Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

Dead Sea Scrolls

This week’s Looking Back is going The pages of the JN hold way back, over 2,000 years ago many articles and discussions or so. Well, OK, only 70 years about the authenticity of the or so in the William Davidson Digital scrolls. The general concluArchive of Jewish Detroit History, but sion of scholars is that the the topic is an ancient one. scrolls date from 2,000 years

I recently read a story about the pass- ago or more, but there are ing of Dr. Norman Golb, the University and were dissenters, such as of Chicago professor who uncovered Dr. Solomon Zeitlin, who the existence of a previ- claimed that the scrolls ously unknown Jewish had “no value for Judaism or early community in Medieval Christianity” (JN, Feb. 24, 1956). France. He was also a Most scholars, such as the first Israeli contributor to the schol- Director of Antiquities Shmuel Yeivin, arship of the Dead Sea supported the authenticity of the

Mike Smith Scrolls. scrolls (JN June 29, 1956). Legendary

Alene and Graham Landau Reading about Golb, I JN Editor Philip Slomovitz devoted a

Archivist Chair wondered — what would number of his columns to the scrolls I find about the Scrolls and urged keeping an open mind as in the Davidson Archive? I was not well as urging scholars to strive for disappointed. Beginning in 1952, there accuracy in their research (for examare 623 pages with a wide range of top- ple, JN Aug. 28, 1956; July 17, 1968; ics about the scrolls, including many Feb. 2, 1973; and Jan. 14, 1977). in-depth articles and reports. The JN also published news about

Briefly, the ancient texts known as the latest developments in scroll scholthe Dead Sea Scrolls are considered arship, such as preservation methods to be one of the great archeological and access to the scrolls. Some stofinds in world history. Calling all of ries over the last 70 years are directly the discoveries “scrolls” might be a bit related to Jewish Detroit. For example, of a misnomer. Only a few scrolls are there have been many lectures and largely intact manuscripts; most are presentations in the community as fragments of documents. Most import- well as scholarship at local universities ant, however, the Dead Sea Scrolls are regarding the Dead Sea Scrolls. ancient Jewish religious texts. There is a great feature article about

The first scrolls were found in 1946- a huge event in the Jan. 17, 2003, 1947 in a cave near the north shore of issue of the JN. That year, the Public the Dead Sea by a Bedouin shepherd. Museum of Grand Rapids, Mich., was Additional scrolls and fragments the only U.S. venue to host a travelwere found over the years. Eventually, ing Dead Sea Scroll exhibit from the by 2017, 12 sites called the Qumran Israeli Antiquities Authority. Caves, were discovered and excavated. The story of the Dead Sea Scrolls Yigal Yadin, an Israeli military hero is one of the world’s most fascinatand politician, was one prominent ing sagas. As an archivist, I can only archeologist who led excavations at dream of a find like that! the Qumran Caves and played a role in acquiring scrolls, most of which are now held by the Israel Museum. had “no value for Judaism or early , Feb. 24, 1956).

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.