Theodor Harzl Gaster, the scholar responsible for the first English version of the Dead Sea Scrolls, has died here, a hospital spokeswoman said. Gaster was 85.
The spokeswoman at Osteopathic Medical Center said Gaster died during his sleep early last week.Gaster's book, "The Dead Sea Scriptures," has sold more than 200,000 copies since its appearance in 1957. A native of London, Gaster taught at the Annenberg Research Institute for 30 years. There, he completed his English version of the ancient scrolls, which were discovered in 1947.