Publisher's Weekly Review
Culled from the pages of Biblical Archaeology Review , edited by Shanks, these essays by scholars in the field shed further light on the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were discovered in the Qumran caves east of Jerusalem in 1947. Eschewing the mainstream opinion that identifies the inhabitants of Qumran as members of a Jewish religious sect called the Essenes, Lawrence Schiffman radically links the sectarians with the priestly and scripturally literalistic Sadducees. The late Yigael Yadin describes his laborious efforts to acquire the crucial Temple Scroll, the difficult task of unrolling it and his belief that Jesus was anti-Essene even though the Essenes' rejection of the Jerusalem Temple and its cult influenced the early Christians. Hartmut Stegemann claims that the Temple Scroll is a lost sixth book of the Torah composed of material rejected when the Pentateuch was canonized under the influence of Ezra in the fifth century B.C. In a 1990 interview with an Israeli journalist, John Strugnell expresses anti-Semitic views; he was subsequently removed from his position as chief Scrolls editor. Illustrations not seen by PW. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Outstanding anthology, drawn in part from The Biblical Archaeological Review and The Bible Review, that serves as a complete primer to what biblical scholar Harry Thomas Frank has called ``the most sensational archaeological discovery of the century.'' Shanks, editor of The Biblical Archaeological Review, has a flair for drama, evident both in the many essays here about the intrigue that swirls around the scrolls--spies, conspiracy theories, and shadowy antique-dealers all play their part--and in his two final selections. One of these is a reprint of the infamous newspaper interview with Harvard professor John Strugnell that led to Strugnell's ouster as chief editor of the scrolls on charges of incompetence and anti-Semitism; the other is a skewering by Shanks of Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh's recently published The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception (not reviewed), which imagines a Vatican coverup in scroll research: Shanks calls the theory ``hogwash.'' Other essays juggle other hot potatoes: Was Jesus an Essene? Is the Temple Scroll a lost sixth book of the Torah? What light do the scrolls shed on Christianity and Judaism? Contributors range from world-class scholars (Frank Moore Cross, James C. Vanderkam, et al.) to journalists and filmmakers; in the midst of hot debate on the provenance and message of the scrolls, a clear consensus emerges--that the scrolls constitute an invaluable archaeological window onto the world that gave birth to both Christianity and rabbinical Judaism, but that they contain no bombshells that threaten tenets of either faith. Exciting and reliable, and thus a superb replacement for Edmund Wilson's pioneering but hysterical (and hopelessly out-of- date) 1955 bestseller, Scrolls from the Dead Sea.
Booklist Review
While most people are familiar with the words Dead Sea Scrolls, many have only a vague understanding of just what those revolutionary documents are and what they mean to the history of civilization. Discovered by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947 near Qumran, on the shores of the Dead Sea, the 800 scrolls, some intact, others reduced to fragments no bigger than a fingernail, cast a direct light on the second Temple period in Israel, a time when Judaism was in flux and Christianity was being born. Among the many controversial aspects of the scrolls is their authorship; some of the content is biblical, with every book of the Hebrew Bible, except Esther, represented, and some is thoroughly nonsectarian and has never been seen before. Scholars are also divided on what these books reveal about the period and its great clashes between Romans and Jews, Jews and Jews, Jews and Christians. There is even controversy surrounding the handling of the scrolls in the years since their discovery, with charges made that a small group of scholars kept the material to themselves, refusing to share until this year, when, in the name of intellectual freedom, the Huntington Library released one of the only sets of photocopies. In this marvelous resource for both those in the know about the scrolls and those wanting to know more, Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review and a leader in the campaign to have the scrolls released, gathers together articles previously published in the Review on all aspects of the scrolls--their discovery, their significance, and their dissemination. Of particular interest are the selections detailing the scrolls' cloak-and-dagger, almost comic acquisition; a discussion of the Copper Scroll, which some believe to be a treasure map; and the essay by Shanks himself titled "Silence, Anti-Semitism, and the Scrolls." With a much wider range of scholars now studying the scrolls, expect interest in them among general readers to grow rapidly. This collection will be indispensable in meeting the demand for reliable background information. ~--Ilene Cooper
Choice Review
A collection of articles from Bible Review and Biblical Archaeology Review that spans most of what has been published about the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is prefaced by an introduction to the topic and history of the scrolls and their ultimate publication last year by the Biblical Archaeology Society. There is no comment on the newly published material, as it is still undergoing initial perusal, and much of the material consists of small scraps that must be put into context and properly interpreted. As a whole, this volume is not only an excellent summary of what is known but also traces the tragic short-sightedness of those in charge of the research. For a picture of scholarly obstructionism at its worst, this book is recommended reading. The integration of these articles into one well-indexed volume will make the scrolls and the various theories and conclusions about them more readily available to the general reader. The varied styles of the authors and their varied viewpoints are left intact, with an introductory paragraph or two about each. A glaring omission leaves out a listing of the original publication of the articles and their dates. They are grouped by "topics" rather than in chronological order of appearance and there is no reference to their original publication. Highly recommended for general collections as well as for those emphasizing Biblical studies. H. S. Engelsohn; Kingsborough Community College, CUNY
Library Journal Review
The discovery and publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls is one of the most important and controversial events in 20th-century biblical and related studies. As editor and publisher of Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR), Shanks has observed the progress of Scroll studies and the heat they have generated. Here, he compiles 22 articles from the pages of BAR and Bible Review dealing with the discovery of the Scrolls, the ancient community that stored them away, and their impact upon the study of the Bible, Rabbinic Judaism, and early Christianity. Three chapters on the controversy surrounding the publication (and in many cases nonpublication) of the materials round out the volume. In the final chapter, Shanks reacts to the recent sensational book The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception ( LJ 1/92), labeling as ``hogwash'' their charge of Vatican suppression of Qumran material and interpretations that might undermine Church doctrine. The articles included are written by scholars but are easily accessible to lay readers. Coverage is balanced, including opposing viewpoints. There is one annoying omission: nowhere in the volume are the original publication dates of the articles given. This anthology is appropriate for public and academic libraries.-- Craig W. Beard, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
