Since the discovery of the dead Sea Scrolls, and under the influence of scrolls research, several new movements in Johannine studies have developed. first, given the light/darkness dualism of the community rule, the War Scroll, and other Qumran writings, Johannine dualism is seen to be perfectly at home within Palestinian Judaism. as a result, the Jewishness of John has been recognized, even to the extent that c. K. barrett has come to view John as the most Jewish of all the Gospels. Second, rather than seeing John’s agency schema as Gnostic, scholars have come to see it as closer to the shaliach motif within the mosaic Prophet agency typology rooted in deut 18:15–22. Third, the social function of religious practice and identity has come under new focus, suggesting something of the history of the Johannine dialectical situation. as features of sectarian faith and practice have been illumined by indings at Qumran, greater light has been shed on the emerging Jesus movement, especially in its individuation from Judaism. fourth, the Jewishness of John’s logos christology has gained respect over against hellenistic associations, implying connections with Gen rather than necessitating Gnostic cosmological speculation. Fifth, a growing awareness of the rich diversity of Jewish and christian messianic expectations, as well as unity and diversity within emerging christologies of the new testament, has forced scholars to appreciate the dialectical character of early christological developments rather than pitting one construct against another in needless dichotomies. While not all of these changes in perspective were afected equally by the Qumran discoveries, it must be said that Qumran has played a significant role in these developments.
Indirectly he seems to be arguing that Judaism in the first century was more varied than previously thought before the Qumran Discovery. Possibly to the extent a sect could branch from it to eventually form Christianity perhaps?