--- product_id: 1695848 title: "The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English: Seventh Edition (Penguin Classics)" price: "S$37" currency: SGD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sg/products/1695848-the-complete-dead-sea-scrolls-in-english-seventh-edition-penguin store_origin: SG region: Singapore --- # The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English: Seventh Edition (Penguin Classics) **Price:** S$37 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English: Seventh Edition (Penguin Classics) - **How much does it cost?** S$37 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sg](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/1695848-the-complete-dead-sea-scrolls-in-english-seventh-edition-penguin) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A newly updated edition of the landmark translation by one of our greatest religious scholars Since its publication in 1962, esteemed biblical expert Géza Vermes's translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls has established itself as the authoritative standard. The original manuscripts, discovered in the Judean Desert between 1947 and 1956, completely transformed our understanding of the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism, and the origin of Christianity. Now in its seventh edition, The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English has been updated with a number of previously unpublished texts, as well as extensive new introductory material and notes. Some sixty years after the Scrolls' discovery, this revised and expanded volume crowns a lifetime of research by Vermes. For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. Review: Text for Classroom - I'm taking an upper level history course on Dead Sea Scrolls, and this is one of my two texts for the class. I'm very impressed with the accuracy of translation and the writing competency of the author. It is clearly written and documents all of the non-Biblical writings found in the Dead Sea sea scrolls. When I first got the book, I was disappointed that the books of the Bible and Torah had been omitted from the work, but I soon learned in class that these were readily available in (drumroll, please) the Bible and the Torah. The significance of the scrolls is that they confirm the accuracy of the already-known but younger copies of these much-read and loved works. Although the scrolls are over a thousand years older than any of the previously known extant writings, they are almost identical to the newer copies! The scrolls included in this book are peshars, midrashes and targums (commentaries on Biblical books such as Nahum and Habakkuk); a Community Rule for the sect which apparently lived at Qumran, a settlement near the caves where the scrolls were found; eschatological writings regarding the end of times (such as the War Scroll); and directives to the Leader of the sect which presided over the congregation. Very, very interesting window on sectarian life. The only complaint I have--and it's probably one born of ignorance--is that it is somewhat difficult to find specific documents by using the indices at the end of the book. I'm never sure I've completed a reading assignment because of the cluttered way that the manuscripts are referenced. But when I consider how many thousands of fragments were organized and of how many copies of the same text were found in 11 different caves, it's no wonder the index is so complex. Some people use this book to study only ONE of the copies of a document. So all of the works must be referenced and cross-referenced in the index--not just the best preserved of the bunch. Likewise, in reading the translations of the manuscripts, the brackets and parentheses, used in the middle of words and sentences to distinguish between texts from different caves, are rather distracting because they aren't utilized in the manner that I'm accustomed to in reading and writing. It takes a little getting used to. But it is a very effective means for the writer to pull together a fragment of a document from one cave to fill in missing text from another copy of the same document found in another cave. I don't know if any of that even makes sense. This is a book which really needs a companion text, such as James VanderKam's The Dead Sea Scrolls Today . Unless you already know the history of the sect and how the scrolls were discovered, the manuscripts alone are fairly meaningless to the modern reader. It was a daunting task, assembling the fragments of the scrolls and cataloging all of the documents found in those caves. To organize all of that information into one cohesive anthology and then translate it from Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek into English and other languages is nothing short of heroic. Vermes is a brilliant man indeed. Review: Scholarly yet so interesting - As an Anthro major, this work really has been a great read. Geza Vermes has the amazing ability to deliver solid academic knowledge in a manner you can actually read in bed. I'd always been interested in the Essenes and for years wanted to address what the Dead Sea Scrolls really contained on this interesting sect and where the discrepancies were in what made it's way into Biblical text and what the actual belief structure was. It is an undertaking but a really good read if you are interested in the material. I was and having read about Vermes' life prior to buying the books and his impeccable reputation, once I received the books I dove in wholeheartedly. Vermes presents the facts, cold, as they are. Whatever conclusions can be drawn from the facts, at least as far as I can tell as I read, is really left up to the individual, but Vermes does an excellent job of presenting the picture as it was, in context of what was occuring politically, socially, pointing out where information is missing, and the effect Time may have had on the sect, from inception through to their demise given the age of the scrolls in different caves. Again, if the material is of interest, the journey through this volume is well worth the effort. