DOCSLIB.ORG

Influence from the Qumran Scrolls

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Influence from the Qumran Scrolls chapter 6 Influence from the Qumran Scrolls After April, 1948, when the discovery of biblical scrolls at Qumran became global news,1 scholars began the process of studying the scrolls in detail. Grad- ually, the text-critical implications of the scrolls, with their numerous small or large differences (variants) from the traditional Hebrew text, began to be appreciated. By 1996, the publication year of the most recent of the English translations under consideration, the work of examining the scrolls and eval- uating the variants found in them was well advanced, though it was not yet complete. Over the same span of years, about two-thirds of the ETs included in this study were produced by translators with access to at least some data from the scrolls. Has the availability of numerous ancient Hebrew variants from the scrolls changed or influenced the wording of these ETs? Motivated by this question, the present chapter represents an examination of the influence of sample portions of two scrolls. The first is the Great Isaiah Scroll, 1QIsaa, and the portions examined, XI 30—XIII 5 and XL 28—XLI 28, cor- respond to Isaiah 14 & 49. The Isaiah scroll was chosen because it was among the first scrolls discovered, the first published, and the first to have an influence on an English translation.2 Also, because of its excellent state of preservation, it has maintained pride of place among the Qumran scrolls, perhaps typifying the scrolls in the thinking of the general public.3 Chapters 14 & 49 of Isaiah were selected after a preliminary survey of the 1QIsaa readings adopted by RSV, NAB, and NEB. In chapters 14 & 49, these ver- sions display a pattern of significant scroll use combined with significant dis- 1 For details on the discovery and subsequent movements of the first scrolls, see the early accounts of Trever (1951) and Burrows (1955, 3–28) as well as the more recent summaries by Harold Scanlin (1993, 3–8) and James C.VanderKam (1994, 3–8), along with the literature cited by the latter two authors. 2 1QIsaa was among the original seven scrolls taken from Cave 1 in 1946 or 1947 (for comments on discovery date see VanderKam 1994, 3). It was photographed by Trever and edited by Bur- rows (Burrows 1950; cf. Trever 1972). A group of readings from it were adopted into the text of the 1952 RSV (cf. Trever 1951, 79). A newer edition of the scroll, with photographs and a tran- scription benefiting from the use of digital photographic tools, has been prepared by Parry and Qimron (1999, cf. vii–ix). 3 In large measure this seems still to be the case today, though, from a critical standpoint, it is generally acknowledged that 1QIsaa represents a popular or ‘vulgar’ edition of the biblical book and most of its numerous small variations from 픐 do not represent preferable readings. © S.C. Daley, 2019 | doi:10.1163/9789004391765_007 258 6. influence from the qumran scrolls agreement as to which scroll variants are to be preferred. In chapter 14 there are six scroll readings that are preferred by at least one of the versions surveyed but only one scroll reading that is adopted by all three. In chapter 49 there are five scroll readings that are preferred by at least one of the three versions but, again, only one that is adopted unanimously. This pattern of significant use and dis- agreement was taken as an indication that these sections of the scroll present modern translators with textual choices and may be used to test the text-critical praxis of all the post-1948 ETs. The second scroll to be examined is 4QSama, and the portion included in this study, columns I–IV, preserves parts of 1Samuel 1–3.4 These columns were chosen because of the relatively early publication of parts of them by Frank M. Cross (1953) and because of the textual difficulties present in the corre- sponding chapters of 픐. Difficulties in the traditional text provide translators with a motive for text-critical analysis, and 4QSama provides a number of read- ings that could be regarded as preferable. As with the sections of 1QIsaa chosen for study, it was estimated that an analysis of the initial columns of 4QSama would yield results indicative of the text-critical position of each English trans- lation vis-à-vis the scroll. A figure presented in the introduction (see Chapter 1, Section C, Figure 1) depicted the chronology and approximate revision lines of the ETs to be con- sidered throughout the study. This figure may be modified to show the chrono- logical divide between ETs that were completed before the discovery of the scrolls and those that were completed afterwards. The divide is not