Michael O. Wise, Martin G. Abegg Jr., and Edward M. Cook, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation (New York: HarperOne, 2005), 593. (Modified and divided into 3 parts with commentary)
Text Part 1
2[…] And concerning what Scripture says, “In [this] year of jubilee [you shall return, every one of you, to your property” (Lev. 25:13) and what is also written, “And this] 3 is the [ma]nner of [the remission:] every creditor shall remit the claim that is held [against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because Elohim’s] remission [has been proclaimed” (Deut. 15:2):] 4 [the interpretation] is that it applies [to the L]ast Days and concerns the captives, just as [Isaiah said: “To proclaim the jubilee to the captives” (Isa. 61:1).…] and 5 whose teachers have been hidden and kept secr[et], even from the inheritance of Melchizedek, f[or …] and they are the inherit[ance of Melchize]dek, who 6 will return them to what is rightfully theirs. He will proclaim to them the jubilee, thereby releasing th[em from the debt of a]ll their sins. This word [will thus co]me 7 in the first week of the jubilee period that follows ni[ne j]ubilee periods. Then the “D[ay of Atone]ment” shall follow at the e[nd of] the tenth [ju]bilee period, 8 when he shall atone for all the Sons of [Light] and the peopl[e who are pre]destined to Mel[chi]zedek. […] upo[n the]m […] For 9 this is the time decreed for “the year of Melchiz[edek]’s favor” (Isa. 61:2, modified) and for [his] hos[ts, together] with the holy ones of Elohim, for a kingdom of judgment, just as it is written 10 concerning him in the Songs of David, “Elohim has taken his place in the coun[cil of elohim;] in the midst of the elohim he holds judgment” (Ps. 82:1).
Scripture also s[ays] about him, “Over [it] 11 take your seat in the highest heaven; Elohim will judge the peoples” (Ps. 7:7–8). Concerning what scripture s[ays, “How long will y]ou judge unjustly, and sh[ow] partiality to the wick[e]d? [S]el[ah” (Ps. 82:2),] 12 the interpretation applies to Belial and the spirits predestined to him, becau[se all of them have rebe]lled, turn[ing] from Elohim’s precepts [and so becoming utterly wicked.] 13 Therefore Melchizedek will thoroughly prosecute the vengeance required by Elohi[m’s] statutes. [In that day he will de]liv[er them from the power] of Belial, and from the power of all the sp[irits predestined to him.] 14 Allied with him will be all the [“righteous] divine beings” (Isa. 61:3).
Commentary: He will proclaim to them the jubilee…in the first week of the jubilee period that follows ni[ne j]ubilee periods
Luke 4:16–30
In the Gospel of Gospel of Luke, Jesus announces the Jubilee theme during His visit to Nazareth. In Luke 4:16–30, Jesus enters the synagogue and reads from the scroll of Book of Isaiah. He reads the passage declaring, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor… to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18–19).
This proclamation echoes the Jubilee language found in Book of Leviticus, where the Jubilee year was marked by liberation, restoration of inheritance, and the release of captives. By reading this passage and declaring that the Scripture was fulfilled in their hearing, Jesus presents His ministry as the realization of that promised redemption.
Within this framework, Jesus’ mission is understood as bringing the good news to the poor, announcing release to the captives, restoring the afflicted, and proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor—the fulfillment of the prophetic hope for restoration and deliverance.
The Jubilee framework in the Melchizedek Scroll builds directly on the law of Jubilee described in the Book of Leviticus. In Leviticus, seven sabbatical cycles culminate in the fiftieth year, a sacred Jubilee marked by liberation and restoration:
“Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land.”— Leviticus 25
The Jubilee year restored property, cancelled debts, and freed captives—symbolizing covenant renewal and divine mercy.
Proposed Jubilee Chronology
Josepfus connects the scroll’s Jubilee language with the Grand Cycle. Beginning around the time of Ezekiel (c. 572 BC), twelve Jubilees—about 600 years—lead to the early first century.
Proposed sequence
572 BC → 522 → 472 → 422 → 372 → 322 → 272 → 222 → 172 → 122 → 72 → 22 BC → AD 28
This reconstruction places the opening of Jesus’ ministry precisely at the renewal of the 12th Jubilee cycle.
