Classifying the Aramaic Texts from Qumran - (Library of Second Temple Studies) by John Starr (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Library of Second Temple Studies (LSTS) is a premier book series that offers cutting-edge work for a readership of scholars, teachers in the field of Second Temple studies, postgraduate students and advanced undergraduates. All the many and diverse aspects of Second Temple study are represented and promoted, including innovative work from historical perspectives, studies using social-scientific and literary theory, and developing theological, cultural, and contextual approaches.

Book Synopsis

Analysis of the scroll fragments of the Qumran Aramaic scrolls has been plentiful to date. Their shared characteristics of being written in Aramaic, the common language of the region, not focused on the Qumran Community, and dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE have enabled the creation of a shared identity, distinguishing them from other fragments found in the same place at the same time. This classification, however, could yet be too simplistic as here, for the first time, John Starr applies sophisticated statistical analyses to newly available electronic versions of these fragments. In so doing, Starr presents a potential new classification which comprises six different text types which bear distinctive textual features, and thus is able to narrow down the classification both temporally and geographically.

Starr's re-visited classification presents fresh insights into the Aramaic texts at Qumran, with important implications for our understanding of the many strands that made up Judaism in the period leading to the writing of the New Testament.

About the Author

John Starr holds a PhD in Hebrew and Old Testament Studies from the University of Edinburgh. He is Professor of Health and Aging at the University of Edinburgh, UK.