only chro- nological, rather, as Arie van der Kooij has expressed in his article, “The Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible before and after the Qumran Discoveries” (2002), and as Emanuel Tov has indicated in TCHB (14–15), the Dead Sea finds both allow and require new understandings of the biblical text. The Revised Standard Version (RSV) was completed in 1952, after a list of variants from 1QIsaa had been made available to the committee5 but before the 4 For the precise limits of the material included from 4QSama, see Plate 121 in the first volume of Robert H. Eisenman and James M. Robinson, A Facsimile Edition of the Dead Sea Scrolls (1991) or PAM 43.122. For further details regarding the content of the fragments shown in the photo- graph, see Edward D. Herbert (1997), Reconstructing Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Method Applied to the Reconstruction of 4QSama, where Appendix B (205–213) lists the range of verses covered by each fragment and takes account of more recent identifications. The verses cov- ered in PAM 43.122 are listed on p. 206. A graphic representation of the scroll, including a reconstruction of missing portions, is provided by Andrew Fincke in The Samuel Scroll from Qumran (2001). Finally, the entire scroll is transcribed and analyzed by Frank M. Cross, Jr. et al., in DJD XVII: 1 and 2Samuel, with columns I–IV being treated on pp. 28–48 (2005). 5 In April of 1948, after he had prepared a press release in Jerusalem regarding the first scrolls,.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Frank Moore Cross's Contribution to the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Classics and Religious Studies Department 2014 Frank Moore Cross’s Contribution to the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls Sidnie White Crawford University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub Part of the Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Classical Literature and Philology Commons, and the Jewish Studies Commons Crawford, Sidnie White, "Frank Moore Cross’s Contribution to the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls" (2014). Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department. 127. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/classicsfacpub/127 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Classics and Religious Studies at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications, Classics and Religious Studies Department by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Frank Moore Cross’s Contribution to the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls Sidnie White Crawford This paper examines the impact of Frank Moore Cross on the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Since Cross was a member of the original editorial team responsible for publishing the Cave 4 materials, his influence on the field was vast. The article is limited to those areas of Scrolls study not covered in other articles; the reader is referred especially to the articles on palaeography and textual criticism for further discussion of Cross’s work on the Scrolls. t is difficult to overestimate the impact the discovery They icturedp two columns of a manuscript, columns of of the Dead Sea Scrolls had on the life and career of the Book of Isaiah .
    [Show full text]
  • Worthy of Another Look: the Great Isaiah Scroll and the Book of Mormon
    Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Volume 20 Number 2 Article 7 2011 Worthy of Another Look: The Great Isaiah Scroll and the Book of Mormon Donald W. Perry Stephen D. Ricks Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Perry, Donald W. and Ricks, Stephen D. (2011) "Worthy of Another Look: The Great Isaiah Scroll and the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Vol. 20 : No. 2 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol20/iss2/7 This Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Title Worthy of Another Look: The Great Isaiah Scroll and the Book of Mormon Author(s) Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks Reference Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 20/2 (2011): 78–80. ISSN 1948-7487 (print), 2167-7565 (online) Abstract Numerous differences exist between the Isaiah pas- sages in the Book of Mormon and the corresponding passages in the King James Version of the Bible. The Great Isaiah Scroll supports several of these differences found in the Book of Mormon. Five parallel passages in the Isaiah scroll, the Book of Mormon, and the King James Version of the Bible are compared to illus- trate the Book of Mormon’s agreement with the Isaiah scroll. WORTHY OF ANOTHER LOOK THE GREAT ISAIAH SCROLL AND THE BOOK OF MORMON DONALD W.
