Abstract This paper explains that the DeadSeaScrolls, since their discovery in 1947 and their subsequent translations by numerous scholars, continue to demonstrate many contradictions among the books in the Old and New Testaments, which points to the conclusion that the Essenes and other religious groups at Qumran either wrote certain books of the Holy Bible or copied the text from much older sources that are now lost. The author points out that the DeadSeaScrolls have strengthened the Jewish faith because they made it abundantly clear that Jewish history as it is related in the Old Testament and in the Torah is quite accurate. The paper contends that for Christians the overall importance of the DeadSeaScrolls lie in the fact that what theologians and religious historians currently accept as the truth concerning the history of Palestine and the role of Jesus within it may be inaccurate with the result being a complete re-writing of history as it is reflected in the scrolls.
From the Paper "One of the first scholars to actually see and photograph the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1948 was John Trever, who has provided a highly-researched and documented history of the initial find at Qumran. According to Trever's account, three Bedouin shepherds were in the area of Qumran, located on the northwest side of the Dead Sea, in the spring of 1947. During this time, the area was under the control of the British Mandate in Palestine, and the shepherds were apparently tending their flocks when one of them casually began to throw stones at what appeared to be the opening of a cave just west of the plateau at Qumran."
Abstract What started out as an exploration of some ancient scrolls discovered in the DeadSea region has become a career for some people, a controversy regarding control of the material and a matter leading to interpretation and reinterpretation of central issues in Christianity. The paper examines the story of the DeadSeaScrolls, describes the controversies and sets forth current findings.
From the Paper "One of the best overviews of the Qumran project is provided by Hershel Shanks (1998). Shanks was part of the basic editorial team, involved with the archeological excavations, and the initial work on the scrolls. He was part of the group which decided, in the 1990s, to open up the Qumran scrolls to general access. He discussed the political machinations of the group, as well as the relationship of the scrolls to numerous. For example, one issue is the nature of the Copper Scroll and whether that is essentially a fantasy or a real treasure map."
Abstract A look at the origins of the DeadSeaScrolls and who actually found them, as discussed in Hanks's book. The paper provides a history of Palestine at the time and the sociological and historical implications of the discovery of the DeadSeaScrolls. It looks at how their revelation became a political issue.
From the Paper "Hershell Hanks begins his book ?The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls,? (Shanks, 1998) with a startling revelation. Despite numerous treatises, articles and books on the subject, it is still unclear who found The Dead Sea Scrolls. An Arab shepherd boy or maybe two shepherd boys searching for their lost sheep close to the banks of the Dead Sea discovered the "Scrolls" in 1947 in a cave in Qumran"though the date varies depending on the source. In an effort to look for the lost sheep, the Bedouin shepherd began throwing stones into nearby caves. An unexpected cracking sound of earthenware inside the cave encouraged him to explore further. Muhammad Ahmad el-Hamed of the Ta"amireh tribe is assumed to be the shepherd who found the scrolls. This fact has however been constantly debated and interviewing and identifying the right individual who found the scroll was never possible at the time."
Abstract This paper will discuss the history and the content of the DeadSeaScrolls, and their implications for our understanding of Judaism in the first century of our era. It will be argued that only through a close analysis of the conflicting controversies over the Scrolls and their interpretations can we come to any real comprehension of their importance. As will be seen, while the contents of the Scrolls do not radically transform our understanding of the Jewish faith and history, they have allowed us a rare direct glimpse into the lives of the Jewish people - both religious and non-religious - in the first century.
Abstract The paper examines arguments about the origins of the DeadSeasScrolls. It asks whether or not the the scribes were Essene in origin and if the site of Qumran was where the scrolls were written.
From the Paper "The Dead Sea Scrolls, after more than fifty years of intense investigative research, remain a much-debated enigma among theologians and manuscript scholars. The most argued points of contention include who produced the works and where the manuscripts originated. Scholars have also raised speculation as to the extent in which the documents connect with both Jewish and early Christian doctrines. Due to the overwhelming amount of material involved, this paper will focus examination on the prevalent arguments regarding the origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls."
Abstract This paper looks at the rules and customs of marriage and divorce and the role of women during both biblical times and during the Second Temple period by analysis of various texts such as the DeadSeaScrolls and Hebrew Bible. After the Babylonian exile, Jews incorporated aspects of family life of several neighboring groups into their own practices. In particular, it examines how women were continually discriminated against and although they had their own rights, they were continually under the authority of men.
From the Paper "The prophetic message of marriage offers a much different view of marriage than that of Deuteronomy and Sirach. In Malachi 2:10-16 Judah is said to have married the daughter of a foreign God. Some scholars find this passage to be symbolic criticism of idolatry and others state the passage refers to the marriage of foreign women. In the passage Collins refers to Westbrook, who argues that the passage in Malachi refers to divorce without justification: ?The criticism is not of divorce as such, but for "hate" where the husband follows his own inclination and the wife has done nothing to deserve such a fate.? This challenges the earlier idea in Deuteronomy 24 that any aversion was grounds for a husband to divorce his wife. This is an important shift from rules meant to protect and favor those in power to an idea of justice in a relationship."
