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The Scribes of the Maskilic Corpus: The Scribal Community of Practice behind the Dead Sea Scrolls

Objective

The Dead Sea Scrolls [DSS] (ca. 950 manuscripts from the 3rd cent. BCE to the 1st cent. CE) are among the most important sources for understanding Jewish thought and culture in the Second Temple period. Yet the question of who is behind this ancient library of scrolls from the Judean desert remains unresolved. The dominant Qumran–Essene Hypothesis attributes the DSS to the Essenes, but this identification rests on the limitations of the classical sources, Josephus, Philo, and Pliny the Elder. This project advances beyond these limitations by focusing on scrolls designated for the sectarian office of the Maskil (teacher/instructor). I argue that the scribes responsible for this Maskilic Corpus—a multi-generic collection earmarked for the Maskil—were also curators of the DSS. This multigenerational network of scribes offers a concrete entry point for reconstructing the group behind the scrolls. My project's methodology combines material philology with Communities of Practice (CoP) theory to profile close-knit scribal networks and their intergenerational practices. Data on Maskilic manuscripts will be collected in a digital database, used to define the corpus, and analyzed to reconstruct scribal conventions, collaboration, and pedagogy. This approach will offer a profile of the scribal network behind the DSS that is grounded in the physical evidence.
Through this fellowship, I seek to enhance my research skills as a scholar of the Dead Sea Scrolls by working with Prof. Årstein Justnes at UiA. This project provides the rare opportunity for training in manuscript microscopy, database development, and material philological analysis under Prof. Justnes. I will also have the opportunity to build a European research network and cultivate project management skills, preparing me to lead independent research and achieve my goal of developing a successful ERC Starting Grant application and reaching my long-term goal of becoming a professor at a European university.

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITETET I AGDER
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 267 418,56
Address
UNIVERSITETSVEIEN 25
4604 Kristiansand
Norway

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Region
Norge Agder og Sør-Østlandet Agder
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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