Dead Sea Scrolls to be focus of 2016 Theologian-in-Residence series

Dr. Travis Williams

The nature of scripture at the time of Jesus, as revealed in the Dead Sea Scrolls will be explored in February during Tusculum College’s annual Theologian-in-Residence lecture series.

Dr. Travis Williams, assistant professor of religion at Tusculum College, will be presenting the series of lectures, “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible: Identifying, Altering and Preserving Scripture in Antiquity.”  Lectures will take place each Tuesday of the month – Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23 – in the series, sponsored by Tusculum College and partially funded by Ron Smith. Each lecture session will begin at 10 a.m. in the Chalmers Conference Center in the Niswonger Commons. The sessions typically end around 2 p.m., and lunch in the college’s cafeteria is included. There is no admission fee to attend the lectures.

Dr. Williams is the first return speaker of the series, now in its 25th year. He previously served as Theologian-in-Residence in 2014, lecturing on the formation of early Christian identity in response to persecution. As a New Testament scholar, Dr. Williams has published extensively in the area of I Peter. More recently, the Dead Sea Scrolls have come to hold an important place in his research. He has written on the interpretive commentaries on scripture found within the scrolls, particularly as they relate to the phenomenon of inspired exegesis, and he is currently exploring the traditions surrounding the Teacher of Righteousness within the Dead Sea communities.

Although a native of East Tennessee, Dr. Williams received his doctorate in New Testament from the University of Exeter in England. After moving back to the U.S., he began his career at Tusculum in 2010. His teaching duties at the college focus primarily on the Jewish and Christian traditions; however, he regularly leads courses that fall within the broader sphere of religious studies.

During the first session on Feb. 2, “What are the Dead Sea Scrolls?,” Dr. Williams will introduce the Dead Sea Scrolls, explaining what they are and what they are not, as well as detailing the history of their discovery.

“Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls,” the second session on Feb. 9, will focus on identifying the group associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls, considering various Jewish movements from the Second Temple period.

The third session on Feb. 16, “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Transmission of Scripture,” will examine the fluidity of the scriptural text as revealed in the biblical manuscripts found at Qumran and review the phenomenon of “Rewritten Bible.”

In the concluding lecture on Feb. 23, Dr. Williams will discuss the view of continuing revelation which was held by the authors of the scrolls and its impact for understanding the nature of authoritative scripture.

Although the series has no admission fee, reservations are required. For more information or to make a reservation for the series, please call 423-636-7304 or email eestes@tusculum.ed