The greatest archaeological discovery of modern times, the Dead Sea Scrolls simultaneously clarify many aspects of world culture from 300 BCE to the close of the first century CE while posing many mysteries and conundrums that occupy not only scholars but all who are interested in the transmission of the ancient heritage of the Holy Land through Judaism and Christianity.

Our exploration concerns the controversial associations between the scrolls and the community at Qumran, discussing the Essenes and other sects that may have been involved with the scrolls.

We discuss:

• The language & content of the recovered scrolls

• Connections of the scrolls to Judaism and nascent Christianity

• The restoration of the scrolls and the history of Dead Sea Scroll scholarship

We also consider:

• How the scribes and authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls transmitted traditional knowledge and texts

• How they engaged in commentary on received texts

• How they may have attempted to replace some traditional texts with compositions of their own

• In a fascinating aside, we encounter the “copper scroll” which some consider an ancient treasure map