|
Showing 1 - 3 of
3 matches in All Departments
Ever since the first scrolls were found in the Judaean desert in
1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have been the subject of passionate
speculation and controversy. The possibility that they might
challenge assumptions about ancient Judaism and the origins of
Christianity, coupled with the extremely limited access imposed for
many years, only fueled debate on their meanings. With all the
scrolls now available in translation, conclusions can be drawn as
to the authorship and origins, their implications for Christianity
and Judaism, and their link with the ancient site of Qumran. This
book, written by three noted scholars in the field, draws together
all the evidence to present a fully illustrated survey of every
major manuscript. With numerous factfiles, reconstructions, scroll
photographs, and a wealth of other illustrations, it is the most
comprehensive and accessible account available on the Dead Sea
Scrolls.
Synopsis: In The Dead Sea Scrolls for a New Millennium, Phillip R.
Callaway presents the most comprehensive survey of the Dead Sea
Scrolls since the final publication of the cave 4 fragments. The
chapters on editing the Scrolls, on the caves, on the scrolls, and
on Khirbet Qumran present the evidence without getting bogged down
in older controversies. Callaway discusses the so-called yahad
ostracon, as well as a fascinating writing exercise, and the
supposed Dead Sea Scroll on stone. Those who desire to know more
about the Bible among the Scrolls are offered brief comments on
over one hundred readings from Qumran's biblical manuscripts and
other biblical texts. In the chapter on the pseudepigrapha and
apocrypha, Callaway emphasizes the rich literary production of the
mid- to late Second Temple period, with sections on Enoch,
Jubilees, the Genesis Apocryphon, a Genesis commentary, the
Reworked Pentateuch, targums on Leviticus and Job, the Temple
Scroll, the New Jerusalem, an Apocryphon of Joshua, the psalms,
various works of wisdom, Tobit, Ben Sira, the Epistle of Jeremiah,
and the Greek fragments from cave 7. The chapter on the Community
Scrolls deals with the Damascus Document, the Rule of the Community
and its appendages, a Hybrid Rule, the Rule of War, the
Thanksgiving Hymns, Florilegium, Testimonia, Melchizedek, the
pesher commentaries on Habakkuk, Nahum, and Psalm 37, Ordinances,
Calendar texts, Some Works of the Law, the Angelic Songs of the
Sabbath Sacrifice, and the phylacteries. In terms of the Scrolls
and Jewish history, Callaway discusses the text called Praise for
Jerusalem and King Jonathan, the Copper Scroll, the documentary
texts (which may or may not be from Qumran), the history of the
Qumran community, and some similarities to early Christian thought
and language. In addition to clarifying discussions of all the
works mentioned above, the author hopes that The Dead Sea Scrolls
for a New Millennium will help readers understand the Scrolls not
as the product of a radical, separatist community, but rather as
the literary heritage of many of the greatest Jewish minds that
lived in the Second Temple period. Endorsements: "Phillip Callaway
takes his readers through the stories of discovery, conveying with
a cool and authoritative touch the major theories and issues that
the Scrolls have engendered, and leading us into the heart of the
scrolls themselves. His account is readable, reliable, undogmatic,
up-to-date, and strongly recommended for students and
non-specialists alike." --Philip Davies University of Sheffield "If
you are looking for a refreshing guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls that
introduces you to most of the major compositions in a clear and
sympathetic way, then this is the book for you. Callaway presents a
wide range of views about the Scrolls, and yet overall he sees them
not as the products of a maverick minority but very much as part of
the Judaism of their time. As such he argues that they need to be
taken seriously by all who understand themselves as in any way the
heirs of that formative period two thousand years ago." --George J.
Brooke, University of Manchester Author Biography: Phillip R.
Callaway studied the Dead Sea Scrolls with Hartmut Stegemann and
worked at the Qumran Institute at the University of Marburg and the
University of Gottingen, Germany. He received the PhD in Religion
from Emory University. He has published widely on the Dead Sea
Scrolls and is the author of The History of the Qumran Community:
An Investigation (1988) and the coauthor of The Complete World of
the Dead Sea Scrolls (2002).
|
|