Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls [Paperback]

Randall Price (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1996

The community of people who wrote, copied, and hid the Scrolls in caves lived in great anticipation of the end times and saw themselves as the forebears of a new kingdom to come. Instead, the community died out...and 2000 years passed before the discovery of the writing that would draw worldwide attention to the fascinating age in which they lived.

The modern day story of the Scrolls is truly remarkable—with clandestine meetings, incredible coincidences, and unexpected surprises. Dr. Randall Price tells that story, which surveys...

• the yet-to-be-solved mysteries about the identity and beliefs of those who wrote the Scrolls
• claims that prominent cults are making about the Scrolls
• today’s furious debate about who rightfully owns the Scrolls
• evidence that the Scrolls affirm the authenticity of the Bible
• the controversy over the so-called "suppressed" Scrolls
• the newest efforts to find more Dead Sea Scrolls

Secrets of the Dead Seas Scrolls is a remarkable and authoritative resource based on meticulous research and firsthand interviews with the people closest to the Scrolls—including translators, scholars, eyewitnesses, and the nomadic shepherd who first found the Scrolls. Includes exclusive photographs and accounts.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Randall Price (Th.M. Old Testament and Semitic Languages, and Ph.D. Middle Eastern Studies) has lived in Jerusalem and done graduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As president of World of the Bible Ministries, he lectures worldwide on Bible prophecy and directs tours in the Bible lands. He is the author of Unholy War, Fast Facts on the Middle East Conflict, and Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Product Details

• Paperback: 552 pages
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (July 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565074548
• ISBN-13: 978-1565074545
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely done...., February 22, 2002

By 

The BPR Reference Guide (East Coast, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls (Paperback)

I've read a few books on this subject and this is the most accessible of the lot. It is written in an easy style and manages to cover just about every aspect concerning the scrolls including: the story behind the discovery of the scrolls, what the scrolls mean to academia, what the scrolls teach and how they have been used/abused. A nice chart entitled "Historical Overview of the Second Temple Period" and a chronological history of the scrolls rounds out this great resource. Nicely done. -- Moza

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls, November 29, 2010

By 

Pastor Jason - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls (Paperback)

Dr. Price has written the best work on the Dead Sea Scrolls that I have ever read. The author writes in a blended style for both the scholarly and the everyday person. There is no need to know anything about the Dead Sea Scrolls to begin reading this book. Dr. Price starts from the beginning of the story and brings you right up to speed rather quickly. I highly recommend this great work...

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive but with an Agenda, July 13, 2009

By 

Robert Feather (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls (Paperback)

A first impression of the Book is that it is an easily accessible, wide ranging survey of Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship. Within this framework the author bravely confronts some of the very dubious interpreters of the texts, like Vendyl Jones, Robert Eiseneman, and Norman Golb, and covers much ground others avoid. What I particularly respect about this work is that the author has taken the trouble to go out and interview people and study the sites he talks about. A few couch bound professors could well take lessons in this direction.

There are a few serious factual errors, like: `The earliest known complete Hebrew manuscript of the Old Testament was the Ben Asher Codex in the Public Library of Leningrad.' The author is obviously referring to what is normally known as the Aleppo Codex, which is now in the Jerusalem Museum. The Leningrad Library houses the Leningrad Codex, which is only slightly younger than the Aleppo Codex, dating to the 11th century CE. In many instances Randall Price makes an inaccurate statement, however if one is patient, and it is worth the read, he usually actually corrects his own mis-statements later on. For instance he states that doubts about the integrity of the Old Testament were settled forever by the finding that the book of Isaiah was almost identical to the Masoretic version (based on the Aleppo Codex). Later on he gives numerous examples of what are quite large discrepancies between the Dead Scrolls and the Hebrew Bible we know today.

When it comes to Price's agenda we find, early on in the book, the statement that there is no evidence to suggest a connection between the Qumran Sect and Christianity. This is now being shown to be quite wrong. Even the Pope now believes that Jesus celebrated the Last Supper according to Essene rites, and many scholars, especially non-denominational ones, acknowledge a firm link between the Qumran-Essenes and the New Testament and Christianity. This agenda colours much of the analysis Price makes on the texts, but once aware of it, one can garner a lot of useful information and insights. With all its faults this is, nevertheless, one of the most productive sources of supportive background to the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Robert Feather,London.