Synopses & Reviews
This comprehensive exploration of language and literacy in the multi-lingual environment of Roman Palestine (c. 63 B.C.E. to 136 C.E.) is based on Michael Wiseandrsquo;s extensive study of 145 Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Nabataean contracts and letters preserved among the Bar Kokhba texts, a valuable cache of ancient Middle Eastern artifacts. His investigation of Judean documentary and epistolary culture derives for the first time numerical data concerning literacy rates, language choices, and writing fluency during the two-century span between Pompeyandrsquo;s conquest and Hadrianandrsquo;s rule. He explores questions of who could read in these ancient times of Jesus and Hillel, what they read, and how language worked in this complex multi-tongued milieu. Included also is an analysis of the ways these documents were written and the interplay among authors, secretaries, and scribes. Additional analysis provides readers with a detailed picture of the people, families, and lives behind the texts.
Review
andldquo;This vivid and dynamic picture of how and by whom written language was employed in ancient Judaean society is a rare achievement. It will be the gold standard on these subjects for a significant time to come.andrdquo;andmdash;Steven D. Fraade, Yale University
Review
andldquo;In this fascinating book, Michael Wise takes us on a remarkable journey through the languages and literatures of Judea in the second century.andnbsp; Scholars are deeply in Wiseandrsquo;s debt for untangling many complex linguistic and historical issues in this vivid and readable volume.andrdquo;andmdash;Edward M. Cook,andnbsp;Catholic University of America
Review
andldquo;Michael Wise has done us an immense service by examining the written effects that the Judeans left in caves of refuge as they hid from the Roman army during the first and second Jewish revolts with an eye to language and literacy. This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in the vernacular andandnbsp;literature of Judea in the 200 years from Pompey to Hadrian.andrdquo;andmdash;Martin Abegg, Jr., Trinity Western University
Review
andquot;An outspoken expert in the world of Judea and Rome, their languages, cultures and texts, Michael Wise offers a well-documented and masterly analysis of the milieu and languages of the Bar-Kochba texts as an exponent of literacy in Judea.andquot;andmdash;Emanuel Tov, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Review
andquot;In this marvelous and sensitive study, Wise examines the uses of language, script, and writing to explore literacy, class, cultural identity, the transmission of ideas, and the place and power of books in Roman Judaea.andquot;andmdash;Andrea M. Berlin, Boston University
Synopsis
A fully revised and updated edition of our translation of the complete Dead Sea Scrolls, making it the definitive translation of the Scrolls in English.
With new texts, updated introductions, a glossary of terms, and other new additions, this will become the definitive translation of the Scrolls, and the lead companion to our other Dead Sea Scrolls Guides: The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible.
Synopsis
This book contains virtually every legible portion of the fragmented Scrolls, including revelatory information on early Christianity, which is rooted far deeper in ancient Judaism than previously realized. Also included are Scroll fragments that promise to dramatically alter our view of biblical history, including never-before released texts and newly discovered writings by and about key biblical prophets and ancestors.
With new texts, updated introductions, a glossary of terms, and other new additions, this will become the definitive English translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Michael Wise, who is among the foremost scholars translating the Scrolls today, has been profiled in Time, the New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune.
Martin Abegg, Jr., is co-director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at Trinity Western University.
"...the spirit of debate and critique, reappraisal and revision is here very much present. The brief discussions of the languages and scripts of the scrolls are a nice and somewhat unusual touch in a volume of this kind."
- Bible Review
Synopsis
"The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation" is a landmark work that brings to life the long-inaccessible ancient scrolls of Qumran. Three distinguished translators at the forefront of modern scrolls scholarship reveal the rich tapestry of writings known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. This is "the" most comprehensive translation ever compiled for the general reader in any language.
Translated into modern-day English by Michael Wise, Martin Abegg Jr. and Edward Cook, this book contains virtually every legible portion of the fragmented scrolls, including revelatory information on early Christianity and its roots far deeper than previously realized in ancient Judaism. Included as well are scroll fragments that promise to alter dramatically our view of biblical history, including never-before released texts and newly discovered writings by and about key biblical prophets and ancestors. The translators provide illuminating commentary throughout that place the scrolls in their true historical context. They also present a compelling, insightful introduction that gives the reader an overview of the often surprising contents of the scrolls and discusses what are perhaps the greatest mysteries of the scrolls -- who authored them and why.
From a new generation of Dead Sea Scrolls scholars, here is a fresh look at the scrolls, including the most recently released texts. Michael Wise, Martin Abegg Jr. and Edward Cook unlock the secrets and rich mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the most comprehensive translation "ever" published for the general reader in any language. Their brilliant scholarship and illuminating commentary add dramatic new knowledge to our understanding of the scrolls. Thishistoric translation includes: Intriguing revelations about biblical history and the roots of Christianity. Never-before-seen stories about the biblical figures Abraham, Jacob and Enoch -- including a text explaining why God demanded the sacrifice of Isaac. Twelve texts not included in the Bible that claim Moses as their author. New psalms attributed to King David and to Joshua. Texts illuminating ancient doctrines about angels and writings claiming to be revelations of angels themselves including the Archangel Michael.
"The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation" will set the standard for scrolls scholarship for years to come. This is an important, rigorously researched work that renders the scrolls vibrant and accessible.
In their great variety and stunning richness, the Dead Sea Scrolls as captured in this groundbreaking translation offer modern readers an unprecedented glimpse of the complex roots of modern Christianity. Its dozens of never-before-published texts encompass poetry and prose, teaching parables and magical tales, astrology, apocalyptic visions, lists of buried treasure, stories of messiahs and antichrists, demons and angels and together comprise a new classic of religious history.
Long withheld from public view, the ancient scrolls found in the caves of Qumran near the Dead Sea are revered by many but known in full by very few. Now three translators at the forefront of modern scrolls scholarship have revealed the entire rich complex of writings, stories, poems and texts known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Synopsis
A fully revised and updated edition of our translation of the complete Dead Sea Scrolls, making it the definitive translation of the Scrolls in English.
With new texts, updated introductions, a glossary of terms, and other new additions, this will become the definitive translation of the Scrolls, and the lead companion to our other Dead Sea Scrolls Guides: The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible.
Synopsis
This landmark work from three of the most-noted Dead Sea Scrolls scholars brings the ancient scrolls of Qumran vividly to life. Translating and deciphering virtually every legible portion of the fragmented scrolls, Michael Wise, Martin Abegg Jr., and Edward Cook provide pointed commentary throughout the text that places the scrolls in their true historical context. In their compelling, insightful introduction, they not only present an overview of the often surprising contents of the scrolls, but also discuss what is perhaps their greatest mystery: who authored them and why.
This revised-and-updated edition incorporates newly available translations of many of the texts (most notably Enoch and Jubilees), updated introductions to all the texts, and a new introduction summarizing the last ten years of the Dead Sea Scrolls exploration.
Synopsis
A fully revised and updated edition of our translation of the complete Dead Sea Scrolls, making it the definitive translation of the Scrolls in English.
With new texts, updated introductions, a glossary of terms, and other new additions, this will become the definitive translation of the Scrolls, and the lead companion to our other Dead Sea Scrolls Guides: The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible.
About the Author
Michael Wise, who is among the foremost young scholars translating the Scrolls today, has been profiled in
Time, The New York Times, and the
Chicago Tribune. He is Scholar-in-Residence and Professor of Ancient Languages at Northwestern College, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Martin Abegg Jr. is co-director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at Trinity Western University in British Columbia. He is one of the translators of The Dead Sea Scrolls (HarperSanFrancisco, 1996).