The Mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls - Softcover

Hagit Allon and Lena Zehavi are archaeologists and senior educators at the Israel Museum's Ruth Young Wing.

Grade 3-5–Allon and Zehavi offer a bare-bones introduction to a topic that is quite complex; their use of a fictional story as a vehicle for information lowers the potential age level of the audience. In folksy narrative, Daniel, an 11-year-old Israeli boy, recalls how he obtained information for a school report on the Dead Sea Scrolls. During two visits to the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum he examines the ancient texts on exhibit, visits the library, and learns how the scrolls were discovered and a bit about their history by following a tour guide and talking with a curator. Finally, Daniel drives with his family to Qumran, where the scrolls were found, and learns about the Essenes–a religious sect of men whom many scholars believe wrote the texts–from an archaeologist. Abolafia's curious superimposition of cartoon figures on color photos–especially those photos that include real people–is jarring. Ilene Cooper's The Dead Sea Scrolls (HarperCollins, 1997) offers a more thorough, sophisticated introduction to the scrolls, their meaning and history, and some questions still debated by scholars.–Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
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