. . .

Conclusion

Contrary to first impressions, MMT shows numerous intriguing similarities with (other) Hellenistic literature. It might reflect traces of an appropriation of civic ideology in portraying its ideal rules, not least in addressing a mighty addressee exhorted to reflect on royal precedence, in a way that has been claimed for sectarian rule texts. It reflects, at least in the form handed down in one manuscript (4Q394), calendar discourses as common in the Hellenistic period, and MMT in all of its copies may be seen as taking part in Hellenistic discourses on natural and positive law. Most importantly, however, MMT shows significant similarities with both letters and epistolary treatises from the Hellenistic-Roman period, ranging from the corporate address through matters of disposition and structure to individual, and here particularly epistolary, formulae. While the precise genre of MMT remains difficult to determine, these similarities should not be overlooked and may justify alignment of the text with the epistolary form of communication.