The Great Isaiah Scroll is 2100 years old. It was discovered in 1947 in a cave on the western side of the Dead Sea by Bedouin shepherds. So, it is among a collection of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. They include both biblical and non-canonical scrolls dating from the third century BCE to the first century CE. Jews known as Essenes lived there in a community as religious separatists much devoted to the canonical scriptures.
Qumran and the Essenes
In ancient Israel, there were two main religious sects—Sadducees and Pharisees—and Essenes were the outlier, third group. They believed especially the Sadducees—who controlled the formal religious life in Israel, such as the worship at the temple in Jerusalem—were spiritually corrupt, and that was their reason for the Essenes separating from society. The Essenes were zealous in copying and preserving the biblical scriptures. Their settlement overlooking the Dead Sea was called Qumran. While it was not the only Essenes community in ancient Israel, it was the largest one.
Some History of The Great Isaiah Scroll
The Great Isaiah Scroll is the oldest, complete scroll/book from the Hebrew Bible that has ever been found. It is 23-feet long. It consists of 17 vellum sheets that are stitched together with thread. It is believed to have been copied in about the year 125 BCE. The Bedouins first sold the scroll to a Syrian archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, and it was purchased anonymously by the State of Israel in 1954.
This scroll just went on display a few days ago at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem for the first time since 1968. Only 25 people are permitted to view it, enclosed in a glass case, at one time. Israel’s President Herzog attended and spoke at the inaugural presentation.
From the Christian perspective, the book of Isaiah includes two major texts predicting Messiah Jesus which are completely the opposite. Jews claim the three main canonical texts about their promised messiah are Genesis 49.10 (“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him”), Numbers 24.17 (“a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel”), and Isaiah 11.4 (“he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips her shall kill the wicked”). Together, all three texts present a kingly warrior.
Yahweh’s Suffering Servant Jesus Died on a Cross
But the other Isaiah text which Christians believe is messianic, but Jews do not, is Isaiah 52.13—53.12. It depicts a “righteous servant” who suffers, whom scholars call “the suffering servant.” Yet Yahweh his God will exalt and lift him up “very high” since he accepted Yahweh’s mission for his life. That is, “he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, upon him was the punishment that made us whole” because “we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD [Yahweh] has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” This extensive Isaiah text about Yahweh’s suffering and righteous servant, Jesus, is the most thorough Old Testament text that depicts Jesus’ suffering. Another is Psalm 22.
Christians view this as Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, and God vindicating him for it by raising Jesus from the dead and forty days later exalting him by lifting him up to heaven, to be seated next to Yahweh God on his heavenly throne. Hallelujah!!!
Messiah Jesus Will Rule as King of Kings
But this does not mean that Jews were wrong about the Messiah being a warrior king. They just got the person and timing wrong. Suffering Servant Jesus came in humiliation his first time on earth, but he will come a second time as a warrior king to deliver Israel and make it the greatest nation on earth. (See my book Warrior from Heaven.) For, the Old Testament predicts Jesus ascension to heaven by saying, “The LORD [Yahweh] says to my lord [adoni referring to Messiah], ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’ The LORD sends out from Zion your mighty scepter, Rule in the midst of your foes” (Psalm 110.1-2). The first sentence is the most quoted Old Testament text in the New Testament. So, only the man Jesus sits with God on God’s throne in heaven, awaiting that yet future time when God will make Jesus’ enemies on earth his footstool. Then he will send Jesus to rule on earth as Messiah King.
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