xi^
I am indebted to the Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Center’s
director Professor Steven E. Fassberg, for providing valuable resources and support dur-
ing my time in Jerusalem. Professor Avi Hurvitz contributed much guidance in the devel-
opment of the methodology for this study, in particular the system for the classification of
variants. Professor Emanuel Tov was also very generous with his time and provided some
helpful suggestions and observations.
Finally and most importantly I owe the greatest debt of gratitude to my partner, Briony
Dunn, who has been unceasing in her support during the last eight and a half years that I
have spent in full time study. Without her I would never have had the capacity to com-
plete this dissertation. It is also a truth that her support in this regard is only a small part
of what she gives to me each day. During the last 15 months of my research she has first
carried and then cared for our first child while I have, for the most part, had my head bur-
ied selfishly in books and papers. I look forward to rejoining her and our son now that
this task has finally reached its end.