The Library of Qumran: Ancient Texts on Essenes, Qumran, John the Baptist & Jesus | Historical Biblical Research & Religious Studies

Too long to review quickly and briefly, this book dates from 1997, well after the most significant findings on new discoveries/documents reached the public domain. Thus nothing of consequence is left out of the considerations and analyses here which include comprehensive information suitable for the lay person who has an interest. The chapters at the end on the Essenes, John the Baptist, and Jesus were the most interesting to me. Essentially nothing directly about John and Jesus was found in the ruins. Nevertheless much can be concluded using the New Testament and general scholarship. Many theories of various writers are discussed and comparisons are made. Most of the scrolls were copies of the books of the Old Testament, and in fact are the oldest copies in existence. This book does not contain the text of these, or of the other unfamiliar books, but quotes a bit where necessary. Full texts are readily available elsewhere. Sadly, so much of what was stored was nearly completely lost. Many 'documents' or 'scrolls' are merely fragments, some smaller than a 3x5 file card. The author presumes that some of the material was saved in caves by the residents of Qumran (a rough walled compound in the desert near the Dead Sea, about 35 miles from Jerusalem, with normal living space for about 50 people) likely in preparation for the Roman incursion into the area as that army marched to Jerusalem to curb the rebellion of AD66. This material was packaged carefully with attention to detail, the jars sealed for protection of the contents. In the other caves, some hastily dug, signs were clear that most of the material was only dumped quickly, almost surely by people fleeing the Romans. Thus the Library consisted of manuscripts/books which had been at the site presumably for years and for newly dumped materials belonging to Jerusalem members of the Sect who headed south to escape the Romans. Archeological excavations show the place was burned in AD66, Burnt timbers and Roman arrowheads tell the tale. Thereafter no one returned for manuscripts - the people there were either killed or completely driven away. The large adjacent cemetery excavated shows unusual burials had taken place over decades - the persons there had unusual views, clearly a sect of Jews who separated themselves from the temple crowd in Jerusalem. This fact, and the documents themselves, point to the place as a refuge for those of the Essene Cult. The author uses his scholarship to describe the many ways John and Jesus differed from the Essense, eliminating the likelihood of their ever belonging to the sect - contrary to many speculations in some books. The author takes the early conclusions of the first excavators, that dwellers at Qumran copied or edited manuscripts because it explains the leather works and other elements in the remains. A later study concluded that it was essentially a pottery factory, and this later theory does not explain all the findings. However, the Library itself is the issue, not what else the Essenes may have done at the site. Most appealing is the pulling together of history, early writings known from various sources, the text of the new documents, the archeology, the New Testament, and other sources into a coherent and very full picture which is clearly and expertly presented.