DEAD SEA SCROLLS continued from page 17
battle flags, trumpet calls, words of exhortation by the chief priest, the hymn of thanksgiving after victory, and the ceremonies celebrating vic tory. The scroll containing the hymns of thanksgiving reminds us in style of the later psalms in our Psalter. To what age must we date the finds? A few scholars have held that the manuscripts were written in medieval times. The majority main tain, however, that the Isaiah Scroll dates from the second century B.C., the Sectarian Document from the first century B.C., and the rest of the scrolls from about the end of the first century B.C. or the early part of the first century A.D. How were these conclusions arrived at? The first method for dating manuscripts is palaeography, the study of ancient methods of writing. Since there is little material with which to compare the scrolls, there had to be a margin of possibilities, but this is no oppor tunity for wild guessing. Interesting ly enough, those who first suggested dates on this method were quite close in their views. Another method for dating is archaeological evidence. Since the first discoveries were made, some forty caves in the area have been investigated. The pottery in them dates from about the same period as that of the Ain Feshka cave, that is, the second to the first cen tury B.C. It is distinctly Hellenistic except for a Roman lamp and cooking pot, which are thought to date from Origen’s time. With the development of the Car bon 14 process at the Institute for Nuclear Studies of the University of Chicago, the possibility of dating the large quantity of cloth found in the Ain Feshka cave presented itself. When the cloth was tested, it yielded by the Carbon 14 process a date be tween 167 B.C. and 233 A.D. Thus the study of the antiquity of the writ ing, the archaeological factors, and nuclear physics support the genuine ness and antiquity of the cave finds. How are we to account, then, for the original skepticism among some scholars who would date the finds to medieval times? As late as 1939 Sir Frederick Kenyon, t h e eminent textual critic, had written: “ There is, indeed, no probability that we shall ever find manuscripts of the Hebrew text going back to a period before the formation of the text which we know as the Masoretic.” The Dead Sea Scrolls have definitely proved the error of this statement. Our conclud ing article on this subject will evalu ate the entire field for Biblical studies.
“It’s like a half-built bridge—it doesn’t do you much good until you get it all the way across to the other side.” Thus Reuben Larson expresses the reason for his presence in the United States. A tireless American Swede, Reuben Larson, has been associated with an unusual missionary enterprise in Ecuador, South America from its inception. HCJB in Quito, Ecuador, has become well known in many Christian groups as “ The Pioneer Missionary Broadcaster.” Many have watched its development from a small local trans mitter, -to the short-wave set-up which now carries programs in twelve languages into a major part of the world. A disappointed note in some of the thousands of letters which pour into the offices in Quito has sent Larson to this country. Many complain that reception is not what it used to be. They strain to hear HCJB, whose signal is now weak by contrast with the powerful stations being established through out the world. “W e need to reach the whole world—with strength and clarity comparable to other stations,” says Larson. “ In order to do this HCJB’s technicians estimate that they need a total of 100,000 watts for their transmitters— a matter of $280,000.00. “A lot of money,” agrees Larson. “ But already God has sent in over two-thirds of it through praying friends, on what is called the ADVANCE PROGRAM. “ Before the year’s end, if the Lord tarries,” he muses, “we could be storming the very Kremlin with a strong, consistent barrage of the Gospel.’” One cannot help but join with the staff and friends of HCJB in prayer that the HALF-BUILT BRIDGE will soon be completed. The advance programs as it stands now: Already received in gifts $204,000.00 Balance by trust agreement 16,000.00 Present need 60,000.00 Total $280,000.00 Won't you make your investment now? It is urgently needed.
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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