The Ten-Jubilee Countdown in 11Q13
The Melchizedek scroll itself describes a prophetic countdown:“This word will be fulfilled in the first week of the Jubilee that follows the nine Jubilees.”
Q. What is the difference of the 12 Cronologicil Cycle Of Jubilees and the term “end of the ninth Jubilee”?
A. The end of the ninth is counting from the post-exilic era first Jubillee 422 BC, which again points to AD28. This time as the 10th Jubilee.
Sabbatical Context in Ezra–Nehemiah
Evidence for sabbatical observance appears in the restoration period under Ezra and Nehemiah:
457 BC — Arrival of Ezra in Jerusalem (a Sabbatical)
443 BC — Public reading of the Torah (Nehemia 8-a Sabbatical)
436 BC — Festival observance noted by Flavius Josephus (a Sabbatical)
This would mean 429 BC was a Sabbatical year would fit in with 422 being a Jubillee
422 → 372 → 322 → 272 → 222 → 172 → 122 → 72 → 22 BC → AD 28
This would mean that 28AD was the 10th Jubilee after the restoration of Israel and therefore after 9 Jubilles reflected in 11Q13.
Jesus arrived after 9 cycles from Nehiamaih’s retuning, (in the 10th Jubillee) and also at the 12th of a twelve-cycle Grand Cycle discussedby Josephus.
Summary
The Jubilee theme runs through several texts:
Leviticus establishes the Jubilee law.
Isaiah frames it as a future proclamation of redemption.
11Q13 portrays Melchizedek announcing a final Jubilee. Josephus mentions that it was the last Jubilee recorded.
Luke 4 records Jesus proclaiming the “year of the Lord’s favor.”
Because of these parallels, some interpreters see the Melchizedek scroll as reflecting a Jubilee expectation that resonates with the message announced at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
For dating of that time to 28AD continue reading to part 3.
*In the Julian calendar, the year A.D. 28 begins on January 1, A.D. 28. However, when historical events are discussed in relation to the Jewish religious calendar, the seasonal cycles do not align exactly with the Roman civil year.
In the Jewish system, the autumn month of Tishri—beginning with Rosh Hashanah—marks the start of the civil year. This occurs around September or October in the Julian calendar. As a result, the autumn festivals that open the year, including Yom Kippur, fall in the fall of the preceding Julian year when viewed from a modern numbering system.
Because of this difference, the Jewish civil year that overlaps with A.D. 28 would actually begin in the autumn of A.D. 27. Thus:
Jewish Calendar EventJulian EquivalentTishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah)Fall of A.D. 27Tishri 10 (Yom Kippur)About ten days later in Fall A.D. 27 Rest of the Jewish year Continues into A.D. 28
This means that when events are discussed within a Jewish festival framework—such as the period between Tishri 1 and Tishri 10, often associated with repentance—they could occur in the autumn of A.D. 27 while still belonging to the Jewish year that extends into A.D. 28.
Possible Timeline from Jesus’ Baptism to His Arrival in Galilee
According to the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John, the events surrounding the baptism of Jesus Christ and the first calling of disciples provide clues to a short travel window between the Jordan region and Galilee.
Birth Season and Age at Baptism
Luke records that Jesus was “about thirty years of age” when His ministry began (Luke 3:23). Some chronological reconstructions, based on the priestly course of Zechariah and the pregnancy of Elizabeth, suggest that Jesus may have been born in the early autumn, possibly around Rosh Hashanah on Tishri 1. If this reconstruction is correct, His baptism by John the Baptist could have occurred near His thirtieth birthday.
Baptism During the Ten Days of Repentance
Jewish tradition associates the period from Rosh Hashanah (Tishri 1) to Yom Kippur (Tishri 10) with the Ten Days of Repentance, a time devoted to repentance and spiritual preparation before the Day of Atonement.
Within this framework, some interpreters propose that Jesus’ baptism may have taken place during this period of repentance, fitting naturally with the message of John the Baptist, who was calling the people to repentance and preparation for the coming kingdom of God.
Gospel Sequence After the Baptism
The Gospel of John provides a brief sequence of days following the baptism near Bethabara.
Day 1: Jesus is baptized.
Day 2: John testifies, “Behold, the Lamb of God.”
Day 3: Two disciples ask Jesus, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” and He replies, “Come and see.”
Day 4: Additional disciples begin following Him.
