Synopses & Reviews
The Dead Sea Scrolls are on exhibit; thousands will journey to see them. But will they understand what they see? Certainly, scholarly volumes on the Dead Sea Scrolls abound, full of indices, footnotes, and jargon for those in the know. What about the majority of the population -- non-specialists who just want a basic understanding of what the Dead Sea Scrolls are, what they mean, and why they're so important? Finally, here is a book for the rest of us!David Noel Freedman and Pam Fox Kuhlken offer a slim but thorough volume for a down-and-dirty understanding of these important texts. Designed to equip students in religion, history, archaeology, and any who have an interest in the scrolls, Freedman and Kuhlken have provided a fascinating and accessible guidebook.Full of humor and behind-the-scenes glimpses into research on the Scrolls, "So What's Up with the Dead Sea Scrolls?" is the perfect book for readers who want a quick understanding of an otherwise untouchable subject.
Synopsis
You know the Scrolls are important . . . but you don't really know why.
Sure, there are plenty of scholarly volumes on the Dead Sea Scrolls, full of indexes, footnotes, and jargon for those in the know. But what if you're
not a specialist? What if you just want a basic understanding of what the Dead Sea Scrolls are, where they came from, and why they're so important? That's where this little book comes in.
David Noel Freedman and Pam Fox Kuhlken here offer an informed, inside look at these significant ancient texts. Full of humor and behind-the-scenes glimpses into research on the Scrolls,
What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls and Why Do They Matter? is a fascinating, accessible guidebook -- perfect for any reader seeking a brief, quality introduction to this inscrutable subject.
Answers a gamut of questions from the general to the paranoid to the somewhat cynical -- for example:
- What are the Dead Sea Scrolls all about?
- Who wrote them, why, and in what languages?
- Have the Scrolls changed our understanding of any passages in the Bible?
- Who's hiding stolen fragments?
- Do the Scrolls tell us when the world will end?
- How has technology improved our ability to study the Scrolls?
- How much would a Scroll fragment sell for on eBay today?
Table of Contents
What's all the fuss about? -- The greatest archaeological find of the twentieth century: a 2,000-year-old time capsule -- The ancient book club -- Show me the money: buried treasure and other mysteries -- The Dead Sea is deathly hot ... why there? -- The end of the world and the battle between good and evil -- Translating translations and copying copies -- What if the BIble is just another fragment? A primer on textual criticism -- Do we have the wrong Hebrew Bible? A primer on source criticism -- Surreal theologians: belief and practice at Qumr