Magness (early Judaism, U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), who has extensive archaeological experience in the area, has written a popular account of the archaeology, meaning, and controversies surrounding the Dead Seas Scrolls and the archaeological site of Qumran where they were found. Without sacrificing content, Magness turns this story into a fascinating page-turner. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In Qumran Studies the texts considered are old -- but the questions are new, standard positions are revisited, and issues are reopened with fresh results. The Dead Sea Scrolls have undeniably revolutionized scholarly understanding on a number of fronts. This revolution has been ongoing for over fifty years and shows no signs of letting up -- especially as full publication of the Scrolls is now complete. With that publication, the important work of interpretation and analysis can continue with a rethinking of earlier analyses in light of the full evidence. This volume makes a signal scholarly contribution toward that end. Contributors: Shane A. Berg Carsten Claussen Michael A. Daise Michael Thomas Davis C. D. Elledge Loren L. Johns John B. Faulkenberry Miller Lidija Novakovic Henry W. Morisada Rietz Brent A. Strawn Loren T. Stuckenbruck

With the full publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls come major changes in our understanding of these fascinating texts and their significance for the study of the history of Judaism and Christianity. One of the most significant changes that one cannot study Qumran without Jerusalem nor Jerusalem without Qumran is explored in this important volume. / Although the Scrolls preserve the peculiar ideology of the Qumran sect, much of the material also represents the common beliefs and practices of the Judaism of the time. Here Lawrence Schiffman mines these incredible documents to reveal their significance for the reconstruction of the history of Judaism. His investigation brings to life a period of immense significance for the history of the Western world.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are an invaluable source of information about Jewish biblical interpretation in antiquity. This volume by preeminent scholars in the field examines central aspects of scriptural interpretation as it was practiced at Qumran and discusses their implications for understanding the biblical tradition. While many of the forms of biblical interpretation found in the Scrolls have parallels elsewhere in Jewish literature, other kinds are original to the Scrolls and were unknown prior to the discovery of the caves. These chapters explore examples of biblical interpretation unique to Qumran, including legal exegesis and the Pesher. Readers will also find discussion of such fascinating subjects as the "rewritten Bible," views on the creation of humanity, the "Pseudo-Ezekiel" texts, the pesharim, and the prophet David. Contributors: Moshe J. Bernstein Shani Berrin Monica Brady George J. Brooke John J. Collins Peter W. Flint Matthias Henze Shlomo A. Koyfman Michael Segal James C. VanderKam

New Qumran Texts and Studies contains 18 papers from the first meeting of the International Organization for Qumran Studies (Paris, 1992). Seven studies analyse parts of previously unedited texts: 4Q47 (A. Rofé, E.C. Ulrich), 4Q222 (J.C. VanderKam), 4Q265 (J.M. Baumgarten), 4Q286-290 (B. Nitzan), 4Q385B (D. Dimant), and the Psalm scrolls (P.W. Flint). Some of the other studies discuss various aspects of well known texts: 1QIsaa (J. Cook), The Temple Scroll (L.H. Schiffman, D.D. Swanson), and the Hodayot (L. Vegas Montaner). Yet others cover a range of subjects: the publication process (E. Tov), the wilderness community (G.J. Brooke), the scrolls and the New Testament (J. Kampen, H.-W. Kuhn), computer aided scrolls research (A. Lange), dating (E.-M. Laperrousaz), and wisdom traditions (G.W. Nebe).

This new volume in the Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature series explores two principal themes: the text and shape of the "Bible" at Qumran and the interpretation of these scriptures by the Qumran community and other ancient Jews. Written by leading scholars in the field, these informed studies make an important contribution to our understanding of these two pivotal topics.

In Qumran studies, the attention of scholars has largely been focused on the Dead Sea Scrolls, while archaeology has concentrated above all on the settlement. This volume presents the proceedings of an international conference (Lugano 2014) dedicated entirely to the caves of Qumran. The papers deal with both archaeological and textual issues, comparing the caves in the vicinity of Qumran between themselves and their contents with the other finds in the Dead Sea region. The relationships between the caves and the settlement of Qumran are re-examined and their connections with the regional context are investigated. The original inventory of the materials excavated from the caves by Roland de Vaux is published for the first time in appendix to the volume.