• The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Biography

  • Lives of the Great Religious Books
  • By: John J. Collins
  • Narrated by: Mark Moseley
  • Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (34 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Biography  By  cover art

The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Biography

By: John J. Collins
Narrated by: Mark Moseley
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Since they were first discovered in the caves at Qumran, in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have aroused more fascination - and more controversy - than perhaps any other archaeological find. They appear to have been hidden in the Judean desert by the Essenes, a Jewish sect that existed around the time of Jesus, and they continue to inspire veneration and conspiracy theories to this day. John Collins tells the story of the bitter conflicts that have swirled around the scrolls since their startling discovery, and sheds light on their true significance for Jewish and Christian history.

Collins vividly recounts how a Bedouin shepherd went searching for a lost goat and found the scrolls instead. He offers insight into debates over whether the Essenes were an authentic Jewish sect and explains why such questions are critical to our understanding of ancient Judaism and to Jewish identity. Collins explores whether the scrolls were indeed the property of an isolated, quasi-monastic community living at Qumran, or whether they more broadly reflect the Judaism of their time. And he unravels the impassioned disputes surrounding the scrolls and Christianity. Do they anticipate the early church? Do they undermine the credibility of the Christian faith? Collins also looks at attempts to "reclaim" the scrolls for Judaism after the full corpus became available in the 1990s, and at how the decades-long delay in publishing the scrolls gave rise to sensational claims and conspiracy theories.

©2013 Princeton University Press (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Biography

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    19
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    18
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    20
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

"Great Biography"

If you could sum up The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Biography in three words, what would they be?

Informative, Educational, Well~read

What did you like best about this story?

I consider this Non~fiction & So interesting

What does Mark Moseley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

well I usually fall asleep when I try to read. I am legally blind. Instructive voice easy to take notes!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

...the truth you've never heard

Any additional comments?

My Husband and I enjoyed the education . We love History! If U watch the History channel and H2 on T.V. , U will like this! So much to learn. We will listen over again :)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great modern lineage of the scrolls

Education, lineage, and good take the scrolls. Christianity as a single entity is skewed. but I understand, that is common.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen

If you have always wanted to learn more about the historical and archeological importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls the author really does a fine job in this book. It is also wondrous in painting a picture of the historical setting of these artifacts.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Introduction

This is a good intro to the dead sea scrolls. It covers their finding and the research on them. It covers so of the theological implication of them as well. This book is a great place to start. A must read for anyone interested in the topic. Especially christians.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful