kind of spirit which they possess, the signs identifying their works during their lifetime, their visitation for chastisement, and the time of 15. their reward. From the God of Knowledge comes all that is and shall be. Before ever they existed He established their whole design, 16. and when, as ordained for them, they come into being, it is in accord with His glorious design that they accomplish their task without change. 17. The laws of all things are in His hand and He provides them with all their needs. He has created man to govern the 18. world, and has appointed for him two spirits in which to walk until the time of His visitation: the spirits of 19. truth and falsehood. Those born of truth spring from a fountain of light, but those born of falsehood spring from a source of darkness. All the children of righteousness are ruled 20. by the Prince of Light and walk in the ways of light, but all the children of falsehood are ruled by the Angel 21. of Darkness and walk in the way of darkness. The Angel of Darkness leads all the 22. children of righteousness astray, and until his end, all their sin, iniquities, wickedness, and all their unlawful deeds are caused by his dominion 23. in accordance with the mysteries of God. Every one of their chastisements, and every one of the seasons of their distress, 24. shall be brought about by the rule of his persecution; for all his allotted spirits seek the overthrow of the 25. sons of light. But the God of Israel and His Angel of Truth will succor all the sons of light. For it is He who created the spirits of Light and Darkness and founded 26. every action upon them and established every deed [upon] their [ways]. And He loves the one COL.IV 1. everlastingly and delights in its works for ever; but the counsel of the other He loathes and for ever hates its ways. 2. These are their ways in the world for the enlightenment of the heart of man, and that all the paths of true righteousness may be made straight before him, and that the fear of the laws of God may be instilled in his heart: 3. a spirit of humility, patience, abundant charity, unending goodness, understanding, and intelligence; (a spirit of) mighty wisdom which trusts in all the 4. deeds of God and leans on His great lovingkindness; a spirit of discernment in every purpose, of zeal for 5. just laws, of holy intent with steadfastness of heart, of great charity towards all the sons of truth, of admirable purity which detests all unclean idols, of humble conducts spring from 6. an understanding of all things, and of faithful concealment of the mysteries of truth. These are the counsels of the spirit to the sons of truth in this world. And as for the visitation of all who walk in this spirit, it shall be healing, 7. great peace in a long life, and fruitfulness, together with every everlasting blessing and eternal joy in life without end, a crown of glory and a garment of 8. majesty in unending light. 9. But the ways of the spirit of falsehood are these: greed, and slackness in the search for righteousness, wickedness and lies, haughtiness and pride, falseness and deceit, cruelty 10. and abundant evil, ill-temper and much folly and brazen insolence, abominable deeds (committed) in a spirit of lust, and ways of lewdness in the service of uncleanness, 11. a blaspheming tongue, blindness of eye and dullness of ear, stiffness of neck and heaviness of heart, so that man walks in all the ways of darkness and guile. And the visitation of 12. all who walk in this spirit shall be a multitude of plagues by the hand of all the destroying angels, everlasting damnation by the avenging wrath of the fury of God, eternal torment and endless disgrace 13. together with shameful extinction in the fire of the dark regions. The times of all their generations shall be spent in sorrowful mourning and in bitter misery and in calamities of darkness until they are 14. destroyed without remnant or survivor. 15. The nature of all the children of the men is ruled by these (two spirits), and during their life all the hosts of men have a portion of their divisions and walk in (both) 16. their ways. And the whole reward for their deeds shall be, for everlasting ages, according to whether each man’s portion in their two divisions is great or small. For God has established the spirits in equal measure until the 17. final age, and has set everlasting hatred between their divisions. Truth abhors the works of falsehood, and falsehood hates all the ways of truth. And their struggle is 18. fierce in all their arguments for they do not walk together. But in the mysteries of His understanding, and in His glorious wisdom, God has ordained an end for falsehood, and at the same time of the 19. visitation He will destroy it for ever. Then truth, which has wallowed in the ways of wickedness during the dominion of falsehood until the appointed 20. time of judgement, shall arise in the world for ever. God will then purify every deed of man with this truth; He will refine for Himself the human frame by rooting out all spirit of falsehood from the bounds of his 21. flesh. He will cleanse him of all wicked deeds with the spirit of holiness; like purifying waters He will shed upon him the spirit of truth (to cleanse him) of all abomination and falsehood. And he shall be plunged 22. into the spirit of purification that he may instruct the upright in the knowledge of the Most High and teach the wisdom of the sons of heaven to the perfect of way. For God has chosen them for an everlasting Covenant and 23. all the glory of Adam shall be theirs. There shall be no more lies and all the works of falsehood shall be put to shame. Until now the spirit of truth and falsehood struggle in the hearts of men and they 24. walk in both wisdom and folly. According to his portion of truth so does man hate falsehood, and according to his inheritance in the realm of falsehood so is he wicked and so 25. hates truth. For God has established the two spirits in equal measure until the determined end, and until the Renewal, and He knows the reward of their deeds from all eternity. 