Aramaic Apocalypse I-II: The “Son of God” Text (Martinez)

The Dead Sea Scrolls
The so-called Son of God text, an Aramaic apocalypse, provides a vision of Israel’s redemption which terms a messianic figure “son of God,” showing that such a designation existed among Jews in the third or early second century B.C.E.

I 1 […] settled upon him and he fell before the throne 2 […] eternal king. You are angry
and your years 3 […] they will see you, and all shall come for ever. 4 […] great,
oppression will come upon the earth 5 […] and great slaughter in the city 6 […] king of
Assyria and of Egypt 7 […] and he will be great over the earth 8 [. . .] they will do, and all
will serve ) […] great will he be called and he will be designated by his name.

II 1 He will be called son of God, and they will call him son of the Most High. Like the
sparks 2 of a vision, so will their kingdom be. They will rule several years over 3 the
earth and crush everything. A people will crush another people, and a city another city, 4
until the people of God arises and makes everyone rest from the sword. 5 His kingdom
will be an eternal kingdom, and all his paths in truth and uprigh[tness]. 6 The earth (will
be) in truth and all will make peace. The sword will cease in the earth, 7 and all the cities
will pay him homage. He is a great God among the gods. 8 He will make war with him;
he will place the peoples in his hand and cast away everyone before him. His kingdom
will be an eternal kingdom, and all the abysses…

57. Garcia Martinez,The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated,p. 138.