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An online course presented by Jehon Grist, Ph.D.
© 2001 Lehrhaus Judaica
Half a century ago, a wandering goat brought a shepherd to
a narrow opening in the cliffs of the Judean desert. Peering
into the darkness, the shepherd gazed upon barely visible
jars protecting texts whose message has transformed our understanding
of the Bible, and ourselves. . .
No one book, let alone an introductory internet course, can
offer the beginning student a comprehensive and balanced introduction
to the Dead Sea scrolls. While this course will attempt to
touch on the major topics and key issues of the scrolls' discovery
and study, our real hope for you the student is that you will
use the various references cited below to begin your own adventure.
There are so many paths to follow: was there a medieval era
discovery of the scrolls? how can DNA research aid in scroll
studies? What does the ancient village of Qumran tell us about
at least some of the people who wrote the scrolls? Is Jesus
of Nazareth mentioned in any of the scrolls? For that matter,
is Elvis?
If you regard the last question as irreverent, please keep in mind that no
topic of serious scholarly research has been more abused than the Dead Sea scrolls.
Along with the great majority of reputable writers in the field, there is a
surprising number of charlatans, possessors of 'secret' knowledge, and some
otherwise outstanding scholars who have an 'ax to grind' over certain scroll
controversies. As a result, the landscape of introductory works on the scrolls
has been littered with a number of dangerously misleading books and articles.
In introducing the Dead Sea scrolls to you, we'll do our best not to recommend
writers whose misadventures will lead you over the edge of a Judean desert cliff.
The course divides into several session topics:
(1) Discovery
and the Struggle to Publish The dramatic (and sometimes
comic) tale of how the scrolls were discovered, mostly between
1947 and 1967. We'll also focus on the personalities and processes
that slowed publication of so many of the scroll fragments.
(2) Back to
the Beginning To understand the historical and religious
context of the scrolls, we'll review the development of the
faith of the Jewish people from Jerusalem's Temple cult (ca.
900 BCE) to the dawn of synagogue-centered rabbinic Judaism
in the First Century CE. We'll also touch on the Jewish sects
that flourished in the era of the Dead Sea scrolls (ca. 150
BCE-68 CE).
(3) The "Home
of the Scrolls": A Tour of Qumran We'll visit
the village where many of the scrolls were written or copied,
and see what the archaeology of Qumran can tell us about the
writers and scribes who lived there.
(4) A Journey
Through the Scrolls A text-by-text overview of the
most important scroll finds, including the Manual of Discipline,
The War Scroll, Copper Scroll, Temple Scroll, and copies of
books of the Bible which often corroborate and occasionally
confute the established text of the Western world's most sacred
book.
(5)The Devil
and the Dead Sea Scrolls We'll watch the birth and
growth of Satan in the Bible, from his cameo role in the book
of Job to his transformation in the Dead Sea scrolls and the
Christian Testament.
Along the way, you'll run into highlighted names and terms
where you can simply click and wander off into a series of
fascinating side topics, including Professor
Y and Mr. Z, DNA and the Dead Sea scrolls, and "Where's
Jesus in the Scrolls?" You can also view a course bibliography
that lists helpful sources, including other Dead Sea scroll
links.
A note on dating: this course will use the terms "CE,"meaning Common
Era, and '"BCE," Before the Common Era, to denote the eras otherwise
known as "AD"and '"BC." As with the latter terms, the dividing
line between CE and BCE is the approximate date of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.
So let's begin
with a journey to the caves of the Judean Desert...
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