[Avodah] Qumram

[David Riceman]

Micha Berger wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 04, 2008 at 12:19:32PM -0700, Eli Turkel wrote:
> :> I would think the Qumranim would fall under "seifer Torah shekasvo min",
> :> even if the whole thing were in Ashuris.>>
>
> : It is still debated who lived in Qumram and wrote the dead sea scrolls.
> : They were defintely not Saducees. perhaps Essenes perhaps some other group.
>
> But they were certainly minim of some sort. In the MMT is presented
> the position attributed in the gemara to the Tzeduqim, that tum'ah can
> not travel from the keli sheini up the irui to be metamei the liquid in
> the keli rishon. It is recorded as an argument and a discussion in both
> sources, allowing us to see the dispute from both sides.
>
> They also had a calendar that required all years have an even number of
> weeks, as did the Tzeduqim of Rabban Gamliel's day.
In several discussions on this list people have claimed that the 
definition of "min" changes with time.  If so (though I personally doubt 
it) the examples you give are relevant only if you assign an 
unreasonably late date to the Dead Sea Scrolls.

David Riceman