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A fundamentally revisionist approach that leaves behind the constructed social reality of a “sectarian” paradigm

Gwynned de Looijer reexamines the key hypotheses that have driven scholars’ understandings of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the archaeological site of Khirbet Qumran, and the textual descriptions of the Essenes. She demonstrates that foundational hypotheses regarding a sect at Qumran have heavily influenced the way the texts found in the surrounding caves are interpreted. De Looijer’s approach abandon’s those assumptions to illustrate that the Dead Sea Scrolls reflect a wider range of backgrounds reflecting the many diverse forms of Judaism that existed in the Second Temple period.

Features:

• In depth analysis of 4QMMT
• Reevaluation of the concept of dualism as it has been applied to Qumran texts
• Charts and tables illustrate complex theories, concepts, and connections

Gwynned de Looijer (Ph.D., Durham University)is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at Durham University. Her research is mainly interdisciplinary, combining approaches within religious studies, anthropology and biblical studies. Her research interestsinvolve group dynamics and the role of the individual within group formation processes. She is especially interested in the historical anthropology of Judaism, and the anthropology of sectarianism and religious conflict.

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