[RobbyS]

“Christ-centered” bothers me. We can see from the writings that there were at that time more than a few Jews who were “
Christ-centered. “ Indeed, there are Christ-centered Jews today, although they deny that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ. I agree, though, that one ought to balance the matter with Jews who minimize the messianic teachings to be found at Qumran, in or out of Scripture. But should one include those who tend to reduce all religious messages to the mundane? Idon’t concede any special objectivity to such people. A bit like inviting the color-blind to explain the painting of Monet, imho.

[Charles Gadda]

By describing them as "Christ-centered," I am simply referring to their exclusive focus on this aspect and this interpretation, on fitting the archaeological evidence into this schema at the expense of others. I don't dispute that this is one legitimate avenue of research--nor, indeed, that the individuals in question have the right to defend their theory and to be "included." Whether they should be allowed to set the agenda of a major exhibit, and whether Spielberg's Holocaust foundation money should have been given to one of them under such circumstances, is another question. For the general scholarly background of the dispute, see historian Norman Golb's Forward editorial.