4Q448 Parchment Copied between 103-76 B.C.E. Height 17.8 cm (7
in.), length 9.5 cm (3 3/4 in.) Courtesy of the Israel
Antiquities Authority (2)The King Jonathan mentioned in this
text can be none other than Alexander Jannaeus, a monarch of the
Hasmonean dynasty who ruled Judea from 103 to 76 B.C.E. The
discovery of a prayer for the welfare of a Hasmonean king among
the Qumran texts is unexpected because the community may have
vehemently opposed the Hasmoneans. They even may have settled in
the remote desert to avoid contact with the Hasmonean
authorities and priesthood. If this is indeed a composition that
clashes with Qumran views, it is a single occurrence among 600
non-biblical manuscripts. However, scholars are exploring the
possibility that Jonathan-Jannaeus, unlike the other Hasmonean
rulers, was favored by the Dead Sea community, at least during
certain periods, and may explain the prayer's inclusion in the
Dead Sea materials. This text is unique in that it can be
clearly dated to the rule of King Jona