The Dead Sea Scrolls Today

If you have read articles and heard references, and would like to know more about the Dead Sea Scrolls; if you are interested in the development of the Hebrew Scriptures, and would like more background; if you are interested in life in Israel around the time of Christ; if these or other similar questions apply to your interests, this is a book for you.James VanderKam, professor of Hebrew Scriptures at Notre Dame (Indiana, not Paris), and member of the official international team charged with preservation, reconstruction and translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls, has put together a one-volume introduction and exposition of the Dead Sea Scrolls. This is an accessible volume that presupposes no particular background of study in language, hermeneutics, biblical development, or archaeology. Yet, it does not 'talk down' to the audience either, and even the most advanced scholar will find in this volume an excellent encapsulation of the subject.VanderKam begins his survey with a brief history of the discoveries. This includes a discussion of the caves, geographically and geologically. Then he addresses the ruins of Qumran, which has two components--a building complex, and a cemetery: cemeteries are archaeological treasure-troves, but problematic when dealing with religious sensibilities about disturbing gravesites. Also he talks about methods of dating scrolls and ruins (methods from carbon-14 dating, a process discovered providentially the same year as the first cave with scrolls; paleographic methods, coin and pottery analysis, etc.). Finally, the first section concludes with some various theories about the Qumran location--is it a monastery with a scriptorium, a villa with a large dining hall, a tradepost, or a rebel fortress?VanderKam then has an survey section on the manuscripts themselves. There are various types of manuscripts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, including biblical texts: Hebrew scrolls, targums (Aramaic translations), tefillin and mezuot (scripture pieces with liturgical/prayerful use); apocryphal texts, including biblical apocryphal, pseudopigrapha and other like texts; commentaries, paraphrases, legalistic texts, liturgical and wisdom texts, and 'sectarian' texts, which include the enigmatic eschatological writings about final battles between good and evil, the Wicked Priest and the Teacher of Righteousness. The third section discusses in more detail the current state of thinking about the Essenes, who they were and what they believed. This includes outside evidence (such as the writings of Pliny and Josephus), as well as internal (Dead Sea Scroll) explanations of theology and practice. VanderKam also addresses the problems of attaching the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Essenes, and includes a brief discussion of the theories that the Scrolls belonged to a Jerusalem sect or to the Sadducees.The fourth section, however, expands upon the theories that the Essenes were responsible for the Scrolls and were the inhabitants of Qumran (which is

VanderKam's work is a pleasure to read. He covers a great deal of ground in his short 210 page book. Because it was targeted for a wide audience it is concise, clear, and avoids the minutiae that often bog down scholarly texts. As a member of the international team of scholars translating the scrolls, VanderKam has first hand information and an insider's insight into the scrolls and the debates raging around them. Although he book is used as a college text, it could just as easily be used for Bible studies and history buffs. The topics include the discovery of the scrolls, the content of the scrolls, theories on the scrolls' authorship and history, the impact of the scrolls on biblical texts and finally the controversies surrounding the scrolls. Each section is brief but thorough. Perhaps the book's most helpful feature is guiding the reader through the vast spectrum of scroll scholarship, pointing out which theories are most widely held and which are on the lunatic fringe.

The Dead Sea Scrolls Today has great pictures of the Bedouins who found the scrolls, want ads placed in the Wall Street Journal offering the Dead Sea scrolls for sale, pictures of the scrolls & caves & Qumran community. Fascinating texts are explained such as the Melchizedek Text found in Cave 11. Melchizedek was the priest-king of Salem who met Abram after he had defeated the kings and rescued Lot. Psalm 110.4 speaks of Melchizedek's eternal priesthood and Hebrews presents Christ as a priest after the order of Melchizedek. In the Melchizedek Text, the Qumran people thought of him as the angel Melchizedek who would participate in the last judgment. If you enjoy Bible mysteries you may also find fascinating THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones which unveils surprising new revelations on authorship on Old Testament books of Proverbs, Isaiah, Song of Songs and Job. The identitiy of King Solomon's secret ghostwriter for the book of Proverbs is unveiled for the first time in any commentary. Many other mysteries and riddles of Proverbs and the Old Testament are explored with surprising new answers.