Tags: judaism, dead, sea, scrolls, dowry, bible, genesis, hebrew, literature
This paper analyzes the available evidence that suggests that Jesus Christ had a strong connection to the Essenes people, a Judaic sect that prospered before and during the time of Christ.
Abstract This paper examines the evidence found in the DeadSeaScrolls which were written and guarded by the Essenes, a Judaic sect that prospered before and during the time of Jesus Christ. This paper ponders the available evidence that suggests that Christ had a strong connection to the Essenes and that some of his most renowned teachings in fact came from the Essene leader. This paper details the findings regarding the history of the Essenes people. The majority of scholars believe that the Essenes originated after the Maccabean revolt, which occurred around 167-160 BCE. The writer of this well-researched paper describes the culture and traditions of the Essenes community. The Essenes' daily life was one of simplicity and of worship. The teacher of righteousness was the leader of the Essenes and provided instruction as to how to read and interpret their texts.
From the Paper "The Essenes' daily life was one of simplicity and of worship. "They were mainly agriculturalists and arboriculturists, having a vast knowledge of crops, soil and climatic conditions which enabled them to grow a great variety of fruits and vegetables in comparatively desert areas and with a minimum of labor." They were against slavery, and had neither wealthy nor poor members, as both conditions were considered deviations from the Law. Purely a communal sect, they established their economic system based on the Law and believed that all material needs would be provided by the Law. On the Sabbath, which occurred from Friday evening to Saturday evening, they devoted themselves to "study, discussion, the entertaining of visitors and playing certain musical instruments, replicas of which have been found." All other days, they would rise before sunrise in order to study and meditate, bathe in cold water, dress in white garments, work in the field, eat a meal and pray, and then end their day in further study and meditation."
An investigation into the historical character of Mary Magdalene, contrasting her portrayal in the "New Testament" with her portrayal in the "Gnostic Gospels".
Abstract This paper examines how Mary Magdalene is a character who often catches the imagination of biblical scholars and how although her role in the "New Testament" is quite limited, recent knowledge uncovered when the DeadSeaScrolls were discovered suggests otherwise. It looks at how the "Gnostic Gospels" suggest that she was a very important figure in early Christianity and that the suppression of her personal religious philosophy was an intentional move by the disciple Peter. This paper tries to reconcile those ideas with the text of the "Gnostic Gospels" and that of the "New Testament". Was she a prophet, an apostle, Jesus' wife or simply the former prostitute who washed his feet?
From the Paper "There is evidence that Mary was spiritually superior to all the other disciples. She was the first to be charged with the supreme ministry (proclaiming Christ's message) at the site of his resurrection (Haskins 2). Mary Magdalene is referred to as "the woman who knew the All", she who "reveals the greatness of the revealer", the "chief interlocutrix of the Saviour", or the one who brings gnosis to the other disciples, and the "one who is the inheritor of the Light" (Haskins 38). Mary's position as the "apostle who excels the rest" according to Dialogue of the Saviour (Haskins 40), is due in part to her ability to prophecy. After the resurrection of Jesus, Mary tells of a vision in which "Jesus showed her the course of the liberated spirit on its way back to the Aeon" (Price 57)."
Abstract This paper explains that, in "The Old Man and the Sea", Hemingway uses symbolism: The sea itself, the birds and the fish, which the protagonist Santiago finally catches. The author points out that the birds, which are Santiago's friends, dive and plunge for the fish thus showing him where the fish are. The paper relates that the old fisherman's frustration turns to elation when the "big fish" finally does bite, next begins the symbolic and real struggle between the old man and the sea and, finally, Santiago has his long-sought gift from the sea, the fish, his prize for respectfully honoring the sea and for all his endurance of her fickle and unpredictable nature.
From the Paper "On the other hand, Santiago seems to identify closely with the birds he sees on the ocean, who appear small and powerless, like himself, except for the "robber birds" (29) which are perhaps equivalent to some of the other, more aggressive fishermen, who also lack Santiago's abiding reverence for the sea itself. He was "sorry for the birds, especially the small delicate dark terns that were always flying and looking and almost never finding . . . the birds have a harder life than we do except for the robber birds and the heavy strong ones" (29). Some of the younger fishermen behave much like the "robber birds", stealing irreverently from the sea, and thinking of the sea as a competitor rather than as a woman to love, as Santiago himself does."
Abstract This paper explains that, in comparing Great Britain's use of sea power during the Napoleonic Wars and the Great War a century later, a number of significant similarities and important differences is evident. The author points out that the similarities between the British Admiralty's projection of sea power in the early nineteenth-century and its projection of sea power in the early twentieth-century were primarily due to the unchanging nature of the fundamental principles of maritime strategy. The paper relates that the differences were due primarily to the development of new naval technology and weaponry, which presented Kaiser Wilhelm II with the opportunity to defeat Great Britain at sea despite the immense power of Sir John Jellicoe's Grand Fleet.