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #9,845 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3 in Dead Sea Scrolls Church History #5 in Torah #22 in General History of Religion | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,363 Reviews | ## Images ![The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English: Seventh Edition (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/818qDP2WvWL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Text for Classroom *by P***G on April 5, 2014* I'm taking an upper level history course on Dead Sea Scrolls, and this is one of my two texts for the class. I'm very impressed with the accuracy of translation and the writing competency of the author. It is clearly written and documents all of the non-Biblical writings found in the Dead Sea sea scrolls. When I first got the book, I was disappointed that the books of the Bible and Torah had been omitted from the work, but I soon learned in class that these were readily available in (drumroll, please) the Bible and the Torah. The significance of the scrolls is that they confirm the accuracy of the already-known but younger copies of these much-read and loved works. Although the scrolls are over a thousand years older than any of the previously known extant writings, they are almost identical to the newer copies! The scrolls included in this book are peshars, midrashes and targums (commentaries on Biblical books such as Nahum and Habakkuk); a Community Rule for the sect which apparently lived at Qumran, a settlement near the caves where the scrolls were found; eschatological writings regarding the end of times (such as the War Scroll); and directives to the Leader of the sect which presided over the congregation. Very, very interesting window on sectarian life. The only complaint I have--and it's probably one born of ignorance--is that it is somewhat difficult to find specific documents by using the indices at the end of the book. I'm never sure I've completed a reading assignment because of the cluttered way that the manuscripts are referenced. But when I consider how many thousands of fragments were organized and of how many copies of the same text were found in 11 different caves, it's no wonder the index is so complex. Some people use this book to study only ONE of the copies of a document. So all of the works must be referenced and cross-referenced in the index--not just the best preserved of the bunch. Likewise, in reading the translations of the manuscripts, the brackets and parentheses, used in the middle of words and sentences to distinguish between texts from different caves, are rather distracting because they aren't utilized in the manner that I'm accustomed to in reading and writing. It takes a little getting used to. But it is a very effective means for the writer to pull together a fragment of a document from one cave to fill in missing text from another copy of the same document found in another cave. I don't know if any of that even makes sense. This is a book which really needs a companion text, such as James VanderKam's The Dead Sea Scrolls Today . Unless you already know the history of the sect and how the scrolls were discovered, the manuscripts alone are fairly meaningless to the modern reader. It was a daunting task, assembling the fragments of the scrolls and cataloging all of the documents found in those caves. To organize all of that information into one cohesive anthology and then translate it from Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek into English and other languages is nothing short of heroic. Vermes is a brilliant man indeed. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Scholarly yet so interesting *by A***A on January 2, 2014* As an Anthro major, this work really has been a great read. Geza Vermes has the amazing ability to deliver solid academic knowledge in a manner you can actually read in bed. I'd always been interested in the Essenes and for years wanted to address what the Dead Sea Scrolls really contained on this interesting sect and where the discrepancies were in what made it's way into Biblical text and what the actual belief structure was. It is an undertaking but a really good read if you are interested in the material. I was and having read about Vermes' life prior to buying the books and his impeccable reputation, once I received the books I dove in wholeheartedly. Vermes presents the facts, cold, as they are. Whatever conclusions can be drawn from the facts, at least as far as I can tell as I read, is really left up to the individual, but Vermes does an excellent job of presenting the picture as it was, in context of what was occuring politically, socially, pointing out where information is missing, and the effect Time may have had on the sect, from inception through to their demise given the age of the scrolls in different caves. Again, if the material is of interest, the journey through this volume is well worth the effort. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Essene Jesus At Last! *by V***L on May 3, 2013* Thank you, Geza Vermes! Without trying, this book is likely to convince you that Jesus and John the Baptist were Essene Jews. The similarities of language and idea between the New Testament and the scrolls is significant. One reason why this is important is to reconnect Jesus with the Essene emphasis on reason, intelligence and understanding. Even Isaiah characterizes the Messiah as wise, but that side of Jesus is often downplayed. Ideas of God have always been exploited by the power hungry, so reconnecting Jesus with reason empowers individuals. Another reason why an Essene Jesus is important as it helps us get a handle on how the people at the time of Jesus viewed the (Messiah). The Essenes had 4 views on the Messiah. One example is the Messiah of Aaron and the scrolls claim he would suffer and be humiliated before being glorified by God. They also claim he would teach righteousness at the end of days - and the Essenes (like Jesus) felt that they were living in the end times of Israel (see War Scroll). Moreover, he had a council of 12.... A final reason why it is important to reconnect Jesus with Essene Judaism is Truth. The gospels have been edited with anti-Semitism; thus, re-centering Jesus in his Jewish context offers healing. It allows Christians to respect the Jewishness of Jesus and to interpret it wisely. In so many ways Jesus parallels the main points of the scrolls, as though he allegorizes them. Of course, the gospels claim that Jesus broke with Essene exclusionism after being rejected in the temple at Nazareth, illustrating that he interpreted the role of the Messiah of Aaron for all Israel (which is, in fact, what the scrolls say.) Still, even if you only read the Community Rule, the parallels between Essene thought and the lives/teachings of Jesus and John the Baptist are too obvious to ignore. But read on because this book is packed full of treasures. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English: Seventh Edition (Penguin Classics) - The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: The Oldest Known Bible Translated for the First Time into English - The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: An Enlightening Compilation of Gnostic Manuscripts Revealing New Perspectives on Early Christianity, Ancient Judaism, and Greco-Roman Religions --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sg/products/1695848-the-complete-dead-sea-scrolls-in-english-seventh-edition-penguin](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/1695848-the-complete-dead-sea-scrolls-in-english-seventh-edition-penguin) --- *Product available on Desertcart Singapore* *Store origin: SG* *Last updated: 2026-09-30*