Penguin Black Classics

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There, he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and becomes determined not only to escape but to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible...

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a masterful psychological drama set against the gritty backdrop of 19th-century St. Petersburg. The story follows Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished and disillusioned ex-student, who roams the streets, tortured by thoughts of greatness and contempt for societal norms. Consumed by monetary woes and driven by a deluded sense of justice, he plans and executes...

When brutal landowner Fyodor Karamazov is murdered, the lives of his sons are changed irrevocably: Mitya, the sensualist, whose bitter rivalry with his father immediately places him under suspicion for parricide; Ivan, the intellectual, whose mental tortures drive him to breakdown; the spiritual Alyosha, who tries to heal the family's rifts; and the shadowy figure of their bastard half-brother Smerdyakov....

The Odyssey by Homer is a monumental epic that has enthralled readers for centuries with its rich tapestry of adventure and human struggle. It chronicles the perilous journey of Odysseus, the cunning King of Ithaca, as he strives to return home after the fall of Troy. During this ten-year odyssey, Odysseus confronts myriad dangers, both natural and supernatural, that test...

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a profound journey into the mind of one of the most revered Roman Emperors. This introspective collection, written in Greek, was never intended for publication and serves as a private journal where Aurelius explores the depths of his philosophical reflections. As a ruler of a vast empire, he faced immense challenges and responsibilities, and these...

A new translation of Dostoyevsky's great novel of suffering and sickness. Inspired by an image of Christ's suffering, Dostoyevsky set out to create a protagonist with "a truly beautiful soul" and to trace the fate of such an individual as he comes into contact with the brutal reality of contemporary society. The novel begins when the innocent epileptic Prince Myshkin...

Madonna in a Fur Coat, the international bestselling tale of love and loss in 1920s Berlin, is now available as a Penguin Classics paperback. "The pain of losing something precious can be forgotten over time. But our missed opportunities never leave us, and every time they come back to haunt us, we ache." A shy young man leaves his home...

Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before: of the intense passion between the foundling Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and her betrayal of him. As Heathcliff's bitterness...

Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus offers a profound exploration into the principles of Stoic philosophy through the lively and engaging conversations of its author. Epictetus, a Greek Stoic philosopher and former slave, established a renowned school of philosophy in Nicopolis in the early second century AD. His charismatic teachings and astute observations were preserved in writing by his pupil...

The definitive version of Jane Austen's timeless novel of love's triumph over adversity. When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane,...

As a diplomat in the turbulent landscape of fifteenth-century Florence, Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was acutely aware of how rapidly political fortunes could shift. Leveraging this deep understanding, The Prince serves as a pragmatic and tough-minded handbook on the mechanisms of power. This seminal work explores the complexities of leadership and political manoeuvring, grappling with essential questions: How does a leader...

Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche is a profound exploration of morality, truth, and the essence of human existence. Departing radically from traditional Western philosophy, Nietzsche embarks on a daring critique of centuries-old beliefs. He challenges the moral foundations and metaphysical assumptions that have shaped Western thought. In this pivotal work, Nietzsche dismantles the dichotomous concepts of "good" and...

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy is part of the Penguin Classics relaunch. This edition features the award-winning new translation of the great Russian novel. Exploring themes of love, betrayal, and the complexity of human relationships, Anna Karenina is a compelling narrative that delves into the intricacies of 19th-century Russian society. Tolstoy's masterful storytelling invites readers into the lives of unforgettable...

A guaranteed best-seller - a brilliant new edition of one of Penguin's top-ten classics - more than 35k of the Black Classic edition sold every year. Orphaned Jane Eyre grows up in the home of her heartless aunt, where she endures loneliness and cruelty, and at a charity school with a harsh regime. This troubled childhood strengthens Jane's natural independence...

In Paradise Lost, Milton produced a poem of epic scale, conjuring up a vast, awe-inspiring cosmos and ranging across huge tracts of space and time. Yet, by placing a charismatic Satan and naked Adam and Eve at the centre of this story, he also created an intensely human tragedy on the Fall of Man. Written when Milton was in his...

Don Quixote has become so entranced by reading romances of chivalry that he determines to become a knight errant and pursue bold adventures, accompanied by his squire, the cunning Sancho Panza. As they roam the world together, the aging Quixote's fancy leads them wildly astray. At the same time, the relationship between the two men grows in fascinating subtlety. Often...

