Originally written to appeal to both scholars and general readers interested in the Dead Sea Scrolls, all of the articles in this volume have been updated to take into account current discussions of this extraordinary archaeological find."--BOOK JACKET.

By bringing this holistic analysis of the evidence to bear, Joseph adds a powerful and insightful voice to the decades-long debate surrounding the Essenes and Christianity.

Unravels the intricate and mysterious history of the Dead Sea scrolls and claims that the scrolls establish links between Judaism and Christianity.

The rediscovery of Enochic Judaism as an ancient movement of dissent within Second Temple Judaism, a movement centered on neither temple nor torah, is a major achievement of contemporary research. After being marginalized, ancient Enoch texts have reemerged as a significant component of the Dead Sea Scrolls library unearthed at Qumran. Enoch and Qumran Origins is the first comprehensive treatment of the complex and forgotten relations between the Qumran community and the Jewish group behind the pseudepigraphal literature of Enoch. The contributors demonstrate that the roots of the Qumran community are to be found in the tradition of the Enoch group rather than that of the Jerusalem priesthood. Framed by Gabriele Boccaccini's introduction and James Charlesworth's conclusion, this book examines the hypotheses of five particularly eminent scholars, resulting in an engaging and substantive discussion among forty-seven specialists from nine countries. The exceptional array of essays from leading international scholars in Second Temple Judaism and Christian origins makes Enoch and Qumran Origins a sine qua non for serious students of this period. Contributors: William Adler Matthias Albani Jeff S. Anderson Albert I. Baumgarten Andreas Bedenbender Stefan Beyerle Gabriele Boccaccini James H. Charlesworth John J. Collins Michael A. Daise James R. Davila Torleif Elgvin Mark A. Elliott Hanan Eshel Peter W. Flint Ida Fröhlich Florentino Garca Martnez Claudio Gianotto Lester L. Grabbe Ithamar Gruenwald Charlotte Hempel Matthias Henze Martha Himmelfarb Michael A. Knibb Klaus Koch Helge S. Kvanvig Armin Lange Erik W. Larson Timothy H. Lim Corrado Martone George W. E. Nickelsburg Pierluigi Piovanelli Émile Puech Annette Yoshiko Reed John C. Reeves Henry W. Morisada Rietz Paolo Sacchi Lawrence H. Schiffman Loren T. Stuckenbruck David W. Suter Shemaryahu Talmon Eibert J. C. Tigchelaar Patrick Tiller Liliana Rosso Ubigli James C. VanderKam Jacques van Ruiten Benjamin G. Wright III

A major new work on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest sacred documents of Judaism, which reveals their surprising connections to early Christianity. “A luminous treatment of a fascinating subject! Highly recommended!”—Scott Hahn, author of The Fourth Cup From award-winning scholar John Bergsma comes an intriguing book that reveals new insights on the Essenes, a radical Jewish community predating Christianity, whose existence, beliefs, and practices are often overlooked in the annuls of history. Bergsma reveals how this Jewish sect directly influenced the beliefs, sacraments, and practices of early Christianity and offers new information on how Christians lived their lives, worshipped, and eventually went on to influence the Roman Empire and Western civilization. Looking to Hebrew scripture and Jewish tradition, Bergsma helps to further explain how a simple Jewish peasant could go on to inspire a religion and a philosophy that still resonates 2,000 years later. In this enriching and exciting exploration, Bergsma demonstrates how the Dead Sea Scrolls—the world's greatest modern archaeological discovery—can shed light on the Church as a sacred society that offered hope, redemption, and salvation to its member. Ultimately, these mysterious writings are a time machine that can transport us back to the ancient world, deepen our appreciation of Scripture, and strengthen our understanding of the Christian faith. “An accessible introduction . . . This is a handy entry point for readers unfamiliar with Essenes or those interested in the Dead Sea Scrolls.”—Publishers Weekly