REL 57.04 The Dead Sea Scrolls

Arguably the most significant literary and archaeological find of the twentieth century, the Dead Sea Scrolls have forever changed our understanding of the Bible, ancient Judaism, and early Christianity. But what are they? Who wrote them? Why have they been so controversial? Do they contain secrets to unlock the Bible or the apocalyptic end of history they describe?

This course offers an in-depth examination of the Dead Sea Scrolls (in English translation) and the archaeological remains of Qumran in the complicated context of Judaism in the Second Temple Period and the emergence of Christianity. In addition to the scrolls, we will read from the Jewish apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, the writings of Josephus, and the New Testament.

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