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Scholar John Bergsma presents the first major work on the Dead Sea Scrolls in two decades and shows how the mysterious and long-forgotten scrolls, discovered in an Egyptian cave in 1947, reveal more fully the Jewish roots of Christianity.

About the Author

John Bergsma, PhD, is a professor of theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and a senior fellow at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Twice voted Faculty of the Year by graduating classes at Franciscan University, Bergsma holds three degrees in ancient languages and theology from Calvin College and Seminary and a doctorate in ancient Christianity and Judaism from the University of Notre Dame. A specialist in the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Bergsma has published several popular and educational books on Scripture and the Christian faith, as well as dozens of articles in peer-reviewed journals and essay collections. He and his wife, Dawn, live with their children in Steubenville, Ohio.

Reviews

“The Dead Sea Scrolls give us a window into the thought of first-century Jews such as Jesus and the disciples. Through that window we see the continuity between the Old Testament and the New. The New is not a novelty. An expert on the Scrolls, Dr. Bergsma shows us how the texts and rituals of the Qumran community illuminate the New Covenant sacraments and Christian liturgy as we know it today.”—Scott Hahn, author of The Fourth Cup

“John Bergsma has provided the missing link between the assembly of the Old Testament and the Church of the New Testament. Read this book and you’ll see the Gospels and the sacraments more vividly than ever before. You’ll understand your place in history and in God’s people. If you read just one book about first-century Judaism, let it be this one.”—Mike Aquilina, author of The Fathers of the Church
 
“Since the Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered in 1947, there have been countless books written about them. But there is nothing quite like what John Bergsma has done in Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls. If you have any interest whatsoever in the Jewish roots of Christianity, then buy this book! It will radically transform the way you see Jesus, Judaism, and the origins of Christianity.”—Brant Pitre, author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist