81. The Discovery That Transformed Our Understanding of Scripture | Dr. Rebekah Haigh

In 1947, a Bedouin goat herder stumbled on a collection of clay jars filled with ancient scrolls by the Dead Sea in Israel. When these scrolls made it to scholars and antiquity dealers, it became clear that they had been written around the time Jesus walked the earth. Today, the Dead Sea Scrolls are some of the best examples we have of Second Temple Jewish literature. Our guest on this episode is Dr. Rebekah Haigh, and she joins us to discuss how the Dead Sea Scrolls revolutionized New Testament interpretations.

👉 Key Discussion Points:
The Discovery: The classic tale is told of a young Bedouin shepherd, in search of a lost goat, stumbled upon the scrolls in a cave near the Dead Sea in 1947.
The Significance: The scrolls are an incredible witness to the stability of the biblical text and broaden our understanding of the different varieties of ancient Judaism that existed before and during the time of Jesus. Before their discovery, our primary sources on early Judaism were limited to the New Testament and later rabbinic writings. The Dead Sea Scrolls filled this “blank slate,” providing evidence of Jewish life and thought.
The Essenes: Opinions regarding the community responsible for collecting and writing the scrolls vary. The most common theory points to a group affiliated with the Essenes. This group was interested in ritual purity, communal living, preparing for the end of days, and was often with suspicion toward the Second Temple and its priesthood.
Connections to the New Testament: The podcast explores the parallels between the Essenes and the early Jesus movement, noting similarities in their apocalyptic expectations, focus on ritual purity, and ideas about the Messiah. The conversation also touches on how the book of Revelation and the rest of the New Testament should be read as Jewish literature.

🔖 Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background of Dr. Rebekah Haigh
02:56 The Fascination with the Dead Sea Scrolls
05:45 The Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls
07:45 Significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls
10:29 Cultural and Historical Context of the Scrolls
17:11 The Community Behind the Scrolls
21:17 Theological Implications and Connections to Early Christianity
25:30 Messianic expectations in the Dead Sea Scrolls
28:08 Exploring Revelation in Jewish Context
36:22 Prayer and the Heavenly Temple
43:28 Women Who Went Before Podcast Project
49:46 Approaching Academia with a and growth mindset
55:20 AI in the Classroom: The quest to maintain our humanity

👉 Resources
Women Who Went Before Podcast
https://womenwhowentbefore.com

Rebekah Haigh Socials
https://x.com/rebekahjhaigh
https://x.com/womenbefore

Torah Club
https://torahclub.org

End of Days: Torah Club Study Track
https://endofdays.org

✡️ What is Messiah Podcast? ✝️
Messiah Podcast is a production of First Fruits of Zion (FFOZ), a Messianic Jewish education organization dedicated to reconciling disciples of Yeshua with God’s prophetic promises to Israel. https://ffoz.org

Messiah Podcast is made possible by the generosity of our First Fruits of Zion Friends. FFOZ Friends help advance our mission while gaining access to exclusive Messianic Jewish teachings and resources. If you want to partner with us in spreading the message of the kingdom to all nations, become an FFOZ Friend today. https://ffoz.org/friends

Messiah Podcast theme music provided with permission by Joshua Aaron Music “Cover the Sea” Copyright WorshipinIsrael.com songs 2020. All rights reserved.