2026 Burns Lectures: Archaeology of the Holy Land

Jodi Magness is the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As an archaeologist, she has participated in over twenty excavations in Israel and Greece. Magness has written numerous books, including Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades (2024); Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth (2019); and The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls (2002).

The Dead Sea Scrolls

In 1946–1947, the first Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by accident near the site of Qumran. Eventually the remains of approximately 1,000 scrolls were found in 11 caves surrounding Qumran.

In this slide-illustrated lecture, we consider the meaning and significance of the scrolls, which were deposited in the caves by members of a Jewish sect who lived at Qumran. Qumran is the topic of Professor Magness’s award-winning book, The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Eerdmans, 2021; second edition).

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Other lectures in this series

• Tuesday, 5 May – What makes Jerusalem special?
• Wednesday, 6 May – Jerusalem in the time of Jesus
• Thursday, 7 May – Ossuaries and the burials of Jesus and James
• Wednesday, 13 May – Masada: Last stronghold of the Jewish resistance against Rome
• Thursday, 14 May – More than just mosaics: The ancient synagogue at Huqoq in Galilee