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Calendrical Texts

The Calendrical Texts from Qumran are a group of manuscripts that preserve the 364-day solar calendar and other calendrical systems used by the Qumran community.|||Multiple manuscripts from Qumran Cave 4 (4Q319–4Q337), including 4QMMT (Miqṣat Ma'aśe ha-Torah).|||Composed in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE.|||Not canonical in any tradition.|||Preserve the 364-day solar calendar that was central to the Qumran community's disputes with the Jerusalem priesthood. Essential for understanding the community's sectarian identity and its interpretation of biblical law.|||Talmon, S., Ben-Dov, J., & Glessmer, U. Qumran Cave 4.XVI: Calendrical Texts. Oxford, 2001.|||VanderKam, J. C. Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Routledge, 1998.|||Ben-Dov, J. Head of All Years: Astronomy and Calendars at Qumran. Brill, 2008.|||Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library|https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/|View calendrical fragments.;; Wikipedia — Qumran calendrical texts|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qumran_calendrical_texts|Background and discussion.|||" And the festivals of the Lord shall be celebrated in their appointed times, according to the calendar of the heavens." — Calendrical Texts (paraphrase)

Collection: Dead Sea Scrolls (Qumran) Canon: varies

Canon Status

Not canonical in any tradition.

Date & Provenance

Composed in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE.

Language & Manuscripts

Multiple manuscripts from Qumran Cave 4 (4Q319–4Q337), including 4QMMT (Miqṣat Ma'aśe ha-Torah).

Why It Matters for Study

Preserve the 364-day solar calendar that was central to the Qumran community's disputes with the Jerusalem priesthood. Essential for understanding the community's sectarian identity and its interpretation of biblical law.

" And the festivals of the Lord shall be celebrated in their appointed times, according to the calendar of the heavens." — Calendrical Texts (paraphrase)

Read the Text & External Resources

Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.

External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.

Further Reading

Talmon, S., Ben-Dov, J., & Glessmer, U. Qumran Cave 4.XVI: Calendrical Texts. Oxford, 2001.
VanderKam, J. C. Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Routledge, 1998.
Ben-Dov, J. Head of All Years: Astronomy and Calendars at Qumran. Brill, 2008.