Abstract

Like the rest of the prophetic books of the Bible, the Book of Hosea enjoyed
much popularity and appreciation among the members of the Qumran
community. This fact is attested by three Biblical manuscripts of the book
(4Q78-79, 4Q82), various quotations in “The Damascus Document”: CD
1:13-14 (= Hos 4:16), CD 4:19 (= Hos 5:11), CD 8:3; 19:5-6 and par. 4Q266 (=Hos 5:10), CD 20:16 (= Hos 3:4), in the “Isaiah Pesher” (4Q163 frag. 23, col. 10, line 14 = Hos 6:9), in “The Midrash on the Last Days” (4Q177 col. 10, lines 13-14 = Hos 5:8), in the document “Bless, oh my soul, the Lord” (4Q434 frag. 7b, lines 2-3 = Hos 2:20) and, most of all, “Pesher Hosea” that remained in two scrolls (4Q166-167). It should be noted that quoting the book of Hosea with the introductory formula: “of which it is written” (CD 1:13) or “as it is said” (CD 19:15; 20:16) proves that this work, as in the case of the other biblical books, was considered to be an authoritative writing at Qumran. It is also worth pointing out that in most cases the quotations from the Book of Hosea were aptly and neatly chosen with a special regard to their original contexts (descriptions of and references to the Syro-Ephraimite War) – in the Qumran writings they are used to present the idea of the conflict between the community and its opponents. Discovering two manuscripts of “Pesher Hosea” (4Q166-167) in the Judean Desert at the Dead Sea testifies to the fact that the Biblical Book of Hosea was carefully studied by the community members and that its text served as a source of the commentary which not only mentions and alludes to historical events, but shows the eschatological aspect as well. Unfortunately, due to the miserable condition of both of the extant pesher manuscripts, drawing any final conclusions appears to be rather impeded, sometimes even impossible.