By
– September 8, 2011
This collection of essays by Schiffman offers the reader an up-to-date guide to research on the Dead Sea Scrolls. A must for the informed reader, the essays, many published in various journals and other venues, have been updated for the volume, making it a useful resource for the latest developments in this fascinating and important area of research for origins of Judaism and Christianity. While technical details are an essential part of these discussions, the volume is very readable. The title reflects one of the chapter titles, but the book is much broader than the topic of Qumran and Jerusalem. The 25 chapters fall within sections covering the Scholarly Controversy of the scrolls; the History, Politics, and Formation of the Sect; Jewish Law at Qumran; the Religious Outlook of the Qumran sectarians; Qumran Sectarians and Others; and Language and Literature. Bibliography, indexes.
Mark D. Nanos, Ph.D., University of Kansas, is the author of Mysteryof Romans, winner of the 1996 National Jewish Book Award, Charles H. RevsonAward in Jewish-Christian Relations.