In this reader-friendly overview, one of the twentieth century's leading biblical scholars offers his insights into the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for biblical studies and the histories of Judaism and Christianity. He tells the story of the discovery of the scrolls and their ongoing significance. Contents Prologue 1 The First Discoveries 2 Later Discoveries 3 Dating the Finds 4 Khirbet Qumran 5 Wadi Murabba'at and Khirbet Mird 6 The Scrolls and the Old Testament 7 Biblical Interpretation and the Messianic Hope 8 The Teacher of Righteousness and His Enemies 9 The Qumran Community 10 Qumran and the Essenes 11 Qumran and Christianity Epilogue