The Tamar Scroll

A love story on a gigantic scale

In 1947, the Bedouin goatherd, Mohammed ad-Dhib, discovered ancient scrolls preserved in clay jars in a cave near Jericho. These scrolls represent the oldest texts of the Bible currently known to the world. In addition to the Biblical texts, scrolls and fragments of scrolls belonging to a mysterious Jewish sect were also discovered. The slow assembly and publication of the fragments increased the aura of mystery and intrigue surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls' contents. In 1995, the Israel Antiquities Authority dismissed the Dead Sea Scroll scholars and assumed responsibility for publication of the scrolls. The story that follows is a fictional account of the circumstances surrounding the recent discovery of a previously unknown scroll among the fragments at Qumran.

The argument between Dr. Aviatar Altman, Chief Scholar of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project, and Dr. Zalman Katan, Curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Hebrew University, grew in intensity. Avi Altman was acknowledged as the foremost expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls in the world. Zalman Katan directed the Dead Sea Scroll Project upon appointment of the Knesset. Dr. Katan needed Dr. Altman's expertise at a time when the government of Israel was pushing for more of the Scrolls to be published. Perhaps reason might work on the stubborn old man to get the production that Katan sought at any cost.

"Avi, you're getting close to retirement and you haven't published for some time. You must take on an assistant to work with you and to carry on the work. The Project must have continuity. The only way to do that is to inject some new blood into the team. Besides, the Committee has decided that we must have a non-Jewish foreigner on the Project to retain international support for our efforts. Unfortunately, government funding is very tight at the moment, so your assistant will be a recent graduate out of necessity."

"But this new assistant won't have any experience in Biblical research. Furthermore, a goy can't possibly know the nuances of Hebrew as well as a Jew. You can't be serious that I'm going to be turning over my life's work to a non-Jew."

"It's difficult to get any experienced foreign scholars to come to Israel right now, never mind one who's not Jewish. The Second Lebanon War and the situation with Hamas in Gaza hasn't helped. Plus, we must pay the salary in shekels and that makes it doubly difficult to recruit anyone established in another country.

"Zalman, you know how I've thrown myself into my work since my Hannah, she of blessed memory, died. I have nothing in life to live for but the Scrolls. Don't ask this thing of me."

"Avi, I hate to contradict you but your output has been low these last two years you've been a widower. It's been almost 60 years since the Scrolls were discovered and the world still hasn't seen all of the treasures. We must publish them all and publish soon. I hope you don't want Aviathar Altman to go into history in the same way as that drunken bum, John Strugnell. Do you really want to be remembered as another obstacle to the Scrolls' publication?"

"Katan is such a brown-nosing little political whore," thought Dr. Altman, "but the

momser

has me by the

baytzim.

I'd just as soon tell him to shove this new assistant but I need his political skills with the Committee. He's right. They can wreck my career just by comparing me to Strugnell."

"All right, I agree to take on an assistant but I don't want any other interference with the staff on the Project. I suppose that you've already recommended someone to the Committee."

"How did you know, Dr. Altman? The Committee approved my recommendation at their last meeting. Your new assistant is Dr. Francis Lajeunesse, a graduate of McGill University and École des Hautes Études in Paris. Dr. Lajeunesse is eminently qualified, yes, eminently qualified, to work on the Project. Now, we should both get back to work." Dr. Katan reached for his golf clubs hidden behind the door of his office. "I'll be at Gaash Golf Club the rest of the day. I do hope you'll try and make Dr. Lajeunesse welcome this afternoon. My secretary has all the paperwork ready. All you need to do is assign the work."

Dr. Altman went back to his office, sat in his chair and began to think deeply. Katan had set him up again so that he had no choice but to bend to the will of this know-nothing. Avi Altman was of the old school, where a man's merit was measured by the worth of his scholarship. Zalman Katan was of the new school, where who one knew and who one blew were of the utmost importance. Thus Katan, with his minimal academic credentials, became the Curator of the Scrolls and Altman was merely the Chief Scholar.

