What does Dr. Thiering conclude about the Qumran sect and early Christianity?
Dr. Thiering concludes that similarities between early Christianity and the Qumran sectarians indicate the Qumran sect represented the form of Judaism from which Christianity came. She identifies the teacher of righteousness as John the Baptist and the wicked priest, conflated with the man of the lie, as Jesus.
Les explains that Dr. Thiering is at the University of Sydney and is totally committed to studying the Dead Sea Scrolls. She proposes the Gospels were written on two levels: one for ordinary readers, and another reality only she can pull from the Dead Sea Scrolls. She says the similarities all scholars see between early Christianity and the Qumran sectarians suggest the Qumran sect represented the form of Judaism out of which Christianity came. From there she concludes the teacher of righteousness is John the Baptist, and the wicked priest, whom she conflates with the man of the lie, is Jesus. She also says the virgin birth story is written at the level of a miracle for those for whom the idea of a virginal conception had symbolic power. Les notes this is not the view of Biblical Archaeology Review, which is a book review and is not in agreement.