This perennially bestselling book on the Dead Sea Scrolls by one of the fields most respected scholars has now been revised and updated to reflect scholarship and debates since the book was first published in 1994.

Acclaimed professor Craig A. Evans gives a thoroughly researched and colorfully illustrated overview of the Dead Sea Scrolls and their importance for Christianity.

The purpose of 'The Dead Sea Scrolls Reader', is "to enhance the research facilities of the individual texts within their respective genres. The nature of the Dead Sea Scrolls publication project was such that texts belonging to the same literary genre were published in different volumes in the 'Discoveries in the Judaean Desert' (DJD) series, although those from cave 4 were often published by subject. The dispersion of these texts in several different volumes complicated their analysis, a problem that is now overcome in 'DSSR'.

The roots of the Hasmonean Revolt: the reign of Antiochus IV -- Questions of identity: the "teacher of righteousness," the "man of lies," and Jonathan the Hasmonean -- The succession of high priests: John Hyrcanus and his sons in the Pesher to Joshua 6:26 -- Alexander Jannaeus and his war against Ptolemy Lathyrus -- A prayer for the welfare of King Jonathan -- The Pharisees' conflict with Alexander Jannaeus and Demetrius' invasion of Judaea -- The successors of Alexander Jannaeus and the conquest of Judaea by Pompey -- The assassination of Pompey -- The changing notion of the enemy and its impact on the Pesharim.

The eight essays in this book on the subjects of eschatology and messianism evidenced in the Dead Sea Scrolls were originally delivered at a conference for a lay audience, and are therefore accessible to the interested reading public.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Judaean desert between 1947 and 1956 transformed our understanding of the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism and the origins of Christianity. These extraordinary manuscripts appear to have been hidden in the caves at Quumran by members of the Essene community, a Jewish sect in existence before and during the time of Jesus. Some sixty years after the Scrolls' first discovery, this revised and much expanded edition of The Dead Sea Scrolls in English crowns a lifetime of research by the great Qumran scholar Geza Vermes. As well as superb translations of all non-biblical texts sufficiently well preserved to be rendered into English, there are also a number of previously unpublished texts, and a new preface. Since its first publication in 1962, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English has established itself as the standard English translation of the non-Biblical Qumran Scrolls and as giving an astonishing insight to the organization, customs, history and beliefs of the community responsible for them. This edition will contain new material, together with extensive new introductory material and notes.

Universally acknowledged as the dean of New Testament scholarship, Brown brings a lifetime of teaching and research to bear in his landmark overview of the New Testament.