Teaching and Learning Guide for: Religion in the Dead Sea Scrolls

Scholarship on the Dead Sea Scrolls has been revolutionized by the full availability of the scrolls beginning in the 1990s. Since then, scores of publications have appeared on a wide range of topics in Qumran scholarship. Some have introduced the scholarly world to new texts and ideas, while others have revisited and revised older scholarly assumptions in light of newly available material. One area that has benefited greatly from this scholarly activity is the study of religion. This article therefore offers a synthesis of the current state of research on religion in the Qumran community as articulated in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Religion both in thought and in practice is treated. The former refers to the theological belief system of the Qumran community: God, dualism and predestination and eschatology, messianism, and resurrection; the latter indicates the way that the religious ideals of the Qumran community were actualized in daily life: formation of Jewish law, temple, sacrifice and prayer, and ritual and purity. This guide seeks to present the critical issues and direct readers to the central texts as they relate to each of these subjects and the various scholarly models associated with their study.