The meaning of the Dead Sea scrolls : their significance for understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity / James C. VanderKam and Peter Flint.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

VanderKam, James C.

Contributor:

Flint, Peter W.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Dead Sea scrolls.

Bible. Old Testament--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible.

Bible. Old Testament.

Qumran community.

Dead Sea scrolls--Relation to the New Testament.

Physical Description:

xii, 467 pages : illustrations, charts ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

San Francisco, Calif. : HarperSanFrancisco, [2002]

Summary:

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.

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.

Contents:

Part 1 Discoveries, Dating, Archeology, and New Methods

1 The Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls 3

2 Dating the Dead Sea Scrolls 20

3 Archeology of the Qumran Site 34

4 Technology and the Dead Sea Scrolls 55

Part 2 The Dead Sea Scrolls and Scripture

5 The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Before the Scrolls 87

6 The Biblical Scrolls and the Text of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament 103

7 The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Canon of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament 154

8 Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha in the Dead Sea Scrolls 182

Part 3 The Nonbiblical Scrolls and Their Message

9 A Survey of the Nonbiblical Scrolls 209

10 Identifying the Group Associated with Qumran 239

11 The Theology or Belief System of the Qumran Group 255

12 The Qumran Group Within Early Judaism 275

13 Biblical Interpretation in the Dead Sea Scrolls 293

Part 4 The Scrolls and the New Testament

14 Were New Testament Scrolls Found at Qumran? 311

15 Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: The Gospels and Qumran 321

16 The Dead Sea Scrolls and Other New Testament Books: Acts and the Letters 346

17 The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Revelation 362

Part 5 Controversies About the Dead Sea Scrolls

18 Scroll Wars 381

I Index of Passages in the Biblical Scrolls from the Judean Desert 407

II Index of Passages from the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha in the Scrolls 424

III Quotations and Allusions in the Nonbiblical Scrolls 427

IV Translations and Editions of the Dead Sea Scrolls 434.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

006068464X

OCLC:

49760650