The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls - by Peter Flint & James VanderKam (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published: San Francisco, Calif.: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002.

Book Synopsis

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 aded 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.

Review Quotes

""The definitive Introduction" to the Dead Sea Scrolls, claims the cover of VanderKam and Flint, and the claim is justified... This is certainly scholarship at its dignified best. Professional biblical scholars can learn much from it, yet any educated reader will understand it fully." --The Pastoral Review

"'This is an extremely valuable book that will prove to be the 'first stop' for those wanting to learn more about the Jewish communities...It is more than an introduction; it is a guide to the complexity of evidence, theories, and counter-arguments that surround one of the great archaeological finds of the twentieth century.' David Gill, ANVIL vol 23 no. 2" --David Gill, ANVIL

"'A superb book which has already won a 'Best Book of the Year' award from the Biblical Archaeological Society and which bears commendations from the elite of Scrolls scholars...VanderKam and Flint have produced a book which presents a remarkable amount of detail and careful discussion which should prove useful to quite advanced students, yet does so in a clear and readable manner...I recommend it highly to all who are interested in this fascinating subject." --Alistair I. Wilson, Themelios, 32/1, Themelios

"'a detailed and well documented account...recommended with confidence and is an ideal introductory textbook to the 931 Dead Sea Scrolls.' Michael Theophilus, Theological Book Review, Vol 18, No. 2, 2006" --Michael Theophilus, Theological Book Review

"'[I]deal for undergraduates and for the educated lay person, as well as the professional scholar who wishes to see, at a glance, where recent scholarship stands on particular issues...The prose is clear, the order of the material presented is practical and sensible, and the amount of detail sufficient, but not overwhelming...one great service that VanderKann and Flint have performed is the presentation of the Scrolls scholarship in a way which will, one hopes, ensure that the Scrolls will be studied with the degree of responsibility they deserve.' Robert Hayward, University of Durham, Theology, Jan/Feb 2006" --Theology

About the Author

Peter Flint is Co-Director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at Trinity Western University, British Columbia. James VanderKam is John A. O'Brien Professor of Hebrew Scriptures, Department of Theology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.