Were writings by the Essenes?
Many scroll scholars are convinced that these writings were the work of the Essenes, a monastic Jewish religious sect that lived in the region at the time. Because of parallels between some of the writings and the Christian New Testament, some scholars also believe there could have been ties between the Essenes and early Christians, providing a history of the formative years of Christianity. More controversial and less accepted are theories that Jesus or John the Baptist could have been Essenes. But not everyone is convinced that the Dead Sea Scrolls were the work of the Essenes. For instance, Norman Golb of the University of Chicago contends they were actually written in Jerusalem and spirited into the desert by Jews to protect them from the Romans. “People of Jerusalem, be proud of these texts,” Golb said at a recent conference in Israel marking their 50th anniversary. “They’re yours. They’ve come back to you.” Debate tinged with politics Of course, that kind of territorial talk can
