The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls by a Bedouin goatherd in 1947 transformed our understanding of the Hebrew bible, early Judaism, and the origins of Christianity. Nothing in the modern study of the ancient Mideast can match the fifty-year saga of these documents hidden by a Jewish sect existing before and during the time of Jesus. After years of academic debate and maneuvering as tense as any espionage novel, the Dead Sea Scrolls and fragments are at last available in their entirety, in an established standard English version.The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English -- the crowning achievement of esteemed biblical scholar Geza Vermes -- provides not only reliable, direct access to these intriguing documents but a wealth of scholarly information and an outline of the history surrounding them. Here, for scholars, students, and the fascinated general reader, are the texts which endure as the nonbiblical center of Judeo-Christianity and the foundation of Western literary traditions.
Articles by leading scholars discuss the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls, their significance for understanding early Christianity and rabbinic Judaism, and the recent controversy regarding access to the scrolls.
This edition supplies us with the most complete assessment of the scrolls to date. It is a history of their discovery and dissemination, a summary of their scholarly interpretation, and a thoughtful meditation on their ultimate.
