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396 Review of Books / Journal for the Study of Judaism 42 (2011) 375-440 Qumran: Scrolls • Caves • History . By Hanan Eshel. Translated from Hebrew by Ada Yardeni. Edited by Paul King and Barbara L. Ball. (A Carta Field Guide). Jerusalem: Carta, 2009. Pp. 146. Hardback. $25.00. ISBN 978-965-220-757-9. In this book, Eshel provides his readers with a general introduction to Qumran. The introduction briefly outlines the origin of Qumran’s name and the origin and daily life of its community. However, the description of the origin of the community is too terse (“Jews who left Jerusalem and went to live in Qumran on the western shore of the Dead Sea”; 10), whereas it is unclear on which sources the description of the daily life of the community is based. A more systematic introduction to the histori- cal origin and beliefs of this community and on the question whether and how the scrolls contribute to our knowledge of this community would have been necessary. Then six sections deal with the following topics: the discovery of the first seven scrolls by two Bedouin and how they ended up in the Shrine of the Book in Jeru- salem; the contents of these seven scrolls; the discovery and excavation of more caves and scrolls around Wadi Murabba’at and Qumran; the scrolls of Cave 4, their acquisition and publication; the excavations at Khirbet Qumran, the three periods of settlement, the archaeological discoveries, the buildings of the second settlement and their function, and the discovery of Caves 7-10. As these sections clearly focus on the scrolls, the description of the site of Qumran stands out and could better have been combined with the seventh section. The 7th section is set up as a guide for a visit. With instructions to walk in certain directions, Eshel leads his readers along the caves and the remains at Khir- bet Qumran as well as along the modern film room and small exhibition. Along the way the visitor is informed about the findings of certain objects and docu- ments, the function of the buildings and the daily life of the community. Pity enough, the importance of the archaeological remains at Khirbet Qumran in this section—and in the fifth section—is not indicated in the subtitle of the book which only mentions the “scrolls,” “caves” and “history.” In the final section (“Summary”), Eshel actually does not summarize the book contents, but mainly indicates Qumran’s influence on early Christianity and Juda- ism after the destruction of the Second Temple. A select bibliography and an index are also included. In sum, the book is clearly aimed at a more general readership. The history, community, archaeological remains and scrolls are not fully analyzed nor all the scholarly discussions fully described. Nevertheless, Eshel’s book is a nice introduc- tion to Qumran. It is accessible due to his easy writing style, attractive due to his inclusion of many pictures and convenient for taking it with you on your visit to Qumran due to the book’s small format. Albertina Oegema University of Groningen © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011 DOI: 10.1163/157006311X586412
Journal for the Study of Judaism – Brill
Published: Jan 1, 2011
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