... methodological assumptions and involves some serious difficulties. While the sectarians left a relatively large textual inheritance of their literary creation, all present day knowledge of the Pharisaic halakhah stems from indirect sources. These include the writings of Flavius Josephus and Philo of Alexandria...

...With the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E., the Sadducees, the Qumran sectarians, and other Jewish groups disappeared and only the Pharisees' tradition survived within the rabbinic movement. This chapter assesses the findings related to Halakhah and suggests a new explanation...

...Research to bridge the gap between the Bible and the established halakhah of the Rabbis as found in the rabbinic literature has been conducted. But this research, hampered primarily by the lack of reliable, authentic sources, proved to be disappointing and was abandoned. However, with the discovery...

...Defining the basic characteristics of the halakhah in the scrolls and related literature makes it easier to sketch some of the processes of change that took place. It also makes it easier to see the changes themselves that occurred between the halakhah of the Second Temple period and those...

... halakhic writings also form two very distinct genres: midrash and mishnah. However, the Qumranic literature continues the biblical tradition in that it is unified and unanimous. Dead Sea Scrolls halakhah Temple Scroll HEBREW BIBLE DEAD SEA SCROLLS Damascus Document arrangement of “rewritten Bible...