From Separatism to Urbanism: The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Origins of the Rabbinic Eruv

Abstract

The concept of the 'eruv appears to be one of the most radical innovations of rabbinic law (halakhah), both with respect to biblical Sabbath law, as well as with respect to other interpretations and expansions of Sabbath law known to us from the later Second Temple period.' In its fully developed symbolism the 'eruv, therefore, presents itself as one of the most important aspects of the rabbinicization of the Sabbath laws. At first sight, this would seem to be an obvious claim, since we find the first attestation of this principle only in the Mishnah, with one possible exception in the Dead Sea Scrolls to be discussed shortly. Granted, the Babylonian Talmud does record a rabbinic opinion which attributes the origin of the 'eruv to King Solomon (b. 'Eruv. 21b) who is said to have ordained 'eruvin and the washing of hands (:r'b n5'cmn pn:nm pfn) with the heavenly approval of a Lp fl-.2 However, this statement can hardly be accorded overt historical value, not least of all because the claim is attributed to a first, resp. second generation 'amora (first half of the third century CE).3

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