Johnny Skeptic

The Dead Sea Scrolls are the oldest known Bible. Do they say anything about homosexuality?

Chris Weimer

They're not technically a "Bible".

Johnny Skeptic

Until the New Testament Canon was written, who decided what writings comprised the Scriptures, and how did they decide what to include in the Scriptures? Why do fundamentalist Christians assume that God opposes homosexuality? There is no evidence that God ever made a public statement on the subject. Before Christianity, what made Judaism attractive to non-Jews who accepted it?

Chris Weimer

Well, "scripture" was a very loose term until then. There's some evidence of a growing consensus of the Law, Prophets, and Writings noted by the Prologue of Ben Sira... I think I'll have to let spin take over from here.

Rick Sumner

I think that Johnny Skeptic means to say that the DSS contains the oldest known manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible. On that note, I'm still not quite sure what he's asking--whether it is if the Biblical manuscripts contain the same condemnations of homosexuality found in other manuscripts of the same books (Lev.18:22 and 20:13 spring immediately to mind as two that don't seem to have survived--at least according to Abegg et al The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible), or whether the non-Biblical scrolls contain any such references.

Regards,
Rick Sumner

spin

As my name's being taken in vain, I may as well say that Johnny Skeptic's question was relatively clear in intent to me, but homosexuality is not something that I have been looking for in the DSS so I don't know about it, ie I cannot confirm or negate, and I can't see an easy way to search the texts unless someone can think of a sure-fire idiom that will suggest homosexuality in the texts.


spin

Chris Weimer

Off-topic: I hear Bibleworks has a module which allows you to search through the DSS.

On-topic: Do you think he meant of any extra-biblical works which may condemn homosexuality? Or perhaps he meant did the Biblical works in the DSS make the condemnation specific? I'm still puzzled.

spin

Aingot BW.

I think biblical, but would probably be interested in non-biblical as well. But then now I'm confused: are there any passages that come to mind about homosexuality in the HB (must be), if we have a few references we can check them in the DSS Bible.


spin

Chris Weimer

Rick Sumner pointed them out, but then again, there's a bit of debate over whether or not they really refer to that at all.

spin

Well, Rick's spot on. And I can go back to sleep.