The Dead Sea Scrolls are perhaps the most important archaeological discovery of the twentieth century. These lectures set before the public the real Dead Sea Scrolls, the most important collection of Jewish texts from the centuries before the rise of Christianity. Only through efforts to understand what the scrolls can teach us about the history of Judaism is it possible for us to learn what they have to teach us about the history of Christianity, because Christianity came into being only after these texts were composed and copied.
The popular press remains far behind scholars who, despite disagreements on many specific matters of interpretation, have reached virtual consensus on the full implications in both Judaism and Christianity for understanding the scrolls. Professor Schiffman leads the listener through the complex details of the Scrolls and their true meaning for the world.
