Samuel Scrolls from Cave 4 (4QSama-c)
Fragments of Samuel that preserve readings lost from the traditional Hebrew text
Found 1952 — Ta'amireh Bedouin, then excavation of Cave 4 by Roland de Vaux and G. Lankester Harding (September 1952); edited by Frank Moore Cross
Where Qumran Cave 4 (West Bank (Palestinian Territories))
Dates from 4QSamb c. 250 BCE; 4QSama c. 50–25 BCE · Hasmonean to Herodian · Second Temple copies of the books of Samuel
Now at Israel Antiquities Authority, Dead Sea Scrolls laboratory, Jerusalem
How Samuel Scrolls from Cave 4 (4QSama-c) was found
Cave 4, a man-made cave just below the Qumran settlement, was found by Bedouin in August–September 1952 and held tens of thousands of fragments from about 575 scrolls, sold in batches and later excavated.
What it is
Three fragmentary parchment manuscripts of 1–2 Samuel. 4QSama is the largest, with parts of both books; 4QSamb is one of the oldest biblical manuscripts known.
Why it matters for the Bible
These scrolls often agree with the Greek Septuagint against the Masoretic Text, proving that the Greek translators worked from a real Hebrew text type rather than paraphrasing. 4QSama also contains a paragraph missing from all later Hebrew Bibles: it explains that Nahash king of Ammon had been gouging out the right eyes of Israelites, which sets up 1 Samuel 11 (the NRSV now prints it). The scrolls show that the text of Samuel was still in flux in the last centuries BCE.
The Hebrew word: noo-SAHCH
נֻסָּח
נֻסָּח is pronounced noo-SAHCH and means text version (a modern Hebrew term for a manuscript's textual form).
People this discovery connects to
- Samuel — שְׁמוּאֵל (she-moo-EL) — heard by God / name of God
- Nahash — נָחָשׁ (nah-CHAHSH) — serpent
Places
- Jabesh-gilead — יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד (yah-VESH gil-AHD) — dry place of Gilead
Events
Nahash's siege of Jabesh-gilead · Hannah's vow and Samuel's dedication
Samuel Scrolls from Cave 4 (4QSama-c) in Scripture
1 Samuel 1:20 First mention of Samuel in Scripture.
1 Samuel 1:22-24 The scroll agrees with the Septuagint that Hannah dedicated Samuel as a 'nazir' and brought a three-year-old bull.
1 Samuel 11:1 4QSama adds a paragraph before this verse explaining Nahash's cruelty to the tribes east of the Jordan.
Questions people ask
What is Samuel Scrolls from Cave 4 (4QSama-c)?
Three fragmentary parchment manuscripts of 1–2 Samuel. 4QSama is the largest, with parts of both books; 4QSamb is one of the oldest biblical manuscripts known.
When was Samuel Scrolls from Cave 4 (4QSama-c) discovered?
It was found in 1952 by Ta'amireh Bedouin, then excavation of Cave 4 by Roland de Vaux and G. Lankester Harding (September 1952); edited by Frank Moore Cross, at Qumran Cave 4.
Where is Samuel Scrolls from Cave 4 (4QSama-c) today?
Israel Antiquities Authority, Dead Sea Scrolls laboratory, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Samuel Scrolls from Cave 4 (4QSama-c) relate to?
1 Samuel 1:20, 1 Samuel 1:22-24, 1 Samuel 11:1.
Related discoveries
- מָשִׁיחַQumran Messianic Texts (4Q521 and 4Q246)The 'Messianic Apocalypse' and the Aramaic 'Son of God' text from Cave 4
- כִּכָּרCopper Scroll (3Q15)A treasure list engraved on copper, the strangest of the Dead Sea Scrolls
- מִקְדָּשׁTemple Scroll (11QTa)The longest Dead Sea Scroll, a rewritten Torah describing an ideal Temple and its laws
- בְּנֵי אוֹרWar Scroll (1QM)The 'War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness', a battle plan for the end of days
- תְּהִלִּיםGreat Psalms Scroll (11QPsa) with Psalm 151A Cave 11 psalter in a different order, with Psalm 151 and other hymns unknown to the Hebrew Bible
- יְשׁוּעָהGreat Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa)The only complete biblical book among the Dead Sea Scrolls, copied around 125 BCE
Sources
- Cross, Parry, Saley and Ulrich, Qumran Cave 4.XII: 1–2 Samuel (DJD 17, 2005)
- Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library
- Biblical Archaeology Society: Caves and Contents (Cave 4)
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