| Here are 5 more reasons to get excited about the | | | | those keepers of the scrolls? They were wild men! |
| Dead Sea Scrolls. Read the following discoveries and | | | | Talk about guys who really knew how to party, |
| find out for yourself on their importance. | | | | beginning of the first millennium-style. Their sectarian |
| 1) Modern discoveries shed light on their importance. | | | | scrolls describe their pure food and drink, daily ritual |
| The oldest and most authoritative New Testament | | | | baths, and nighttimes spent studying scripture and |
| manuscripts found to date, the Sinaiticus and | | | | praying. If one of the "Sons of Light" so much as |
| Vaticanus codices (what's a codex, plural: codices? A | | | | gestured with his left hand, he was punished, and |
| scriptural manuscript in book form, as opposed to | | | | anyone who even whispered against Mosaic law was |
| scrolls), were discovered in the nineteenth century, | | | | exiled forever. Giving up all worldly wealth, living a |
| long after the most popular version of the English | | | | monastic life in the desert, this was a bunch of |
| Bible, the 1611 King James Version, was written. | | | | wool-robed, wild and crazy guys! But seriously, even |
| These codices throw into question or, in some cases, | | | | if you don't respect their convictions, you've simply |
| frankly negate issues that were assumed by many | | | | got to respect their sincerity. The keepers of the |
| to be religious certainties. Given this new knowledge, | | | | scrolls (believed by most scholars to have been |
| biblical textual criticism is experiencing a resurgence of | | | | Essene Jews) lived a tough life devoted to piety and |
| interest. Many new facts have been exposed, some | | | | worship. So once again, what did they know about |
| of which are of such importance as to be considered | | | | the scrolls that we don't know? |
| religiously revolutionary. The Dead Sea Scrolls, like a | | | | 5) And finally, what is the main reason we should get |
| critical piece of an unfinished jigsaw puzzle, helps to fill | | | | excited about the Dead Sea Scrolls? The same |
| in our understanding of the Christian Bible. | | | | reason the world's great religious and political powers |
| 2) Modern biblical scholarship demands re-evaluation | | | | are excited about them! Nowhere in the Bible do we |
| of the Old and New Testaments. Scholars such as | | | | find the gospel of Jesus. In fact, modern Christian |
| Bart D. Ehrman and Bruce Metzger have exposed | | | | scholarship acknowledges that all four of the New |
| numerous errors and inconsistencies in both the Old | | | | Testament gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) |
| and New Testaments. Some of these errors are | | | | were written anonymously. The religious world would |
| significant enough to challenge orthodox Jewish and | | | | love to find the true gospel of Jesus... well... maybe. |
| Trinitarian Christian beliefs. In the context of this | | | | Perhaps I should say, the religious world would love |
| scriptural and canonical uncertainty, every bit of | | | | to find the true gospel of Jesus, but only if it says |
| evidence helps. Again, the Dead Sea Scrolls help in | | | | what they want it to say. If the true gospel of Jesus |
| this regard. | | | | were ever found, consider the consequences. A |
| 3) The Dead Sea Scrolls excite the imagination. They | | | | gospel that unequivocally proves Jesus' prophethood |
| speak of a Teacher of Righteousness, believed by | | | | would destroy Judaism and negate Israel's political |
| some scholars to refer to either Jesus or James. | | | | purpose of creating a Jewish state. If Jesus teaches |
| They also speak of the Teacher of Righteousness' | | | | the monotheism of Unitarian Christianity rather than |
| antagonist, variously identified as the "Wicked Priest," | | | | the Trinitarian mysteries derived from Paul's |
| the "Man of Scoffing," "The Man of the Lie," "The | | | | teachings, it would tear down the canon of the |
| Spouter of the Lie," and "The Priest who Rebelled." | | | | Roman Catholic Church, as well as that of all other |
| Some scholars believe these euphemisms refer to | | | | Trinitarian denominations. At the same time, it would |
| Paul, whom the scrolls describe as having been | | | | challenge the faith (and political support) of all |
| excommunicated from the early Christian church. | | | | so-called Christian nations. We're talking major |
| Now... wait a minute. If Paul was an enemy of Jesus | | | | upheaval of the world's religions and religion-based |
| or James, and was excommunicated from the early | | | | superpowers. Consequently, if the gospel of Jesus |
| Christian church, what does that say about Trinitarian | | | | were ever found, these world powers would fight to |
| Christian canon, which is primarily based on the | | | | possess it or kill to suppress it, depending on what it |
| teachings of Paul? | | | | contains. Now that is definitely worth getting excited |
| 4) The Dead Sea Scrolls are fun! I mean, come on, | | | | about. |