ABSTRACT
Soon after the discovery and publication of the biblical commentaries from Qumrân the question arose as to whether or not these commentaries (or pešārîm as they have come to be called) should or could be called midrash. Three positions have been taken over the years : that they are not midrash, that they are midrash, and that they are midrash pesher ( in contradistinction to midrash haggadah and midrash halakah). The discussion is still joined from time to time, authors siding with one or other of these positions.
