The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in... | Buy

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Judean desert between 1947 and 1956 was one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time. Hidden in the caves at Qumran by the Essenes, a Jewish sect in existence before and during the time of Jesus, the Scrolls have transformed our understanding of the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism, and the origins of Christianity. This fully revised edition of the classic English translation by Geza Vermes, the world’s leading scholar on the subject, offers an astonishing look into the organization, customs, and beliefs of the community at Qumran. Enhanced by much previously unpublished material and a new preface, this will remain the authoritative translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls for years to come.

Geza Vermes was born in Hungary in 1924, and was the first professor of Jewish studies at Oxford. He is the author of The Changing Faces of Jesus and The Authentic Gospel of Jesus.

Preface	p. xiii
Maps	p. xiv
Preface to the Penguin Classics Edition	p. xvii
Chronology	p. xix
Introduction	p. 1
A Bird's-eye View of Fifty Years of Dead Sea Scrolls Research	p. 1
The Present State of Dead Sea Scrolls Studies	p. 10
Qumran and the New Testament	p. 21
Qumran's Greatest Novelty	p. 23
The Community	p. 26
The Essenes and the Qumran Community	p. 46
The History of the Community	p. 49
The Religious Ideas of the Community	p. 67
List of Abbreviations	p. 91
Note on This Translation	p. 93
The Rules
The Community Rule (1QS, 4Q255-64, 4Q280, 286-7, 4Q502, 5Q11,13)	p. 97
Community Rule manuscripts from Cave 4	p. 118
4QS[superscript d]=4Q258	p. 118
4QS[superscript e]=4Q259	p. 123
Entry into the Covenant (4Q275)	p. 125
Four Classes of the Community (4Q279)	p. 126
The Damascus Document (CD, 4Q265-73, 5Q12, 6Q15)	p. 127
Damascus Document manuscripts from Cave 4	p. 146
The opening of the Damascus Document according to 4QD (4Q266-8)	p. 147
Initiation rules (4Q266)	p. 148
Rules relating to the disqualification of priests (4Q266, 267, 273)	p. 148
Diagnosis of skin disease (4Q266, 269, 272, 273)	p. 149
Rules concerning gleanings and agricultural priestly dues (4Q266, 269, 270, 271)	p. 151
The penal code and the renewal of the covenant ritual (4Q266, 270)	p. 152
A hybrid Community Rule-Damascus Document text (4Q265)	p. 155
The Messianic Rule (1QSa=1Q28a)	p. 159
The War Scroll (1QM, 1Q33, 4Q491-7, 4Q471)	p. 163
The War Scroll from Cave 4 (4Q491, 493)	p. 186
The Book of War (4Q285, 11Q14)	p. 188
The Temple Scroll (11QT=11Q19-21, 4Q365a, 4Q524)	p. 191
MMT (Some Observances of the Law) (4Q394-9)	p. 221
The Wicked and the Holy (4Q181)	p. 230
4Q Halakhah A (4Q251)	p. 231
4Q Halakhah B (4Q264a)	p. 234
4Q Tohorot (Purities) A (4Q274)	p. 235
4Q Tohorot B[superscript a]-B[superscript b] (4Q276-7)	p. 238
4Q Harvesting (4Q284a)	p. 240
The Master's Exhortation to the Sons of Dawn (4Q298)	p. 241
4Q Men Who Err (4Q306)	p. 243
Register of Rebukes (4Q477)	p. 244
Remonstrances (before Conversion?) (4Q471[superscript a])	p. 246
