As we went to press, we received a letter from Magen Broshi, curator of the Shrine of the Book and a member of the Department of Antiquities Oversight Committee, advising that a number of additional reassignments of Dead Sea Scroll texts are being made to other scholars, including texts originally assigned to J. T. Milik. The situation is “not so bad” as we have painted it, Broshi says, while recognizing that BAR bears “no fault” for failing to know about these new assignments.
This is indeed good news, and we applaud it.
What seems clear now is that the public must be let in on what is happening and how progress is being made. No more stonewalling of information. The public is entitled to know who has what texts and who has promised to complete publication when.
Moreover, the problem of access by other scholars remains a very serious one, especially as chief editor Strugnell is saying—in several press accounts—that the scholars’ work will not be completed until the year 2000. The “Suggested Timetable” says by the end of 1996.
We will print Mr. Broshi’s gracious and warm-spirited letter in full in the next issue of BAR (Queries & Comments, BAR 15:06).