The narrative then states:
“The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.” (John 1:43)
Journey Toward Galilee
The journey from the Jordan baptism site to Galilee was approximately 70–90 miles, which typically required four to five days of travel on foot.
A possible travel timeline would therefore be:
DayEventDay 1Baptism at BethabaraDay 2John’s testimony about JesusDay 3First disciples remain with HimDay 4Additional disciples are calledDay 5Jesus begins journey to GalileeDay 8–9Arrival in Galilee
If the baptism occurred near Tishri 1, this schedule would allow Jesus to arrive in Galilee several days before Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
Calendar Perspective
It is also worth noting that the Jewish civil year corresponding to A.D. 28 would begin in the autumn of A.D. 27 on Tishri 1, since the Jewish civil calendar begins in the fall. However, the calendar used by the Essenes began the year in the spring at the equinox. If that calendar framework is considered, the symbolic proclamation of redemption associated with a Jubilee or “year of favor” would align with the spring beginning of the year, rather than the autumn festival cycle.
Text Part 2
[Th]is is that wh[ich … al]l the divine beings. This vi[sitation] 15 is the Day of [Salvation] that He has decreed [… through Isai]ah the prophet [concerning all the captives,] inasmuch as Scripture sa[ys, “How] beautiful 16 upon the mountains are the fee[t of] the messeng[er] who [an]nounces peace, who brings [good] news, [who announces salvat]ion, who [sa]ys to Zion, ‘Your [E]lohim [reigns’ ” (Isa. 52:7).] 17 This scripture’s interpretation: “the mountains” [are] the prophet[s,] they w[ho were sent to proclaim God’s truth and to] proph[esy] to all I[srael.]
Commentary:
11Q13 (The Coming of Melchizedek) presents a striking portrait of a heavenly Redeemer whose arrival is called the Day of Salvation. This “visit” or “coming” is not random—it is the day God Himself appointed, the day Isaiah proclaimed long beforehand.
Isaiah wrote:
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your divine being reigns.’”
Isaiah 52:7
The Qumran interpretation of these words aligns closely with the New Testament picture of the Messiah:
Meaning of Isaiah’s Imagery
“The mountains” represent the prophets—those who carried God’s truth to His people.“The messengers” are the divinely chosen heralds Daniel spoke of.
The phrase “feet upon the mountains” from the Book of Isaiah 52:7 is quoted directly in the New Testament in the Epistle to the Romans 10:15.
Romans 10:15 (KJV)
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written,
“How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Meaning in the New Testament
In Romans 10, the apostle Paul the Apostle applies Isaiah’s prophecy to the messengers of the gospel, showing that the preaching of Christ fulfills the prophetic announcement of salvation.
Text Part 3:
18 And “the messenger” is the Anointed of the Spir[it,] of whom Dan[iel] spoke, [“After the sixty-two weeks, an Anointed One shall be cut off” (Dan. 9:26).
Commentary: Dating the Death of the Messiah: Passover, AD 30 is supported by Clarence Larkin’s chronological analysis:
Jesus, the Teacher/Messiah, was crucified during Passover in AD 30.
Larkin notes that Daniel’s prophetic calendar precisely culminated on Sunday, April 2, AD 30, the day Jesus presented Himself publicly as Messiah—fulfilling Psalm 118:
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.”
Because He made this claim openly, He was “cut off” (Dan. 9:26) days later—just as Daniel foresaw.
The Structure of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks ( Clarence Larkin corrected Robert Anderson’s calculations)
Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 9:24–27) divides the 490 years into three parts:
•7 Weeks (49 years)
•62 Weeks
•1 Week (7 years)
These weeks measure the span from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah and ultimately to His future return.
The First 7 Weeks (49 years)
Beginning with the decree of Artaxerxes on 14 Nisan, March 445 BC, Jerusalem’s walls were rebuilt—precisely within the 49 years.
The First 69 Weeks (7 + 62 = 69 Weeks = 483 Years)
Counting forward:
445 BC → AD 30 is 475 solar years.
But prophetic reckoning uses 360-day years.
Converting 475 solar years into biblical years yields exactly 483 years—the first 69 Weeks.
Thus, the prophecy points specifically to Palm Sunday, April 2, AD 30, when Jesus publicly declared His messiahship.
