לשיפור המהדורות של מגילות מדבר יהודה

The author suggests improving the reading of twenty passages from the recently published manuscripts from Qumran Cave 4. The newly proposed readings illuminate the contents and accord with the grammar of the Scrolls. For example, in 4Q504 1–2 iv 6–7 the editors read: ובריתכה הקימותה לדויד להיות כרעי נגיד על עמכה. The word כרעי has been taken as an orthographical variant of כרועה "as a shepherd". Both the reading and the interpretation are unsatisfactory. As is known, God's covenant with David was basically the promise of an eternal kingdom for David's descendents. In fact, the continuation in lines 7–8: וישב על כסא ישראל לפניך כול הימים does not refer to David but to his descendents. The author therefore proposes reading מזרעו "some of his descendents" (instead of כרעי), which also fits the traces and the grammar. In another example, in 4Q265, 4, 2-3, the editors read [ואל] יואכל נער זעטוט ואשה [בח]ג הפסח [כול חמץ]. It is unclear why one states that children and women may not eat חמץ on Passover. No one may. The author therefore suggests reading (according to the traces) [אל] יואכל נער זעטוט ואשה [את] הפסח, which is an interdiction on women and children to eat the Passover sacrifices. Similarly, 11QTa xvii 6–9 states that only men may eat the Passover sacrifices (see Qimron's edition of the Temple Scroll).