the dead sea scrolls discovery

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Feb 27 Blog

The Aleppo Codex

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?

Oct 3 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.

May 30 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.

Apr 27 Blog

Who Were the Essenes?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

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

Apr 9 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.

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.

Jan 5 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?

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.

Jul 14 Blog

Ancient Scribe Links Qumran Scrolls to Masada

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Paleographer Ada Yardeni identified the handwriting of a single scribe on more than 50 Dead Sea Scrolls from Qumran and Masada. What can this tell us about the scribal community at Qumran?

Apr 24 Blog

D.C.-Area Archaeology Event

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

On Sunday, April 30, 2017, Sidnie White Crawford will deliver the lecture “What the Dead Sea Scrolls Teach Us About the Bible” in the D.C. area.

Must-Read Free eBooks

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