Updated: 2013.09.22
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מִקצָת מַעֲשֶׂה הַתּוֹרָה 
(Mi•qᵊtzât Ma•as•ëhꞋ ha-Tor•âhꞋ; "some Ma•as•ëhꞋ of Tor•âhꞋ.") conventionally abbreviated to MMT; ca. B.C.E. 156).
Familiarity with MMT is essential to the understanding of 1st-century Judaism (Ya•a•qovꞋ Sussmann in Qim•ronꞋ, p. 185.).
MMT is probably the original plea from Yᵊkhon•yâhꞋ Bën-Shim•onꞋ II Bᵊn-Tzâ•doqꞋ (the last true Ko•heinꞋ ha-Jâ•dolꞋ, who subsequently became the MorꞋeih TzëꞋdëq; see also Kha•sid•imꞋ) to his rabidly Hellenist brother, Yᵊho•shuꞋa Bën-Shim•onꞋ II Bën-Tzâ•doqꞋ, who became the first Ko•heinꞋ hâ-RëshꞋa (in a resulting succession).
MMT was probably written by the same author to the same recipient and closely related to CD, which he would write some 25-30 years later as a follow-up plea and covering some topics not covered earlier in MMT. More details are found in our Kha•nukh•âhꞋ page.
Ma•as•ëhꞋ, meaning "doing" or "practice," was the term used by the Tzᵊdoq•imꞋ to specify their interpretation of the Oral Law; the Tzᵊdoq•imꞋ counterpart of the Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ of the Pᵊrush•imꞋ (predecessors of today's Orthodox Jews).
"This scroll will undoubtedly stand in the center of all future discussion of the Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ and identity of the [Qum•rânꞋ] sect and the history of the Ha•lâkh•âhꞋ in general" (Qim•ronꞋ, et al., p. 185).
Qim•ronꞋ, Ëlishâ (Prof. of Linguistics, Bën-Guryon Univ. of the NëꞋgëv, Bᵊ•eir Shëva) and John Strugnell (Prof. of Christian Origins, Harvard Divinity School) in consultation with Ya•a•qovꞋ Sussman and A. Yardeini, "Discoveries in the Judaean Desert X, Qum•rânꞋ Cave 4 V, Miqtzat Ma•as•ëhꞋ ha-Tor•âhꞋ (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994)
This Dead Sea Scroll, discovered in Qum•rânꞋ Cave #4 (4Q), is a Qum•rânꞋ Kha•sid•imꞋ Bᵊn-Tzâ•doqꞋ Tzᵊdoq•imꞋ document (Qim•ronꞋ, Ë•lish•âꞋ (Prof. of Linguistics, Bën-Guryon Univ. of the Nëgëv, Bᵊ•eir Shëva) and John Strugnell (Prof. of Christian Origins, Harvard Divinity School) in consultation with Hebrew Univ. Professor of Talmud Ya•a•qovꞋ Sussmann and A. Yardeini, "Discoveries in the Judaean Desert X, Qum•rânꞋ Cave 4 V, Mi•qᵊtzat Ma•as•ëhꞋ ha-Tor•âhꞋ (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994) p. 197, 116, et al, and Eusebius, EH, III, xxvii, 2-6). This is evident from the practices of the group the writer described as "we," as opposed to "you," which matched the description of the Hellenist pseudo- Tzᵊdoq•imꞋ versus "they," which described the Pᵊrush•imꞋ (Qim•ronꞋ, p. 175.).
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