The dead sea scrolls
* school jewishstudiesThe discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was one of the most important biblical discoveries of the 20th century. The scrolls were first discovered in 1947.
1. Discovery
The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by Bedouin shepherds in caves near Qumran. In total, there are about 972 texts.
2. Contents
The scrolls include biblical manuscripts, sectarian writings, and apocryphal texts. Altogether, there are around 230 different manuscripts.
3. Community and Authorship
Although the exact authors are unknown, the scrolls were all found in the area around Qumran. The sectarian writings give insight into how the community lived, especially their focus on purity laws and communal life.
4. Evidence of the Community
Archaeological evidence supports the existence of a religious community at Qumran. Many mikva’ot (ritual baths) and communal dining halls were found there. Roman historians also wrote that the Essenes lived in this area.
5. Elsewhere
5.1. References
5.2. In my garden
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