Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library (DSSEL)

The Dead Sea Scrolls probably represent the most significant manuscript discovery in recent history. These ancient texts have revolutionized the field of biblical and Judaic studies, and they have become an indispensable source for scholars and students alike. The scrolls are vital to our understanding of ancient Judaism, the transmission of the biblical texts, and the origins of Christianity.

Since its inception in 1997, the Center has been actively working on creating a comprehensive research tool for the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The first version of our Dead Sea Scrolls database was published in 1999. In 2006 Brill Academic Press published a new, completely revised version of this database under the continued editorship of Emanuel Tov. This version gives a more complete coverage of all of the published non-biblical DSS materials, including scrolls identified in 2004 and 2005. Anyone using the CD-ROM will be able to access texts, images, and reference materials quickly and efficiently. The combination of a powerful text search engine and sophisticated image-manipulating software will enable scholars and students unparalleled research possibilities. A major new feature is the addition of morphological analysis to all of the texts. This data gives glosses and part of speech analysis for each word in the database.