The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Title	The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Author	Hershel Shanks
Call Number	BM467 .S453 1999
Location	2nd Floor Humanities
Rating	Recommended
Book Review	"The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls" is as much about the content of the Dead Sea Scrolls as the history of their re-discovery in the 20th century and the scholarship that has since followed.  Hershel Shanks delves into what the scrolls say, paying particularly attention to those that aren't part of the Hebrew or Christian Bibles and that reveal previously unknown details about the lives and conduct of the sect at Qumran.  He also explores the political and social relationships between the early scholars working to decipher the scrolls, and how they often hindered rather than helped scholarship on the topic, making this a good read for those interested in how knowledge and our ideas about history are constructed.
Submitted By	Kristin Laughtin-Dunker
Department or Major	Leatherby Libraries
Status	Staff