The Thanksgiving Scroll

a candle in the dark

Nov 27, 2025

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The Heartfelt Beauty of the Thanksgiving Scroll

The Thanksgiving Scroll, discovered in 1947 among the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls, holds a special place in the tapestry of ancient texts. Its name comes from the beautiful, heartfelt phrase “I thank you,” which appears throughout many of the poems. The Hebrew word Hodayot embodies the essence of gratitude and thanksgiving, echoing the scroll’s deep spiritual significance. Some also refer to it as the Thanksgiving Hymns, Thanksgiving Psalms, or simply the Hymns Scroll.

The primary version was among the earliest findings, and additional fragments have added to our understanding, even though some of its text remains elusive.

What’s truly uplifting is how the poetic style of these hymns resonates so closely with the Old Testament that some scholars describe it as a heartfelt “mosaic of Old Testament texts.” Much like the beautiful psalms of lament, these hymns use intimate and personal language, inviting readers into a sacred conversation.

Themes of Hope and Gratitude

Each poem brings its own unique touch, but overarching themes weave through the scroll. Most importantly, it speaks about and to God while often highlighting the challenges and frailties of the human experience, thereby magnifying God’s power, perfection, and love for humanity. Central themes include the salvation of the righteous versus the downfall of the wicked, a profound sense of gratitude for divine insight, and personal reflections of exile or persecution, all intertwined with hopeful expressions of deliverance.

One excerpt reflects this intimate and poetic dialogue, showcasing the poet’s raw emotions and the comfort found in faith:

“The wicked of the people rush against me with their afflictions, and all day long they crush my soul. But You, O my God, turn the tempest to a whisper, and the life of the distressed You have brought to safety as a bird from the snare and as prey from the power of lions.” (1QH, Col. 13 lines 17–19).

This scroll, with its rich mix of themes and heartwarming messages, continues to inspire a sense of gratitude and connection to the divine, reminding us all of the beauty in both our struggles and triumphs.

The traditional Thanksgiving ritual in many families is to go around the dinner table and share what we are thankful for with our gathered family and friends. Nature lover that I am, I can genuinely say that the beauty of the earth and the way it reflects the order and goodness lovingly created for us during our earthly sojourn is a gift I hold precious. I have loved this hymn for many, many years.

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies.

Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise.
For the wonder of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light,
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild,
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise.

For yourself, best gift divine,
to the world so freely given,
agent of God’s grand design:
peace on earth and joy in heaven.
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise.

Before the Christmas songs overtake our lives entirely, I offer one more traditional Thanksgiving song that echoes an important theme noted in the ancient Thanksgiving Scroll: deliverance from the oppression of evil that causes such distress and chaos in our world.

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing;
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!
We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be;
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

I have recently been keenly aware in my spirit that something unholy has been unleashed over, under, around, and within humanity. We are in a dark time indeed. Politics, war, and economic distress are only symptoms or pawns at best. The struggle is a spiritual one.

In these tumultuous times, let these words from an ancient scroll be your candle in the dark…O my God, turn the tempest to a whisper, and the life of the distressed You have brought to safety as a bird from the snare and as prey from the power of lions.

Weeping lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning. ~ Psalm 30:5

Happy Thanksgiving to my American Hedge Mystic readers, and sending the joy of abundant spiritual life to all of you wherever you may be in the world.

Enjoy every moment of the year. Each month is a gift, each season of life filled with goodness beyond measure.

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