This course investigates the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the late 1940s and the subsequent events surrounding their acquisition and scholarly evaluation. The archaeological excavation of the Qumran site, the implication of the findings for the understanding of the community that populated it, and the texts associated with it are explored as well. The importance of the scrolls for the text, critical study of the Old Testament, and the history of Judaism at the time of Jesus are considered, and various interpretations of the identity of the Qumran sectarians are evaluated. Prerequisite: completion of a 300-level UBBL course or department approval