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By Root 1201 0

even to the extent of its population's having to undergo compulsory circumcision."18 Needless to say, like their Samaritan neighbors, the Galileans were not fond of the Judeans. In fact, Galilee was apparently a symbol of Judean oppression, which is evidently why Jesus was made to "come down" at Capernaum. After this invasion and forcible conversion, the ranks of the Herodian outpost Qumran supposedly swelled, evidently with Samaritans and Galileans, or Zealots "from Damascus," who also were the Sadducees, or "sons of Zadok," i.e., "the priests who keep the covenant," as the Zealots of the scrolls identified themselves. Indeed, Solomon Schechter, the discoverer of the Cairo edition of one important scroll also found at the Dead Sea-the "Zadokite Document," also known as the "Damascus Rule" or "Damascus Covenant"-considered the Dead Sea Zadokites an "offshoot" of the Sadducean sect, "possibly the Dosithean schism,"19 thereby also equating this Sadducean offshoot with the Samaritans.

According to Josephus, the Sadducees/Zadokites rejected the Pharisaic traditions not contained in "the law," which ostensibly meant that they spurned everything but the Pentateuch, again identifying the Sadducees with the Samaritan priesthood. However, the Sadducees/Zadokites were not only Samaritans but also Levites, such that they did at least interpret the teachings of the prophets, in their favor, of course. In this manner, the Zadokites of the scrolls appear to interpret the prophets to favor Israel/Ephraim/Samaria over the "wicked priests of Jerusalem," as in the commentary on Nahum: ". . . when (eventually) the glory of Judah suffers dishonor, those in Ephraim who have hitherto been duped will flee from the midst of those men's congregations and, renouncing them that led them astray, attach themselves (once more) to (the true) Israel."20

In addition, one Zadokite commentator virtually identifies his Syrian/ Samaritan affiliation when he interprets Habakkuk 2:17, which refers to "the violence done to Lebanon," as "`Lebanon' stands here for the Communal Council . . ." Concerning this statement, the author of The Dead Sea Scriptures, Theodore Gaster, notes, "The name Lebanon means 'white' (referring to the white cliffs). The point of the interpretation lies in the fact that the members of the Brotherhood wore white-as do the modern Samaritans and Mandaeans."21

The author of the Zadokite Document reveals his own Samaritan affiliation when he says, "Nevertheless, in all of their generations He has ever raised up for Himself duly designated men ... And to these has He ever revealed His holy spirit at the hands of His anointed [Christ] and has ever disclosed the truth ..." Of these designated men, Gaster notes, "I.e., the anointed priests, custodians and teachers of the Law, which is here called `the Truth,' as regularly among the Samaritans and Mandaeans."22 In fact, the Mandaeans were a Syrian pre-Christian brotherhood, one of the originators of Gnosticism whose high priests were called "Nasoreans," i.e., Nazarenes/Nazarites. This passage also sounds Christian, obviously, and in fact represents a seed of the Gnostic-Christianity that would emanate out of Samaria/Galilee/ Syria.

Furthermore, the author of the Zadokite Document refers to the split between the kingdoms and cites Amos 5:26, wherein "the Lord" says to Israel, "I will exile Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun your image, the star of your God . . . beyond Damascus." The Hebrew also translates, "You have borne the tabernacle of Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your Elohim . . . beyond Damascus." The tabernacle of Moloch/Molech is also that of Saturn/El, the old Hebrew god, as is the star-god Kiyyun/Chiun/ Kaiwan, a name "used to symbolize Israelite apostasy," i.e., by Judeans against the northern kingdom. Of course, the goal of the Judean Amos's diatribe was to destroy Israel's high places and sanctuaries so its inhabitants would be forced to be involved in the centralized religion in Jerusalem. In addition, the objects of Amos's ire "hide themselves on the top of Carmel," which