Introduction: The Contribution of Joseph M. Baumgarten to the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Ancient Judaism

Professor Joseph M. Baumgarten (1928–2008) was a major scholar who specialized in the study of Jewish law (halakhah) in the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as other aspects of Scrolls research. His contributions were pioneering and central to the development of the field of Qumran studies as we know it today. With the reorganization of the international editorial team, he took a leading role in the publication process, editing and publishing the Qumran Cave 4 manuscripts of the Damascus Document and other halakhic texts. His impact on the field was enormous, as this volume will clearly demonstrate by presenting a significant part of the research he completed between 1979 and 2008.