Hymns and Poems
The Thanksgiving Hymns (1QH, 1Q36, 4Q427-32)	p. 249
Hymnic Fragment (4Q433a)	p. 306
Apocryphal Psalms (I) (11QPs[superscript a]=11Q5, 4Q88)	p. 307
Apocryphal Psalms (II) (4Q88)	p. 314
Apocryphal Psalms (III) (11QapPs[superscript a]=11Q11)	p. 316
Non-canonical Psalms (4Q380-81)	p. 319
Lamentations (4Q179, 4Q501)	p. 327
Songs for the Holocaust of the Sabbath (4Q400-407, 11Q17, Masada 1039-200)	p. 329
Poetic Fragments on Jerusalem and 'King' Jonathan (4Q448)	p. 340
Hymn of Glorification A and B (4Q491, fr. 11 - 4Q471b)	p. 342
Calendars, Liturgies and Prayers
Calendars of Priestly Courses (4Q320-30, 337)	p. 347
Calendrical Document C (4Q326)	p. 363
Calendrical Document D (4Q394 1-2)	p. 364
Calendric Signs (Otot) (4Q319)	p. 365
'Horoscopes' or Astrological Physiognomies (4Q186, 4Q534, 4Q561)	p. 370
Phases of the Moon (4Q317)	p. 373
A Zodiacal Calendar with a Brontologion (4Q318)	p. 374
Order of Divine Office (4Q334)	p. 376
The Words of the Heavenly Lights (4Q504-6)	p. 377
Liturgical Prayer (1Q34 and 34 bis)	p. 381
Prayers for Festivals (4Q507-9)	p. 382
Daily Prayers (4Q503)	p. 384
Prayer or Hymn Celebrating the Morning and the Evening (4Q408)	p. 386
Blessings (1QSb=1Q28b)	p. 387
Benedictions (4Q280, 286-90)	p. 391
4QBerakhot[superscript a]: Blessings (4Q286)	p. 391
4QBerakhot[superscript b]: Curses of Belial (4Q286-7)	p. 394
4QBenedictions: Curses of Melkiresha' (4Q280)	p. 395
Confession Ritual (4Q393)	p. 396
Purification Ritual A (4Q512)	p. 397
Purification Ritual B (4Q414)	p. 398
A Liturgical Work (4Q392-3)	p. 399
Historical and Apocalyptic Works
Apocalyptic Chronology or Apocryphal Weeks (4Q247)	p. 403
Historical Text A (4Q248)	p. 404
Historical Texts C-E (4Q331-3)	p. 405
Historical Text F (4Q468e)	p. 407
The Triumph of Righteousness or Mysteries (1Q27, 4Q299-301)	p. 408
Time of Righteousness (4Q215a)	p. 410
The Renewed Earth (4Q475)	p. 411
A Messianic Apocalypse (4Q521)	p. 412
Wisdom Literature
The Seductress (4Q184)	p. 417
Exhortation to Seek Wisdom (4Q185)	p. 419
A Parable of Warning (4Q302)	p. 422
Sapiential Didactic Work A (4Q412)	p. 423
A Sapiential Work (i) (4Q413)	p. 424
A Sapiential Work (ii) (4Q415-18, 423, 1Q26)	p. 425
A Sapiential Work (iii): Ways of Righteousness (4Q420-21)	p. 439
A Sapiential Work: Instruction-like Composition (4Q424)	p. 441
The Two Ways (4Q473)	p. 443
Bless, My Soul (4Q434-8)	p. 444
A Leader's Lament (4Q439)	p. 449
Fight against Evil Spirits (4Q444)	p. 450
Songs of the Sage (4Q510-11)	p. 451
Beatitudes (4Q525)	p. 455
Bible Interpretation
Introductory Note	p. 461
Aramaic Bible Translations (Targums)	p. 463
The Targum of Job (11Q10, 4Q157)	p. 465
The Targum of Leviticus (4Q156)	p. 471
Greek Bible Translations (4Q119-22, 7Q1-2)	p. 472
Other Greek Fragments (4Q126-7, 7Q3-19)	p. 472
The Reworked Pentateuch (4Q158, 364-7)	p. 474
A Paraphrase of Genesis and Exodus (4Q422)	p. 478
The Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen, 1Q20)	p. 480
Genesis Commentaries (4Q252-4a)	p. 492
Genesis Commentary C (4Q254)	p. 495
Genesis Commentary D (4Q254a)	p. 496
Commentaries on Isaiah (4Q161-5, 3Q4)	p. 497
