"Provides an excellent primer to what is arguably the greatest discovery of biblical archaeology." —Arizona Republic

Since the first scrolls were found in the Judaean desert by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have been the subject of passionate speculation and controversy. The possibility that the scrolls might challenge many assumptions about ancient Judaism and the origins of Christianity, coupled with the extremely limited access to the scrolls imposed for many years, only fueled fiery debates on their meanings and implications.

With all the scrolls—more than 800 documents from eleven caves—now finally available in facsimile editions, and translations proceeding on many fronts, some conclusions can at last be drawn as to their authorship and origins, their implications for Christianity and Judaism, and their link with the ancient site of Qumran. This timely book, written by three noted scholars in the field, draws together all the evidence and presents the first fully illustrated survey of every major manuscript, from the Copper Scroll, the Community Rule, and the Temple Scroll to less well-known scripts such as the Florilegium and New Jerusalem.

• "The Scrolls Revealed" takes the reader through the discovery of the scrolls, and discusses the long and controversial publication process.
• "The Ancient World of the Scrolls" presents the dramatic historical backdrop against which the scrolls were written and describes Jewish religious life, the pivotal role of the Jerusalem Temple, and competing Jewish sects from the Essenes and Pharisees to the Early Christians.
• "Inside the Scrolls" provides a unique illustrated catalogue of the contents of all eleven scroll caves, including detailed analysis of every major scroll, and considers the methods of interpretation employed.
• "The Qumran Settlement" discusses recent archaological work at the ancient site.
• "The Meaning of the Scrolls" examines the heated debates over the meaning for ancient Judaism and for Christianity and draws conclusions on the contrversy surrounding their authorship.