From the Paper "In comparing Great Britain's use of sea power during the Napoleonic Wars and the Great War a century later, a number of significant similarities are evident, but there are important differences as well. The similarities between the British Admiralty's projection of sea power in the early nineteenth-century and its projection of sea power in the early twentieth-century were primarily due to the unchanging nature of the fundamental principles of maritime strategy. The differences were primarily due to the development of new naval technology and weaponry, which presented Kaiser Wilhelm II with the opportunity to defeat Great Britain at sea despite the immense power of Sir John Jellicoe's Grand Fleet."
Abstract The author of the paper, in the light of global warming, climate change and rising sea levels, examines existing literature that deals with the problems that will be faced by coastal settlements and low-lying countries as water levels rise.
Outline:
Global Warming
Impacts of Global Warming
Sea Level Rise
Examples of Resort Cities Affected by Sea Level Rise
Impact of Rise in Sea Level in Venice
References
From the Paper "The Netherlands are preparing to face a future behind a massive seawall, but the additional $10 billion to $25 billion in flood and sea defenses over the next century will have a tremendous effect on the economy of that country. The farmlands are depending on dikes and floodgates to protect them and an atmosphere of stress pervades the land. In 1953 a storm surge drowned 2,000 people, a 1955 flood forced 200,000 people and many more animals from the inundated lands. Heavy rains threaten to drown the countryside if huge pumping stations do not lift flood water over the seawalls. Today, Holland seems to be giving in to the sea. Tourist trade is dwindling, and plans to allow the Meuse and Rhine rivers to drain into the land will let more marshlands and forests to take over what is now farmland, commercial parks and towns."
Discusses the feelings of the people of Mexico regarding tourism during the holiday, Day of the Dead, based on Lucero Morales Cano and Avis Mysyk's article "Cultural tourism, the State, and the Day of the Dead".
Abstract The paper is a review of an article entitled "Cultural tourism, the State, and the Day of the Dead", which the writer find particularly relevant to him because of his plans to observe Day of the Dead celebrations during an upcoming visit to Mexico. The paper then relates the emotions of the writer prior to an intended visit to Mexico during the "Day of the Dead " celebrations, noting that there is a conflict between the authorities who welcome tourism on this holiday and the civilians who see tourism as intrusion into a sacred historical ritual and oppose it being promoted as a tourist attraction. The paper also explains that the community is divided on the subject, as many recognize the economic importance of tourism.
From the Paper "These dynamics are evident in Mexico, particularly concerning how to mediate the conflict between the state and local residents over the tourist attraction that Day of the Dead festivities have become because of globalization. Cano and Mysyk have studied the problems which have arisen in the village of Huaquechula since 1988, when the one road leading into the village was paved for the benefit of tourists and the village became a part of the tourism circuit. In the process of studying the impact of these developments, Mysyk surveyed the villagers regarding their appreciation of the presence of tourists, their behavior, their feelings about tourists photographing or videotaping altars, and related issues."
An analysis of the reasons that the inter-American convention for the protection and conservation of sea turtles has failed and what can be done about it.
3,600 words (approx. 14.4 pages), 9 sources, 2005, $ 142.95
Abstract This paper looks at the inter-American convention for the protection and conservation of sea turtles. The paper begins by looking at the parlous status of the sea turtle in recent years and focusing upon its situation in the United States and along parts of South America. The paper also reviews the IAC treaty which came into force in 2001 and which has been both praised and denounced by observers.
From the Paper "The conservation of living species is integral to humanity's own long-term vitality. That being said, the recent Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles is, despite some strong points, an ultimately redundant and inefficient treaty that has not - and will not - change the parlous status of Sea Turtles in any appreciable way. The following paper will explain why this is so by first examining the recent history of the languishing Sea Turtle species. From there, the paper will closely review the offending treaty and offer an assessment of why it has not worked - and will not work - for Sea Turtles. Finally, the paper will offer some recommendations for making the treaty more efficacious as well as other measures must be taken if disaster is to be averted. "
Abstract This paper analyzes and explores the character of Antoinette Jean Rhys's "Wide Sargasso Sea". The paper attempts to examine her role as a woman, a native of the Caribbean, and a wife.
From the Paper "Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea tells the story of a woman who most readers are familiar with, but know very little about. Antoinette is better known to most as ?Rochester's mad wife,? from Jane Eyre, a portrayal that is slightly less than three dimensional and, as she is nowhere near being the story's main character, gives little in the way of deep characterization. Rhys picked up the character and gave her a backstory, a history that helps us better understand her "madness" and, in general, who she is. Rhys? Antoinette is fully fleshed out, and through examining her text, Antoinette's madness in Eyre and the latter portion of Wide Sargasso Sea is easier to rationalize. "
This paper reviews the novels "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte and "Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys and examines how the issue of madness surfaces in these novels.
Abstract The paper explores how the issue of madness surfaces in the novels "Jane Eyre" and "Wide Sargasso Sea" to illuminate the character of Rochester in each story. The paper includes the narrative context of each novel and focuses on the theme of madness.
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine Rochester's perceptions and behavior vis a vis the madness of Bertha Antoinette in "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte and "Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys and how those reactions contribute to the post colonial rereading of a Victorian imperialist text."
