Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: DEAD SEA SCROLLS DECEPTION by Michael Baigent ISBN: 0-671-79797-2 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 12 April, 1993 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.62 (34 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A differnt point of view.....
Comment: Should items of historical importance be made available for study by all scholars despite their world views or political philosophies, or should scholars privileged to study historical artifacts be selected by a committee of "recognized experts"? If the latter is so, how do recognized experts become expert, and how is the governing committee that anoints the would-be scholars chosen from amongst these experts?
The dirty little secret of academic research is that power struggles over money, influence, and interpretation take place among power brokers with an agenda. Unfortunately, government and religious organizations are not immune from influence peddling and frequently have compelling reasons for attempting to control science and journalism. Even in the United States, scholarly committees and subcommittees have at times become pawns of the state.
BBC journalists Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, who wrote HOLY BLOOD HOLY GRAIL, wrote THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS DECEPTION about 15 years ago. While some of the issues they examined and exposed in their latter book have been more or less resolved, other issues remain. In all likelihood, the book acted as a catalyst affecting the release of vital information about the historical scrolls discovered more than 60 years ago at Qumran (around the time of the discovery of the Nag Hammadi scrolls in Egypt). Baigent and Leigh suggest that while the Nag Hammadi scrolls have been examined, studied, and interpreted by an International host of scholars from differing backgrounds, in contrast, a committee of religious scholars blocked objective study and interpretation of the Dead Sea scrolls for almost 50 years.
The authors disagree with the interpretation offered by the self appointed committee that controlled access to the Dead Sea Scrolls. In contrast with the committee, Baigent and Leigh contend that the material found at Qumran does not predate, but includes the period when Jesus is supposed to have lived. Secondly, they suggest Jesus and his brother James the 'Righteous' may have been a members of this community, which had close ties with the Jewish Zealots who perished at Masada. Thirdly, the authors suggest the Qumran group was not a hermit male religious order, but was comprised of men, women and children. Fourth, the authors suggest Paul may have been a member of the group for a short while and may turned on it to promote his own brand of religion. Fifth, the authors contend the Nozrei ha brit (keepers of the covenant) or Nozrim (Zealot-Essene-Nazorean) sect sought to uphold the law, not to overturn it (Matthew 5:17-20). The group was diametrically opposed to the Jewish party in league with the Romans.
I enjoyed the book immensely because I have long been troubled by some aspects of Jesus reported behavior (overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple) and words (swords, enmity between relatives, etc.) and statements about the law. The authors have assembled a prodigious amount of information to support their claims (writings of Josephus and other 'Romans' as well as archeological material are included).
Rating: 5
Summary: A great primer for the curious
Comment: I had never read anything about the Dead Sea Scrolls until reading this book. It was methodically written, and even though obviously intent on showing that there was a "deception" or conspiracy to hide or obscure the content and meaning of the Scrolls, it nevertheless provides an excellent primer on the essential historical questions surrounding recent New Testament scholarship. The authors have supplied and clarified many key points of an overall thesis for readers, like me, who find thinking and questioning to be stimulating. In addition, it is quite readable, unlike some other books by "biblical scholars."
Rating: 4
Summary: Another Dr. Scott recommendation
Comment: Much better than I expected it to be. I read "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" with my hands fisted in aggravation, so I fully expected this tome to give me the same reaction, but instead, I found it much more grounded in verifiable research and historical fact (as opposed to wild leaps of logic as in HBHG). Clearly, the authors do not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, but rather a mere mortal (although perhaps of royal blood - whatever THAT'S supposed to mean), but this book is much less concerned with spiritual matters than it is with the primordial stew that gave birth to Christianity.
Being a Christian, I don't find any of this sacriligious. As Dr. Eugene Scott often says, and I became aware of this book from one of his broadcasts, "You don't have to leave your brain outside the church to be a Christian."
It is frustrating to realize that the scrolls have never been released en masse for the public and scholars to research, review, debate, etc. It would be as if Watson and Crick had said, "We've discovered that the building block of life is the double helix strand and over the next fifty years we will slowly, ever so slowly, release fragments of our research. Thankyouverymuch."
 |
Title: Holy Blood, Holy Grail by MICHAEL BAIGENT, RICHARD LEIGH, HENRY LINCOLN ISBN: 0440136482 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 15 January, 1983 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
 |
Title: The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ by Lynn Picknett, Clive Prince ISBN: 0684848910 Publisher: Touchstone Books Pub. Date: 12 November, 1998 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
 |
Title: The Messianic Legacy by Michael Baigent ISBN: 0440203198 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 01 May, 1989 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
 |
Title: The Woman With the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail by Margaret Starbird, Mary Magdalen, Holy Grail ISBN: 1879181037 Publisher: Bear & Co Pub. Date: June, 1993 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
 |
Title: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jean-Yves Leloup, Joseph Rowe, Jacob Needleman ISBN: 0892819111 Publisher: Inner Traditions Intl Ltd Pub. Date: 30 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
