What are the Thanksgiving Hymns?
The Thanksgiving Hymns scroll, discovered in Cave 1, was copied originally on two scrolls that were eventually sewn together into one scroll containing at least twenty-five hymns. The hymnbook-like collection of hymns is called Thanksgiving Hymns because of the frequent repetition of the phrase “I thank thee, O Lord.” The hymns, which con tain phraseology similar to the biblical psalms, include praises of God’s judgments, his works of creation, and his acts of salvation. They describe the human condition and the tendency to sin. Like many of the biblical psalms, these hymns emphasize God’s righteousness, mercy, and truth. The following selection from the Thanksgiving Hymns is representative sample. Hymn 5 [I thank] Thee, O Lord, as befits the greatness of Thy power and the multitude of Thy marvels for ever and ever. [Thou art a merciful God] and rich in [favours], pardoning those who repent of their sin and visiting the iniquity of the wicked. [Thou delightest in] the free-will offerin
