University of Isfahan Comparative Theology 2008-9651 17 2 2026 05 22 Personality of Christ: A Comparative Study of the Roles of Davidic, Aaronic, and Prophetic in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Four Gospels Personality of Christ: A Comparative Study of the Roles of Davidic, Aaronic, and Prophetic in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Four Gospels 39 56 29835 10.22108/coth.2025.145183.1987 FA Ghorban Elmi Professor, Department of Comparative Religions and Mysticism, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Nazanin Jalili M. A. Graduated in Comparative Religions and Mysticism, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2025 05 10 This research examines the comparative characterization of three messianic-Davidic roles (the royal dimension), Aaronic (the priestly dimension), and prophetic in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Four Gospels. The aim of the study is to clarify the different types of messianic expectations and how these roles are combined, differentiated, or reinterpreted in two distinct textual contexts. The research is based on a comparative and text-centered analysis of 17 selected versions of the Scrolls and the Four Gospels, utilizing a combination of structural text analysis and narrative examination for its analysis. Each role is compared based on what the text explicitly states, the related symbols and vocabulary, and its social and religious functions against examples from opposing texts. The findings briefly indicate: 1) The Dead Sea Scrolls tend to differentiate the roles and emphasize collective expectational structures, particularly showing notable emphasis on Davidic and Aaronic components; 2) The Four Gospels, through their narrative and Christological structure, tend to integrate or redefine the overlaps of these roles. As a result, certain priestly or prophetic elements are reinterpreted in a novel way in the context of Christ-centered narratives; and 3) The correlations and differences between the two collections highlight mixed trends of adaptation, opposition, and theological reproduction, revealing the historical and social connections between the Qumran communities and the early church. The innovation of this study lies on three levels: 1) providing a clear analytical framework for the typology of messianic roles; 2) tracing the textual transfer trends between the Scrolls and the Gospels based on structural-narrative indicators; and 3) genealogizing the theological and social implications of these representations in understanding the formation of the Messiah as foundational to early Christianity. These results offer a methodological and conceptual basis for future research in messianic studies and the history of religious thought. This research examines the comparative characterization of three messianic-Davidic roles (the royal dimension), Aaronic (the priestly dimension), and prophetic in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Four Gospels. The aim of the study is to clarify the different types of messianic expectations and how these roles are combined, differentiated, or reinterpreted in two distinct textual contexts. The research is based on a comparative and text-centered analysis of 17 selected versions of the Scrolls and the Four Gospels, utilizing a combination of structural text analysis and narrative examination for its analysis. Each role is compared based on what the text explicitly states, the related symbols and vocabulary, and its social and religious functions against examples from opposing texts. The findings briefly indicate: 1) The Dead Sea Scrolls tend to differentiate the roles and emphasize collective expectational structures, particularly showing notable emphasis on Davidic and Aaronic components; 2) The Four Gospels, through their narrative and Christological structure, tend to integrate or redefine the overlaps of these roles. As a result, certain priestly or prophetic elements are reinterpreted in a novel way in the context of Christ-centered narratives; and 3) The correlations and differences between the two collections highlight mixed trends of adaptation, opposition, and theological reproduction, revealing the historical and social connections between the Qumran communities and the early church. The innovation of this study lies on three levels: 1) providing a clear analytical framework for the typology of messianic roles; 2) tracing the textual transfer trends between the Scrolls and the Gospels based on structural-narrative indicators; and 3) genealogizing the theological and social implications of these representations in understanding the formation of the Messiah as foundational to early Christianity. These results offer a methodological and conceptual basis for future research in messianic studies and the history of religious thought.

https://coth.ui.ac.ir/article_29835_03582fb4f6fb7a31fe95f163c010baff.pdf