GROUP ISP 2008

Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Susan Marks

Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies

Preferred method to be contacted:

E-mail:  smarks@ncf.edu

Office:  PME 221

Fall 2007 Office Hours:

Monday 2:30-3:30p.m,

Thursday 11:00-Noon,

And by appointment

What can we know about the community/ies that lived in Judaean Desert?

The evidence from Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls offers an exciting glimpse of sectarian groups that lived during the Second Temple period, a period of great importance to the study of early Judaism and early Christianity.   We will investigate the material and textual evidence found in and around Qumran.   We will explore these materials in advance of the upcoming visit to New College of Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, author of numerous books, including The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls.  In preparation for a chance to discuss Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls with Jodi Magness, this ISP group will:

• Consider the archaeological evidence from Qumran
• Read and study a selection of texts found in the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Explore how these artifacts and texts relate to other Jewish, Christian and Roman period sources
• Consider alternate reconstructions of the Qumran community/ies
• Examine the impact of this evidence on questions of identity, gender and religious practice

The activities of this group will culminate first in a seminar with Jodi Magness on January 22^nd and then in presentation of research by members of the group.

Meeting times:     We will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30am- Noon, beginning January 8^th.  We will discuss group readings and share preliminary findings from individual exegetical projects.  All those in the ISP group should plan to attend Jodi Magness’s Monday night January 21^st public lecture as well as her advanced seminar from 9:30am- 11:00am in the place of our normal meeting time Tuesday morning.

Requirements:  Student will read assigned texts in a timely fashion and come to our meetings ready to engage in discussions.  Each student will turn in one final paper exploring one issue related to the Dead Sea Discoveries, of around 7-12 pages, the highlights of which he/she will present to the group.