The dead sea scrolls in English

Many books have been written about the Dead Sea Scrolls since their discovery in 1947, but until now the ordinary reader has had little opportunity to get to know the texts themselves, and so to make any personal judgement of their value or relevance. In this volume a clear, faithful translation of the non-biblical scrolls from the Qumran caves is accompanied by brief introductory comment on each, and by a general description of the beliefs, customs, organization, and history of the Community they derive from.
The teaching of this sect of Jewish schismatics sheds the light of comparison and contrast on to that of their contemporaries, the Christian dissenters, and also on to the mother faith of both – Palestinian Judaism. This book reveals the Dead Sea Scrolls as fascinating documents that give us new insight into the history and philosophy of religion.