Hebrew: Hodayot^h

Collection [18 columns + fragments] of hymns of praise found in cave 1 at Qumran. The author of these poems thanks God for having granted him wisdom to act as "interpreter of wonderful mysteries" & opponent of "the interpreters of error" who despise him. Though confessing his human frailties, he thanks God for purifying him with his Holy Spirit to enlighten the congregation & renew the covenant. Some scholars identify the author of these hymns as the "teacher of righteousness" who founded the community. If so, they must be among the oldest of the sectarian compositions.

This scroll was acquired by Hebrew University in Jerusalem soon after its discovery (1947).

Other resources on line:

• Hodayot - images of 3 sections of Thanksgiving scroll [posted by Orion Center, Hebrew U].

• The Thanksgiving Scroll - detailed description & analysis for college course [Taylor University College (Canada)].

• A Close Reading of the Hoyadot & a Theory of their Authorship - Jacob D. Jaffe's analysis of the hymns points to composition over three stages of the author's life.