The Dead Sea Scrolls: Mysteries, Controversies and Revelations

Marred only by an excruciatingly annoying narrator (imagine a teacher talking to kindergarten students), this video is an interesting look at the famous scrolls discovered by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947 in caves north of the Dead Sea in the area known as Qumran (modern Jordan). The product of an ultra-orthodox sect known as the Essenes, the documents were hidden to prevent them from falling into the hands of Romans who dispatched troops in A.D. 68 to quell a Jewish revolt. Using the clues provided in the scrolls, the video explores the possible relationship between the Essenes, Jesus, and John the Baptist and speculates as to the likelihood of the latter two building their faiths upon some Essene principles, such as immersion in water (baptism). It also delineates the differences between the sect and Jesus. An example: the Essenes believed in exclusivity and refused to allow any "disabled" persons to eat with them at meals. Jesus, of course, took exactly the opposite course, welcoming all into his flock. Two facts are clear from this video: first, there's much information still to be gained from the 800 scrolls. Second, scholars can't agree on the meanings of the mere 60 documents that have been deciphered. Once you get past the narrator, the video is well worth viewing. Recommended. (S. Fisher)