Acknowledgements
This project began shortly after I learned that I was pregnant with our youngest child, so in some ways it seems fitting that it is now reaching completion as that child finishes kindergarten. What I initially thought would be a revised version of my dissertation, written almost entirely during the nine months I was pregnant, has since turned into something almost entirely new, inspired by the ideas that formed during that season. While this reimagined form of the book took a lot longer than I anticipated, due in part to a new job, a cross-country move, a pandemic, and working from home with young kids, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity and resources to engage in this kind of creative work, and for the many people who made it possible.
When I began my studies at Rice, I had no idea how much impact a doctoral advisor could have, or how fortunate I was to have come to study with one of the best. I owe my deepest gratitude to my Doktorvater, Matthias Henze, whose mentorship provided me with the perfect blend of expert instruction, thoughtful guidance, and encouragement to explore new ideas and approaches. This project would not have been possible without him. I am profoundly grateful for the countless conversations, advice, connections, and feedback on early drafts that gave life to this book, especially in its earliest stages.
This book exists in its present form because of the thoughtful feedback of mentors, friends, and colleagues who have supported this work and for whom I am extremely grateful. Archie Wright first introduced me to the world of early Jewish literature that sparked a particular interest in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Then in 2011, I had the great privilege of taking an introductory DSS course with John Kampen, whose support and encouragement have been a constant in my academic and professional journey since then. When I decided to write my doctoral dissertation on the Scrolls, Matthias wisely suggested we invite feedback from an outside reader with expert knowledge on the subject. George Brooke was so kind as to read a copy of my dissertation and offer generous feedback on how it might be improved, or even reimagined. That guidance played a major role in shaping my approach to this book. I am also incredibly grateful for my colleagues at Messiah University who have provided endless support, encouragement, and space for me to talk endlessly about the Dead Sea Scrolls. I owe special thanks to Sharon Putt for reading early drafts of chapters, to my department chair, Shelly Skinner, for her patience and support in accommodating my course releases, and to Brian Smith and Emerson Powery for the many inspiring hallway and office conversations that helped me refine my ideas. While working on different parts of the book, I also had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Logan Williams and Michael DeVries, whose work on the Hodayot and War Scroll, respectively, helped sharpen my engagement with these texts. To Maxine Grossman I also owe special thanks for the stimulating conversations that breathed new life into parts of the project where my own thinking had grown stagnant.
The institutional support and grant funding I have received over the past five years have given me much-needed time and resources to complete this project. I was awarded workload reallocation through the provost’s office of Messiah University from 2020 to 2023, and a scholarship chair through the faculty development department for 2023 to 2025. I was also a recipient of the Shohet Scholarship, through the International Catacomb Society, for the 2021–2022 grant cycle, which funded a course release for that academic year so I could devote the time to writing. My gratitude also goes out to the Murray Library librarians and ILL staff who ensured that I was able to access all the resources needed for this project.
I was fortunate in the development of this book to have been introduced to a wonderful team of editors, Karina Hogan and René Bloch, who facilitated a timely and incredibly helpful review process. Their careful guidance and support made this a truly enjoyable experience. My deepest gratitude also goes out to the two anonymous reviewers who took the time to thoroughly read my manuscript and offer such meaningful feedback. This work is much improved because of their expert knowledge of the subject and thoughtful suggestions. Any shortcomings that remain are, of course, entirely my own.
Finally, I am grateful to my parents, who have always encouraged me. Most of all, I want to thank my super supportive husband, my kind and creative daughter, and my life-loving son. Their patience and joy sustain me. I dedicate this book to them.