What Is Pesher Isaiah?

Among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran are six fragments of scrolls found in cave 4 that appear to be parts of a commentary (or perhaps several commentaries) on the biblical book of Isaiah. Of these, four are complete enough to be translatable. One fragment, called Pesher Isaiah^a (4Q161), comments on parts of Isaiah 10 and 11 and refers to a messianic leader who will defeat the Kittim, the Qumran sect’s term for Romans. Another, Pesher Isaiah^b (4Q162), comments on Isaiah 5 and refers to “scoffers in Jerusalem,” apparently the Jerusalem priesthood, which the sect rejected. Pesher Isaiah^c (4Q163) comments on several different parts of the book and also quotes Zechariah and Hosea. Pesher Isaiah^d (4Q164) comments on Isaiah 54:11–12, which describes a rebuilt Jerusalem, interpreting it as a reference to the Qumran sect.