Great Psalms Scroll (11QPsa) with Psalm 151
A Cave 11 psalter in a different order, with Psalm 151 and other hymns unknown to the Hebrew Bible
Found 1956 — Ta'amireh Bedouin (Cave 11, February 1956); unrolled and published by James A. Sanders (1965)
Where Qumran Cave 11 (West Bank (Palestinian Territories))
Dates from c. 30–50 CE · Early Herodian · Late Second Temple; the Psalms as sung in Yeshua's generation
Now at Israel Antiquities Authority, Jerusalem (formerly Rockefeller Museum)
How Great Psalms Scroll (11QPsa) with Psalm 151 was found
Bought from the Bedouin through Kando by the Palestine Archaeological Museum; Sanders opened it in 1961.
What it is
A parchment scroll about 4 m long containing 49 psalms and hymns, mostly from Psalms 101–150 but in a different order, with several extra songs. The divine name is written in paleo-Hebrew. A prose note credits David with 4,050 compositions.
Why it matters for the Bible
It preserves Psalm 151, previously known only in Greek and Syriac, in its original Hebrew, plus Psalm 154, Psalm 155, a 'Hymn to the Creator' and the closing lines of Ben Sira 51. The different sequence shows that the last third of the Psalter was still being arranged in the 1st century. Its statement that David wrote his songs 'through prophecy' matches the way the New Testament treats the Psalms as prophetic (Acts 2:30).
The Hebrew word: te-hee-LEEM
תְּהִלִּים
תְּהִלִּים is pronounced te-hee-LEEM and means Psalms, 'praises' (Strong's H8416).
People this discovery connects to
- David — דָּוִד (dah-VEED) — beloved
Events
David's anointing as youngest son (Psalm 151) · Collection of the Psalter in the Second Temple period
Great Psalms Scroll (11QPsa) with Psalm 151 in Scripture
1 Samuel 16:11-13 Psalm 151 in the scroll retells David's anointing as the smallest of his brothers, keeper of his father's sheep. (First mention of David.)
Psalms 119:1 The long Torah psalm is preserved in this scroll in a stately, deliberately spaced layout.
Psalms 145:13 The scroll preserves a missing 'nun' line of this acrostic psalm that dropped out of the Masoretic Text.
Questions people ask
What is Great Psalms Scroll (11QPsa) with Psalm 151?
A parchment scroll about 4 m long containing 49 psalms and hymns, mostly from Psalms 101–150 but in a different order, with several extra songs. The divine name is written in paleo-Hebrew. A prose note credits David with 4,050 compositions.
When was Great Psalms Scroll (11QPsa) with Psalm 151 discovered?
It was found in 1956 by Ta'amireh Bedouin (Cave 11, February 1956); unrolled and published by James A. Sanders (1965), at Qumran Cave 11.
Where is Great Psalms Scroll (11QPsa) with Psalm 151 today?
Israel Antiquities Authority, Jerusalem (formerly Rockefeller Museum).
Which Bible verses does Great Psalms Scroll (11QPsa) with Psalm 151 relate to?
1 Samuel 16:11-13, Psalms 119:1, Psalms 145:13.
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Sources
- Sanders, The Psalms Scroll of Qumran Cave 11 (DJD 4, 1965)
- Wikipedia: Psalm 151
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