Commentaries on Hosea (4Q166-7)	p. 501
Commentary on Micah (1Q14, 4Q168)	p. 503
Commentary on Nahum (4Q169)	p. 504
Commentary on Habakkuk (1QpHab)	p. 509
Commentary on Zephaniah (1Q15, 4Q170)	p. 517
Commentary on Malachi (4Q253a)	p. 518
Commentary on Psalms (1Q16, 4Q171, 4Q173)	p. 519
Commentary on an Unidentifiable Text (4Q183)	p. 524
Florilegium or Midrash on the Last Days (4Q174)	p. 525
Testimonia or Messianic Anthology (4Q175)	p. 527
Ordinances or Commentaries on Biblical Law (4Q159, 4Q513-14)	p. 529
The Heavenly Prince Melchizedek (11Q13)	p. 532
Consolations or Tanhumim (4Q176)	p. 535
Catenae or Interpretation of Biblical Texts on the Last Days (4Q177, 4Q182)	p. 536
Bibliocally Based Apocryphal Works
Jubilees (4Q216-28, 1Q17-18, 2Q19-20, 3Q5, 4Q482(?), 11Q12)	p. 539
The Prayer of Enosh and Enoch (4Q369)	p. 543
The Book of Enoch (4Q201-2, 204-12)	p. 545
The Book of Giants (1Q23-4, 2Q26, 4Q203, 530-33, 6Q8)	p. 549
An Admonition Associated with the Flood (4Q370, 4Q185)	p. 551
The Ages of the Creation (4Q180)	p. 553
The Book of Noah (1Q19, 1Q19 bis, 4Q534-6, 6Q8,19)	p. 554
Words of the Archangel Michael (4Q529, 6Q23)	p. 556
The Testament of Levi (i) (4Q213-14, 1Q21)	p. 557
Testaments of the Patriarchs: The Testament of Levi or Testament of Jacob (4Q537 and 540-41)	p. 561
The Testament of Judah and Joseph (4Q538-9)	p. 563
The Testament of Naphtali (4Q215)	p. 564
Narrative and Poetic Composition[superscript a-c] (4Q371-3)	p. 565
The Testament of Qahat (4Q542)	p. 568
The Testament of Amram (4Q543-9)	p. 570
The Words of Moses (1Q22)	p. 574
Sermon on the Exodus and the Conquest of Canaan (4Q374)	p. 576
A Moses Apocryphon[superscript a] (4Q375)	p. 577
A Moses Apocryphon[superscript b] (4Q376, 1Q29)	p. 578
A Moses Apocryphon[superscript c] (4Q408)	p. 579
Apocryphal Pentateuch B (4Q377)	p. 580
A Moses (or David) Apocryphon (4Q373, 2Q22)	p. 581
Prophecy of Joshua (4Q522, 5Q9)	p. 582
A Joshua Apocryphon (i) or Psalms of Joshua (4Q378-9)	p. 583
A Joshua Apocryphon (ii) (Masada 1039-211)	p. 586
The Samuel Apocryphon (4Q160)	p. 587
A Paraphrase on Kings (4Q382)	p. 589
An Elisha Apocryphon (4Q481[superscript a])	p. 590
A Zedekiah Apocryphon (4Q470)	p. 591
A Historico-theological Narrative based on Genesis and Exodus (4Q462-4)	p. 592
Tobit (4Q196-200)	p. 594
Apocryphon of Jeremiah (4Q383, 385a, 387, 387a, 388a, 389-90)	p. 602
The New Jerusalem (4Q554-5, 5Q15, 1Q32, 2Q24, 4Q232, 11Q18)	p. 607
Pseudo-Ezekiel[superscript a-d] (4Q385, 386, 385b, 388, 385c)	p. 611
The Prayer of Nabonidus (4Q242)	p. 614
Para-Danielic Writings (4Q243-5)	p. 615
The Four Kingdoms (4Q552-3)	p. 616
An Aramaic Apocalypse (4Q246)	p. 617
Proto-Esther(?) (4Q550)	p. 619
List of False Prophets (4Q339)	p. 621
List of Netinim (4Q340)	p. 622
Miscellanea
The Copper Scroll (3Q15)	p. 625
Cryptic Texts (4Q249, 250, 313)	p. 632
Two Qumran Ostraca	p. 634
Appendix
Scroll Catalogue	p. 639
Index of Qumran Texts	p. 657
Major Editions of Qumran Manuscripts	p. 668
General Bibliography	p. 672
General Index	p. 677
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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