Habakkuk Commentary (1QpHab)
A Qumran commentary reading Habakkuk as prophecy about the Teacher of Righteousness and the Wicked Priest
Found 1947 — Ta'amireh Bedouin; acquired by Metropolitan Samuel, sold to Israel in 1954
Where Qumran Cave 1 (West Bank (Palestinian Territories))
Dates from c. 50–1 BCE · Late Hasmonean to early Herodian · Hasmonean high priesthood; Roman ('Kittim') arrival in 63 BCE
Now at Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem
How Habakkuk Commentary (1QpHab) was found
One of the seven scrolls from Cave 1, found with the Great Isaiah Scroll and the Community Rule.
What it is
A 1.4 m parchment scroll in 13 columns quoting Habakkuk 1–2 verse by verse, each followed by a 'pesher' (interpretation). The divine name is written in paleo-Hebrew letters while the rest is in square script.
Why it matters for the Bible
It shows how a Jewish group in the 1st century BCE read the prophets as coded predictions of their own day: Habakkuk's Chaldeans become the 'Kittim' (Romans), and the text speaks of a 'Teacher of Righteousness' persecuted by a 'Wicked Priest', probably a Hasmonean high priest. Its citation of Habakkuk 2:4, 'the righteous shall live by his faith', is the same verse Paul builds on in Romans and Galatians. It also preserves the text of Habakkuk a thousand years before the Masoretes.
The Hebrew word: PAY-sher
פֵּשֶׁר
פֵּשֶׁר is pronounced PAY-sher and means interpretation, solution (the word Daniel uses for interpreting dreams) (Strong's H6592).
People this discovery connects to
- Habakkuk — חֲבַקּוּק (chah-vah-KOOK) — embrace (or a plant name)
Places
- Chaldea — כַּשְׂדִּים (kahs-DEEM) — Chaldeans, here reinterpreted as the Romans
Events
Roman conquest of Judea, 63 BCE · Conflict between the Qumran community and the Hasmonean priesthood
Habakkuk Commentary (1QpHab) in Scripture
Habakkuk 1:1 One of only 2 verses that name Habakkuk.
Habakkuk 3:1 One of only 2 verses that name Habakkuk.
Questions people ask
What is Habakkuk Commentary (1QpHab)?
A 1.4 m parchment scroll in 13 columns quoting Habakkuk 1–2 verse by verse, each followed by a 'pesher' (interpretation). The divine name is written in paleo-Hebrew letters while the rest is in square script.
When was Habakkuk Commentary (1QpHab) discovered?
It was found in 1947 by Ta'amireh Bedouin; acquired by Metropolitan Samuel, sold to Israel in 1954, at Qumran Cave 1.
Where is Habakkuk Commentary (1QpHab) today?
Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Habakkuk Commentary (1QpHab) relate to?
Habakkuk 1:1, Habakkuk 3:1.
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