The Qumran Paradigm: A Critical Evaluation of Some Foundational Hypotheses in the Construction of the Qumran Sect (Early Judaism and Its Literature Book 43)

A fundamentally revisionist approach that leaves behind the constructed social reality of a “sectarian” paradigm Gwynned de Looijer reexamines the key hypotheses that have driven scholars’ understandings of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the archaeological site of Khirbet Qumran, and the textual descriptions of the Essenes. She demonstrates that foundational hypotheses regarding a sect at Qumran have heavily influenced the way the texts found in the surrounding caves are interpreted. De Looijer’s approach abandon’s those assumptions to illustrate that the Dead Sea Scrolls reflect a wider range of backgrounds reflecting the many diverse forms of Judaism that existed in the Second Temple period. Features: In depth analysis of 4QMMT Reevaluation of the concept of dualism as it has been applied to Qumran texts Charts and tables illustrate complex theories, concepts, and connections Gwynned de Looijer (Ph. is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at Durham University. Her research interests involve group dynamics and the role of the individual within group formation processes. She is especially interested in the historical anthropology of Judaism and the anthropology of sectarianism and religious conflict. Read more