The Rule of the Community

The Rule of the Community (Serekh ha-Yaḥad) is one of the most important sectarian texts found at Qumran. It offers insights into Jewish thought and practices in the late Second Temple period, Jewish sectarianism, and textual interpretation. The text includes a lengthy section expounding a dualistic doctrine of two spirits; rules and regulations concerning communal life; a penal code; descriptions of liturgical ceremonies; and other sections outlining the community’s ideology, its raison d’être, and its views on the Temple and sacrifices, among other topics. However, the extent to which the text reflects historical reality remains highly contested. As an ideological text, it may include flourishes that present an ideal as opposed to the real context from which it emerged.