Thursday, April 07, 2011

Sidnie White reviews Eshel, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Hasmonean State

THE LATE HANAN ESHEL'S NEW(ISH) BOOK, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Hasmonean State (Eerdmans, 2008) is reviewed by Sidnie White in BAR. Excerpt:
The results are somewhat mixed. In many cases Eshel’s historical reconstructions are based on a solid foundation of textual and archaeological evidence, and most scholars will find themselves nodding in agreement. In other cases, however, the texts are very fragmentary, and Eshel pushes the evidence a little too hard, reaching dubious conclusions. Here is an example of each: