Abstract

In this article, various aspects of the investigation of the Dead Sea Scrolls are discussed: their relation with the New Testament, the vicissitudes in the publication of the smaller fragments, recent developments and tools for further study, the question of the interpretation of the archaeological remains at Qumran, the validity of the common identification of the writers of the scrolls as Essenes, the importance of the alakha in determining the provenance of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the relevance of these texts for our understanding of ancient Judaism