Horoscopes (4Q186)

The Qumran Horoscopes (4Q186), also called Astrological Physiognomies, use physiognomic features to determine a person's character and destiny.|||4Q186, a Hebrew text from Qumran Cave 4, written in a cryptic script.|||Composed in the 1st century BCE.|||Not canonical in any tradition.|||The earliest known Jewish horoscopes. Use physiognomic features (shape of face, eyes, hair) to predict a person's character and destiny. Important for understanding ancient Jewish science.|||Popović, M. Reading the Human Body. Brill, 2007.|||Schmidt, F. " Ancient Jewish Astrology." In Biblical Perspectives. Brill, 2000.|||Allegro, J. M. " An Astrological Cryptic Document from Qumran." JSS 9 (1964): 291–294.|||Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library|https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/|View 4Q186 fragment images.;; Wikipedia — Qumran Horoscopes|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qumran_Horoscopes|Background and scholarship.|||" He whose eyes are black and whose hair is dark shall be of good understanding." — 4Q186 (paraphrase)