Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cica!iuvax!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: hall@vice.ico.tek.com (Hal Lillywhite) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Dead Sea Scrolls Controversy Message-ID: Date: 19 Nov 89 19:38:25 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR. Lines: 33 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article ncramer@bbn.com (Nichael Cramer) writes: > > >In today's "Boston Globe" there was tantalizing but mostly content-free >article about some raging controversy surrounding the remaining unpublished >Dead Sea Scrolls. Reference was also made to an on-going series of >editorials in _Biblical Archeology Review_. > >Does anyone know what all this is about? I haven't read the Globe article (It's not sold on the street corners here in Oregon :-)) but maybe the controversy is over the very fact that they are not published. I have picked up from going to a couple of lectures by Wilford Griggs and reading some things (primarily by Hugh Nibley) that some people seem to be failing to publish as promised in this area. Apparently the scrolls were divided among scholars in several countries. Each was supposed to do his research on what his portion contained and publish the results. Seems like there may have even been an agreed upon publication date although my memory is hazy on that point. Anyway, many of these scholars have failed to meet expectations. Nibley commented something to the effect that if the current publication rate continues we will be seeing "new" scrolls well into the next century (remember, they were discovered in the middle of this one). Part of the problem is apparently politics. I gather that some of the countries and cultures where these scholars reside are likely to be upset by the contents of the scrolls so they don't dare publish. If any suscribers to this newsgroup live where you can talk to a knowledgeable scholar I (and I'm sure others) would apreciate it if you would post his/her comments.