Allegro, John

John Marco Allegro (1923-88) was the first British representative on the international team responsible for collating, editing and translating the Dead Sea Scrolls following their discovery in 1947. Through his books and broadcasts, he did much to bring the scrolls to public attention. He campaigned throughout his career for open access to the scrolls, so that scholars everywhere should be able to explore their significance for the development of western religions.