    [Show full text]
  • The Poetry of the Damascus Document
    The Poetry of the Damascus Document by Mark Boyce Ph.D. University of Edinburgh 1988 For Carole. I hereby declare that the research undertaken in this thesis is the result of my own investigation and that it has been composed by myself. No part of it has been previously published in any other work. ýzýa Get Acknowledgements I should begin by thanking my financial benefactors without whom I would not have been able to produce this thesis - firstly Edinburgh University who initially awarded me a one year postgraduate scholarship, and secondly the British Academy who awarded me a further two full year's scholarship and in addition have covered my expenses for important study trips. I should like to thank the Geniza Unit of the Cambridge University Library who gave me access to the original Cairo Document fragments: T-S 10 K6 and T-S 16-311. On the academic side I must first and foremost acknowledge the great assistance and time given to me by my supervisor Prof. J. C.L. Gibson. In addition I would like to thank two other members of the Divinity Faculty, Dr. B.Capper who acted for a time as my second supervisor, and Dr. P.Hayman, who allowed me to consult him on several matters. I would also like to thank those scholars who have replied to my letters. Sa.. Finally I must acknowledge the use of the IM"IF-LinSual 10r package which is responsible for the interleaved pages of Hebrew, and I would also like to thank the Edinburgh Regional Computing Centre who have answered all my computing queries over the last three years and so helped in the word-processing of this thesis.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls
    Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Maxwell Institute Publications 2000 The eD ad Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-day Saints Donald W. Parry Stephen D. Ricks Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mi Part of the Religious Education Commons Recommended Citation Parry, Donald W. and Ricks, Stephen D., "The eD ad Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-day Saints" (2000). Maxwell Institute Publications. 25. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mi/25 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maxwell Institute Publications by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Preface What is the Copper Scroll? Do the Dead Sea Scrolls contain lost books of the Bible? Did John the Baptist study with the people of Qumran? What is the Temple Scroll? What about DNA research and the scrolls? We have responded to scores of such questions on many occasions—while teaching graduate seminars and Hebrew courses at Brigham Young University, presenting papers at professional symposia, and speaking to various lay audiences. These settings are always positive experiences for us, particularly because they reveal that the general membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a deep interest in the scrolls and other writings from the ancient world. The nonbiblical Dead Sea Scrolls are of great import because they shed much light on the cultural, religious, and political position of some of the Jews who lived shortly before and during the time of Jesus Christ.
    [Show full text]
  • Preliminary Studies in the Judaean Desert Isaiah Scrolls and Fragments
    INCORPORATING SYNTAX INTO THEORIES OF TEXTUAL TRANSMISSION: PRELIMINARY STUDIES IN THE JUDAEAN DESERT ISAIAH SCROLLS AND FRAGMENTS by JAMES M. TUCKER A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES Master of Arts in Biblical Studies We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard ............................................................................... Dr. Martin G. Abegg Jr., Ph.D.; Thesis Supervisor ................................................................................ Dr. Dirk Büchner, Ph.D.; Second Reader TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY Date (August, 2014) © James M. Tucker TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations and Sigla i Abstract iv Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.0. Introduction: A Statement of the Problem 1 1.1. The Goal and Scope of the Thesis 5 Chapter 2: Methodological Issues in the Transmission Theories of the Hebrew Bible: The Need for Historical Linguistics 7 2.0. The Use of the Dead Sea Scrolls Evidence for Understanding The History of ! 7 2.1. A Survey and Assessment of Transmission Theories 8 2.1.1. Frank Moore Cross and the Local Text Theory 10 2.1.1.1. The Central Premises of the Local Text Theory 11 2.1.1.2. Assessment of the Local Text Theory 14 2.1.2. Shemaryahu Talmon and The Multiple Text Theory 16 2.1.2.1. The Central Premises of the Multiple Texts Theory 17 2.1.2.2. Assessment of Multiple Text Theory 20 2.1.3. Emanuel Tov and The Non-Aligned Theory 22 2.1.3.1 The Central Premises of the Non-Aligned Theory 22 2.1.3.2. Assessment of the Non-Aligned Theory 24 2.1.4.