26. He has allotted them to the children of men that they may be according to the spirit within [them at the time] of the visitation. COL.V 1. And this is the rule for the men of the community who have freely pledged themselves to be converted from all evil and to cling to all his commandments according to his will. They shall separate from 2. the congregation of the men of falsehood and shall unite, with respect to the Law and possessions, under the authority of the sons of Zadok, the Priests who keep the Covenant, and of the multitude of the men 3. of the Community who hold fast to the Covenant. Every decision concerning doctrine, property, and justice shall be determined by them. They shall practise truth and humility in common, 4. and justice and uprightness and charity and modesty in all their ways. No man shall walk in the stubbornness of his heart so that he strays after his heart 5. and eyes and evil inclination, but he shall circumcise in the Community the foreskin of evil inclination and of stiffness of neck that they may lay a foundation of truth for Israel, for the Community of the everlasting 6. Covenant. They shall atone for all those in Aaron who have freely pledged themselves to the House of Truth, and for those who join them to live in community and to take part in the trial and judgement and 7. condemnation of all those who transgress the precepts. On joining the Community, this shall be their code of behavior with respect to all these precepts. Whoever approaches the Council of the Community 8. shall enter the Covenant of God in the presence of all who have freely pledged themselves. He shall undertake by a binding oath to return with all his heart 9. and soul to every commandment of the Law of Moses in accordance with all that has been revealed of it to the sons of Zadok, the Keepers of the Covenant and Seekers of His will, and to the multitude of the men of their Covenant who together have 10. freely pledged themselves to His truth and to walking in the way of His delight. And he shall undertake by the Covenant to separate from all the men of falsehood who walk in 11. the way of wickedness. For they are not reckoned in His Covenant. They have neither inquired nor sought after Him concerning His laws that they might know the hidden things in which they have sinfully erred; 12. and matters revealed they have treated with insolence. Therefore Wrath shall rise up to condemn, and Vengeance shall be executed by the curses of the Covenant, and great chastisement of 13. eternal destruction shall be visited on them, leaving no remnant. They shall not enter the water to partake of the pure Meal of the saints, for they shall not be cleansed 14. unless they turn from their wickedness: for all who transgress His word are unclean. Likewise, no man shall consort with him with regard to his work or property lest he be burdened with the 15. guilt of his sin. He shall indeed keep away from him in all things, as is written, keep away from all that is false (Exod. xxiii, 7). No member of the 16. Community shall follow him in matters of doctrine and justice, or eat or drink anything of theirs, or take anything from them 17. except for a price; as it is written, keep away from the man in whose nostrils is breath, for wherein is he counted? (Isa. ii, 22). 18. For all those not reckoned in His Covenant are to be set apart, together with all that is theirs. None of the saints shall lean upon works of 19. vanity: for they are all vanity who know not His Covenant, and He will blot from the earth all them that despise His word. All their deeds are defilement 20. before Him, and all their possessions unclean. But when a man enters the Covenant to walk according to all these precepts that he may join the holy Congregation, they shall examine 21. his spirit in community with respect to his understanding and practice of the Law, under the authority of the sons of Aaron who have freely pledged themselves in the Community to restore 22. His Covenant and to heed all the precepts commanded by Him, and of the multitude of Israel who have freely pledged themselves in the Community to return His Covenant. 