Rating:  -
This is a Beautiful book, full of interesting pics and information. Great for anyone whose interested in the history as well as the story of the scrolls.
Rating: -
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Dead Sea Scrolls, written by experts, up to date, and lavishly illustrated with drawings and magnificent photos. The experts who wrote the book seem to be on the skeptical wing of DSS theorizing, arguing that every aspect of the early consensus (Qumran was inhabited by sectarian Essenes, who wrote the DSS and hid them in area caves before being wiped out by the Romans) is much less certain than generally believed.
The story of how the scrolls were discovered, collected, and restored is highly interesting and very well described; but even more fascinating to me was the description of the vicious, cut-throat competition and in-fighting among the various researchers as they fought for decades over access to the materials. And a unique copper scroll that contains clues about the location of huge quantities of gold and silver supposedly hidden in the area, perhaps as much as 100 tons of it, has caused more than one scholar to leave his desk and go looking.
There is much left to be learned about the origin and meaning of these scrolls, but no matter how that eventually turns out, they have greatly changed our view of Judaism as it existed around the first century. The DSS show that there was far more diversity and ferment than previously thought. For example, different groups seem to have been operating according to different calendars. That would mean different schedules of festival days, and may have resulted in different groups sharing the Temple on some basis. It is even possible that the Essenes were not a single small community of extreme pietists holed up at Qumran, but just one more variety of Judaism, with adherents living in many places, including in an Essene Quarter in Jerusalem itself.
Rating: -
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls by Bedouin at Khirbet Qumran in 1947 was one of the greatest archaeological finds in recorded history. Produced from circa 200 B.C. to circa 100 A.D., the Scrolls are a wealth of knowledge from the ancient Middle East during Biblical times. The convoluted story of their collection, translation and publication has taken over fifty years and filled dozens of volumes. To a noephyte student of the Scrolls this collection of literature can seem overwhelming. Many different threads of research weave the tapestry of the Scrolls' history, and adding to the confusion are the many publications which are filled with ill-advised conjecture, conspiracy theories, misguided research and the like. _The Complete World of the Dead Sea Scrolls_ provides a starting point, a lens through which to view and organize this body of research material.
Phillip R. Davies, George J. Brooke and Phillip R. Callaway, three of the most respected scholars involved in the research and publication the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, have combined their expertise to create the most complete introduction to the Scrolls imaginable. Here "complete" does not mean that the authors have included the entire body of knowledge available regarding the Scrolls, but refers to the fact that they have introduced the reader to every facet of the story of the Scrolls' discovery, research and history. _The Complete World of the Dead Sea Scrolls_ is an overview which introduces the reader to the many avenues of research regarding the Scrolls and provides an extensive "Further Reading" list to allow the reader to increase their knowledge in the areas of greatest interest to them, whether it be translation, archaeology, historical context, the meaning of the Scrolls to studies of Judaism and Christianity, etc.
With over 200 illustrations, numerous side bars, factfiles, timelines, etc., this book is a beautifully presented treatment of the Scrolls, and a must read for anyone interested in studying them. Organization is very much like that of a text book, breaking the subject matter into various sections rather than chapters, and reminds me of the various series that Time-Life used to publish. This is appropriate, since _The Complete World_ is a series which includes such titles as _The Complete Pyramids_, _The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt_, _The Complete World of Tutankhamun_ and _The Complete World of the Valley of the Kings_.
Rating:  -
First of all, let me state that this is a great book, beautifully illustrated, and chock-full of information about the Qumran scrolls. The problem, for me, is that it seems a little unfocused. As if someone said "Let's put together a book that is beautifully illustrated, with a lot of information about the Dead Sea Scrolls," but neglected to choose a theme, a direction, a message, a specific point of view.
The text lacks the continuity of thought that an introductory treatise should exhibit. It bounces around between introductory information, and technical information of interest to the scholar. The photos of the scrolls are exquisite, and the photos of the Qumran area are informative. Modern, researched illustrations clarify the contemporary world of the Qumran scrolls. But then, several medieval altarpiece-type paintings are thrown in, poorly researched by today's standards, and leaving one wondering why they're there.
The 'information-box' format is used throughout, and I always find these a little distracting. If you're following the main text, you can skip the info-boxes, and try to remember which ones you missed, so that you can go back and catch them later. Or you can interrupt your reading to check the box out, and then try to remember where you left off.
Furthermore, in an effort to be scholarly, some of the excitement that the scrolls should generate gets lost. And the print is tiny, and runs way over into the 'gutter,' making it uncomfortable and awkward to read.
Perhaps my bias stems from the fact that I am primarily interested in the scrolls from a Biblical persepective, and the bulk of the book is focused on analysis and speculation surrounding the non-biblical scrolls, which is as interesting as any sectarian church history, but not on a par with the history of the Bible's text.
Overall, an informative book well worth having, but not one that leaves you feeling fulfilled in your quest for an understanding of the importance and history of the scrolls.
Rating:  -
A great way to familiarize yourself with the Dead Sea Scrolls. I like the layout of the text, examining the scrolls cave by cave. Many beautiful color photos, almost a coffee-table book, but more than just a photo album. For those hesitating to purchase this book because of Davies' involvement, I would suggest that his minimalist views on the historicity of the Bible are not a factor in this book. My only complaint - more than once, documents/scrolls were mentioned in passing as if the reader should already know about them, then, a few pages/chapters later, the document was explained in detail. Coupled with "Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls", the reader would have a good introduction to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
|
|
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
