Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls: A Reader from the Biblical Archaeology Review

by Hershel Shanks

Book Overview

A groundbreaking anthology that demolishes the myths -- and reveals the true significance -- of the greatest archaeological discovery of our time. Ever since their initial discovery in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have aroused excitement, jealousy, and not a little dread among some who feared their contents might undermine the foundations of Judaism and Christianity. For more than 35 years the majority of scroll texts remained the intellectual property...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679414487
• ISBN13: 9780679414483
• Release Date: August 1992
• Publisher: Random House
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

"A CLOAK AND DAGGER AFFAIR"-Yigael Yadin

Yigael Yadin was describing the world of dead sea scroll scholarship which began in 1947 when the first scrolls were discovered by a Bedouin boy herding his animals in the Judean hills. The scrolls were then shuttled to the antiquities market; sacred, holy words were now up for sale, and not at dime store prices! The "cloak and dagger affair" then began. (The temple scroll was obtained for $105,000 by the Israeli's after the six day war of 1967). Years later, many other caves were found containing ancient scrolls. Hershel Shanks, in his overview, states that, in this book, the articles discuss the dead sea scrolls from 11 caves at and around Qumran. There are many aspects to these finds: the political dimension, the religious one, the preservation of, the new data itself, and differing opinions of biblical scholars. Hershel Shanks divides the 22 chapters of this book into 9 sections: the find, where they came from, the temple scroll, the dead sea scrolls and the bible, the dead sea scrolls and christianity, the dead sea scrolls and rabbinic judaism, the copper scroll, reconstructing the scrolls, and controversy and the scrolls. I read this four years ago, in preparation for a pilgrimage to Israel, where we were to see Masada and the Dead Sea manuscripts which are now housed at the Shrine of the Book which is a part of the Israel Museum. I chose this one from many others at my local library; it looked like a good introduction to someone like me with little knowledge of this aspect of biblical scholarship. I was pleased with the contents. Hershel Shanks wrote 5 of the 22 chapters, the rest written by other scholars in this field. Each chapter is prefaced with a brief summary of the contents by the editor. (I admire Hershel Shanks' scientific approach to considering all of the evidence and hypotheses that emerge from the analyses of the many manuscripts; he never generalizes, exercizes great care in making any statement, very fair in his analyses, perfect traits for an editor). The book is comprehensive and captures the aura of this "cloak and dagger business".

What are the scrolls?

Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, has compiled in his book, Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of some of the most important articles on the Dead Sea Scrolls to appear in the magazine and its companion, Bible Review in the half-century since they were discovered. The FindScholars Harry Thomas Frank and Frank Moore Cross discuss in this section the initial discovery of the scrolls, the political intrigue surrounding their sale and acquisition, the difficulties of ascertaining what in fact had been found, and some of the historical context behind the scrolls, including dating the scrolls. This is a tale of Bedouins, an antiquities dealer (not always on the up-and-up) named Kando, dealings with the Orthodox and Roman Catholic clergy hierarchies, the British Mandate administration, and the newly-formed Israeli and Jordanian administrations. Sometimes the history takes bizarre twists -- the astute reader of the Wall Street Journal would have first seen reference to the scrolls in the classified, for sale.Where They Came FromIn this section, articles by noted scholars Lawrence Schiffman, James VanderKam, Raphael Levy and Hershel Shanks discuss the possible origins of the scrolls. Were they developed by the Essenes, a shadowy sect that might have encamped at Qumran? Were they written by another minor group of Sadducees? Were the Essenes an off-shoot of the Sadducees? Of course, not a lot of people realise that the first discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls occurred fifty years prior to the discovery in the caves near Qum'ran, and hundreds of miles from the Dead Sea, in a genizah in Cairo. There, in the repository for worn-out holy texts, a text was found that scholars have grouped with the Dead Sea Scrolls in paleographic and content terms. This is the Damascus Document (try explaining that a Dead Sea Scroll entitled the Damascus Document was in fact found neither in Damascus nor near the Dead Sea, and you begin to understand the confusion that has always surrounded the scrolls!).The Temple ScrollIn this section, the longest of the scrolls is addressed by none other than the legendary Yigael Yadin, together with Magen Broshi, Shanks, and Hartmut Stegemann. This scroll has an intriguing history, too, having been negotiated for by a Virginian clergyman who gives a very different account of the 'return' of the scroll to the Israeli officials than does Yadin. According to Yadin, this scroll represented the Torah of the Essenes. Stegemann addresses the question of 'how can you tell if a document is sectarian or biblical?' With this question, he opens up the possibility that his book belonged as part of the Bible, or even the Torah, for Judaism at the time of the Roman occupation. A startling conjecture!The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible, Christianity and Rabbinic JudaismThese sections are perhaps the heart of the matter for most people who have an interest in the scrolls. While archaeological discovery and intrigue might make

