The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered 75 years ago in a series of caves near the ancient settlement of Masada in the Judean Desert. The manuscripts include the influential Book of Enoch and Book of Isaiah, and have even inspired modern forgeries. Scholars continue to debate related mysteries, such as who wrote the scrolls. In this interview, Jean-Pierre Isbouts discusses his National Geographic special feature, The Dead Sea Scrolls: 75 Years Since Their Historic Discovery.
It’s a golden age for New Testament studies. Scholars like N. T. Wright and Mike Bird increase biblical literacy by teaching about the history and theology of ancient scripture. In this interview, F. B. A. Asiedu continues the tradition by addressing a historical mystery: Why is Josephus largely silent about Paul and early Christianity?
Historian Jonathan Phillips is a professor of the history of the Crusades at Royal Holloway, University of London, and the author of The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saldin (Yale University Press, 2019).
Author Claire Cock-Starkey has written about book lovers, libraries, and even some of history’s most famous last words. She turns her attention to museums in A Museum Miscellany (Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, 2019).
The story says a group of Jewish rebels committed mass suicide at Masada, Israel, 2,000 years ago during the Jewish Second Temple period. But what does archaeology reveal about what actually happened? Join archaeologist Jodi Magness as she discusses her book, Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth.
N T. Wright is one of Christianity’s leading theologians. Sometimes called the C. S. Lewis of our day, the New Testament scholar is able to cross denominational boundaries to share insights ranging from the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Apostle Paul.
Even non-historians know about the Crusades. Whether it’s familiarity with artwork or an affinity for moves like Kingdom of Heaven that present a modern take on Saladin, the Crusades have a special hold on people. In this interview, Oxford historian Christopher Tyerman takes readers behind the scenes of his new book about the Crusades.
