The Dead Sea Scrolls: Women, Darkness, and Dangerous Things

Dr Shani Tzoref will explore two passages preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls from the caves of Qumran: 4Q271, fragment 3, and 4Q184 (“Wiles of the Wicked Woman”). 4Q271 is a sectarian legal text, while 4Q184 is a sapiential (“wisdom”) text.

The following will be our focal snippet:

And if [a man betroths his daughter to another ma]n, he shall tell him about all her defects, lest he bring upon himself the judgment of [the curse, which say]s, ‘Cursed is he who leads the blind astray on the road’ (Deut 27:18)… Let no man bring [a woman into the covenant of holi]ness whom he knew to ‘do the deed’ for a trifle or whom he knew [to ‘do the deed’ while in the house of ] her father; or a widow who has had intercourse after she became a widow, or any [woman who has a] bad [repu]tation while a virgin in the house of her father. Let no man marry such a one unless [she is examined by] dependable and knowledgeable [women] who are selected at the command of the Overseer who is over the [general membership; the]n he may marry her.We will use this text as a springboard for a brief discussion of the Qumran corpus, its discovery, and theories of its authorship—through the lens of women’s presence (or absence) in the Community of the Scrolls. In that context, I will share some of my sociological and theological speculation about why this community might have been so preoccupied with women, both as real individuals and as symbolic figures.

The text will be a springboard for a brief discussion of the Qumran corpus, its discovery, and theories of its authorship—through the lens of women’s presence (or absence) in the Community of the Scrolls. In that context, she will share some of my sociological and theological speculation about why this community might have been so preoccupied with women, both as real individuals and as symbolic figures.

Dr Shani Tzoref is an educator specializing in Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Originally from New York, she holds degrees from Yeshiva University (B.A., M.S.), New York University (Ph.D.), and the CUNY Graduate Center (M.A. in Digital Humanities). She has served on university faculties in the US, UK, Israel, Germany, and Australia and has been a dedicated advocate for academic equity and inclusive practices. Shani recently transitioned to K-12 teaching and relocated to Australia in November 2024.