Welcome to

SCROLLS FROM THE DEAD SEA

The Ancient Library of Qumran and Modern Scholarship

an Exhibit at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC

The exhibition Scrolls From the Dead Sea: The Ancient Library of Qumran and Modern Scholarship brings before the American people a selection from the scrolls which have been the subject of intense public interest. Over the years questions have be en raised about the scrolls' authenticity, about the people who hid them away, about the period in which they lived, about the secrets the scrolls reveal, and about the intentions of the scrolls' custodians in restricting access. The Library's exhibition describes the historical context of the scrolls and the Qumran community from whence they may have originated; it also relates the story of their discovery 2,000 years later. In addition, the exhibition encourages a better understanding of the challenge s and complexities connected with scroll research.

The exhibition is divided into five sections:

Introduction -- The World of the Scrolls

The Qumran Library

The Qumran Community

Today -- 2,000 Years Later

Conclusion

The original exhibition included nearly 100 objects: scroll fragments, artifacts from the Qumran site, and books and illustrations from the Library of Congress' collections. The online exhibit includes images of 12 scroll fragments and 29 other objects loaned by the Israel Antiquities Authority for this exhibition.

You may view the exhibit by selecting any of the above sections or you may choose to browse the entire exhibit by selecting

Outline of Objects and Topics in Scrolls from the Dead Sea

Project Judaica Foundation, the international sponsor of the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition, has brought the exhibit to the Library of Congress, New York, San Franciso, The Vatican and Jerusalem. Project Judaica is continuing its efforts to make the Scrolls and other Judaica available to the public through the Internet.

The Project Judaica website also provides more information on the background of the Scrolls exhibit, including information on ordering an interactive CD-ROM of the exhibit.

More information about the Dead Sea Scrolls can be found in

	LC Collections Enrich Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit, an article by Michael W. Grunberger
	Selected Readings
	Resource Materials for Teachers
	Glossary