From kraft Fri Feb  3 00:46:36 1995
Subject: Finding the filter (fwd)
To: dss
Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 00:46:36 -0500 (EST)
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Forwarded message from a student:
> Subject: Finding the filter
> 
> .... Anyway, I guess my reason for writing is to ascertain your 
> position in relation to the meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls (a rather 
> vague question, I realize).  After writing a paper on this subject last 
> semester I found it rather frustrating that it was hard to find what I 
> considered an objective source. I remember one quote where John Allegro 
> was writing to John Strugnell saying something along the lines of, "In ten 
> years there won't be a church left for you to join."  Obviously he was 
> filtering the Dead Sea Scrolls through his, "These scrolls will destroy 
> Christianity" sunglasses.  
> 	To get to my point, I was curious as to what kind of 
> sunglasses you are wearing, since a lot of the material is filtered 
> through you.

An appropriate, if quite complex, question. In terms of METHOD, I am
interested in achieving as consistent and thorough acquaintance as
possible with the preserved data and its historical world(s) -- the goal
here is unattainable but (I think) a worthy ideal, namely, as complete
description from as many ancient perspectives as possible (the author,
the intended audience, insiders, outsiders, etc.). The primary dangers
at this level are "begging the question" (assuming that one knows things
that the sources do not reveal) and incomplete knowledge of the targeted
world(s). 

In terms of FOCUS, I am equally interested in "early Judaism(s)" and
self-identified Jews, "early Christians" and their common
characteristics, and the worlds in which these people and movements
operated. For me, the information offered by study of the DSS (broadly
understood) is of great interest in its own right, whether it provides
new light on Judaism as we know it or on Christianity, or not. If it
happens to impact significantly on my knowledge of those (and other)
subjects, all the better. But mainly I'm a nosey person, wanting to know
as much as I can about whatever can be known responsibly.

So my ideal "filter" is one of historically conditioned and
selfconsciously multi-valent description, in hopes of collecting more
information that will assist in new synthetic historical reconstructions
(which are necessarily transient). The material fascinates me and I
study it because it is there. I teach a course on it (my first, for this
focus!) because it is an excellent vehicle today for capturing interest
and exposing students to the sorts of problems and approaches applicable
to any attempts at understanding the past, and/or others, and thus, in
the process, the present and ourselves.
 
RAK