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DSS 50th anniversary congress: July 20-25, 1997




A Special Announcement
The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Discovery
 of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Fifty years after the Dead Sea Scrolls were brought to light in 1947, 
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem in cooperation with the Israel 
Antiquities Authority, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and 
the Israel Exploration Society take pleasure in inviting you to 
participate in a international congress commemorating the 
discovery of these ancient manuscripts which will take place 
in Jerusalem at The Israel Museum on July 20-25, 1997.

The Dead Sea Scrolls have been the subject of enthusiastic international 
debate and interest for half a century. They have captured the imagination 
of people living throughout the world, and over the years myths have 
developed concerning their discovery, writing and content. These 
ancient manuscripts of Jewish literature and philosophical thought are an
inspiration for Jewish continuity as well as a source of knowledge 
regarding the roots of Christianity.

The majority of the Dead Sea Scroll fragments have been published 
during the last fifty years. It is the aim of the Congress' academic 
and organizing committees (see below) not only to review the work 
which has been achieved, but to present possible avenues of study 
to be followed in the future. The full name of the Congress, therefore, 
is "The Dead Sea Scrolls  -  Fifty Years After Their Discovery, 
Major Issues and New  Approaches."

Furthermore, we wish this "celebration" to be appealing to the general 
public as well as to the scholarly world. The plenary sessions, with the 
participation of some fifty internationally-renowned scholars in the field 
of Dead Sea Scrolls and related research, have been structured so that 
some will cater to more general interests, while others deal with specific 
scholarly topics (see program highlights). Time has been allowed for 
shorter communications and for discussion. The program also includes 
special evening events, exhibitions, field trips, workshops, and 
presentations of computer-assisted research on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

We feel sure that this Congress will be a pivot for another fifty years of 
Dead Sea Scroll research. Scholars, students and interested public are
invited to take part.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEES

President of the Congress
Teddy Kollek

Mayor of Jerusalem 
Ehud Olmert

International Academic Committee 
Ernest S. Frerichs
Brown University, The Dorot Foundation

Lawrence H. Schiffman
New York University

Emanuel Tov
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Antiquities Authority

James C. VanderKam
University of Notre Dame

Organizing Committee 
James S. Snyder - Chairman
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Yaakov Meshorer ( Program Chairman
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Janet Amitai - Congress Secretary

Joseph Aviram
Israel Exploration Society

Trude Dothan
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Amir Drori
Israel Antiquities Authority

Adolfo Roitman
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Yael Israeli
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Michael Stone
Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Ayala Sussmann
Israel Antiquities Authority

Events
Roni Peled

Tourism
Eshet Conferences & Incentives

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

The program has been structured so that some sessions and events will 
cater to the more general interests of a wider public, while others deal with 
specific scholarly topics. Some fifty renowned Dead Sea Scroll scholars from 
throughout the world have already accepted the invitation of the 
organizing committee to attend the Congress and present lectures.


THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS ARE OF A SPECIFIC SCHOLARLY NATURE: 
The Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible at Qumran
Poetical, Liturgical and Sapiential Texts
Recensions and Editions of Qumran Texts
Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha at Qumran
The Archaeology of the Judean Desert: New Perspectives
The Languages of Palestine in Light of the Texts from the Judean Desert
Writing in Second Temple Times
The Sciences and the Dead Sea Scrolls
The Teachings of the Qumran Community in the Context of Second 
       Temple Judaism
Texts from Wadi Daliyeh, Masada, Nahal Hever and Wadi Murabba`at 

THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS, EVENTS, FIELD TRIPS AND WORKSHOPS 
ARE INTENDED FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL AS FOR SCHOLARS:

Sessions and events:
Festive opening
The Dead Sea Scrolls in Modern Scholarship
Qumran and the Background of Christianity
Closing session at the site of Qumran
Join a Dead Sea Scroll scholar for a tour of the Shrine of the Book 
   built specially to house and display the scrolls.
Presentations of computer-assisted research on the Dead Sea Scrolls

Specially-planned exhibitions:
In the Shrine of the Book: "A Day at Qumran"
At the Israel Antiquities Authority: "Conservation and Preservation 
  of the Dead Sea Scrolls by the Israel Antiquities Authority"
At The Israel Museum: An Information Fair: "The Dead Sea Scrolls in 
Print and in Audio-Visual Form"

Optional field trips and workshops:
Field trip 1:  Ancient Jerusalem conducted by archaeologists (half-day)
Field trip 2: “Following the Dead Sea Sect into the Judean Desert” 
(half-day with  desert vehicles)
Field trip 3:  Jordan extension specially-planned for scholars
Workshop 1: Writing and Deciphering Ancient Hebrew Texts
Workshop 2: Back to Qumran (The Dead Sea Scrolls and Their Relevance Today)

The above program features are subject to change.


For registration and further details, please contact:
The Secretariat
An International Congress
The Dead Sea Scrolls - Fifty Years After Their Discovery
Eshet Conferences & Incentives
8 Nahalat Yitzhak Street
Tel Aviv 67442
Tel. 00972-3-6910999 (Miriam Berlovitch)
Fax: 00972-3-6967990, E-mail: esh_tour@netvision.net.il