4Q106
Encyclopedia
4Q106 is one large and three small fragments from three columns of a scroll containing portions of the Song of Songs
in Hebrew
. It is one of three scrolls found in Cave 4 at Qumran
that have been reconstructed as copies of the Song of Songs. These, and 6Q6
from Cave 6, comprise the total witness to the Song from the Dead Sea Scrolls
, known so far.
of 4Q106 is tan in colour. The text is bordered by a top margin of 1.3 cm, bottom margin of 1.5 cm and an inter-column margin averaging 1.1 cm. There is clear evidence of vertical, but not horizontal ruling. Unidentified fragment 6, which is thought to derive from 4Q106 does show evidence of horizontal ruling, which would explain the extremely regular writing of this manuscript. Ada Yardeni, in a private communication to Emanuel Tov
, dated the manuscript as early Herodian
.
From column III we have:
Song of Solomon
The Song of Songs of Solomon, commonly referred to as Song of Songs or Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible—one of the megillot —found in the last section of the Tanakh, known as the Ketuvim...
in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
. It is one of three scrolls found in Cave 4 at Qumran
Qumran
Qumran is an archaeological site in the West Bank. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalia...
that have been reconstructed as copies of the Song of Songs. These, and 6Q6
6Q6
6Q6 is a small portion of a scroll from Cave 6 at Qumran, containing Song of Songs 1:1-7 in Hebrew. Together with three scroll portions found in Cave 4, they comprise the total witness to the Song from the Dead Sea Scrolls...
from Cave 6, comprise the total witness to the Song from the Dead Sea Scrolls
Dead Sea scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
, known so far.
Physical description
The parchmentParchment
Parchment is a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin, often split. Its most common use was as a material for writing on, for documents, notes, or the pages of a book, codex or manuscript. It is distinct from leather in that parchment is limed but not tanned; therefore, it is very...
of 4Q106 is tan in colour. The text is bordered by a top margin of 1.3 cm, bottom margin of 1.5 cm and an inter-column margin averaging 1.1 cm. There is clear evidence of vertical, but not horizontal ruling. Unidentified fragment 6, which is thought to derive from 4Q106 does show evidence of horizontal ruling, which would explain the extremely regular writing of this manuscript. Ada Yardeni, in a private communication to Emanuel Tov
Emanuel Tov
Emanuel Tov is Professor in the Department of Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, corresponding to Fellow of the British Academy , since 2006.-Biography:...
, dated the manuscript as early Herodian
Herodian Dynasty
The Herodian Dynasty was a Jewish dynasty of Idumean descent, client Kings of Roman Judaea Province between 37 BCE and 92 CE.- Origin :During the time of the Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus 134-104 BCE, Israel conquered Edom and forced the Edomites to convert to Judaism.The Edomites were integrated...
.
Contents
The large fragment and one of the small fragments provide the bulk of the surviving text — from column II. The two other small fragments are from columns I and III. What can be reconstructed from column I is:- [3:4... I grasped him and did no]t let him go until [I brought him to my mother's house, and into]
- [the room of the woman who conceived me. 5I charge y]ou daughters [of Jerusalem ...]
From column III we have:
See also
- List of Hebrew Bible manuscripts
- 4Q1074Q1074Q107 is a fragment of the Song of Songs in Hebrew found in Cave 4 at Qumran in the West Bank and which comprises part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. From the palaeography on the fragment it has been identified as being early-Herodian, i.e. c.30-31 BCE. The scribe responsible for 4Q107 did not write...
= 4QCantb - 4Q1084Q1084Q108 is a fragment containing a portion of the Song of Songs in Hebrew. Fragments from three such scrolls were found in Cave 4 at Qumran...
= 4QCantc - 6Q66Q66Q6 is a small portion of a scroll from Cave 6 at Qumran, containing Song of Songs 1:1-7 in Hebrew. Together with three scroll portions found in Cave 4, they comprise the total witness to the Song from the Dead Sea Scrolls...
= 6QCant - Tanakh at QumranTanakh at QumranThe Tanakh is the Hebrew Bible and Qumran is an archaeological site near the Dead Sea. More than two hundred portions of the Tanakh have been found near Qumran, forming part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The scrolls were found in a series of caves, which have since been numbered, and these numbers used...
External links
- Emanuel Tov. 'A Categorized List of All the "Biblical Texts" Found in the Judean Desert.' Dead Sea Discoveries 8 (2001): 67-84.
Literature
- Yardeni, Ada. The Book of Hebrew Script. The British Library: London, 2002. ISBN 1-58456-087-8.