Books in Brief

The Paleo-Hebrew Leviticus Scroll (11QpaleoLev)

David Noel Freedman and K. A. Mathews (Winona Lake, Indiana: American Schools of Oriental Research, 1985) 142 pp., $19.95

With this publication, Professor Freedman has completed his Dead Sea Scroll assignment. This also marks the completion of the publication of all scroll materials from Qumran Cave 11. It is an occasion for rejoicing. We look forward to the day when this can be said of other Dead Sea Scroll materials, especially the important fragments from Cave 4 that are still largely unpublished.

The publication of this scroll was accomplished, as is becoming increasingly the case, with the assistance of a doctoral student who wrote a dissertation that in turn became the basis of this official publication. In this case the student was co-author K. A. Mathews.

The volume has been beautifully produced by Eisenbrauns for the American Schools of Oriental Research. It includes an impressive five-page pull-out with a clear picture of the entire scroll. It also contains a special series of high-contrast photographs that depict the paleo-Hebrew letters with remarkable clarity.

It is surprising that in this day and age, the price of this volume is so inexpensive. At $19.95, it should be affordable by students and aficionados, as well as by the prosperous and libraries.

The scroll itself includes seven columns, the last seven of the original manuscript, the Book of Leviticus. However, only about one-fifth of the height of the scroll has survived, the bottom fifth. This much, nevertheless, remains beautifully preserved.