Physical Characteristics:

This is the 2nd and last page on the 17th strip of leather that makes up the scroll. This is not the page in the worst condition in the scroll but it is not in the best condition either. Since it is the last page in the scroll it suffers from exposure to what ever elements were present in the container it was in as the inner most page. It is actually remarkable that the page survived at all. The leather is darkened at the left end of the page and much fading of the letters had previously taken place. An editor has tried to re-ink the letters that faded and they appear very dark and are also blurred. This page is not easily read due to the blurred letters of the edited portions and faded letters that were not reconstructed.
There is some surface chipping on the leather with a letter lost due to chipping away of the surface in line 9. Fortunately there was no text below line 18 where there is also a portion of surface chipped away. There are a number of creases on this page but surprisingly not as many as on the preceding page. The horizontal crease line in line 14 joins with the fading problem to make some of the final letters difficult to read. The line that forms the right margin is easily seen on this page.

 Editorial marks:

The horizontal mark under the first line has been commented on in the preceding page. The two marks encompass the text between Isa 66:5 through 66: 14.

 Editorial additions to the text:

 The last word in line 6 has a yod edited to the beginning of the word. Without the editing the text agrees with M. With the Yod the verb is changed from pf to imp which conforms with the usual Q syntax but not with M. In line 10 the word "be-kol" is added above the line to correct an omitted word. It is written with the same blotting ink that the other corrections were made with.
There appears to have been a word written at the end of the text just off center which corresponds to about line 20. The first two letters seem to be aleph beth or mem. It may be a faded "amen."

 Q Scribal Spelling:

 Notice aleph added to prep + suf 1cs in line 13: 2nd word (liy') and in line 17: 5th word (biy')

 Variations in Q from the Masoretic Text:

 Line 2: 6th word: Q = beth prep (in ) in this word instead of kaph (like or as) which is in M.
Line 3: 1st word: Q = a repeated word; " 'apho" (his anger) is repeated after having been written as the last word in line 2.
Line 3: 8th and 9th words: Q = "yabo ' le-shaphot" imp 3ms + prep + pass part. (and he will bring to the judging) and M = "nishphat" 2nd stem pf 3ms (he will contend)..
Line 4: last word: Q agrees with qerey not kituv.
Line 5: 2nd and 3rd from last words: Q = "amar y[hw]h" (says YHWH) "yasuphu" (they shall be consumed) in M is omitted in Q.
Line 8: 4th word: Q = a yod is missing due to a chipping lacuna. This word refers to Meshek not to a part.; (drawers) 7th word: Aleph added to "yav'an" (Greece).
Lines 9 and 10: last word in 9 and 1st in 10: Q = "kol" written two times at the end of 9 and at the beginning of 10.
Line 10: last two words: Q = both words are accurately represented but "be-rekevim" (in chariots) is reedited in a small space and written diagonally to the line to fit it in. The last word in the line must have been reedited first and then the diagonal word did not have enough space left to insert the word due to the hand and runny ink the scribe was using and the absorbent nature of the deteriorating leather that he was working with. The next word "u-be-tsaviym" (and in litters) is obscure but complete with the addition of what may be a superfluous "he" appended.
Line 11: 2nd word: Q = "be-kircarkovoth" probably a misspelling and M = "be-kirkaroth" nfpl (dromedaries) 3rd word: Q = " 'el" (to) and M = " 'al" (upon).
Line 12: last two words: Q is obscure. M = "ve-gam me-hem" (and also from them) In Q the last word is fairly easily seen. It is "me-hemah" and the waw and mem of "ve-gam" is seen flanking a blank space where the gimmel should be.
Line 13: 2nd word: Q = an extra word: "liy' " prep lamed (to) and suf 1cs (me) + appended aleph which is common to Q scribe. The phrase is "I will take [them] to me for Priests" In M the "to me" is understood and in Q the "them" is understood. There is no cj in this phrase in either text Q or M.
Line 16: 3rd word: Q = "be-shabatah" nfs + suf 3fs (in her sabbath) and M = "be-shabato" nfs + suf 3ms. (in his sabbath).
Line 17: last word: Q = the last word in this line is too faded to be seen.. It is " 'isham" (their men)
Line 18: last word in the text: Q = added article "he" not in M.

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