The world of Jesus and the early church

"Prominent scholars in the fields of Archaeology, New Testament Studies, and the Dead Sea Scrolls have come together to focus on early Jewish and Christian communities of faith and their impact on the collections of texts that were their scriptures (and would become, in due time, part of the various canons). Professors, students, and pastors who are interested in how these communities lived{u2014}how they developed, what they believed, and how they regarded and preserved the written documents that were their scriptures{u2014}will be interested in this comprehensive volume drawn from presentations made to key conferences on the subject. This book{u2019}s emphasis on a variety of communities of faith (not just Christian) and their early (and critical) influence on the development of religious canonical materials sets it apart from other works on New Testament-period culture." -- Publisher's description.