The acclaimed new translation of Tolstoy's masterpiece, for the first time in Black Classics after the successful hardback and Red Classics editions—10,000+ hardbacks and, by the time of Black Classics, 20,000+ of Red Classics sold. At a glittering society party in St Petersburg in 1805, conversations are dominated by the prospect of war. Terror swiftly engulfs the country as Napoleon's...

A major new translation of one of Dostoyevsky's four great novels. Demons presents Pyotr and Stavrogin as the leaders of a Russian revolutionary cell, with an ambitious aim to overthrow the Tsar, dismantle society, and seize power for themselves. Together, they train terrorists who are willing to go to any lengths to achieve their objectives— even if the mission means...

In Letters from a Stoic, Lucius Annaeus Seneca imparts timeless wisdom through a series of epistles addressed to his friend Lucilius. The letters encompass a myriad of topics centred around the moral and ethical underpinnings of Stoic philosophy. Each letter is a profound reflection on life, offering practical advice on how to live virtuously, manage one's emotions, and achieve peace...

Whether or not Lao-Tzu was a historical figure is uncertain, but the wisdom gathered under his name in the 4th century BC is central to the understanding and practice of Taoism. One of the three great religions of China, Taoism is based upon a concept of the Tao, or Way, as the universal power through which all life flows. Tao...

Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend, Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life; indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his decadence. The novel was a succes...

Plato's The Republic stands as a seminal text in the realms of philosophy, political theory, and literature. Written during the fourth century B.C., this masterwork has profoundly shaped Western thought for millennia and continues to be exceedingly relevant in contemporary discussions. The narrative unfolds in the form of a dialectical exchange where Socrates engages with various interlocutors to explore and...

Obsessed by creating life itself, Victor Frankenstein plunders graveyards for the material to fashion a new being, which he shocks into life by electricity. But his botched creature, rejected by Frankenstein and denied human companionship, sets out to destroy his maker and all that he holds dear. Mary Shelley's chilling gothic tale was conceived when she was only eighteen, living...

Robin Kirkpatrick's superb translation of the most famous work of Italian literature, in a one-volume edition. The Divine Comedy describes Dante's descent into Hell with Virgil as a guide; his ascent of Mount Purgatory and encounter with his dead love, Beatrice; and finally, his arrival in Heaven. Examining questions of faith, desire and enlightenment, the poem is a brilliantly nuanced...

The story centres on the critical events in four days of the 10th and final year of the war between the Greeks and Trojans. It describes how the quarrel of Agamemnon and Achilleus sets in motion a tragic sequence of events, which leads to Achilleus' killing of Hektor and determines the ultimate fate of Troy. But Homer's theme is not...

On the Genealogy of Morals is an essential work for understanding the philosophical revolution brought about by Friedrich Nietzsche. This profound and intellectually stimulating text is a companion to his earlier work Beyond Good and Evil, and it delves deeply into Nietzsche's radical ideas on human psychology and ethics. In a series of three essays, Nietzsche embarks on an incisive...

The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle is one of the most significant works in the history of Western philosophy. In this seminal text, Aristotle embarks on a detailed and nuanced exploration of human morality, virtue, and happiness. The work explores the nature of ethical thought, delving into the question of how men can achieve a good and fulfilling life. Aristotle's treatise...

Reissued in Black Classics to coincide with the new translation of two other magnificent Bulgakov titles. The devil comes to Moscow wearing a fancy suit. With his disorderly band of accomplices—including a demonic, gun-toting tomcat—he immediately begins to create havoc. Disappearances, destruction, and death spread through the city like wildfire, and Margarita discovers that her lover has vanished in the...

Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protégée Harriet...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. Promised a golden future as ruler of Scotland by three sinister witches, Macbeth murders the king to ensure his ambitions come true. But he soon learns the meaning of terror – killing once, he must kill again and again, and the dead return...

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes a series of horrific discoveries about his client. Soon afterwards, various bizarre incidents unfold in England: an apparently unmanned ship is wrecked off the coast of Whitby; a young woman discovers strange puncture marks on her neck; and the inmate of a...

Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche is a profound exploration of philosophical thoughts, conveyed through the allegorical journey of its protagonist, Zarathustra. It follows Zarathustra's descent from his mountain hermitage to share his wisdom with humanity, articulating revolutionary ideas about the human condition, morality, and the potential for human greatness. Through a series of discourses and parables, Zarathustra encounters various...

In a new translation by Ronald Wilks Notes from Underground (1864) is a study of a single character, "the real man of the Russian majority," and a revelation of Dostoyevsky's own deepest beliefs. One of his best critics has said of the first part that it forms his "most utterly naked pages. Never afterwards was he so fully and openly...

