Portion of the Temple Scroll, one of the longest of the Dead Sea Scrolls, 2nd century, B.C. (The Israel Museum)
Seventy years ago in a cave located above the ancient ruins of Qumran on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, a Bedouin shepherd accidentally made the biblical archaeological find of the century. The cave was the first of 11 in the area to yield manuscripts now almost universally accepted to have been produced by the Essenes, a Jewish sect that vanished from history early in the Christian era.
The initial discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 and 1948 forever changed the study of ancient Judaism and early Christianity. As the decades passed and additional documents came to light and more archaeological fieldwork continued, our perception of these two religious traditions came into greater and greater focus. The result is nothing less than a radically new understanding of both Judaism and Christianity and of the nexus between the two.
In an illustrated seminar, Dead Sea Scrolls scholar Gary Rendsburg explores details of the discovery of these precious documents, what they tell us about their authors and the time period in which they were created, the controversies surrounding them, and their influence on the development of both ancient Judaism and early Christianity.
9:30–10:45 a.m. The Discovery: A Story in Itself
Get an of overview of the scrolls’ discovery in 1947, the initial finds, the excavations of Qumran, the progress of scholarly work during the ensuing decades, and the Dead Sea Scrolls in the digital age.
11 a.m.–12:15 p.m. The Meaning of the Scrolls: The Story Continues
A look at the key documents from the Qumran caves, with an eye to uncovering the salient religious practices and theological beliefs of the Essene community that composed these texts, with a particular focus on how they differed from contemporary Pharisees, Sadducees, and other Jewish groups.
12:15–1:30 p.m. Lunch (participants provide their own)
1:30–2:45 p.m. The Scrolls and the History of Judaism
The Qumran community existed during a crucial period in the history of Judaism, at the very time when it segued from a religion focused almost exclusively on the Temple in Jerusalem to one which developed new ways of worship, including the study of scripture, communal prayer, and more. The Dead Sea Scrolls afford the opportunity to see these new pathways developing. In addition, Rendsburg considers the different legal systems among the Jewish sects of the time period, with a special focus on the contrast between those of the Qumran Essenes and the Pharisaic-Rabbinic continuum.
3–4:15 p.m. The Scrolls and the History of Christianity
Rendsburg examines the many points of contact between the Dead Sea Scrolls and early Christianity. He also discusses how 70 years of research now allows us to see with greater precision how Christianity emerged from the panoply of Jewish sects during the first century.
Rendsburg serves as the Blanche and Irving Laurie professor of Jewish history at Rutgers University.
