Qumran Caves - Dead Sea Scrolls

Qumran is located near the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea and was the site of a small settlement that existed during the time of Jesus. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered near Qumran in 1947 by young Bedouin shepherds. Scholars believe Qumran was inhabited by a Jewish sect called the Essenes. Ruins of the sect’s communal site remain, including a watchtower, a dining hall, cisterns, and cemeteries. Most likely the Essenes, hearing the approach of Roman armies in 68 AD, laced their scrolls in pottery jars and hid them in the nearby caves, intending to return for them later. The Essenes are believed to have joined the rebels at Masada. They remained at Masada until their deaths in 73 AD.
Fragments of about 850 scrolls were eventually found in 11 hard-to-reach caves in the cliffs around the Qumran area. The ancient manuscripts were in various states of completeness. Only a handful of the scrolls were intact, the largest more than 26 feet long! Most were written in Hebrew, some in Aramaic and a few in Greek. Most were on parchment, with a few on papyrus. They had been preserved by the hot, dry desert climate. The scrolls include at least fragments of every book of the Old Testament except the book of Esther. As the oldest existing copies of the Old Testament, they confirm the accuracy of later manuscripts. The other scrolls that were found gave new insight into the Jewish society in which Christianity began.Read more