This Penguin Classics edition of Louisa May Alcott's inspiring tale of sisterhood, Little Women, is edited with an introduction by Elaine Showalter. One of the best-loved books of all time. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read. Lovely Meg, talented Jo, frail Beth, and spoiled Amy face the hard lessons of poverty and growing...

City of God by Saint Augustine of Hippo is a seminal work that has had a profound impact on the history of Western thought. This monumental text, crafted by one of the most influential Church Fathers, stands as a significant synthesis of Christian theology and Platonic philosophy, as interpreted by the philosopher Plotinus. Written in the aftermath of the sack...

Everyone has a dark side. Dr Jekyll has discovered the ultimate drug — a chemical that can turn him into something else. Suddenly, he can unleash his deepest cruelties in the guise of the sinister Hyde. Transforming himself at will, he roams the streets of fog-bound London as his monstrous alter-ego. It seems he is master of his fate. It...

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is one of the most poignant and powerful autobiographical works of the 20th century. This definitive edition, presented by Penguin Black Classics, offers readers an unfiltered look into the life of a young Jewish girl during the harrowing years of World War II. As Anne and her family go into hiding...

Eusebius is regarded as the historian of Christian antiquity. Eusebius's account is the only surviving historical record of the Church during its crucial first 300 years. Bishop Eusebius, a learned scholar who lived most of his life in Caesarea in Palestine, broke new ground in writing the The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine and provided a model...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. A storm rages. Prospero and his daughter watch from their desert island as a ship carrying the royal family is wrecked. Miraculously, all on board survive. Plotting, mistaken identities, bewitching love, and drunkenness follow as the travellers explore the strange place of spirits...

For the bicentennial of its first publication, Mary Shelley's original 1818 text, introduced by National Book Critics Circle award-winner Charlotte Gordon. Mary Shelley's classic novel, presented in its original 1818 text, with an introduction from National Book Critics Circle award-winner Charlotte Gordon. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read. The original 1818 text of...

Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was one of the outstanding figures of the declining Roman Empire. From his own account, he lived a life of sin until his conversion to Christianity at the age of 32. Twelve years later, he gave a personal account of his search for truth in The Confessions, where his analysis of the emotional side of...

The Iliad is the culmination of a long-standing oral tradition. The oral technique enabled a master bard like Homer to develop what may historically have been an event of minor importance into a fully fledged epic. So, out of a single episode in the legendary Trojan War—Achilles' withdrawal from the fighting and his return to kill the Trojan hero, Hector—Homer...

Ethics, published shortly after the death of the Dutch philosopher Benedict Spinoza, stands as his greatest and most impactful work. The book meticulously constructs a holistic philosophical system that delves into the essence of existence and the ethical life. Spinoza employs a rigorous, geometric method, presenting propositions and axioms in a logical progression. This structured approach allows him to systematically...

Selected Poems by Rumi is a mesmerising collection of profound and richly textured verses that delves into the depths of the human experience. This compilation showcases the unparalleled brilliance of Jelaluddin Rumi, a thirteenth-century Persian philosopher, mystic, scholar, and the founder of the Whirling Dervishes. Rumi's poetry transcends time, inviting readers on a spiritual journey that explores the universal themes...

The Aeneid by Virgil, inspired by Homer and an inspiration for Dante and Milton, is an immortal poem at the heart of Western life and culture. Virgil chose as his hero Aeneas, the legendary survivor of the fall of Troy and father of the Roman race. In telling a story of dispossession and defeat, love and war, he portrayed human...

The Communist Manifesto (1848), Marx and Engels's revolutionary summons to the working classes, is one of the most important and influential political theories ever formulated. After four years of collaboration, the authors produced this incisive account of their idea of Communism, in which they envisage a society without classes, private property, or a state. They argue that the increasing exploitation...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. A young man and woman meet by chance and fall instantly in love. But their families are bitter enemies, and in order to be together, the two lovers must be prepared to risk everything. Set in a city torn apart by feuds and...

One of the most influential philosophical classics of all time, The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle remains a cornerstone of Western ethical thought. Composed as a series of lectures given by Aristotle in ancient Greece, this seminal work delves deep into the nature of human goodness, exploring what it means to lead a virtuous life. The discourse ranges widely over core...

A new translation of one of the best-loved and most important books of Christianity, by the Very Revd. Robert Jeffery. One of the most influential and well-loved books of Christianity, The Imitation of Christ is a passionate celebration of God's love, mercy and holiness, which has stimulated religious devotion for over five hundred years. With great personal conviction and deep...

With neither friends nor family, Lucy Snowe sets sail from England to find employment in a girls' boarding school in the small town of Villette. There she struggles to retain her self-possession in the face of unruly pupils, an initially suspicious headmaster and her own complex feelings, first for the school's English doctor and then for the dictatorial professor Paul...

One of the most influential political and philosophical texts ever written One of the most notorious works of modern times, as well as one of the most influential, Capital is an incisive critique of private property and the social relations it generates. Living in exile in England, where this work was largely written, Marx drew on a wide-ranging knowledge of...

Middlemarch, George Eliot's most ambitious novel, is a masterly evocation of diverse lives and changing fortunes in a provincial community. It features a richly drawn cast of characters whose stories interweave to create a nuanced and moving drama. Among its landscape are Dorothea Brooke, a young idealist whose search for intellectual fulfilment leads her into a disastrous marriage to the...

A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter, decaying Miss Havisham and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor—these form a series of events that change the orphaned Pip's life forever, and he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new...

After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, the aging Dr Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There, two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil lanes of London, they are...

The Sickness Unto Death is famed for the depth and acuity of its modern psychological insights. Writing under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus, Kierkegaard explores the concept of 'despair', alerting readers to the diversity of ways in which they may be described as living in this state of bleak abandonment—including some that may seem just the opposite—and offering a much-discussed formula for...

First published in 1843 under a pseudonym, Fear and Trembling is written in a quasi-dialogue form in which different facets of Kierkegaard's thought are presented to the reader. Without disclosing his own beliefs, Kierkegaard confronts the reader with various ethical and religious attitudes, but leaves the responsibility of choice open. This new edition provides a chronology of the author's life...

Part of the authoritative and acclaimed Penguin Shakespeare series, now rejacketed in the celebrated Penguin Classics livery. A young woman flees Athens with her lover, only to be pursued by her would-be husband and by her best friend. Unwittingly, all four find themselves in an enchanted forest where fairies and sprites soon take an interest in human affairs, dispensing magical...

The Monk tells the story of Ambrosio, the esteemed superior of the Capuchins of Madrid, who succumbs to the temptations of Matilda, a fiendishly inspired seductress. Disguised as a boy, Matilda enters the monastery as a novice, causing Ambrosio to stray from his righteous path. As his downfall progresses, Ambrosio falls in love with one of his penitents, ultimately murdering...

North and South is one of the earliest novels of industrial alienation, tellingly linked to the plight of 19th-century women. It tells of the relationship between Margaret Hale, a girl from the old rural south, and John Thornton, a mill owner from the new industrial north.

Bored on a hot afternoon, Alice follows a White Rabbit down a rabbit-hole without giving a thought about how she might get out. And so she tumbles into Wonderland: where animals answer back, a baby turns into a pig, time stands still at a disorderly tea party, croquet is played with hedgehogs and flamingos, and the Mock Turtle and Gryphon...

A masterfully rendered volume of Chekhov's stories from famed translators Pevear and Volokhonsky. Chekhov's genius left an indelible impact on every literary form in which he wrote, but none more so than short fiction. Now renowned translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky give us their superb renderings of fifty-two Chekhov stories. These stories, which span the full arc of his...

A collection of Kafka's greatest stories, including his famous tale of alienation, now in Penguin Black Classics. This collection of new translations brings together the small proportion of Kafka's works that he himself thought worthy of publication. It includes Metamorphosis, his most famous work, an exploration of horrific transformation and alienation; Meditation, a collection of his earlier studies; The Judgement,...

The Three Musketeers, an enthralling tale of valour, intrigue, and brotherhood, penned by Alexandre Dumas and newly translated by Richard Pevear, takes readers on a captivating journey through 17th-century France. The story follows the spirited young Gascon, D'Artagnan, who arrives in Paris with dreams of joining the King's illustrious Musketeers. Upon his arrival, D'Artagnan's fiery temper and unyielding sense of...

Maurice by E.M. Forster is a deeply moving and intensely personal novel that traces the life and emotional journey of Maurice Hall, a young man from a privileged background. Maurice grows up with a keen sense of his societal role but finds himself increasingly drawn to relationships with other men, something that challenges the norms and expectations of early 20th-century...

A major anthology of great Japanese short stories, now in Penguin Classics. This fantastically varied and exciting collection celebrates the great Japanese short story, from its modern origins in the nineteenth century to the remarkable works being written today. Short story writers already well-known to English-language readers are all included here—Tanizaki, Akutagawa, Murakami, Mishima, Kawabata—but also many surprising new finds....

