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meaning of the dead sea scrolls

meaning of the dead sea scrolls Latest

lilith

Apr 23 Blog

Lilith

By: Janet Howe Gaines

In most manifestations of her myth, Lilith represents chaos, seduction and ungodliness. Yet, in her every guise, Lilith has cast a spell on humankind. Who is Lilith in the Bible?

The Great Isaiah Scroll. Photo: John C. Trevor, PhD. Digital Image: James E. Trevor

Jan 11 Blog

The “Original” Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls

By: Noah Wiener

More than 200 Biblical texts written in Hebrew were discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls. How do these ancient Biblical texts compare with the Masoretic Text and the Greek Septuagint in scholars’ search for the most authoritative text of the Hebrew Bible?

ashkar-gilson-manuscript

Sep 20 Blog

What Is the Oldest Hebrew Bible?

By: Jennifer Drummond

The oldest Hebrew Bible texts are the Dead Sea Scrolls (c. 250 B.C.E.–115 C.E.), but the most nearly complete copies of the Hebrew Bible are codices from a thousand years ago. What happened in the period between these two discoveries? The Ashkar-Gilson Manuscript fills the gap in our knowledge of this interim period.

Flavius Josephus

May 27 Blog

Josephus on the Essenes

By: BAS Staff

Josephus’s commentaries on the laws and characteristics of the Essene community have been invaluable to scholars studying ancient Jewish laws and customs.

aleppo-codex

Apr 27 Blog

The Aleppo Codex

By: Jennifer Drummond

The world’s oldest Hebrew Bible, the Aleppo Codex, is missing pages—and not just a couple leaves, but four of the Five Books of Moses! What happened to them?

Qumran, Aerial View

Apr 24 Blog

Who Were the Essenes?

By: BAS Staff

A recent study has sought to determine by sophisticated methods whether Khirbet Qumran was home to a community of sectarian Jews, the Essenes.

The Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Apr 10 Blog

The Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls

By: BAS Staff

Do insights from the Dead Sea Scrolls add to the Masoretic text, and if so, should the original Hebrew Bible text be modified based this information? Scholars from both sides of the divide weigh in on this issue.

Comparing Ancient Biblical Manuscripts

Aug 29 Blog

Comparing Ancient Biblical Manuscripts

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Until it was damaged and partially lost, the Aleppo Codex was considered to be the “crown” of ancient Biblical manuscripts, and was the version of the Hebrew Bible that was ultimately considered the most authoritative text in Judaism. Its loss was an enormous blow to Jewish scholarship. However, another complete codex still exists: The Leningrad Codex. How does it compare to its more distinguished cousin?

Ptolemy’s Library of Alexandria

Feb 17 Blog

The Ancient Library of Alexandria

By: J. Harold Ellens

Ptolemy’s grandest project, begun in 306 B.C.E., was the Library of Alexandria, a research center that held one million books by the time of Jesus.

the-aleppo-codex-online

Feb 2 Blog

The Aleppo Codex Online

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Throughout its long history, the Aleppo Codex has been carefully and jealously guarded. Today, however, the Aleppo Codex online project has placed the Aleppo Codex among the ranks of other ancient Biblical manuscripts that have been made available to all via the web.

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The Dead Sea Scrolls: Past, Present, and Future
Biblical Peoples—The World of Ancient Israel
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Ancient Israel in Egypt and the Exodus
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