The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Judaean desert between 1947 and 1956 transformed our understanding of the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism and the origins of Christianity. These extraordinary manuscripts appear to have been hidden in the caves at Quumran by members of the Essene community, a Jewish sect in existence before and during the time of Jesus. Some sixty years after the Scrolls' first discovery, this revised and much expanded edition of The Dead Sea Scrolls in English crowns a lifetime of research by the great Qumran scholar Geza Vermes.
As well as superb translations of all non-biblical texts sufficiently well preserved to be rendered into English, there are also a number of previously unpublished texts, and a new preface.
Since its first publication in 1962, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English has established itself as the standard English translation of the non-Biblical Qumran Scrolls and as giving an astonishing insight to the organization, customs, history and beliefs of the community responsible for them. This edition will contain new material, together with extensive new introductory material and notes.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The Dead Sea Scrolls have generated as much misinformation as information in the 50 years since a young Bedouin shepherd stumbled upon them in the hills of Judea. It is fortuitous, then, that this new edition is an English translation of all the existing Dead Sea Scrolls collected together in one volume. Vermes has been studying and translating the scrolls since their discovery in 1947, and his was among the earliest translations of the scrolls to be published. His goal in this volume is to "disclose the message of these ancient manuscripts about ancient Judaism and to a more limited extent about early Christianity." Vermes's account of the discovery of the scrolls and the events subsequent to the discovery, including political intrigue, makes for fascinating reading. His discussion of the Essene community, whom Vermes believes created the scrolls, the scrolls' meanings for early Christianity and other topics will be valuable to anyone looking for accurate summaries of the fascinating history of the discovery, translation and transmission of the scrolls. The translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls texts follow established scholarly divisions, e.g., "Hymns and Poems," "Calendars, Liturgies, and Prayers," "Apocalyptic Works" and "Wisdom Literature."
