Brooke illuminates the first-century world shared by theQumran community and the writers of the NewTestament.

The Dead Sea Scrolls have provided Old Testamentscholars with an enormous wealth of data for textualcriticism as well as theology. But, as Brooke skillfullydemonstrates, New Testament scholars can use the Scrolls tolearn more about the linguistic, historical, religious, andsocial contexts of Palestine in the first century.

A wide range of topics and themes is discussed, includingMatthew's Beatitudes, the lost song of Miriam, Levi andthe Levites, women's authority, and the use of scripture in theparable of the vineyard.