23. They shall inscribe them in order, one after another according to their understanding and their deeds, that every one may obey his companion, the man of lesser rank obeying his superior. And they 24. shall examine their spirit and deeds yearly, so that each man may be advanced in accordance with his understanding and perfection of way, or moved down in accordance with the offences committed by him. They shall rebuke 25. one another in truth, humility, and charity. Let no man address his companion with anger, or ill-temper, 26. or obduracy, or with envy prompted by the spirit of wickedness. Let him not hate him [because of his uncircumcised] heart, but let him rebuke him on the very same day lest COL.VI 1. he incur guilt because of him. And furthermore, let no man accuse his companion before the Congregation without having first admonished him in the presence of witnesses. These are the ways in which all of them 2. shall walk, each man with his companion, wherever they dwell. The man of lesser rank shall obey the greater in matters of work and money. They shall eat in common and 3. pray in common and deliberate in common. Wherever there are ten men of the Council of the Community there shall not lack 4. a Priest among them. And they shall all sit before him according to their rank and shall be asked their counsel in all things in that order. And when the table has been prepared for eating, and the new wine 5. for drinking, the Priest shall be the first to stretch out his hand 6. to bless the first-fruits of the bread and new wine. And where the ten are, there shall never lack a man among them who shall study the Law continually, day and night 7. concerning the right conduct of a man with his companion. And Congratulation shall watch in community for a third of every night of the year, to read the book and to study Law and 8. to pray together. This is the rule for an Assembly of The Congregation Each man shall sit in his place: the Priests shall sit first, and the elders second, and 9. all the rest of the people according to their rank. And thus shall they be questioned concerning the Law, and concerning any counsel or matter coming before the congregation, each man bringing his 10. knowledge to the Council of the Community. No man shall interrupt a companion before his speech has ended, nor speak before a man of higher rank; 11. each man shall speak in his turn. And in an Assembly of the Congregation no man shall speak without the consent of the Congregation, nor indeed of the 12. Guardian of the Congregation. Should any man wish to speak to the Congregation, yet not be in a position to question the 13. Council of the Community, let him rise to his feet and say: ‘I have something to say to the Congregation.’ If they command him to speak, he shall speak.Every man born of Israel, who freely pledges himself 14. to join the Council of the Community shall be examined by the Guardian at the head of the Congregation concerning his understanding and his deeds. If his is fitted to the discipline, he shall admit him into 15. the Covenant that he may be converted to the truth and depart from all falsehood; and he shall instruct him in all the rules of the Community. And later, when he comes to stand before the Congregation, they shall 16. all deliberate his case, and according to the decision of the Council of the Congregation he shall either enter or depart. After he has entered the Council of the Community he shall not touch the pure Meal of 17. the Congregation until one full year is completed, and until he has been examined concerning his spirit and deeds; nor shall he have any share of the property of the Congregation. 18. Then when he has completed one year within the Community, the Congregation shall deliberate his case with regard to his understanding and observance of the law. And if it be his destiny, 19. according to the judgement of the Priests and the multitude of the men of their Covenant, to enter the company of the Community, his property and earnings shall be handed over to the Bursar 20. of the Congregation who shall register it to his account and shall not spend it for the Congregation. He shall not touch the Drink of the Congregation until he has 21. completed a second year among the men of the Community. But when the second year has passed, he shall be examined, and if it be 22. his destiny, according to the judgement of the Congregation, to enter the Community, then he shall be inscribed among his brethren in the order of his rank for the Law, and for justice, and for the pure Meal; his property shall be merged an he shall offer his 23. counsel and judgement to the Community. 24. These are the rules by which they shall judge at a Community (court of) inquiry according to the cases If one of them has lied 25. deliberately in matters of property, he shall be excluded from the pure Meal of the Congregation for one year and shall do penance with respect to one quarter of his food. Whoever has answered 26. his companion with obstinacy, or has addressed him impatiently, going so far as to take no account of the dignity of his fellow by disobeying the order of a brother inscribed before him, 27. he has taken the law into his own hand; therefore he shall do penance for one year [and shall be excluded]. If any man has uttered the [Most] Venerable Name COL.VII 1. even though frivolously, or as a result of shock or for any other reason whatever, while reading the Book or praying, he shall be dismissed and 2. shall return to the Council of the Community no more. If he has spoken in anger against one of the Priests inscribed in the Book, he shall do penance for one year 3. and shall be excluded for his soul’s sake from the pure Meal of the Congregation. But if he has spoken unwittingly, he