The Best Books on the Dead Sea Scrolls
The scrolls attract more nonsense per page than almost any archaeological find. You can skip most of it with two books.
Before you buy either, spend ten minutes with the real thing. The Israel Antiquities Authority has high-resolution images online for free, and you can zoom in until you see the leather. See our guide for what to look at first.
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The texts
The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English
Geza Vermes
Geza Vermes was one of the first scholars to work on the scrolls, and his Penguin paperback is the standard way to read them in English.
The story
The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Biography
John J. Collins
John Collins explains how the scrolls were found, what scholars argued about, and why so many popular claims about them fell apart. It is short and clear.
One lost book a week
What it says, why it was cut, and which edition is worth your money. Plus the full reading list today.