The settlement of Khirbet Qumran has been at the center of archaeological debate since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Recent publications have questioned Roland de Vaux's initial conclusion that the Essenes built Qumran and there composed the Dead Sea Scrolls. This book examines the history of interpretation of the settlement at Qumran and introduces a new digital methodology that employs virtual reality to analyze the remains. The book concludes that after an initial Iron Age occupation, the site of Qumran was established as a Hasmonean fortress, abandoned, and later reoccupied by a small religious community that expanded the site in a communal, non-military manner. This group was ultimately responsible for some of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in the nearby caves.
Dr. Cargill is author of "Qumran through (Real) Time: A Virtual Reconstruction of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls," which examines the settlement of Khirbet Qumran using new technological approaches in the Digital Humanities including digital archaeological reconstruction and virtual reality. Dr. Cargill has appeared as an expert on numerous documentaries and television shows, and regularly lectures on topics concerning archaeology, biblical studies, the Dead Sea Scrolls, religious sects in the Second-Temple period, and linguistic ideology.
(full biography below)
Dr. Robert R. Cargill was born in Van Nuys, California and was raised in Madera, California, a small farm town in central California that he called home for 15 years. At age 17, his family moved to nearby Fresno, California, where he graduated from Bullard High School. He attended Fresno City College, where he earned his A.A. degree and won a state championship in 1992 as a catcher with the baseball team. He then transferred to California State University, Fresno, where he followed a pre-medical curriculum and earned a B.S. degree in Human Physiology.
Dr. Cargill then accepted the J.P. Sanders Ministerial Scholarship to attend Pepperdine University, where he earned a Master of Science degree in Ministry and his seminary degree, the Master of Divinity. While at Pepperdine, he began studying archaeology and Middle Eastern culture and politics under Dr. Randall Chesnutt and Dr. John F. Wilson. Also while at Pepperdine, he experienced the birth of his daughter, Talitha Joy. He returned to Pepperdine in 2002 and taught courses in Hebrew Bible and New Testament at Pepperdine University. In 2004, Dr. Cargill was hired by Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman to teach her history and religion of the Middle East. He then accepted a fellowship to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, and earned an M.A. degree in Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations and his Ph.D. studying under Dr. William Schniedewind in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, where he focused upon Second-Temple period archaeology and biblical studies. His dissertation work focused on the archaeological remains of Khirbet Qumran, the site associated with the composition of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Dr. Cargill has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Central and South America, and the Middle East. He began his archaeological career in 1999 as a Square Supervisor in the excavations at Banias (Golan Heights) with Dr. Vassilios Tzaferis and Dr. John F. Wilson. The next year he served as Area Supervisor at Banias. In 2004, he began work as a Square Supervisor for the excavations at the nearby site of Omrit, Israel with Dr. Andy Overman. Most recently, Dr. Cargill participated in the excavations at Hazor, Israel in 2006 with Dr. Amnon Ben-Tor.
Dr. Cargill has taught at Pepperdine University, Azusa Pacific University, Portland State University, and UCLA. He presently serves as the Instructional Technology Coordinator for the UCLA Center for Digital Humanities. Dr. Cargill is a Research Associate with the UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and is the Chief Architect and Designer of the Qumran Visualization Project, a real-time virtual reconstruction of the site of Qumran.
Dr. Cargill's first book, "Qumran through (Real) Time: A Virtual Reconstruction of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls," examines the settlement of Khirbet Qumran using new technological approaches in the Digital Humanities including digital archaeological reconstruction and virtual reality. Dr. Cargill has appeared as an expert on numerous documentaries and television shows, and regularly lectures on topics concerning archaeology, biblical studies, the Dead Sea Scrolls, religious sects in the Second-Temple period, and linguistic ideology.
Dr. Cargill is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, American Schools of Oriental Research, Archaeological Institute of America, Association for Jewish Studies, and the Israel Exploration Society. He is also involved in social and environmental organizations including the National Geographic Society, Global Green USA, Ducks Unlimited, the Sierra Club, the Santa Monica Mountain Trails Council, and is a supporter of 89.3 KPCC - Southern California Public Radio and NPR. He presently resides in Southern California with his daughter.
(For more on Dr. Robert R. Cargill, visit: http://www.bobcargill.com)
