The Dead Sea Scrolls

[Nick316]

Being my usual self, I had to continue my obsession of finding evidence to prove the Bible's accuracy. While reading up on the Dead Sea Scrolls, I came across a "Freethought" website, claiming that the DSC proved the Bible "unoriginal". Then again, these are the same people who doubt Jesus even existed, despite the mounds of evidence and support for His existence. Here's an excerpt from the site:

In my book The Christ Conspiracy, I demonstrate that Christianity is an amalgam of the many religions, sects, cults and brotherhood traditions of the Mediterranean and beyond. One of the major influences on Christianity is that of Jews, obviously, including those mentioned in the New Testament, i.e., the Pharisees and Sadducees. Ancient Jewish historian Josephus also mentions the sect of the Essenes, who are traditionally associated with Qumran, in a "by default" argument. However, scholar Solomon Schecter - who discovered a scroll at Cairo that was later found at Qumran - points to a heretical sect of Sadducees or Zadokites, as they are called in both the Bible and DSS. In The Christ Conspiracy, I discuss this Zadokite origin of the DSS and this group's obvious influence on the New Testament.

What this rumination all means, of course, is that Christianity is, as I contend in my books, largely unoriginal, representing not fresh and new "divine revelation" but, again, the amalgamation of not only the ideas of the Zadokite authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls but also influences from the Essenes, Jews, Samaritans and many others.

Hints of the Scrolls in Bible

To understand how the Dead Sea Scrolls influenced early Christianity, just turn to the New Testament.

Take, for example, the Great Isaiah Scroll, a facsimile of which is on display as part of the Milwaukee Public Museum's Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. Written around 125 B.C. and the only scroll to emerge virtually intact from the caves at Qumran, its messianic message is quoted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, John and Luke, the earliest of which wasn't written until around A.D. 65.

The scrolls' so-called "Son of God" text reads much like the story of the Annunciation in the Gospel of Luke. And the Scrolls' "Blessing of the Wise" echoes the beatitudes of Matthew's Sermon on the Mount....

Right off the bat I can spot the error, claiming that mythical figures influenced the story of Jesus, the view which has already been discarded. However, I'm not really well-researched on the other parts of the statement. I expect this to be the typical anti-christian nonsense that I hear all the time from atheists, but then again I'm not certain about this particular claim. Has anyone got any way to verify these claims are false, or if there is actually any truth to them?

Much appreciated.

 

[BlueLioness]

I've heard all about the Dead Sea Scrolls, they are quite famous. o.o

 

[cyberlizard]

don't forget the Nag Hammadi library - the Christian equivelent (from an archeological perspective) of the DSS.


Steve

 

[childofdust]

I expect this to be the typical anti-christian nonsense that I hear all the time from atheists, but then again I'm not certain about this particular claim. Has anyone got any way to verify these claims are false, or if there is actually any truth to them? Much appreciated.

No, he's right. Christianity is largely UNoriginal. That's why it's most probably TRUE and why it is something that you and I and others can BELIEVE. If it were some fantastical, original story that had nothing in common with what we know and experience in the everyday world, no one would believe it, would they? Although this person doesn't know it, he is actually arguing FOR Christianity.

 

[ebia]

Being my usual self, I had to continue my obsession of finding evidence to prove the Bible's accuracy. While reading up on the Dead Sea Scrolls, I came across a "Freethought" website, claiming that the DSC proved the Bible "unoriginal". Then again, these are the same people who doubt Jesus even existed, despite the mounds of evidence and support for His existence. Here's an excerpt from the site:

Right off the bat I can spot the error, claiming that mythical figures influenced the story of Jesus, the view which has already been discarded. However, I'm not really well-researched on the other parts of the statement. I expect this to be the typical anti-christian nonsense that I hear all the time from atheists, but then again I'm not certain about this particular claim. Has anyone got any way to verify these claims are false, or if there is actually any truth to them?

Much appreciated.

Christianity claims to the continuation of the same story that the various Jewish sects also claimed to be continuing, so of course there are similarities. There would be something very seriously wrong if there weren't.

The quote you give seems to think that Isaiah was written by the Qumran community, when off course it stand firmly in the mainstream of the pre-Second Temple Jewish story.