Why did alledged christian scholars attempt to withhold the publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls for forty year

Answer 1

Christianity will oppose any development that threatens its validity.Christianity cannot stray from the Bible which is what gives it validity.Challenge the Bible and you challenge all Christians including the "Roman structure of Christianity,headed by the Roman Pope'..The Dead Sea Scrolls are an on hand challenge..What about unknown historical documents that did not survive!!!!!

Answer 2

Mudcat,
I actually have a book called the Dead Sea Scrolls, and It's packed away because I'm moving. I remember it saying something about that. But the circumstances, I can't remember. I think that it had something to do with who was in control of the ownership of them. What I did not come away with (because we can remember how we felt at times better than we can remember little details sometimes), was a feeling that there was any alteration going on. I think that they would have been exposed by now; there are just too many great learned men within that part of science to let that go unnoticed without saying anything.

I have seen the secluded sort of what I call 'misbehavior' within the Roman Catholic Church, who claims to have the oldest complete manuscript of the Bible, and yet would slam the Book shut if the one qualified scholar allowed outside of the RCC showed too much interest in one verse of it.
That's just weird, weird behavior, and it does not inspire confidence in the motives of those holding it.

Answer 3

They dodn't 'attempt' to withhold publication. It took a LONG time for the small group that was commissioned to do the job just to put the pieces together again. There was a LOT of damage done by the discoverers and the following owners. Finally, more people were allowed to work on the project, and only then did the work proceed quickly enough to allow publication when it finally occurred. And those scrolls were in surprisingly good agreement with current versions, proving that the Scriptures have NOT been tampered with, as so many would have you believe.

Answer 4

Dude... they're STILL not done. There are still documents that have not been published because their translation is not complete.

If I recall correctly, the Echol Biblique was in charge of translating them. They smoked, they had coffee, they were not exactly careful with the delicate documents.

Then the Dominican monk in charge of the whole thing died suddenly. Everything was put on hold.

If you've got netflix I highly recommend the program "Haunted Desert" by Discovery Channel. A really good program about the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Jerusalem Bible was the first bible updated and translated from those scrolls.

Like bibles, translations differ. Many thought they could "retranslate" and come up with better thoughts. So watch what copy you get.

If you're interested in ancient writings, you might also pick up a copy of the Nag Hamadi Library. Interesting stuff.

Answer 5

To the best of my knowledge, having spoken to a religious scholar on the subject, it is due to the fact that the Dead Sea Scrolls were supposed to be the final, irrefutable proof that the birth of Jesus as the Messiah was due to immaculate conception. Instead, once the Scrolls were translated, it was found that the Messiah was to be born by a "young woman." There was no mention of a virgin birth.

Answer 6

I am not aware that what you are saying is true. Some of the information drawn form the scrolls may have taken tome to be published, because the study of the same took time.

Answer 7

If you knew ANYTHING about archeology, you would know that the first order of business is to preserve the find. You don't just roll out 2,000 year old parchments! YIKES! It took time for the Jewish scholars to carefully open them and photograph them.

Answer 8

Could it be fear of what would happen to the church if it was revealed that God could be worshipped anywhere & that he is everywhere? I'd say this would put the church in danger of failing, just my thought. What if folks were to worship in nature...wonder what we would call them then? ;)

Answer 9

I heard that it was the Jewish scholars

Answer 10

I Believe that God himself gives us what we can Handle it's auvious that the Public eye was not ready for that, thats why it was never released. If we can not handle what we already have he will never give us more.