Daniel’s Weeks and the Triumphal Entry
Within this framework, the sixty-ninth week of Daniel is associated with the public presentation of the Messiah. This has been linked to the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem shortly before the crucifixion:
“Behold, thy King cometh unto thee… lowly, and riding upon an ass.” (Zech. 9:9)
Using 360-day prophetic years, 483 years equal 173,880 days. Calculations from the decree of Artaxerxes (445 B.C.) to April 2, A.D. 30 yield the same total, aligning Daniel’s prophecy with the Gospel narrative.
Passover Timeline and Ministry Length,
There were three Passovers during Christ’s ministry. He died on the 3rd. Passover Timeline and Ministry Length
The Gospels indicate that the public ministry of Jesus Christ spanned several years and included three Passover festivals. This sequence helps establish the approximate length of His ministry.
The references occur primarily in the Gospel of John, which records multiple Passover visits to Jerusalem.
First Passover – early in Jesus’ ministry
John 2:13 records that Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover and cleansed the temple.
Second Passover – during the middle of His ministry
John 6:4 notes another Passover approaching during the time of the feeding of the five thousand.
Third Passover – the final Passover
At this Passover Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem (John 11–19).
This sequence implies that Jesus’ ministry lasted a little over two years, extending into a third Passover season.
Connection with the Proposed Chronology
If the public proclamation of His mission occurred around A.D. 28, then the three Passovers would fall approximately as follows:
YearEventSpring A.D. 28First Passover of the ministrySpring A.D. 29Second PassoverSpring A.D. 30Third Passover – Crucifixion
Within this reconstruction, Jesus’ announcement of the coming kingdom and the “year of the Lord’s favor” early in His ministry would allow time for these three Passover festivals to occur before His death.
Resulting Ministry Length
This framework produces a ministry lasting roughly two and a half years, stretching from the beginning of public ministry around A.D. 28 until the crucifixion at the Passover of A.D. 30.
Such a timeline fits the Gospel references to multiple Passovers and provides sufficient time for the events recorded during Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem before His final Passover.
Passage in the Damascus Document
One key passage states (CD 20:13–15):
“From the day of the gathering in of the Teacher of the Community until the end of all the men of war who deserted to the Liar, there shall be about forty years.”
The Damascus Document states that from the time the Teacher of the Community (often identified with the Teacher of Righteousness) was “gathered in,” meaning his death, until the destruction or judgment upon those who followed the “Liar” would be about forty years. During this period the community expected a final reckoning to occur in which God would judge the wicked and vindicate the faithful.
•It was almost 40 years to the day from the Death of Jesus to the beginning of the destruction in Jerusalem in 70 Ad.
•Talmudic sources report ominous signs beginning forty years before the Temple’s destruction (≈ A.D. 30), suggesting loss of divine favor.
Only in 30 Ad could Jesus have the Passover feast on one day and still be the full representative of the Passover lamb on the next day. This was the only year that the Essene Passover was one day before the Sanhedrin’s Passover. The Essene Calendar was correct based on Enoch’s Calendar (see Isaa.29. But the law was that even if the sannhedron was wrong, it was counted as right. So both were legal Passovers in this year.
Problem Still Unresolved
A difficulty remains when comparing the Dead Sea Scrolls with the New Testament interpretation of the Messiah. The 11Q13 (Melchizedek Scroll) appears to speak of Melchizedek as the figure who proclaims the Jubilee and brings the final deliverance. In this text, Melchizedek announces liberty to the captives, judges the forces of Belial, and inaugurates “the year of favor.”
However, the prophecy in Book of Daniel 9:26 speaks of an “Anointed One” who would come and then be “cut off.” Historically, the biblical Melchizedek from Book of Genesis 14 was not a figure who appeared centuries later at the end of Daniel’s sixty-nine weeks, nor did he die in connection with that prophecy. This creates a tension if the Qumran text is read as referring literally to the ancient king-priest of Salem.
At the same time, another Qumran text, the 4Q521 (Messianic Apocalypse), attributes many of the same scriptural passages to the Messiah. It describes the expected works of the coming anointed figure: healing the wounded, raising the dead, liberating captives, and bringing good news to the poor—imagery drawn from Book of Isaiah 61. These are the same passages that the New Testament later associates with the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Thus two scrolls from the same Qumran collection appear to apply the same prophetic language in different ways. 11Q13 interprets the redemption passages through the figure of Melchizedek, while 4Q521 associates them with the expected Messiah. This overlap suggests that the Qumran community may have understood these roles as closely related—either identifying the Messiah with a Melchizedek-like heavenly redeemer or viewing Melchizedek as a representative or agent of the messianic deliverance.
