Lost Words and Forgotten Worlds

Unearthing the unfamiliar world behind the Bible

Reencounter the Bible and its ancient and unfamiliar world Discern fact from fable about the Dead Sea Scrolls Discover how the Scrolls continue to mystify and revolutionize Learn how the Scrolls changed the ways we translate and read the Bible

The Dead Sea Scrolls are a window into an unfamiliar ancient culture and a mirror that reflects our own strange world back to ourselves. The Scrolls simultaneously challenge and confirm what we thought we knew about the Bible, both its worlds and its very words. Though first recovered in 1947, their story continues to unfurl.

In Lost Words and Forgotten Worlds: Rediscovering the Dead Sea Scrolls, Andrew B. Perrin reintroduces readers to the Scrolls while correcting common misunderstandings and highlighting overlooked issues. Perrin's tour spans the traditions of ancient Judaism and extends to the "big business" of modern antiquities trading--and the surprising number of forgeries on display in our museums. Along the way, he debunks popular myths and conspiracies.