Library
All Collections Home

Legal Texts

The Legal Texts from Qumran are a group of manuscripts that preserve the community's civil and criminal laws, purity regulations, and community discipline.|||Multiple manuscripts from Qumran Caves 1, 4, and 11 (1QS, 1QSa, 4Q159, 4Q251, 4Q266–273, 11QTemple).|||Composed in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE.|||Not canonical in any tradition.|||Preserve the community's legal system, including civil law, criminal law, purity regulations, and judicial procedures. Essential for understanding the social organization of the Qumran sect.|||Schiffman, L. H. Sectarian Law in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Scholars Press, 1983.|||Baumgarten, J. M. Studies in Qumran Law. Brill, 1977.|||Qimron, E. The Dead Sea Scrolls: The Hebrew Writings. Ben-Zvi, 2010.|||Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library|https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/|View legal fragments.;; Wikipedia — Qumran legal texts|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qumran_legal_texts|Background and discussion.|||" And if a man sins against the law, he shall be punished according to the statute." — Legal 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 Caves 1, 4, and 11 (1QS, 1QSa, 4Q159, 4Q251, 4Q266–273, 11QTemple).

Why It Matters for Study

Preserve the community's legal system, including civil law, criminal law, purity regulations, and judicial procedures. Essential for understanding the social organization of the Qumran sect.

" And if a man sins against the law, he shall be punished according to the statute." — Legal 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

Schiffman, L. H. Sectarian Law in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Scholars Press, 1983.
Baumgarten, J. M. Studies in Qumran Law. Brill, 1977.
Qimron, E. The Dead Sea Scrolls: The Hebrew Writings. Ben-Zvi, 2010.