    [Show full text]
  • Qumran Hebrew (With a Trial Cut [1Qs])*
    QUMRAN HEBREW (WITH A TRIAL CUT [1QS])* Gary A. Rendsburg Rutgers University One would think that after sixty years of studying the scrolls, scholars would have reached a consensus concerning the nature of the language of these texts. But such is not the case—the picture is no different for Qumran Hebrew (QH) than it is for identifying the sect of the Qum- ran community, for understanding the origins of the scroll depository in the caves, or for the classification of the archaeological remains at Qumran. At first glance, this is a bit difficult to comprehend, since in theory, at least, linguistic research should be the most objective form of scholarly inquiry, and the facts should speak for themselves—in contrast to, let’s say, the interpretation of texts, where subjectivity may be considered necessary at all times. But as we shall see, even though the data themselves are derived from purely empirical observation, the interpretation of the linguistic picture that emerges from the study of Qumran Hebrew has no less a range of options than the other subjects canvassed during this symposium. Before entering into such discussion, however, let us begin with the presentation of some basic facts. Of the 930 assorted documents from Qumran, 790, or about 85% of them are written in Hebrew (120 or about 13% are written in Aramaic, and 20 or about 2% are written in Greek). Of these 930, about 230 are biblical manuscripts, which * It was my pleasure to present this paper on three occasions during calendar year 2008: first and most importantly at the symposium entitled “The Dead Sea Scrolls at 60: The Scholarly Contributions of NYU Faculty and Alumni” (March 6), next at the “Semitic Philology Workshop” of Harvard University (November 20), and finally at the panel on “New Directions in Dead Sea Scrolls Scholarship” at the annual meeting of the Association of Jewish Studies held in Washington, D.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Storage Conditions and Physical Treatments Relating to the Dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls
    [RADIOCARBON, VOL. 37, No. 1, 1995, P. 21-32] STORAGE CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL TREATMENTS RELATING TO THE DATING OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS NICCOLO CALDARARO Department of Anthropology, San Francisco State University 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, California 94132 USA ABSTRACT. The Dead Sea Scrolls have been analyzed by paleographic, non-destructive and destructive testing. The dates of their creation have been in dispute since their discovery. Research has established their authenticity, but a variety of con- ditions including the methods of skin preparation, variation in storage conditions and post-discovery restoration treatments could have introduced changes now affecting dating efforts. Comprehensive analyses were not possible until recently. Such analysis must be performed to establish a concrete framework for all the texts. Professor R. B. Blake told a story in response to a question of why so little remained of writing on leather. He said that on one of his expedi- tions to Asia Minor, one of his native servants exhibited proudly some chamois trousers of his own manufacture, upon which Professor Blake detected with sorrow, traces of medieval writing (Reed 1972). INTRODUCTION A recent 14C study of 14 Dead Sea Scrolls by Bonani et al. (1992) is a welcome addition to the ana- lytical literature on the Scrolls. The authors have undertaken a more comprehensive sampling than any previous study, an effort that T. B. Kahle and I proposed in an article in Nature in 1986. In that article, we commented on amino acid racemization analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls published by Weiner et al. (1980). Our comments then, as mine now, relate to the potential effects on dating results of prior storage conditions and restoration treatments.
