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The Dead Sea Scrolls, found in caves near the Dead Sea fifteen miles east of Jerusalem from 1947 to 1956, include the oldest existing biblical manuscripts and the remarkable texts of the purist Jewish community at Qumran. The discovery of the scrolls has added dramatically to our understanding of the varieties of Judaism at the time of Jesus and the rise of Christianity, but has also prompted heated debate about the nature of these religions. As the monumental task of transcribing and translating the Dead Sea Scrolls is finally completed, people around the world are taking stock of the significance of these ancient documents. In this book, two of the world's leading experts on the scrolls reveal the complete and fascinating story in all its detail: the amazing discovery, the intense controversies, and the significant revelations.
Drawing together all the evidence, this timely book explores:
- The discovery and dating of the scrolls
- Their relationship to the Hebrew Bible, Apocrypha, and New Testament
- Their messianic and apocalyptic messages
- The identity, nature, and theology of the Qumran community
- The nonbiblical scrolls
- Controversies surrounding the scrolls
This comprehensive, up-to-date guide is the definitive introduction to all aspects of the scrolls, including their teachings, the community that created them, the world of Judaism, the origins of Christianity, our understanding of Jesus and the New Testament. Featuring photos of the original texts, the sites, and the scholars who deciphered them, and including illustrative passages from the scrolls, The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls presents the most complete and accurate scholarship on the Dead Sea Scrolls available today.
The definitive introduction to the Dead Sea Scrolls by two of the most prominent scholars in the field, The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls teaches both students of religion and lay readers all they need to know about the Scrolls and their significance for understanding ancient Judaism, Jesus, and the origins of Christianity.
One of the great archaeological finds, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. They are a treasure trove of unique texts created by the Essene community of Qumran, including the earliest manuscripts of every book in the Hebrew Bible, except for Esther. These writings are a vital key to understanding a world that would soon split into rabbinic Judaism on the one hand and Christianity on the other. James VanderKam is John A. O’Brien Professor of Hebrew Scriptures in the Department of Theology at Notre Dame; he is author of The Dead Sea Scrolls Today. Peter Flint is co-director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at Trinity Western University in British Columbia and coeditor of The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible. Emanuel Tov is Director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project and lives in Jerusalem. “Two of the world’s most eminent Dead Sea Scroll scholars have collaborated to produce a comprehensive, detailed but readable account of what the scrolls really say, judiciously considering a wide variety of views including those they disagree with. There is almost nothing they haven’t read and studied and considered. Their description of the controversies surrounding the publication of the scrolls is alone worth the price of the book.” - Herschel Shanks, Editor, Biblical Archaeology ReviewYou may also like
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