The present study seeks to situate Qumran Hebrew (i.e., the Hebrew of the Dead Sea Scrolls) in the history of the Hebrew language. A survey of Qumran Hebrew is necessary for three reasons. First, in the biblical circle, the religious studies circle, a...
The present study seeks to situate Qumran Hebrew (i.e., the Hebrew of the Dead Sea Scrolls) in the history of the Hebrew language. A survey of Qumran Hebrew is necessary for three reasons. First, in the biblical circle, the religious studies circle, and the linguistics in Korea, there has not been a systematic discussion of Qumran Hebrew. Second, since 2010, several new and important primary and secondary sources have been published. Third, the hitherto studies of Qumran Hebrew have tended to presuppose Qumran Hebrew as more or less a homogenous entity, but there seem to be several linguistic elements mixing within the language. The approach is to typologize Qumran Hebrew, focusing on the categories of orthography, phonology, and morphology. In orthography Qumran Hebrew uses fuller (i.e., longer) spellings. In phonology, the system resembles Biblical Hebrew, which immediately precedes Qumran Hebrew rather than Mishnaic Hebrew, which immediately follows it. In morphology, Qumran Hebrew shows some characteristic forms. When carried out successfully, this study would contribute in three ways. First, it would make up an important deficiency in Korean biblical scholarship. Second, it would present a survey of one important phase of the history of the Hebrew language. Third, practicall