A One Stop Publication for a Study of The DSS

As a Yeshiva student I found "Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls" to be the best resource in a complete study of the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Original Texts of the 'Tanach' (Bible). This work incorporates the views of Jewish, Christian, and non-partisan scholars regarding what may arguably be the 'greatest Biblical find of the 20th century'.The contributions of Mr. Frank Moore Cross were especially enlightening on biblical subjects often ignored by both Jewish and Christian scholars because their truths cut against the grain of modern Biblical interpretation and thought.This work, edited by Hershel Shanks, compiles several 'Readers Digest' type compilations of much larger works by several noted DSS scholars without sacrificing the essential points of each. All topics pertaining to the events surrounding the discovery and publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as the obvious significance to a clear understanding of the origins of both rabbinic Jewry and the eventual development of Christianity are clearly presented so the Bible student can formulate an accurate viewpoint as to the events that were present in Palestine at the turn of the Common Era that helped to shape modern Biblical interpretation.Many opinionated viewpoints are presented along side accepted scientific and archaeological proven facts so the DSS student can differentiate between that which is fact and that which is fiction.A must for any serious DSS student and a valuable resource for the laymen looking for a 'one stop shopping' type resource with articles from several of the leading scholars on this most significant Judeo-Christian subject.Baruch HashemDave Friday-Freitag

a synthesized compilation from BAR

The Dead Sea Scrolls have been the focus of controversy since their discovery in 1947. Recently, a collection of articles from _Biblical_Archeology_Review_ have been published by Hershel Shanks in _Understanding_the_Dead_Sea_Scrolls_. This work illuminates the material unearthed by people from different walks of life and interpreted by scholars from around the world. The articles contained in this book tell the discovery stories of scrolls and fragments, as well as some of the different conclusions reached by historians and critics on their origin and meaning. Most scholars maintain the opinion that the bulk of the written material unearthed in the caves near Qumran along the Dead Sea and other related sites were the collection if not the actual work of the Essenes--sectarian Jews who differed from the Pharisees in observance of the law, and from the Sadducees in authority over the temple. Many of the texts are biblical, such as the most famous and best preserved Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa) displayed in the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. Others, such as _Serekh_ha-yahad_ or the Manual of Discipline (1QS)--unknown before its discovery--gives new insight into the community at Qumran. Some items, such as the Copper Scroll (3Q15) present puzzling anomalies that will occupy scholars for years to come.The scrolls complete many gaps in our knowledge of the scriptures. For example, in I Samuel 11, The Scroll provides another early Israelite document which complimented the Pentateuch, though was perhaps excluded from canonization by Ezra after the return from Babylonian exile. The _Miqsat_Maíaseh_ha-Torah_ or "Some Rulings on the Torah" (4QMMT) illustrates Essene doctrine and theology, com-paring point by point their disagreements with their religious adversaries.Speculation has been made that John the Baptist began his ministry out of the Qumran community, "Some Rulings on the Torah" (4QMMT) illustrates Essene doctrine and theology, com-paring point by point their disagreements with their religious adversaries.Speculation has been made that John the Baptist began his ministry out of the Qumran community, and that Paul and the apostle John incorporated phrases and theological arguments stemming from Essene writings. However in other articles, Jesus is interpreted to have criticized the Essenes, referring to them as Herodians (Mark 8:15) because of the support they enjoyed from Herod the Great. From the scrolls we learn about certain Jewish practices and their implications. For example, when Jesus stayed in Bethany on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem, his visit there scandalized the Pharisees and Essenes because Bethany was unclean--an area designated for lepers. We learn of the controversies surrounding access to the Qumran literature. Scholars initially given the responsibility to study and publish the texts have not released the material in their custody with the alacrity anticipated. Preservation of the material has also become a concern a

The best source to understand the issues around the scrolls

This book is an excellent compilation of articles appeared in the Biblical Archeology Review. The articles have been selected and are organised in a way that provides the reader with a superb summary of the key issues around the scrolls.The book does not get into the details of the archeological side of the scrolls but is estraordinarily good in providing a balanced view of the controversy surrounding the scroll's meaning and interpretation.Undoubtly, it is the best one-volume source of information on the topic for the lay audience.