"What is So Important About
the Dead Sea Scrolls?”

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has been called “the archaeological event of the 20th century.” Why are scrolls found at Qumran considered so important? This talk will focus on why the Scrolls are important to anyone interested in the Judaism of Jesus’ time. The colloquium is offered as background to the exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum, “Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible: Ancient Artifacts, Timeless Treasures.

Dr. Dempsey, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Marquette, did her M.A. and doctoral work (Catholic University of America) in Northwest Semitic languages and literatures, with a specialty in Biblical Hebrew. Recent projects include an article on the appropriation of biblical studies by Zora Neale Hurston in Moses, Man of the Mountain; an article with a suggestion for a new translation of Ecclesiastes 12:4; and a series of articles on Syriac and Christian Arabic texts that deal with questions of translation and language.

All members of the campus community* are invited to attend this library event. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, please contact Bruce Cole, chair of the Libraries’ Colloquium Committee, at (414) 288-2148.

* Members of the general public are welcome, but seating is limited and pre-registration is required for access to Raynor Library. Please call Bruce Cole at (414) 288-2148.