THE EXODUS SECTION OF 4Q4221 EMANUEL TOV Hebrew University 4Q422 contains a paraphrase of the beginning chapters of Genesis (frgs 1-9) and Exodus (frgs lOa-e), followed by at least one sheet. Both the Genesis and the Exodus sections come from one composition, written by the same hand and deriving from the same scroll (cf. the similar shape of the fragments2).3 The final publica- tion of this composition will be produced jointly by T. Elgvin, responsible for the section on Genesis, and the present author, responsible for the section on Exodus. At an earlier stage these fragments were named "Traditions on Genesis," even though the fragments transcribed below pertain to the book of Exodus. The Exodus section contains a paraphrase of a section of the book of Exodus (the plagues and some of the events leading up to them). The wording of the Bible is often recognizable in single words and phrases, and at the same time one notices elements reflecting exegesis of the biblical text (for both, see the Comments). Other elements in the text, not understandable because of its fragmentary condition, are probably exegetical as well. It is not clear whether the text once covered larger sections of Exodus. The sequence of the plagues is close to that of Exodus and to that of Psalm 105, on which see the Comments. At the same time in the description of the plagues, the wording of 4Q422 depends in the first place on the historical Psalm 78, second on Psalm 105, and third on the account in Exodus. The text displays no signs of the special exegesis or ideas of the Qumran community. ' I am grateful to Prof. E. Qimron, who greatly improved our understanding of this document by placing four of the constituent fragments in the correct sequence and by improving several readings. I further benefited much from remarks by Mr. E. Larson. 2 This issue is treated in detail in the forthcoming DJD edition (volume XIII). 3 The Genesis and Exodus fragments have one other significant phenomenon in common, namely the two layers of writing on some fragments (see below).