Arjen F. Bakker, "The Secret of Time: Reconfiguring Wisdom in the Dead Sea Scrolls" (Brill, 2023)
May 23, 2024
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Author Arjen F. Bakker discusses reconfiguring wisdom in the Dead Sea Scrolls, emphasizing the concept of time as an organizing principle. The podcast explores the interaction of Hebrew and Greek wisdom traditions, sacred timekeeping, the hidden rule of rasnichia, pursuit of divine wisdom, categorization of ancient texts, and the integration of Jewish and Greek concepts of time.
The Dead Sea Scrolls reconfigure Jewish wisdom concepts based on time as the organizing principle of reality.
Arjen F. Bakker challenges traditional classifications by advocating for a more interconnected approach to understanding ancient Jewish texts.
Deep dives
Insights into Ariane Bakker's Background and Academic Journey
Ariane Bakker, an assistant professor at the University of Romagan, shares his upbringing in the Netherlands, how his secular background led him to pursue religious studies at the University of Amsterdam. His interest in philosophy and history later influenced his focus on Judaism and Hebrew, leading him to study the Dead Sea Scrolls and New Testament.
Exploration of Mysteries in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Bakker's inspiration for his book stems from the enigmatic phrases found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, such as 'the mystery of time.' He delves into the frustration of unraveling these mysteries, emphasizing the importance of reconfiguring wisdom within the texts to gain a deeper understanding of their significance and relevance.
Reconceptualizing Wisdom Texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls
Bakker's study challenges traditional categorizations by reinterpreting texts like the Dead Sea Scrolls' wisdom literature. He questions the labeling of texts as 'Kumran wisdom texts' or dividing them into 'sectarian' and 'non-sectarian,' advocating for a more interconnected approach that reevaluates how these texts are classified and understood.
Advancing Understanding of Time and Cosmological Concepts
Bakker's research sheds light on how ancient Jewish texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls delve into time as a cosmological and metaphysical principle. By exploring concepts of time organization, calendars, and celestial cycles, his work highlights how these texts delve into profound reflections on the nature of existence and the hidden structures of the cosmos.
Arjen F. Bakker's book The Secret of Time: Reconfiguring Wisdom in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Brill, 2023) contributes to the rethinking of the Dead Sea Scrolls as an essential and integral part of Judaism in the Greco-Roman period. The Qumran manuscripts attest to the reconfiguration of Jewish wisdom concepts in this period. Strikingly, reflection on time as the organizing principle behind all of reality is formative for these emerging concepts, which are expressed by the enigmatic phrase rāz nihyeh. The secret of time invites us to venture beyond existing categorizations and explore a rich conceptual framework that is manifested across a wide range of texts, beyond generic categories, and overcoming the sectarian divide.