Qumran
National Park
About Qumran National Park
Qumran lies at the foot of the vertical cliff of the Judean Desert, rising from the shores of the Dead Sea. It is best known for the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Biblical manuscripts.
Essene Sect
Qumran was home to the Essene Sect also called the Sons of the Desert. These people resided here, isolating themselves from worldly pursuits, studying sacred scriptures and living a communal life. Many pools found at the site indicate the importance of bathing and purification in the life of this community. They channelled nearby stream water into reservoirs and even used it to irrigate land where they grew dates and raised animals. They had their own calendar based on the sun and set the dates of the festivals for themselves.
Discovery of Dead Sea Scrolls
The first seven Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by chance in 1947 by Bedouin teenagers. Additional fragments of some 950 different scrolls were discovered. Most of the scrolls were written in Hebrew, some in Aramaic or Greek. Most of them were written on parchment, with a few on papyrus and even forged copper. The scrolls include fragments from every book of the Old Testament except for Book of Esther. The Isaiah Scroll is the only scroll that has been preserved in its entirety. The scrolls include documents about sectarian regulations and other commentaries.
Interesting Facts
- According to conventional theory, the Essene were the writers. Some scholars credited early Christians and Jews who were fleeing the Roman rampage hurriedly stuffed the scrolls into the Qumran Caves for safekeeping.
- An antiquities dealer bought the cache from the Bedouin teenagers, which ultimately ended up in the hands of various scholars who estimated that the texts were at least 2,000 years old.
- No New Testament texts were found. Today the scrolls have been preserved and are on display in the Shrine of the Book at Israel Museum of Jerusalem.
