Complete World Of The Dead Sea Scrolls [Hardcover]

After a brief introduction and chronology, the book is divided into five primary sections. The first section explores the early discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the famous Damascus document, a 'Dead Sea Scroll' actually not from the Dead Sea area - 50 years prior to the 1947/48 discoveries, Solomon Schechter of Cambridge University discovered manuscripts in a Cairo genizah, and after the discovery of the DSS, the particular 'Damascus document' was recognised as being related to the DSS texts. This section also looks at the editorial process and the personalities first involved in reconstruction and editing of the texts. This involves the many controversies (such as the charges of cover-ups of damaging material, intentional delays, and simply old fashioned academic rivalries) as well as controversial personalities (Allegro, for example, wrote extensively apart from his DSS assignments calling into question the origins of Christianity).

The second section looks at the world of the DSS. This sets the historical context of Judea/Palestine in the centuries before and during Roman domination and occupation. From the Babylonian exile to the revolts against Rome and the formation of Rabbinic Judaism, the culture of the communities is important for understanding the context in which the biblical and extra-biblical texts of the DSS were written.

The longest section of the book is the third section, looking specifically at the scrolls themselves. The authors take a cave-by-cave approach, showing the discoveries of each cave from Cave 1 to Cave 4 in great detail (these were the earliest and largest discoveries), Cave 5 to 10 as a set piece, and Cave 11 which includes the famous Temple Scroll and an important Psalm Scroll. One of the issues the authors highlight is the difficulty in using the term 'biblical' with regard to the scrolls - the canon of the Bible was not set until well after the scroll writing/copying period, and despite the fact that every book of the Hebrew Bible is represented among the scrolls save Esther, 'it seems that other texts were regarded as having equal status.' Some appear in the official Apocrypha of Christian Bibles, and others were unknown until the discovery of the scrolls.

The fourth section looks specifically at the ruins at Qumran, the archaeological digs and discoveries as well as the competing interpretations placed on the ruins and artifacts. Qumran has been envisioned as a monastery, a military outpost, a Herodian villa, and a proto-city. Whether or not the scrolls have any real connection to Qumran is also a debated topic, although most scholars currently think there is a connection.

The final section looks at the meaning of the scrolls as a set piece. What are the implications for Judaism? What does the scroll material reveal about early Christianity? 'The Dead Sea Scrolls have revolutionised our perception of Early Judaism,' the authors write. They are a unique witness to their time, offering contemporary, first-hand evidence of the sectarian issues of the day. With regard to early Christianity, the scrolls predate the origins of the early Christian writings, but they were by most accounts still being written, and then hidden, during the time of the Apostles. Scholars continue to speculate about the Essene connections with John the Baptist and Jesus (although the New Testament never mentions this sect, and yet does mention Pharisees and Sadduccees). There are important parallels, but neither the early Christian movement nor the Dead Sea Scroll community were unique in their messianic expectation.

This is a book about the scrolls. It discusses the context, the framework, the history and the discovery in good form. It is a good introductory text to what the scrolls are, and includes brief synopses of the contents of the scrolls. This is not a collection of the scrolls with translations; while it has pictures from all of the sets of scrolls, it is not a comprehensive compendium of photographic plates of all of the scrolls and scroll fragments. There are other (much more expensive) collections with these. This is a good book for use with study groups, classes, and for the general reader who wants an overview of the scrolls, their history, their basic contents, and the surrounding issues and controversies. The text was well written by Philip Davies, George Brooke, and Phillip Callaway, noted scholars in the field .

The text lacks the continuity of thought that an introductory treatise should exhibit. It bounces around between introductory information, and technical information of interest to the scholar. The photos of the scrolls are exquisite, and the photos of the Qumran area are informative. Modern, researched illustrations clarify the contemporary world of the Qumran scrolls. But then, several medieval altarpiece-type paintings are thrown in, poorly researched by today's standards, and leaving one wondering why they're there.

The 'information-box' format is used throughout, and I always find these a little distracting. If you're following the main text, you can skip the info-boxes, and try to remember which ones you missed, so that you can go back and catch them later. Or you can interrupt your reading to check the box out, and then try to remember where you left off.

Furthermore, in an effort to be scholarly, some of the excitement that the scrolls should generate gets lost. And the print is tiny, and runs way over into the 'gutter,' making it uncomfortable and awkward to read.

Perhaps my bias stems from the fact that I am primarily interested in the scrolls from a Biblical persepective, and the bulk of the book is focused on analysis and speculation surrounding the non-biblical scrolls, which is as interesting as any sectarian church history, but not on a par with the history of the Bible's text.

Overall, an informative book well worth having, but not one that leaves you feeling fulfilled in your quest for an understanding of the importance and history of the scrolls.

Phillip R. Davies, George J. Brooke and Phillip R. Callaway, three of the most respected scholars involved in the research and publication the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, have combined their expertise to create the most complete introduction to the Scrolls imaginable. Here "complete" does not mean that the authors have included the entire body of knowledge available regarding the Scrolls, but refers to the fact that they have introduced the reader to every facet of the story of the Scrolls' discovery, research and history. _The Complete World of the Dead Sea Scrolls_ is an overview which introduces the reader to the many avenues of research regarding the Scrolls and provides an extensive "Further Reading" list to allow the reader to increase their knowledge in the areas of greatest interest to them, whether it be translation, archaeology, historical context, the meaning of the Scrolls to studies of Judaism and Christianity, etc.

With over 200 illustrations, numerous side bars, factfiles, timelines, etc., this book is a beautifully presented treatment of the Scrolls, and a must read for anyone interested in studying them. Organization is very much like that of a text book, breaking the subject matter into various sections rather than chapters, and reminds me of the various series that Time-Life used to publish. This is appropriate, since _The Complete World_ is a series which includes such titles as _The Complete Pyramids_, _The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt_, _The Complete World of Tutankhamun_ and _The Complete World of the Valley of the Kings_.