The tension therefore remains a subject of interpretation: whether Melchizedek in 11Q13 is meant as a distinct heavenly being, a symbolic representation of the Messiah, or an archetypal priestly figure whose role ultimately converges with the messianic expectations expressed elsewhere in the scrolls.
Possible resolution: If Melchizedek is Christ’s angel then this would make sense.
The Angel of the Lord: The Hidden Continuum
Long before the name of Jesus was revealed, the Hebrew Scriptures spoke of a mysterious figure known as “the Angel of YHWH.”
This messenger bears the divine name, speaks with the authority of God, forgives sins, and receives worship — functions that belong to God alone.
“Behold, I send an Angel before thee…for my name is in him.”
— Exodus 23:20–21
This figure appears repeatedly throughout the Hebrew Bible — to Hagar, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, and many others — often speaking as both messenger and manifestation of God Himself.
Jewish mystical tradition later associated this divine messenger with the heavenly mediator, the figure through whom God interacts with creation.
The Dead Sea Scrolls, particularly the text known as 11Q13 (The Melchizedek Scroll), identify a similar heavenly redeemer named Melchizedek, who proclaims liberty to captives and executes judgment against the powers of darkness.
The apostle Paul echoes this tradition when he writes:
“They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them:and that Rock was Christ.”
— 1 Corinthians 10:4
In this perspective, the divine presence guiding Israel in the wilderness may be none other than the pre-existent Christ.
Thus the Angel of the Lord, the heavenly Melchizedek, and the incarnate Christ may appear not as separate figures but as different manifestations of the same divine mediator — the living Word through whom both creation and redemption are accomplished.
The Meaning of “Similitude”
When the author of Hebrews declares:
“Christ is a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”
— Hebrews 7:17
the statement is not merely describing a historical succession.
A related explanation appears earlier in the chapter:
“And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest.”
— Hebrews 7:15
The word translated “similitude” comes from the Greek ὁμοιότης (homoiotēs).
According to Strong’s Concordance (G3665), homoiotēs means:
•likeness
•resemblance
•similarity in pattern or form
In other words, Christ’s priesthood arises according to the likeness or heavenly pattern represented by Melchizedek.
Christ is therefore not simply another priest following Melchizedek in succession.
He embodies the same heavenly archetype that Melchizedek represented.
Second Temple Jewish traditions already hinted at this interpretation. In these traditions, Melchizedek was not merely a king of Salem but a heavenly priest-prince, an intermediary between God and humanity.
Paul’s teaching, therefore, does not invent a new doctrine but fulfills a mystery already present in Jewish apocalyptic thought: the eternal priesthood originates in heaven, not on earth.
Melchizedek stands as the visible sign of that priesthood, while Christ is its full manifestation.
How this might be interpreted
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
— Genesis 1:26
the word used for God was Elohim — a plural majesty often understood to reflect the divine council, the heavenly host that stands in God’s presence.
Creation, therefore, was not merely the act of a solitary deity, but the harmonious expression of the whole heavenly order — a divine hierarchy reflected in the mirror of flesh.
Christ Himself affirmed this mystery when He said:
“Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones;
for I say unto you, that their angels do always behold
the face of my Father which is in heaven.”
— Matthew 18:10
Every human life, therefore, is not solitary. It is mirrored above — a soul below and its angelic counterpart above, a twin existence stretching across the veil between heaven and earth.
The Apostle Paul speaks of this hidden correspondence:
“There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:44
The earthly body is the vessel, but the heavenly form is the image — the angelic reflection that stands before God in light.
A glimpse of this belief appears in the early church itself. When Peter was miraculously released from prison and appeared at the door of the believers, those inside could not believe it. Instead they said: “It is his angel.”
— Acts 12:15
This ancient understanding, preserved in both Jewish and early Christian thought, held that the guardian angel reflects the heavenly pattern of the redeemed — the radiant archetype from which the mortal life is shaped.Thus, the heavenly man and the earthly man are not two separate beings but two aspects of a single mystery:
the spirit above and the soul below, united across the boundary of the visible and the invisible. While this may not be a positive solution, it is a plausible one
