Testimonia

Testimonia was found in Cave Four near the site of Khirbet Qumran near the shores of the Dead Sea in the early 1950’s. It is a short document, complete except for a piece missing in the lower right corner. The name “Testimonia” comes from an early type of Christian writing, which it resembles in literary style. The Christian Testimonia was a collection of verses from the Bible about the Messiah, strung together to prove some kind of a point. Verses used like this are usually called “proof-texts.” The Testimonia from Qumran is not a Christian document but does resemble the early Christian Testimonia because of its use of a number of verses dealing with a theme.

The Qumran text includes five biblical quotations connected by interpretation. The first two quotations refer to the raising up of a prophet like Moses. The third quotation refers to a royal Messiah, the fourth to a priestly Messiah. The quotation from Joshua is connected to the coming of a time of great disaster, brought on by those dedicated to evil. The manuscript is usually dated to the middle of the first century B.C.E.