Dead Sea Scrolls controversy

[View from Here]

Some participants in this forum may want to check out some stuff that has been coming out about the biased and misleading way the Dead Sea scrolls are being presented in museum exhibits, with an antisemitic nuance emerging on a government-run North Carolina museum's website. See, e.g.,

http://robertdworkin.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/the-ethics-of-exhibition-romancing-the-scrolls/ (article critical of exhibits)

and

http://blog.news-record.com/staff/frontpew/archives/2008/06/dead_sea_scroll.shtml

and

http://timothyfishbane.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/scandal-criticism-follows-scrolls-exhibit-to-raleigh-info-and-links/

One of the participants in the Raleigh, North Carolina exhibit lecture series, Bart Ehrman, has attempted to justify the museum's conduct, but one must surely question (to put it mildly) his take on this controversy. He apparently believes that the old Qumran-Essene theory is "probably" true simply because his personal acquaintances believe in it, even though he's not a scrolls expert himself, and even though the theory has been rejected by an entire series of historians and archaeologists over the past decade. This kind of appeal to the "common opinion" doesn't sound like the type of critical thinking one is entitled to expect from a serious scholar.

See his angry exchange with some of his critics at

http://biblicalraleigh.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/unc-professor-admits-hes-not-a-scrolls-expert-defends-biased-museum-exhibit/

[MG1962]

I dont understand, you linked us to three blog sites to prove your point. If there is ample scolastic evidence to back you up - why didn't you link or refer to it?

[paximperium]

Bart Ehrman...wasn't he the guy who wrote Misquoting Jesus?
I thought he was a pretty well known and respected Biblical scholar?

[UnrepentantSinner]

Bart Ehrman...wasn't he the guy who wrote Misquoting Jesus?
I thought he was a pretty well known and respected Biblical scholar?

He's a chaired professor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_Ehrman), so I'd say at least academia respects him.

[Dancing David]

Some participants in this forum may want to check out some stuff that has been coming out about the biased and misleading way the Dead Sea scrolls are being presented in museum exhibits, with an antisemitic nuance emerging on a government-run North Carolina museum's website. See, e.g.,

http://robertdworkin.wordpress.com/2008/07/12/the-ethics-of-exhibition-romancing-the-scrolls/ (article critical of exhibits)

Um, the first part is fairly accurate, then it delves into all sorts of really strange politics.

yes, many of the authors of the DSS were not ssenes, some were even polytheistic saducees.


and

http://blog.news-record.com/staff/frontpew/archives/2008/06/dead_sea_scroll.shtml

and

http://timothyfishbane.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/scandal-criticism-follows-scrolls-exhibit-to-raleigh-info-and-links/

More politcs. And yes the people who psses the scrolls are making a monopoly of it. This is well established, but they are the ones who have the scrolls.


One of the participants in the Raleigh, North Carolina exhibit lecture series, Bart Ehrman, has attempted to justify the museum's conduct, but one must surely question (to put it mildly) his take on this controversy. He apparently believes that the old Qumran-Essene theory is "probably" true simply because his personal acquaintances believe in it, even though he's not a scrolls expert himself, and even though the theory has been rejected by an entire series of historians and archaeologists over the past decade. This kind of appeal to the "common opinion" doesn't sound like the type of critical thinking one is entitled to expect from a serious scholar.

See his angry exchange with some of his critics at

http://biblicalraleigh.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/unc-professor-admits-hes-not-a-scrolls-expert-defends-biased-museum-exhibit/

Sorry, using cherry picked quotes doesn't help.

the nature of the DSS is what it is, some political people have a vested intrest in keeping the rabbinical tradition strong.

You do know that Ehrman has been criticized for telling the truth in other areas?

[fuelair]

U.

yes, many of the authors of the DSS were not ssenes, some were even polytheistic saducees.

Well, I see they were sad, but I don't see what they were sad about! U see?

[Dancing David]

:D Gotta wonder about those s-senes as well. Spell check is my frined.