The Dead Sea Scrolls on Miriam’s Song
Fragment 7
5And [Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister,] took [the timbrel in her hand] and all the women came out behind her with [timbrels and in choirs] (Exodus 15:20).
Fragment 6
Column 2
1you despise (?) [ . . . ] 2for the majesty of [ . . . ] 3you are great, the savior [ . . . ] 4the enemy’s hope has died and he is for[gotten . . .] 5they have…
According to Exodus 15:20–21, after the Israelites miraculously crossed the sea, escaping the Egyptians, Moses’ sister Miriam led the women in song. However, the biblical text provides just a single verse of Miriam’s song, in contrast to the eighteen verses of the song led by Moses. A fragmentary parabiblical text from the Dead Sea Scrolls called Reworked Pentateuch presents what seems to be a longer version of her song. (The song appears in Reworked Pentateuchc, the third Reworked Pentateuch manuscript found among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran.)
Related Guide
What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls?
Found in caves in the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea Scrolls preserve the writings of an ancient Jewish sect.
You may also like
Biblical Antiquities on Miriam’s Prophecy
Biblical Antiquities 9.10
Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael on Miriam’s Prophecy
Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Shirata 10
Josephus on Pharaoh’s Daughter
Jewish Antiquities 2.224