Accessible overview of the history and controversies surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls. The main body has been updated, but the postscript was disappointing in that it seemed to gloss over the ongoing debates. Informative, but in retrospect it failed to be thought-provoking. Even-handed in its treatment. Perhaps best read in combination with other treatments of the same material, to fill in some gaps. ( )

This book presents an overview of Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship. It is written generally for the lay person, nothing complex is discussed. If one is unfamiliar with the dead sea scrolls and their impact on biblical scholarship this is an excellent read. ( )

I read this because the scrolls will be on display at the Museum of Science in Boston next year and I wanted to be knowledgable about them. This book accomplished that, though it certainly was not very exciting. It reads like a textbook, alternating between passages of great interest and sections clearly in place to ensure academics will give the book a high rating for documenting anything that is not 100% factual and presenting all sides of an issue. It serves a purpose, but was not a fun read for a layperson like myself. ( )

An overview of the Dead Sea Scrolls: their origin, history, scholarship, the Qumran community, translation, etc. ( )

NO OF PAGES: 208 SUB CAT I: Dead Sea Scrolls SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: James VanderKam has succeeded in summarizing very lucidly the complicated story of the Dead Sea Scrolls-their discovery, nature, chronology, literary character, and background. The attractive writing style and the profound, clear analyses in VanderKam's book promise to make it a handbook on the Dead Sea Scrolls that will be consulted often in light of their importance for modern scholarship and their frequent appearances in the news media.NOTES: Purchased at the DSS held at Beit Hallel Oct. 29, 2001 SUBTITLE: