Abstract:
This article reviews the debate concerning the sectarian movement in the Dead
Sea Scrolls. The consensus that the movement described in the Damascus
Document and Community Rule originated in a dispute over the high priesthood
in the mid-second century BCE has broken down in the last two decades since
the unveiling of more texts, especially those from Cave 4. The scope of this
debate and the ensuing developments are vast; therefore, the article only briefly
discusses the main arguments and the more contemporary discourses, focusing
on the five main aspects with their associated topics. These aspects are the
Righteous Teacher, the Wicked Priest, the possible schism, the socio-historical
context, and the sectarian movement.
