Scribes and Scrolls at Qumran

by Sidnie White Crawford

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2019

Overview

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls altered our understanding of the development of the biblical text, the history and literature of Second Temple Judaism, and the thought of the early Christian community. Questions continue to surround the relationship between the caves in which the scrolls were found and the nearby settlement at Khirbet Qumran.

In Scribes and Scrolls at Qumran, Sidnie White Crawford combines the conclusions of the first generation of scrolls scholars that have withstood the test of time, new insights that have emerged since the complete publication of the scrolls corpus, and the much more complete archaeological picture that we now have of Khirbet Qumran. She creates a new synthesis of text and archaeology that yields a convincing history of and purpose for the Qumran settlement and its associated caves.

Key Features

• Proposes that Qumran served as the central library and scribal center for the Essene movement of Judaism
• Examines insights from scholars since the complete publication of the scrolls
• Provides a new synthesis of text and archaeology that will yield a history of and purpose for the Qumran settlement

Contents

Part I. Scribes and Libraries in the Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean Worlds

• Scribes and Libraries in the Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean Worlds
• Scribes and Libraries in Ancient Israel

Part II. The Qumran Evidence

• Caves and Scrolls: The Archaeology of the Caves and the Texts Found in Them
• The Archaeology of Qumran
• The Qumran Scrolls Collection: A Scribal Library with a Sectarian Component

Part III. Conclusions

• Who Owned the Scrolls? The Qumran-Essene Hypothesis Revisited
• Scribes and Scrolls at Qumran: A New Synthesis

Top Highlights

“Donceels argued that Qumran was a ‘villa rustica,’ with wealthy inhabitants” (Page 169)

“The limestone cliff caves, being unsuitable for habitation, must have been used primarily for storage, even hiding” (Page 149)

“Given the age of a portion of the manuscripts, one can argue that this collection was the product of a long-term collection process, which stretched from at least the beginning of the first century BCE, when the oldest manuscripts began to be assembled (according to the archaeology of both Cave 4Q and the settlement at Qumran), through the late first century BCE.” (Page 145)

“The Romans are credited with launching the first truly public libraries in the ancient world. Asinius Pollio established the first public library in Rome, followed by Augustus, who founded a library on the Palatine hill.” (Page 46)

“had an active scribal contingent living there during the first century BCE through its destruction in 68 CE.” (Page 146)

Endorsements

It is a pleasure to offer strong praise for Sidnie White Crawford’s Scribes and Scrolls at Qumran. In it she offers a compelling case that Qumran and the nearby caves served as the scribal center and central library for the Essene ‘wing’ of Judaism. She supports her thesis with thorough, up-to-date studies of scribes and libraries, the scrolls, their owners, and the archaeological evidence. The result is a comprehensive and appealing theory advanced by a scholar of unquestioned expertise in the field.

—James C. VanderKam, University of Notre Dame

This volume, by a leading Dead Sea Scrolls scholar, looks at the Dead Sea Scrolls and the site of Qumran from the perspective of the study of ancient books and libraries, an approach that results in important new proposals regarding the function of the site, the various caves, and the history of the collection. This novel approach will make this a must-read for anyone interested in the scrolls and their importance for the history of Judaism and the background of Christianity.

—Lawrence H. Schiffman, New York University

Crawford proposes that Qumran functioned as an Essene library and scribal center, based on a comprehensive and balanced analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the archaeological remains. Her highly readable and up-to-date overview will serve as a basic resource for scholars as well as an excellent introduction to the field for nonspecialists.

—Jodi Magness, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Product Details

• Title: Scribes and Scrolls at Qumran
• Author: Sidnie White Crawford
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2019
• Pages: 400
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Topic: Qumran

About Sidnie White Crawford

Judith Anne Brown is the daughter of John Marco Allegro, a freelance writer and editor, and an associate of the Plain Language Commission. Her work on John Marco Allegro also appears in Manchester and the Dead Sea Scrolls, edited by George J. Brooke. She lives in Derbyshire, England, with her husband and two children.