In this Very Short introduction, Timothy Lim discusses the cultural significance of the finds, and the religious, political and legal controversies during the seventy years of study since the discovery. He also looks at the contribution the Scrolls have made to our understanding of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible, and the origins of early Christianity. Exploring the most recent scholarly discussions on the archaeology of Khirbet Qumran, and the study of the biblical texts, the canon, and the history of the Second Temple Period, he considers what the scrolls reveal about sectarianism in early Judaism. Was the archaeological site of Qumran a centre of monastic life, a fortress, a villa, or a pottery factory? Why were some of their biblical texts so different from the ones that we read today? Did they have 'a Bible'? Who were the Essenes and why did they think that humanity is to be divided between 'the sons of light' and those in darkness? And, finally, do the Scrolls reflect the
teachings of the earliest followers of Jesus?

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The commands "Keep this festival", for the Israelites at Passover and for Jesus' disciples at the Lord's Supper, mark Judaism and Christianity as historical religions. They proclaim the God who has revealed himself both through the thoughts of his messengers and through events and their consequences. His acts demonstrate his nature to those who believe and may guide others to belief.

The papers collected here explore some of the ways that the ancient Hebrew writers and their contemporaries presented history and how their work should be understood today. Assessed against the background of the wealth of documents available from the ancient world, these studies examine the similarities and differences with the intent of providing criteria for approaching the writings of the Hebrew Bible. Recent publications display a growing tendency to treat the Hebrew narratives as products of their authors' beliefs, molded by their theology, and in some sense created to suit it, rather than arising from actual events. The contributors to this volume favor a positive approach to the Hebrew texts, taking into account the variety of contemporary concerns and perspectives.