4Q164 (eng)

k all Israel like Eilatstone ^{1Cf. Isa 54:11b, where פוך occurs with the preposition ב. Isa 54:11 LXX renders the Hebrew פּוּךְ as ἄνθραξ (“charcoal”). Traditionally, פוך is translated as “antimony”; however, the reference is more likely to kohl or eye cosmetic. Ayil 2024, 66–71 considers a connection between the term and Eilat stone, which was ground into powder for use as eye cosmetic.} around the eye. ^{2For the reading בעוך, see Allegro 1968, 27–28.} “I will lay your foundations with sapphir[es.”^{3See Isa 54:11.} Its interpretation is:]

tha] t they established the Council of the Community, [the] ^{4Here the letter is read as ה (cf. also Allegro 1968, 27; DSSSE, 326). Alternative readings are ב (cf. Qumran Digital) and כ (cf. Qimron 2013, 273).} priests and the peop[le--]

the congregation of his chosen ones like a sapphire stone in the midst of stones [ -- “and I will make of garnet^{5The identification of כדכד remains uncertain; the present translation follows Ayil 2024, 153–57, who identifies כַּדְכֹד as “garnet.”}]

all your pinnacles.”^{6See Isa 54:12.} Its interpretation concerns the twelve ^{7Baumgarten 1976, 61 restores the lacuna at the end of line 4 with “chief priests,” arguing on the basis of the reference to the Urim and Thummim in the following line. Horgan 1979, 129, by contrast, restores the text as “the twelve men in the council of the community.” In view of the direct reference to the Urim and Thummim, Baumgarten’s proposal appears more convincing.}

shining during the inquiry^{8The term משפט here most likely refers to the divinatory inquiry conducted by means of the Urim and Thummim (cf. Num 27:21). The reference to “shining” probably alludes to the stones of the high priest’s breastpiece; see Josephus, Ant 3.214–218; Van Dam 1997, 31–32. Cf. also Flusser 1967, 52–62, esp. 54 n. 12. Flusser proposes reading כמשפט, since the Urim and Thummim were entrusted exclusively to the high priest. Cf. Baumgarten 1976, 63: “by the judgment”; Horgan 1979, 129: “by the decision of.”} through the Urim and the Thummim [ -- with none^{9Thus restored in DSSSE, 327 (“without any from among them missing”). Cf. Isa 40:26.}]

of them missing,^{10Draper 1988, 57, on the basis of the meaning of עדר in the Niphal (“to be cast out, rejected, banished”), translates “banished from them” and restores the preceding text as: “[to ordain the judgment of wickedness] which is banished from them.”} like the sun in all its light ^{11The continuation of Isa 54:12b is probably presupposed here (cf. Horgan 1979, 126, 130–31; DSSSE 326), and is then interpreted in L. 7.}

Its interpretation concerns the heads of the tribes of Israel in the l[ast days --]

his lot, the positions of [ --]