Aviatar Altman was born in 1947 in the same auspicious year that the State of Israel came into being and the Scrolls were discovered. The Scrolls captured the imagination of the young Aviatar to such a degree that he vowed that he would eventually work on the oldest known texts of the Tanach. The young Avi worked with Yigael Yadin on the Habakkuk Pesher. Yadin was another political animal like Katan. As soon as Yadin published the paper with only his name on it, he was off running as a MK for the Knesset. Finally, the chance to make his own name came when the Israeli government took over the Scroll Project and assigned the Hebrew University to publish the complete set of fragments.

After the Hebrew University acquired the fragments, Hannah Altman, she of blessed memory, died with the result that Aviatar Altman's heretofore prolific output declined to a trickle. His colleagues gossiped behind his back: "Old Avi hasn't published a word for two years. How long can he sit Sheva for his wife, already?" The truth, as always, was different from the gossip. It was a fact that he missed Hannah's kosher kitchen, famed in their shul for the Shabat dinners that the Altmans would put on every month. Those were the good old days when friends would wine and dine each other on Shabat. People once had the time to argue politics or knotty problems in archaic Hebrew at the dinner table. Now they were too involved with themselves to socialize.

The real truth was that what Avi missed most of all was his Hannah in bed with him. Hannah was a passionate in lover up to the last year of her life before she went to rest with, well, where had she gone? Modern theologians produced such crap these days that even the most devout man like Aviatar Altman had his faith in God challenged to the limit. Wherever the final resting place of Hannah's soul might be, Avi Altman was seriously in need of a good woman. Yes, even a prominent Biblical scholar in his 60's needed to get laid on a regular basis.

It wasn't for a lack of opportunity that Avi Altman led a celibate life. His apartment building was filled with rich widows with an attitude that it was nice to have a man around the house. It didn't matter that they were Hannah Altman's best friends during her lifetime. Any eligible male was fair game to these incorrigible Yentas. Undoubtedly they wanted to add to their own considerable estates and pass Avi's money on to their children, not to his children. So what if Dahlia and Yonatan studied business and engineering respectively and moved to America? A father is still a father. Avi nursed a hope that someday his children would return to Eretz Israel. Wouldn't they need an apartment in Jerusalem?

As protection against his predatory female neighbours, Avi Altman vowed that no woman would enter his life, ever, never, done and said. Avi threw himself into his work and built a wall around his life. Little did Avi Altman know that Dr. Katan's announcement set in motion events that would see the wall crumble and his world turned upside down.

Francis Lajeunesse, Ph.D. sipped a latte at an outdoor café on Rechov Melech George. She wasn't due at Hebrew University until the afternoon. Jerusalem's cooler weather was far more relaxing than the humidity and heat of Tel Aviv. El Al's long flight from Montreal via New York was made unnecessarily long due to the Americans' insistence on visas for Israeli transit passengers. Francis spent a few days in Tel Aviv to get over the jet lag prior to arriving in Jerusalem. Tel Aviv was the centre of Israel's fashion industry. The boutiques in and around Disengoff Square had the first choice of styles before the leavings were shipped to Europe and North America.

Francis knew fashion as well as she knew Middle Eastern languages. In her student years, Francis financed her studies by modelling for the Bay in Canada and Galeries Lafayette in France. University students didn't get to eat much, with the result that Francis had that lean hardbodied look favoured by fashion photographers. She was especially in demand for lingerie advertising due to the wide hunger-induced gap between her thighs. She could have had any AC/DC fashion photographer or middle-aged department store buyer who admired her crotch. The truth was that there were times that Francis was so desperate and horny that she accepted these advances.

One would think that a beautiful woman could have any man she wanted. The truth was that for every man who was attracted to Francis, one was just as quickly repelled as soon as he learned what her day job was. Rejection was the burden of every intelligent woman wishing to find a man who wanted more than just a beautiful body.

Israeli men were no different, just more aggressive. At first Israeli guys were fascinated by a

shikse

speaking Classical Hebrew like a Prophet. Once they found out that she was headed for Jerusalem to use her Hebrew on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Israeli male usually had to run and take care of his sick aunt in Netanya. To Francis, it seemed that there was no place for an intelligent woman in all Israel, as in the rest of the world.

