Damascus Document

Damascus Document, CD-A column 16, Schechter 1910 English

|| covenant with you and with the whole of Israel. Therefore the man shall confirm it upon *himself to return to | the Law of Moses for in it everything is *exactly explained. As to the explanation of their ends *for a remembrance | to Israel of all these, behold, it is exactly explained in the Book of the Divisions of the Seasons | according to their jubilees and their weeks. And on the day on which the man will confirm upon himself to return | to the Law of Moses the angel of Mastema will turn away from behind him if he will fulfil his word. | Therefore Abraham was circumcised on the day of his knowing *it. As to what He said, “that which is gone out of thy lips | thou shalt keep” to confirm, every oath of a bond by which a man will confirm upon himself | to perform a commandment of the Law till the *price of death he shall not redeem it. Every thing which | ... a man upon himself... ...till price of death he shall not confirm it... | the oath of the woman which *Moses said to disallow her oath. No man | shall disallow an oath which *no man knew*. It is to be fulfilled. As to disallowing | if it is to transgress the covenant *then he shall disallow it and not confirm it. And so is also the law for her father. | As to the law of *offerings, no man shall vow anything for the altar under compulsion. Nor | shall the *priests take anything from the Israelites ...a man *dedicate the food... | this is what he said, “They hunt every man his brother with a net*.” Nor | shall devote...of all...his possession | holy...shall be punished... | he who takes a vow... | to the judge...