War Scroll (1QM) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

War Scroll (1QM) - Research Paper Example From the current discussion it can be comprehended that the War Scrolls were discovered with the other Qumran Scrolls. It is a manual that lays out military strategy and organization for a serious war that seems to be the final showdown of years of divergence amongst two different groups of people. These groups are indicated in the scrolls as the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness. From the point of view of researcher, the War Scrolls demonstrate the theoretical framework and conception of a group of people who belonged to the sect that hid the Qumran Scrolls in the cave. The author of the discussion infers this logically because at the time that the scrolls are dated (that is 50 BCE), Ancient Israel was under Roman Rule. Roman Rule was seen by many Jews of Ancient Israel as a rule perpetrated by people of an evil background. This is because many sources including the Christian New Testament indicate that the Jewish people of Ancient Israel had little regards for non-Jews. Th ey also saw the rule of Rome as some form of evil oppression that prevented Jews from carrying out the commandments in the Laws of Moses. So it appears that the scrolls meant the final wars and battles that would be fought between Israel and the Roman nation that would ultimately liberate Israel from its enemies. However, there are numerous interpretations that have various logical backings. Content Image 1.1 The War Scrolls 1QM: Courtesy of Hebrew University of Jerusalem The War Scrolls , 1QM is made up of 19 columns (Sukenik 1955, 1). It contains descriptions of the final showdown between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness. Since the display is not very clear and easily understandable to the modern man (ie it is not in chapters and verses as we have it in the Bible of today), it is divided into columns for the purpose of analysis amongst modern day theologists and social scientists. Philip Davies (1977) identifies that the 1QM or War Scrolls is divided into four main Parts . Part 1 which includes Columns 2 to 9 of the scrolls. It is about the basic elements of the war and it gives a description of the organization of the armies of the wars and the composition of the various units of the war and its spiritual implications which is paralleled with the 12 Tribes of Israel and the protection of the Covenant between Israel and God. Part 2 of the 1QM gives a background to the conflict and explains it into more details and includes some liturgical elements that makes the war more of a religious one than a secular one. It covers columns 14 to 19. Part 3 covers columns 10 – 14 whilst Part 4 is about column 1 which predicts the eventual victory of the Sons of Light over the Sons of Darkness. The extract from Image 1.1 above echoes elements from Numbers 10:9 (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2011 paragraph 1). This indicates that the war is to be fought with the various elements of a fair war which are outlined in the Torah in Numbers 10 and repeated by Mo ses in Deuteronomy 20. This includes amongst other things, the fact that a religious war should be sanctioned with a special priest from the descendants of Aaron who are known amongst Jews today as the Kohanim. The 1QM scrolls indicate that a special Kohen has to declare certain things to the soldiers before a religious war is sanctioned. This implies that the Sons of Light are really involved in some elements of Jewish religious life. The Sons of Light in the Qumran Scrolls are referred to as Yahad (Qumran.org). Yahad has a strong

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Essay Example Although Twain’s story is largely focused on the world from the perspective of little boys, he also gives the reader various insights into the adult world which runs parallel to it. The theme of superstition and religion may be seen throughout the narrative. Tom’s religious opinions and superstitions are compatible with each other and reflect adult society’s religious hypocrisy. Tom’s religious beliefs are very superficial. He names â€Å"David and Goliath† as two disciples (Twain, Ch.IV).   As it is compulsory to memorize five verses, Tom â€Å"chose part of the Sermon on the Mount, because he could find no verses that were shorter† (IV).   Sunday school is â€Å"a place that Tom hated with his whole heart (IV). Tom compares the boring church unfavorably with a circus, stating that â€Å"Church ain't shucks to a circus. There's things going on at a circus all the time† (VII). It is not his love of Scripture, but his love of glory , and his need to show-off in front of Bessie Thatcher, which leads him to barter his little knick-knacks for the colored tickets which earn him the prize of a Bible. Tom’s religious beliefs are compatible with superstitions. ... dead spirits, the only prayer Tom can manage is the bedtime â€Å"Now I lay me down to sleep.† When Injun Joe falsely accuse Muff Potter of murdering Dr. Robinson, Tom expects â€Å"God's lightening upon [Injun Joe's] head† as punishment† (XI). Tom and his friends say their prayers before sleeping on the pirate jaunt only because they fear â€Å"lest they might call down a sudden and special thunderbolt from heaven† (XIII). Tom’s religious beliefs are very alike superstitions. Tom’s life is filled with superstitions, which often dictate the course of his actions. An effective cure for warts ranges from â€Å"spunk-water† and charms, to split beans and blood. Of course, the efficacy of dead cats is the superstition which leads to the biggest of Tom’s adventures. Tom uses incantations to look for lost marbles. When the stairs creak at night, it is evidence that â€Å"spirits were abroad† (IX). An oath is to be sworn in blood for it to be binding. A dog howling is a sign of approaching death. Buried treasure is to be found under a tree when â€Å"the shadow of the limb falls at midnight, a guarded by a dead man† (XXV). Witches have no power in the daytime and Fridays are unlucky days. Here again, the boys meld religion and superstition. Old Mother Hopkins bewitches people by â€Å"saying the Lord's Prayer backards† (VI). The holiness of the Sabbath ensures that â€Å"Devils don't slosh around much of a Sunday, I don't reckon† (VI). Finally, it is clear that Tom’s superstitions serve the main purpose of making life more interesting and banishing the boredom of daily routine. When Huck tires of life with the Widow Douglas, Tom prevents him from running away by promising adventures as part of his gang of â€Å"respectable† robbers. It is the anticipation of an initiation