    [Show full text]
  • The Eschatology of the Dead Sea Scrolls
    Eruditio Ardescens The Journal of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Volume 2 Issue 2 Article 1 February 2016 The Eschatology of the Dead Sea Scrolls J. Randall Price Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/jlbts Part of the Jewish Studies Commons Recommended Citation Price, J. Randall (2016) "The Eschatology of the Dead Sea Scrolls," Eruditio Ardescens: Vol. 2 : Iss. 2 , Article 1. Available at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/jlbts/vol2/iss2/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in Eruditio Ardescens by an authorized editor of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Eschatology of the Dead Sea Scrolls J. Randall Price, Ph.D. Center for Judaic Studies Liberty University [email protected] Recent unrest in the Middle East regularly stimulates discussion on the eschatological interpretation of events within the biblical context. In light of this interest it is relevant to consider the oldest eschatological interpretation of biblical texts that had their origin in the Middle East – the Dead Sea Scrolls. This collection of some 1,000 and more documents that were recovered from caves along the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea in Israel, has become for scholars of both the Old and New Testaments a window into Jewish interpretation in the Late Second Temple period, a time known for intense messianic expectation. The sectarian documents (non-biblical texts authored by the Qumran Sect or collected by the Jewish Community) among these documents are eschatological in nature and afford the earliest and most complete perspective into the thinking of at least one Jewish group at the time of Jesus’ birth and the formation of the early church.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Testament Κύριος Problem and How the Old Testament Speeches Can Help Solve It
    HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 14 Original Research The New Testament κύριος problem and how the Old Testament speeches can help solve it Author: The New Testament (NT) κύριος problem forms part of a larger interconnected network of 1 Peter Nagel challenges, which has the divine name Yhwh as the epicentre. To put it plainly, if the term Affiliation: κύριος is an equivalent for the divine name Yhwh and if the term κύριος in the Yhwh sense is 1Department of Old and New applied to Jesus, the implication is that Jesus is put on par with Yhwh. This problem therefore, Testament, Faculty of forms part of a matrix of interconnected issues in a constant push and pull relation. There is no Theology, Stellenbosch easy way to address this problem, but one must start somewhere. This study will attempt to University, Stellenbosch, South Africa introduce, illustrate and explain the complexity of the NT κύριος problem to contribute to a deeper understanding of the problem and to appreciate its intricacies. The aim is therefore to Corresponding author: illustrate the intricacy of the problem by showing where the NT κύριος problem might have Peter Nagel, originated and how it evolved. These intricacies will then be pulled into a singular focus made [email protected] possible by the explicit κύριος citations. These citations, in turn, will be categorised as Theos, Dates: Davidic and Jesus speeches and analysed in an attempt to contribute to a possible solution. Received: 18 May 2020 Accepted: 16 June 2020 Contribution: This article fits in well with the contestation of ‘historical thought’ and ‘source Published: 30 Oct.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible
    The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible James C. VanderKam WILLIAM B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN / CAMBRIDGE, U.K. © 2oi2 James C. VanderKam AU rights reserved Published 2012 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 / P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K. Printed in the United States of America 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 7654321 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data VanderKam, James C. The Dead Sea scrolls and the Bible / James C. VanderKam. p. cm. "Six of the seven chapters in The Dead Sea scrolls and the Bible began as the Speaker's Lectures at Oxford University, delivered during the first two weeks of May 2009" — Introd. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-8028-6679-0 (pbk.: alk. paper) L. Dead Sea scrolls. 2. Dead Sea scrolls — Relation to the Old Testament. 3. Dead Sea scrolls — Relation to the New Testament. 4. Judaism — History — Post-exilic period, 586 B.c-210 A.D. I. Title. BM487.V255 2012 22i.4'4 — dc23 2011029919 www.eerdmans.com Contents INTRODUCTION IX ABBREVIATIONS XÜ ι. The "Biblical" Scrolls and Their Implications ι Number of Copies from the Qumran Caves 2 Other Copies 4 Texts from Other Judean Desert Sites 5 Nature of the Texts 7 General Comments 7 The Textual Picture 9 An End to Fluidity 15 Conclusions from the Evidence 15 New Evidence and the Text-Critical Quest 17 2. Commentary on Older Scripture in the Scrolls 25 Older Examples of Interpretation 28 In the Hebrew Bible 28 Older Literature Outside the Hebrew Bible 30 Scriptural Interpretation in the Scrolls 35 ν Continuous Pesharim 36 Other Forms of Interpretation 38 Conclusion 47 3.
