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

All formats include readings from the major texts of the scrolls, slide shows of Qumran, the discovery and the process of restoration of the scrolls, and the role of archaeology; and conclude with a consideration of the little-known Therapeutae, a Jewish eschatological community that arose in Egypt at the close of the Dead Sea Scrolls period.

Available formats: • seminar • scholar-in-residence weekend • lecture or series of lectures • individual workshop segments