The Dead Sea Scrolls After Forty Years (Symposium at the Smithsonian Institution, Oct. 27, 1990)

This book was a real treat for me - I've been bogged down in scholarly treatises of late, and it came as a breath of fresh air to find this small, simple, and concise overview of the scrolls and their impact some 40 years after discovery. The controversies, the gossip, and most importantly (to me), the impact on textual criticism - all are discussed in a clear and understandable way. Its easy to underestimate the value of a small, simple book, but believe me, wordiness does not equal value, and good things still come in small packages...this one is a gem!

A little on the old side now (1992) The Dead Sea Scrolls After Forty Years is a nice little overview of the history of the Scrolls: their discovery, their origin, their translation, and the contention over their intellectual "ownership." The slender volume is a printed version of a symposium conducted at the Smithsonian Institute and given by three prominent scholars (Vanderkam, McCarter, and Sanders) and introduced and moderated by Hershel Shanks, the founder, editor and publisher of Biblical Archaeology Review among other periodicals. The book is divided into four sections, the last three followed by a question and answer session, themselves very informative. The lectures reveal that the process of Biblical textual analysis is always a work in progress--and that what is extracted reflects as much on the evolution of our modern society as on the ancient one. An interesting little book.

Very general and introductory view on the scrolls at Qumran, atleast in my opinion. But, that was because this is a collection of speeches and discussion, so its understandable. I liked having scholars of different thoughts conversing together, and answering some FAQ. But really, one needs to read more than this to really learn about the Dead Sea Scrolls in any amount of depth. (try Norman Golb's book) Also, this book is outdated, 1990. (prior to the 1991 first publication of many of the texts.) INFORMATIONAL: features Hershel Shanks James C. Vanderkam P. Kyle McCarter, Jr. James A. Sanders