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"Winner of the 2013 Cover/Jacket Merit Award in the Professional, Scholarly Series category, New York Book Show" John J. Collins is the Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale University. His many books include Beyond the Qumran Community: The Sectarian Movement of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, and The Scepter and the Star: Messianism in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Unraveling the controversies...

They are one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time. First discovered in a cave by a Bedouin shepherd boy in 1947, these fragile parchment relics were written around the time of Christ two millennia ago and included the oldest known versions of the Hebrew Bible. They not only reveal that early Judaism was far richer and more varied than previously thought but also hold vital clues to the birth of Christianity. Now, scientists are using new...

Drawing together all the evidence, this timely book explores: The discovery and dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls; their relationship to the Hebrew Bible, Apocrypha, and New Testament; their messianic and apocalyptic messages; the identity, nature, and theology of the Qumran community; the nonbiblical scrolls; and controversies surrounding the scrolls. This comprehensive, guide provides an introduction to all aspects of the scrolls, including their teachings,...

The Dead Sea Scrolls have been described as the most important archaeological discovery of the twentieth century. Deposited in caves surrounding Qumran by members of a Jewish sect who lived at the site in the first century BCE and first century CE, they provide invaluable information about Judaism in the last centuries BCE. Like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Qumran site continues to be the object of intense scholarly debate. In a book meant to introduce...