The Dead Sea Scrolls: Catalog of the Exhibition of Scrolls and Artifacts from the Collections of the Israel Antiquities Authority at the Public Museum of Grand Rapids

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: There are a host of volumes available now on recreations and translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and even more available on the possible (and often bizarre) interpretations of the scrolls, particularly of the non-biblical pieces. The Dead Sea Scrolls have been an object of fascination, debate, and sometimes suspicion since the first ones surfaced a generation ago in the deserts around the Dead Sea in the late 1940s. This particular book on the Dead Sea Scrolls is not just another translation, nor is it another collection of essays, though it has both elements -- it is, in fact, a catalog of a major exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Public Museum of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The editor, Ellen Middlebrook Herron, is to be commended for putting together such an interesting volume that both complements the exhibition yet serves as a compelling text in its own right.

The layout and design is a very eye-catching arrangement -- the book is filled will full-colour, glossy photographs from start to finish. This is no mere catalog with 'mug shots' of objects on display. The photography is interesting to the eye; mixed through the book are photographs of the desert areas around the Dead Sea, the Qumran settlement site, the Dead Sea itself (one particular shot of underwater in the Dead Sea, followed by the Dead Sea at dusk, is stunning), and historical photographs of early scroll scholars at work, so the reader will get a sense not only of the history in the scrolls, but the history of the scrolls.

This front section is interspersed with some essays by people whose names would be immediately recognised by anyone who follows the tales of the scrolls -- Emmanuel Tov and James Vanderkam are two names that stand out, but the others (such as Ruth Peled and Ayala Sussman, who worked on another exhibition guide) will also be familiar.

The heart of the book is, of course, the catalogue to the exhibition, arranged in a very practical and informative way. There are two primary sections: From the Qumran Caves, a study of scrolls and scroll fragments; and From the Qumran Ruin, a study of the artifacts from the Qumran settlement site.

The scrolls are all presented with explanation of what is being shown (calendar, phylactery, biblical text, etc.), dating, Hebrew letters printed out with most probable choices filling in the gaps in the scrolls, and an English translation. The page layout is such that the scroll photographs are set against the pure white page, without artificial 'background', which makes their appearance all the most stunning and realistic. The artifacts are sometimes presented against a black page, and sometimes against a white page background (whichever provides the best viewing in contrast, I would imagine). These catalog entries include most likely dates and descriptions. These include everything from pottery and inkwells to dried dates and coins.

Concluding the catalog is a section on resources. A very helpful glossary of terms, bibliographic information presented topically for further study, and acknowledgements (particularly for the photographs, this is nice to have, to know from whom other such wonderful photographs may be found) complete the text. Often I would take points off for lack of an index, but the quality of this text is such I cannot bring myself to do it.

This is an Eerdmans publication produced in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Public Museum of Grand Rapids. They should all be very proud of this fine book. Herron says in her introductory essay that the scrolls' true legacy may be that they bring people of different faiths and nationalities together to a common past. This book is certainly one of collaboration between many people; rare is a book produced by 'committee' a good thing -- this is a rare exception.