At the age of forty-one, Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) underwent a profound spiritual crisis, from which he emerged believing that he had encountered death itself. These seven compelling stories explore, in very different ways, his subsequent preoccupation with mortality. The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a devastating account of a man fighting his inevitable end, and asks the existential question —...

Miraculously preserved on clay tablets dating back as much as four thousand years, the poem of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, is the world's oldest epic, predating Homer by many centuries. The story tells of Gilgamesh's adventures with the wild man Enkidu, and of his arduous journey to the ends of the earth in quest of the Babylonian Noah and the...

First published in paperback, this acclaimed new translation of The Qur'an offers English readers a chance to experience one of the most significant religious texts in human history. This sacred scripture of Islam is considered by Muslims to be the infallible word of God, as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel. These divine revelations, which occurred over...

Friedrich Nietzsche’s The Joyous Science is an intellectual journey that invites readers to explore themes of life, art, ethics, and individuality. This philosophical masterwork is celebrated for its candid and fervent engagement with the essence of human existence. Nietzsche beckons readers into a world where traditional values and beliefs are dismantled, culminating in the radical declaration that ‘God is dead’....

Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant is an intellectual tour de force that has shaped the course of modern philosophy. First published in 1781, this seminal work explores the limitations and scope of human cognition. Kant investigates the nature of human reason, the foundation of all metaphysical knowledge, and the argument that reason is the source of our understanding...

The Essays by Michel Montaigne is a timeless collection of musings that delve deep into the human condition, exploring a vast array of themes with unparalleled originality. Without adhering to a strict narrative, Montaigne's essays meander through topics as diverse as personal introspection, philosophical contemplation, and societal critique. His writing is deeply rooted in personal experience, as he reflects on...

The Metaphysics is Aristotle's probing look at the fundamental questions of philosophy. The Metaphysics presents Aristotle's mature rejection of both the Platonic theory that what we perceive is just a pale reflection of reality and the hardheaded view that all processes are ultimately material. He argued instead that the reality or substance of things lies in their concrete forms. In...

A brilliant new translation by Christine Donougher of Victor Hugo's thrilling masterpiece, with an introduction by Robert Tombs. Les Misérables is Victor Hugo's tale of injustice, heroism, and love. It follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. However, his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly...

Human, All Too Human by Friedrich Nietzsche marks a pivotal moment in the oeuvre of one of philosophy's most provocative thinkers. Written during a period of personal crisis after the end of his friendship with Richard Wagner and his departure from academic life due to ill health, this work illuminates Nietzsche's transition into his mature philosophical phase. Far from merely...

The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh offers readers an intimate glimpse into the mind of one of history’s most iconic artists. This comprehensive collection, based on a fresh and meticulously crafted translation, compiles Van Gogh’s personal letters that span nearly his entire adult life. Through these letters, readers are drawn into Van Gogh's world - a realm of artistic passion,...

A new translation and abridgement of one of the four classical Chinese novels, this is the epic story of the fall of the Han dynasty and rise of the Three Kingdoms. Part historical and part legendary, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms dramatizes the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, recounting their personal and military battles, intrigues, and struggles...

The four years that Dostoevsky spent in a Siberian prison camp were nasty, brutish and long, the most agonising of his life. Its documentary detail—the convicts and their fascinating stories, the wooden plank bed that they sleep on, the cabbage soup swimming with cockroaches that they eat—is made all the more vivid by the controlled, oddly impersonal tone of the...

New to Penguin Black Classics, the fully annotated edition of Mireille Ribière's acclaimed translation. Rumours that a ghost stalks the dark passages and cellars of the Paris Opera House, wreaking havoc, have long been rife among staff and performers. This Phantom also haunts the imagination of the beautiful and talented singer Christine Daaé, appearing to her as the 'Angel of...

The Last Days of Socrates by Plato is a profound and gripping account of the trial and eventual execution of one of the greatest philosophers in history. This new translation by Christopher Rowe offers a fresh perspective on the timeless dialogues that capture Socrates' unwavering commitment to his principles and his unique approach to life and death. Set in 399...

A newly updated edition of the landmark translation by the esteemed Biblical scholar. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Judaean desert between 1947 and 1956 transformed our understanding of the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism, and the origins of Christianity. These extraordinary manuscripts appear to have been hidden in the caves at Qumran by members of the Essene...