Guide
What Is Pesher Nahum?
2nd Century BCE–1st Century CE
Restricted
Pesher Nahum (4QpNah) is a continuous commentary on the biblical book of Nahum found among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran. Like other pesher literature, it interprets the biblical text as a prophecy relating to the events of the first century CE, when the scrolls were composed, and the end of days, which the sect believed to be imminent. It employs epithets for various individuals and groups but is also notable for its explicit references to Demetrius and Antiochus (though scholars debate exactly which figures these names refer to). Only one incomplete copy of the work is preserved.
Related Primary Sources
Primary Source
Jerusalem Delivered to the Romans
Pesher Nahum to Nahum 2:12
[ . . . ] Where a lion went to go into it, a lion cub[without anyone confining him (Nahum 2:12). Its interpretation concerns Deme]trius, king of Yavan, who wanted to enter…
Related Guide
What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls?
2nd Century BCE–1st Century CE
Found in caves in the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea Scrolls preserve the writings of an ancient Jewish sect.