The years of suffering as a student were over, thank God. Francis had her dream job, translating scrolls as part of the most prestigious team of Biblical scholars in the world. She looked better than ever, more rounded and buxom than when she was a fashion model. Dr. Francis Lajeunesse was on top of the world. She had come a long way since she was a skinny little girl running around Chibougamau. Was it worth all the trouble? This afternoon she would begin her new life. Reaching in her purse for money to pay for her latte, Francis' fingers touched the condom she always carried in case of a chance encounter. Well, Israel wasn't offering many chances so far. Perhaps she would meet a graduate student at the University?

Aviatar Altman was still fuming over Dr. Katan's interference in his department's affairs when his angry thoughts were interrupted by a beautiful woman standing in his door:

"Dr. Altman? Hi. I'm supposed to start work today."

"That's very nice but I believe you're in the wrong building. The Bezalel School of Art is just down the road from here. I understand that they have a policy that nude models should enter by the back door. By mistake, you've come to the office of the Chief Scholar of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project."

"The mistake is yours, Dr. Altman. I'm not a nude model. I'm your new assistant, Dr. Francis Lajeunesse. Didn't Dr. Katan tell you about me?"

"Of course Katan told me I'd be getting an assistant. But, but,…you're a woman."

"I think that's obvious Dr. Altman. Please don't be embarrassed. I'm not offended. In Canada, either a man or a woman can have the name Francis. It's not the first time that someone's made the wrong assumption that I'm a man and it won't be the last." Francis hoped that she could placate the old man by minimizing his mistake. She continued: "However, I'm not here to discuss gender issues. I just want to begin my work on the Scrolls. What's my first assignment?"

Using the time-honoured rabbinical response that translates as "I really haven't the foggiest notion", Dr. Altman answered Dr. Lajeunesse's question with another question: "What qualifies you to work on the most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century, Miss Lajeunesse?"

"It's Dr. Lajeunesse, Mr. Altman. I went through my qualifications with the Selection Committee with the result that they selected me over four others who applied for this post. What qualifies me, you ask? I'm fluent in French, English, Hebrew and Arabic. I would be considered fluent in proto-Sumerian, if only we had some idea of how the written cuneiform was pronounced. My Ph.D. thesis analyzed the philological difficulties posed by the transition from classical Prophetic to Mishnaic Hebrew. I have since ….."

"The woman is qualified," thought Dr. Altman. "But she's still a woman and I never wanted an assistant, male or female, to begin with. I can't let Katan snooker me again. What to do to keep this woman busy and out of my sight?" Then he remembered the box of fragments from Cave XXIV that had lain untouched for 25 years.

"Dr. Lajeunesse, I have the ideal project for you to cut your teeth on, so to speak. The Project has finally obtained all the fragments of what was once an intact scroll. Père Roland de Vaux paid his Bedouin diggers by the fragment. De Vaux was, unfortunately, a naive cleric who never understood the intricacies of the free market system. Thus this scroll comes to us in the random condition you see it today. Some of my fellow scholars on the Project Team think that the scroll may be just another copy of the Genesis Apocryphon as it refers to characters from Torah. Dr. Lajeunesse, that's your assignment beginning tomorrow; to reassemble the fragments and translate them. I'm sorry that the only office available is in the basement. However, these fragments shouldn't be exposed to direct sunlight so the office should be ideal for your work.

Which brings me to another subject, Dr. Lajeunesse. I can't help but notice that you're rather immodestly dressed. All the scholars in this facility, with the exception now of you, are Orthodox men. You will report for work tomorrow with your arms, legs and especially your midriff covered."

"But, this is the latest fashion that I bought in a boutique in Disengoff Square. These clothes aren't even available in Europe, never mind Canada. You can't……."

"I don't care if the

apikorsim

(heretics) in Tel Aviv dress their women as if they were

zonot

. When you see Ms. Dror about your paperwork, ask her where in Jerusalem to get appropriate clothes for an Orthodox woman. Report for work tomorrow at 0800 and be properly dressed!"

