Why Should We Care About a  Bunch of Old Parchment Scrolls?

Cliff Wilcox, Ph.D.
Director of Education and Operations, Temple Beth Torah

Tuesday August 5, 2025  10:15 am – 11:30 am, TBT Library and Zoom

Heading to the Reagan Library to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit? Maximize your visit by first hearing a discussion about the cultural, historical, and religious significance of the Scrolls.

The current Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Reagan Library is one of the most successful exhibits in the history of the museum, attracting thousands of visitors weekly since opening last September. While most visitors are aware the Dead Sea Scrolls are historically and archeologically important, most are not sure exactly why they are important. To understand the significance of these ancient documents, one must go beyond the Scrolls themselves and understand the community who produced the documents and the contents of the Scrolls themselves. If you are planning to visit the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Reagan Library on the August 10th trip or have already seen them on display and have larger questions about their cultural, historical, and religious significance, come hear this discussion. We will look briefly at the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls themselves and then explore their continuing importance to both Judaism and Christianity today.