One of the seven original Dead Sea Scrolls recovered from Qumran Cave 1 in 1947, the Genesis Apocryphon is a retelling and elaboration of the patriarchal narratives of Genesis, from Lamech and Noah through Abraham, in the first person voice of its subjects, expanding the biblical account with dialogue, physical description and episodes not found in the base text, most famously Lamech's anxious questioning of his wife Bitenosh over the paternity of their unusually radiant newborn son Noah. It is the longest known example of this "rewritten Bible" genre from Qumran and the only Dead Sea Scroll composed almost entirely in Aramaic on this scale.
Facts
Identity
Parent WorkRetells and expands the patriarchal narratives of the Book of Genesis, chapters 5 and 9 through 15. 1 Transmission
Manuscript TraditionSurvives as a single damaged scroll (1Q20), one of the original seven scrolls purchased in Bethlehem and first opened in 1955 after over a decade in storage because the badly deteriorated skin could not safely be unrolled sooner. 1 Status
Canonical Status Text
Literary FormScholars generally classify it within the "rewritten Bible" genre, an expansive retelling rather than a verse-by-verse commentary; commentary is the nearest fit among this atlas's literary-form vocabulary. Origins
Era of CompositionA range of compositional dates for the work have been suggested from the 3rd century BC to 1st century AD. 2 Structure
StructureA fragmentary Aramaic retelling and expansion of Genesis narratives centered on Noah and Abraham, one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls recovered from Qumran Cave 1. 1 Connections
Associated With
Noah, Figures This source names Noah directly: "narratives of Genesis, from Lamech and Noah through Abraham, in the first person voice of its subjects, expanding the biblical account with dialogue, physical description and episodes not found in..."
Source The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in EnglishGeza Vermes
This source names Qumran directly: "Dead Sea Scrolls recovered from Qumran Cave 1 in 1947, the Genesis Apocryphon is a retelling and elaboration of the patriarchal narratives of Genesis, from Lamech and Noah through Abraham, in the..."
Source The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in EnglishGeza Vermes
Belongs to Tradition
Source The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in EnglishGeza Vermes
In Language
Originates in Language
Source The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in EnglishGeza Vermes
Sources
1. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English
Geza Vermes, Penguin, 2004Originates in Language: Aramaic, Stored language property on this entity, cited to this source: aramaicView the Source 2. Genesis Apocryphon (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationWikipedia: Genesis Apocryphon, lead sectionQuote, Wikipedia: Genesis Apocryphon, lead section
A range of compositional dates for the work have been suggested from the 3rd century BC to 1st century AD.
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