Yehuda Takes a Wife from among the Canaanites

"1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. 3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. 4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. 5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him." (Genesis 38: 1-5, KJV)

The next monthly meeting of the team of scholars was Dr. Lajeunesse's first opportunity to report on her work. Dr. Altman couldn't help being amused at the obvious discomfort of his fellow scholars at being seated at the same table as a beautiful young woman. No, he would maximize his amusement by letting the experienced scholars demonstrate their expertise and then let Dr. Lajeunesse flounder. When all the male scholars had reported on the various fragments they were studying, Dr. Altman looked towards the far end of the table. "We still have to hear from my new assistant. Dr. Lajeunesse, could you provide a progress report on your project to the group?"

"Yes, Dr. Altman. I believe that the fragments I'm working with make up a complete scroll, as you assumed. However, it's not another copy of the Genesis Apocryphon. It's a heretofore unknown book of the Bible. Furthermore, from the style of the writing, I believe that this book was written by a woman."

At this, the meeting broke into cries of "Unbelievable" and "What makes you think you've found a book that has eluded our scholars and sages for thousands of years?" Some of the kinder scholars seated at the table merely smirked at the thought of a woman writing Scripture. Dr. Altman exercised his skills at chairing meetings of egotistical academics and brought the meeting back to order.

"Gentlemen. Please display some decorum and show respect for our new colleague. Please hear Dr. Lajeunesse out. Let her present her theories and then we'll have a discussion. At that time, you can make your remarks and criticisms. Dr. Lajeunesse, I see you managed to assemble and translate some of the fragments of what you claim is a lost book. Please proceed."

Francis read aloud first in the original Classical Hebrew, then in English and finally in French:

In the town of Adullam of Canaan, there lived a man named Hirah, a trader in livestock and wool. He had a comely daughter named Shuah. It came to pass that a wandering Habiru named Yehuda of the tribe of Avraham the Aramean came to the land of Adullam in search of a wife. Hirah killed a fatted goat and baked loaves of bread for his honoured guest. After much feasting accompanied by the slave women dancing around the fire, Hirah and Yehuda began to discuss the purpose of their meeting.

"Listen to what I have to say, oh Hirah. I left my family when I became of age. I have come in search of a wife amongst the Canaanites. I shall not be denied. Your women are renowned for beauty as well as their skills at love. Give me a wife of your womenfolk and I shall reward you out of the abundance of my flocks. Goats, sheep, cattle and slaves that I have captured in battle are yours for the asking. Hear me all of you because I speak the truth!"

Hirah passed not by a good bargain in all his life. He had to give only one worthless woman, in return for which he would get access to a Habiru's herds and slaves. Was this a bargain or was this a bargain? So as to not let this uncultured herder perceive any eagerness on his part, Hirah at first feigned rejection of Yehuda's proposal. The two men bargained for three days in order that Hirah could extract the maximum number of sheep and slaves from Yehuda. Once the bargain was sealed, Hirah hastened to the tent of the women and summoned forth his daughter Shuah. "I have chosen you to be the wife of Yehuda the Habiru. You must go forthwith to his tent and submit to the man."

"No, father, do not do this thing to me. The Habiru are uncouth and uncultured men of the pastures. They have no gods, or they will not reveal them to us. I have heard that this man Yehuda is the worst of the lot. It is rumoured that he killed his own brother and for that reason he shuns his tribe and they shun him in return. If he has killed his own flesh, what will the brute do to a woman not of his own kinfolk?"

Despite her protests, Hirah brought his daughter to the tent of Yehuda, the Habiru. "Behold the woman upon which we agreed. You shall take her to be your wife and do with her as you wish. Just remember to deliver the agreed-upon number of goats, sheep, cattle and slaves before you take your leave of us." Shuah sullenly submitted and entered the tent of Yehuda. Upon the morn, there remained no spirit in her except the most beatific smile upon her countenance. Shuah departed meekly with her husband and dwelt for the rest of her life in the tent of Yehuda.

It came to pass within the year that Shuah bore a son to Yehuda named Er. Yet, Yehuda attended not the birth of his first-born son as he was making sport among the women of Chezib. Does not a real man deserve a woman after a 6 month absence of her services? Shuah did vent her fury upon Yehuda for his waywardness, yet she bore him another son, Onan, within the second year of their marriage. Thereafter, Shuah bore daughters who counted for nothing in the eyes of a Habiru or a Canaanite. In the tenth year of their marriage, Shuah bore a third son, Shelach.