    [Show full text]
  • The Hebrew Root Id~:L." Journal Qftheological Studies 2 (1951): 31-36
    SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF 1QIsa a Ackroyd, Peter R. "The Hebrew Root iD~:l." Journal qfTheological Studies 2 (1951): 31-36. Albrektson, Bertil. "Textual Criticism and the Textual Basis of a Translation of the Old Testament." The Bible Translator 26 (1975): 314-24. Albright, William F. "The Dead Sea ScroIls of St. Mark's Monastery." BASOR 118 (Apr. 1950): 5-6. Albright, William F. "Editorial Note on theJerusalem ScroIls." BASOR 111 (Oct. 1948): 2-3. Albright, William F. "New Light on Early Recensions ofthe Hebrew Bible." In Qy,mran and the History qfthe Biblical Text, edited by Frank Moore Cross and Shemaryahu Talmon, 140-46. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1975. [= BASOR 140 (Dec. 1955): 27-33.] Albright, William F. "Notes from the President's Desk." BASOR 110 (Apr. 1948): 2-3. Altheim, Franz and Ruth Stiehl. Das erste Aziflreten der Hunnen: Das Alter der Jesaja-Rolle. Neue Urkunden aus Dura-Europos. Baden-Baden: Kunst und Wissenschaft, 1953. Arbez, Edward P. "The New Hebrew Manuscripts." American Ecclesiastical Review 122 (1950): 25-36, 137-143, 196-206. Arbez, Edward P. "Notes on the New Hebrew MSS." CBQ)2 (1950): 173-189. Armstrong, James Franklin. "A Study of Alternative Readings in the Hebrew Text of the Book of Isaiah, And their Relation to the Old Greek and their Greek Recensions." Ph.D. dissertation, Princeton University, 1958. Bardtke, Hans. Die HandschrifterifUnde am Toten Meer: Mit einer kurzen Eiriführung in die Text und Kanonsgeschichte des Alten Testaments. Berlin: Evangelische Haupt-BiblegeseIlschaft, 1953. Bardtke, Hans. Hebräische Konsonantentexte aus biblischem und ausserbiblischem Schrifttum für Übungs• zwecke ausgewählt.
    [Show full text]
  • Donald W. Parry Researching the Great Isaiah Scroll in the Scrollery of the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem
    Donald W. Parry researching the Great Isaiah Scroll in the scrollery of the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. Photo courtesy of Donald W. Parry The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Round- table Discussion Celebrating the Sixtieth Anniversary of Their Discovery, Part 1 Richard Neitzel Holzapfel ([email protected]) is a professor of Church history and the managing director of the Religious Studies Center publication office. Donald W. Parry ([email protected]) is a professor of biblical Hebrew and head of the Hebrew section in the department of Asian and Near Eastern Lan- guages at Brigham Young University. Dana M. Pike ([email protected]) is the coordinator for Ancient Near East- ern Studies and is a professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University. David Rolph Seely ([email protected]) is a professor of ancient scripture and ancient studies at Brigham Young University. Parry, Pike, and Seely are members of the international team of editors for the Dead Sea Scrolls and have contributed to the official Dead Sea Scrolls publication series,Discoveries in the Judaean Desert, published by Oxford University Press. Holzapfel: Since their discovery in the Judaean desert sixty years ago, the Dead Sea Scrolls have both enlightened and perplexed scholars and laymen alike. Between 1947 and 1956, Bedouins and archaeolo- gists found around 930 fragmented documents near the archaeological site called “Qumran,” about ten miles south of Jericho and thirteen miles east of Jerusalem. Each composition is numbered by the cave where it was found and then named according to the scroll’s contents; for example, scroll 11QTemple is from Cave 11 in Qumran and is called the Temple Scroll, while 4Q252 is from Cave 4 in Qumran and is composition number 252.
    [Show full text]