Christian Beginnings and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Were first-century Jews expecting a messiah? Were other messiahs mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls? Were key early Christian symbols also found in the Judaism of Qumran? Did the Jews of Jesus's day believe in salvation by works? In the Holy Spirit? How did the New Testament authors think about inspired interpretation?

In Christian Beginnings and the Dead Sea Scrolls, six leading scholars--John Collins, Craig Evans, Martin Abegg, R. Glenn Wooden, Barry Smith, and Jonathan Wilson--examine some of the major issues that the Dead Sea Scrolls have raised for our understanding of early Christianity. These cutting-edge articles explore the impact of the Scrolls on Christianity, delving deeper than most surveys on the Dead Sea Scrolls.


About the Author
John J. Collins (Ph.D., Harvard University) is Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale Divinity School. He has authored or edited thirty books, including Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, Daniel (Hermeneia), and The Scepter and the Star: The Messiahs of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Other Ancient Literature. He has served as president of the Catholic Biblical Association, president of the Society of Biblical Literature, and editor of the Journal of Biblical Literature.

Craig A. Evans (Ph.D., Claremont Graduate University) is Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies at Acadia Divinity College and is the author or editor of more than thirty books, including Mark, vol. 2 (Word Biblical Commentary), Jesus and His Contemporaries, and Noncanonical Writings and the New Testament.