Biblical Archaeology Review is the flagship publication of the Biblical Archaeology Society. For more than 40 years it has been making the world of archaeology in the lands of the Bible come alive for the interested layperson. Full of vivid images and articles written by leading scholars, this is a must read for anyone interested in the archaeology of the ancient Near East.
Israel’s Antiquities Authority has turned down an offer by a major American philanthropic foundation to provide up to $100,000 to publish a book of photographs of the unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls.
In a letter to the foundation, General Amir Drori, director of Israel’s Antiquities Authority, stated:
John Strugnell, chief editor of the unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls, says he accepts suggestions from the Israeli oversight committee when they are reasonable, but when they are “not reasonable,” he doesn’t.
Apparently Strugnell believes he has ultimate control of the Scrolls—and the Israeli committee believes it does, but each is fearful of testing their belief.
A struggle for control of the unpublished Dead Sea Scrolls between the Israeli Dead Sea Scroll oversight committee and chief scroll editor John Strugnell may end with Strugnell’s removal before these words appear in print.
Initial reaction to the interview with chief Dead Sea Scroll editor John Strugnell printed here can only be shock and disbelief. A distinguished theologian at Harvard Divinity School, a professor of Christian Origins, a man who has spent his life studying the Dead Sea Scrolls, harboring thoughts like these? Impossible!
Archaeology of the Land of the Bible
Amihai Mazar (New York: Doubleday, 1990) 602 pp., 8 tables, 11 maps, 256 illustrations, $30.00
