Customer Reviews

Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls

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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

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.

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...