Course Description:

The Dead Sea Scrolls have revolutionized understandings of Hellenistic Judaism, the Hebrew Bible, and the time period of Jesus. But why? Why do they matter? How were they discovered? Who wrote them? This series of lectures will consider where these writings originated and why, as writings of a small Dead Sea community, they have made such a major impact on scholarship.

Topic Outline/Schedule:

Week 1, May 2: Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes

Week 2, May 9: Introducing the Scrolls

Week 3, June 5: The Teacher of Righteousness

Week 4, June 12: Qumran and the Essenes

Week 5, June 19: The Scrolls and the Bible

Week 6, June 26: Qumran and Christianity