Audio Sample: Your browser does not support the audio element. Why are we so fascinated by the Dead Sea Scrolls? In the mid-twentieth century, several Bedouin shepherds happened upon ancient scrolls housed in a cave. These documents, called the Dead Sea Scrolls, are often considered the most important manuscript discovery of the modern era. A veil of mystery, however, shrouds these ancient scrolls. In this 12-lecture series, you will join one of the world’s leading experts on the Dead Sea Scrolls in a fascinating journey through the history and significance of these astounding documents. You will gain a solid understanding of what the scrolls actually are and of the community associated with them. You will begin with the discovery of the manuscripts in eleven caves near the remains of Khirbet Qumran, a place where the people who possessed the scrolls attempted to live by the teachingRead MoreAudio Sample: Your browser does not support the audio element. Why are we so fascinated by the Dead Sea Scrolls? In the mid-twentieth century, several Bedouin shepherds happened upon ancient scrolls housed in a cave. These documents, called the Dead Sea Scrolls, are often considered the most important manuscript discovery of the modern era. A veil of mystery, however, shrouds these ancient scrolls. In this 12-lecture series, you will join one of the world’s leading experts on the Dead Sea Scrolls in a fascinating journey through the history and significance of these astounding documents. You will gain a solid understanding of what the scrolls actually are and of the community associated with them. You will begin with the discovery of the manuscripts in eleven caves near the remains of Khirbet Qumran, a place where the people who possessed the scrolls attempted to live by the teachings in them. You will survey the physical layout and the archaeology of Qumran while learning about its history and the identity of the people who used it. Next, you will explore the hundreds of scrolls, examining their meaning and implications for the texts of the books now in the Old Testament. Learning about the scrolls will also aid in understanding the New Testament; as they were written during the time of Jesus, they allow you to appreciate more fully the world in which He and His first followers lived. You cannot ask for a better guide on this journey. Prof. James VanderKam was part of the groundbreaking team that prepared the Dead Sea Scrolls for publication. The John A. O’Brien Professor of Hebrew Scriptures at the University of Notre Dame, he wrote the award-winning book, The Dead Sea Scrolls Today (1994) and edited thirteen volumes in the official series on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Discoveries in the Judaean Desert. This is a must-have course for anyone wishing to learn more about the Old Testament, the historical Jesus, and biblical history. *Photo courtesy of Matson Photo Service Learn about downloadable programs. Your Free Electronic Study Guide! When you order this course, we will send you a free electronic study guide that you can access in 3 convenient ways: 1) You can check your order confirmation email. It will include a link that enables you to download your guide. 2) The back of your program package also contains a copy of this link. You can access your guide by simply entering this URL into your browser. 3) Your case of CDs or DVDs will contain a copy of your electronic guide on CD. Simply insert this disc into your computer’s CD/DVD drive to access your guide. Read Less
