SOLD OUT Who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls and Why Were They Written?
Rachel Elior
Chair, Department of Jewish Thought, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Thursday, July 17

The more than 900 scrolls that were found in 11 caves in Qumran have a striking common denominator in spite of their great literary diversity — all of them are religious writings. They contain prose and poetry, law and myth, a religious discourse covering divine command, angelic knowledge, sacred history and priestly tradition. Come discover more about the identity of the writers and the circumstances surrounding the writing of the Scrolls.

Israel at the Time of the Dead Sea Scrolls: The Historical Background of the Scrolls
Lawrence Schiffman, Ph.D.
Edelman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies and Chair of the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University
Wednesday, August 27
The 7:00 pm lecture is SOLD OUT but due to popular demand a second lecture has been added at 4:00 pm. Please visit or contact the Museum Box Office for tickets.

The Second Temple period was a momentous year in ancient Israel, beginning with the conquest of Alexander the Great that expanded the rise of Hellenism and the great Jewish religious movements. Dr. Schiffman will survey these developments and their significance in providing background for the Dead Sea Scrolls, and explain how the scrolls have enriched the understanding of the history of this period.

The Conservation of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Pnina Shor
Head of the Department for the Treatment and Conservation of Artifacts, Israel Antiquities Authority
Tuesday, September 16

The removal of the Dead Sea Scrolls from the caves in which they resided for more than 2,000 years disturbed the environmental stability that had ensured their preservation for so long. From the time of their discovery in 1947, until the establishment of the conservation laboratory of the Israel Antiquities Authority in 1991, the scrolls have been rapidly deteriorating due to the changing environment, handling and treatment. Today the most up to date conservation and preservation methods are being used to protect the fragile scrolls.

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Controversies and Theories of Early Judaism and Christianity
Eric Meyers, Ph.D.
Bernice and Morton Lerner Professor of Judaic Studies and Director of the Graduate Program in Religion, Duke University
Wednesday, October 1

The enormous library found at Qumran 60 years ago could not have been produced without the knowledge of and dependency on the Hebrew Bible. The New Testament was dependent on both the canonical Hebrew Bible and some literature found at Qumran. Dr. Meyers will review this topic and suggest a way to explore the common roots of Judaism and Christianity.

Women in the Dead Sea Scrolls and at Qumran
Sidnie White Crawford, Ph.D.
Professor of Hebrew Bible and Chair, Department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Thursday, October 16

There is evidence of women participating in the Essene movement in late Second Temple Judaism. This is found in the Dead Sea Scrolls texts, in particular the Damascus Document. Explore the archaeological evidence, or lack of evidence, for the presence of women at the settlement at Qumran.

The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Jodi Magness, Ph.D.
Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism, Department of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Thursday, October 30

In 1947, a Bedouin discovered the first of the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave near Qumran. Eventually more than 900 scrolls were found in 11 nearby caves. These Scrolls represent a library of religious literature that belonged to the inhabitants of Qumran in the 1st century BCE and 1st century CE. Dr. Magness’ slide-illustrated lecture will review the archaeology of Qumran and incorporate information that the Scrolls provide about the beliefs and practices of the community.

The Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls
Emanuel Tov
Magnes Professor of Bible, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Editor-in-Chief, Dead Sea Scrolls Publication Project
Thursday, November 20

Among the more than 900 scrolls found at Qumran are 200 scrolls representing the books of the Hebrew Bible. These scrolls have radically changed our understanding of the texts that were current in ancient Israel 2,000 years ago. This lecture describes the various types of scrolls and reviews the differences between the biblical Dead Sea Scrolls and the traditional Hebrew text, while focusing on their impact on biblical scholarship.

The Dead Sea Scrolls and Early Christianity
Bart Ehrman, Ph.D.
James A. Gray Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Wednesday, December 10

Like the Essenes, who according to one theory may have been responsible for producing the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jesus and his followers were Jewish apocalypticists. Even though Jesus and his disciples are not mentioned in the Scrolls, understanding the message of the community at Qumran can still contribute to our understanding of the Jewish milieu in which Jesus lived and out of which early Christianity emerged.