Responses to 101 Questions on the Dead Sea Scrolls

Joseph Fitzmyer is one of the most accomplished Catholic bible scholars today writing from the moderate perspective. This book on the Dead Scrolls may be a bit dated (it came out in 1992), but it remains an excellent introduction to the Scrolls and the controvery surrounding them. As Fitzmyer concedes, the delay in the publication of certain scrolls was scandelous, but there is no reason to think there was anything nefarious in the delay (such as a conspiracy by Catholic scholars). Likewise, although the Scrolls provide valuable background material for understanding the world of Jesus and the early church, sensational claims about references to Jesus and James, etc. have little basis in fact.

Fitzmyer is one of the the preeminent scholars on the Dead Sea scrolls. He studied them since the 1950's. This handy book is posed as a series of questions and answers about the scrolls. The most important revelation of the scrolls is the light they have shed on the Judaism of the time. "The authors who wrote the Qumran scrolls were Jews to the hilt...In line with the general trend of postexilic Judaism they regarded Yahweh as the exalted and transcendent creator of all" (p 48). There are distinct similarities and differences between the writers of the scrolls and the later Christian movement. "The phrase 'son of man' does occur (in the scrolls) but in no case is it a title, such as it is in the NT" (p 115). The gospel of John does use symbols of light and darkness which find parallels in the Qumran scrolls. Fitzmyer also answers charges made by some sensationalist writers about the scrolls. For example, no, there is no evidence that Jesus or John the Baptist had anything to do with the Dead Sea scroll community.

There are a number of books on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Some are well balanced, and others simply what one can call sensationalism. Father Joseph A. Fitzmyer, an Aramaic expert, as well as one of the world's best biblical scholars,belonging to the school of Prof.William f.Albright,was involved in the Dead Sea Scrolls project since the 1950s. He edited the Tobit texts of these documents coming from the Essenes. His book is easy to read and provides a lot of information. A must for scholar and layman alike.