Serek ha-Yaḥad (1QS) in Dialogue with Mimetic Theory: Scapegoat Mechanisms Unveiled (Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, 146)

Book info: Serek ha-Yaḥad (1QS) in Dialogue with Mimetic Theory: Scapegoat Mechanisms Unveiled (Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, 146) (Hardcover, 304 pages) – Brill, 2023. Language: English.

What holds a society together, what makes it dissolve, and how is a society in crisis restored? These are the questions explored in this study, which brings the Serek ha-Yahad (IQS) into dialogue with mimetic theory. It thus aims to shed light on the forms of life and thought in the yahad, as well as on their underlying reason and purpose. From the analysis emerges an image of a community that not only has a strong awareness of the mechanisms of violence, but also of its cure. Its hierarchical organization and strict regulations are motivated by a perceived dissolution of contemporary society. By subordinating personal desire to community discipline and by establishing a system of differentiation, the yahad seeks to provide a model of how a society ought to be functioning. Editorial Reviews About the Author Kamilla Skarström Hinojosa Ph.D. 2016, is Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Gothenburg. Her research interests are Second Temple Judaism and contemporary theory. She is also part of the team translating the Dead Sea Scrolls into Swedish.