The Dead Sea Scrolls were Jewish documents which were found at Khirbet Qumran in 11 caves on the shore of the Dead Sea in 1947 and 1956. They have been called the greatest manuscript discovery of this generation and have had a tremendous impact on biblical scholarship.
They are priceless treasures and the most spectacular are the eight scrolls on leather preserved for 1900 years in pottery jars. These shed light on the Hebrew bible and the old testaments that helped shape the development of Christianity.
The scrolls can be divided into two categories; biblical and non-biblical. They are written in Hebrew Aramaic, the language of the Jews and are the oldest group of old testament manuscripts ever found. Most curious is the copper scroll discovered in cave number 3. It lists 64 underground hiding places in the land of Israel, containing gold, silver, aromatics and manuscripts.
The treasures are believed to be from King Solomon’s temple, hidden away for safe keeping, possibly before King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 587 bc. Also in the scrolls are stories of biblical figures such as Enoch, Noah and Abraham. The first scrolls were discovered by Bedouin goatherds and the excitement of the scholars lay in deciphering them.
Far more satisfying was the search for similar documents at their own excavations. Apart from the scrolls reviewed, all other treasures displayed in the Shrine of the Book were found by Israeli archaeologists at digs in the Dead Sea area. Each find was the climax to an exhausting and often daring physical effort.
The Dead Sea scrolls can be seen in the Israeli Museum. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Jerusalem with the exception of the Wailing Wall.
This article is taken from the BOOK:
Our Search for Sodom & Gomorrah.
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