The American Jewish Archives Journal, Volume LXI 2009, Number 1

that if the Hebrew University purchased the material and excluded ASOR
from the project it would be seen as a particularly unfortunate act:
We have put a great deal of time and work and a considerable amount of money
into the photographing and studying of these manuscripts. While we could
have no way of compelling the Metropolitan to fulfill his agreement with us,
we should certainly, to use the technical language of diplomacy, regard it as an
unfriendly act on [Sukenik’s] part, or on the part of the University, if we were
done out of the privilege of publishing these three manuscripts. Perhaps some
form of cooperation can be arranged. It would be highly desirable from all
points of view, though it would be difficult under present conditions, and you
and I know that Professor Sukenik is not especially good at teamwork. 25
In response, Magnes recommended to Burrows that a committee of trustees
including Sukenik, Umberto Cassuto, and David Werner Senator, the university
rector, be established to facilitate Hebrew University’s relationship with ASOR
for the purpose of studying and publishing the scrolls. 26 This would have dealt
with the issue of Sukenik’s poor teamwork. Sukenik and Cassuto agreed to
participate in the cooperative effort. More important, though, in the process of
bringing the team together Magnes learned that Sukenik had communicated
with an unnamed Syrian on 10 May 1948. This man claimed that the archbishop
did not have sole ownership of the scrolls and could not unilaterally grant ASOR
any rights. 27 The unnamed Syrian was again Anton Kiraz. Kiraz continued
to claim his ownership of the scrolls well into the 1960s, and it was not until
the 1980s that he and the archbishop reconciled their differences. 28 Burrows
had been quite convinced by the archbishop that the scrolls were his personal
property. 29 At the time, ASOR planned to publish a series of preliminary articles
under the direction of William Albright in its Bulletin. ASOR hoped that, as a
first form of cooperation, Sukenik and his Hebrew University colleagues might
also publish material with them. 30 The discussion turned to the final publication
of the material, which the men hoped could be published as a joint imprint
of ASOR and the Hebrew University Press—perhaps the English edition to
appear with one and the Hebrew with the other. 31 On 12 July 1948, Magnes
wrote to Glueck with the hope that the HUC president might be able to offer
guidance in how to proceed. 32 The Hebrew University was to forward copies of
the correspondence between Magnes and Burrows to Glueck, but Glueck did
not receive them and so did not respond to the issue. Magnes wrote again in
September asking for advice. 33 The Hebrew University only sent copies of the
correspondence on 22 October, 34 and they reached Glueck in early November,
shortly after Magnes’s death. 35 Perhaps in an attempt to honor his late friend,
Glueck forwarded the correspondence to William Albright, then editor of
the ASOR Bulletin, for input. 36 Albright’s response echoed Burrows’s previous
critique of Sukenik:
Optimistic, Even with the Negatives: HUC-JIR and the Dead Sea Scrolls, 1948–1993 • 5