I got the dead sea scrolls. Sampled the intro. Lotsa pathos/bathos about meeting the guy who had an alternative reading of the scrolls. Yes, it does read like fiction. -------------------- I am on the 100+ page of the dead sea scrolls. Silberman is annoyingly repetitive. Just about every page he has to say that the evil scientific establishment overlooked the rage of the scrolls against Roman oppressors and the scroll's relation to the historic events of that time. Overall, the history of the scrolls discovery, the UNDERSTATED (not by much, as far as I can see) role of the bedouins, the KonSp1racY to keep the scrolls out of public view is far less interesting than the actual analysis of the scrolls. Silberman gives the analysis and the contents of the scrolls little by little and the rest of the time he talks about himself and his cosmic connection to the scrolls. -------------------- somehow I was able to read the scrolls for a couple of awake hours. Boy, was that a pleasure. My usual whines about the books we are reading should be adjusted by my night-time reading habits. Anyway, pages 142-144 briefly recall the relevant judean history. Somebody should have told this Silberman-scribe to put this stuff in front. Anyhow, when you read fast and in longish periods -- the book has momentum, I even started to enjoy the academic infighting. Currently Silberman discusses the scroll that codifies ever stricter religious practices. He argues that the Qumran community rejected the practices of the official priests of the temple as too lax and saw stricter religious observance as a way to get yahweh on their side and get rid of kittim (aka the romans). Silberman is kissing up to Qumran community. However, to me they look rather unsympathetic. In general, the Qumran-ites, the Essenes, messianic jews, ################# riding the wave of peasant discontent with the roman rule. -------------------- Actually, all things considered, the scrolls was not that bad. Yes, the subject was not the scrolls themselves but the intrigue that surrounded them. BTW, I am approaching the denouement (The Wicked Priests of the International Team are about to be smitten by the Teachers of Righteousness) so Silberman picked up the pace. The writing is a little introvertive, repetitive and melodramatic, especially in the first half of the book. I think the second part goes better, once you recognize the true topic of the book and adjust your expectations accordingly. Plus the narrative is more linear and easier to read. And the subject (the scrolls themselves) even if treated indirectly is still great! So, I guess I'll give it 3 and 3/4 out of 5.