Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Topography and Early History of Jerusalem (to 586 B.C.E.)
- 3 The Babylonian (586–539 B.C.E.) and Persian (539–332 B.C.E.) Periods
- 4 The Early Hellenistic Period (332–167 B.C.E.)
- 5 The Late Hellenistic (Hasmonean) Period (167–40 B.C.E.)
- 6 The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
- 7 The Early Roman (Herodian) Period (40 B.C.E.–70 C.E.)
- 8 The Early Roman (Herodian) Period (40 B.C.E.–70 C.E.)
- 9 The Early Roman (Herodian) Period (40 B.C.E.–70 C.E.)
- 10 The Early Roman (Herodian) Period (40 B.C.E.–70 C.E.)
- 11 Ancient Jewish Tombs and Burial Customs (to 70 C.E.)
- 12 From 70 C.E. to the Bar-Kokhba Revolt (132–135/136 C.E.)
- 13 Aelia Capitolina (Hadrianic Jerusalem) (135 to ca. 300 C.E.)
- 14 Roman and Late Antique Period Synagogues in Palestine
- 15 The Byzantine (Early Christian) Period (313–640 C.E.)
- 16 The Byzantine (Early Christian) Period (313–640 C.E.)
- 17 Epilogue
- Glossary
- Timeline
- Index
- References
6 - The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2012
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Topography and Early History of Jerusalem (to 586 B.C.E.)
- 3 The Babylonian (586–539 B.C.E.) and Persian (539–332 B.C.E.) Periods
- 4 The Early Hellenistic Period (332–167 B.C.E.)
- 5 The Late Hellenistic (Hasmonean) Period (167–40 B.C.E.)
- 6 The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
- 7 The Early Roman (Herodian) Period (40 B.C.E.–70 C.E.)
- 8 The Early Roman (Herodian) Period (40 B.C.E.–70 C.E.)
- 9 The Early Roman (Herodian) Period (40 B.C.E.–70 C.E.)
- 10 The Early Roman (Herodian) Period (40 B.C.E.–70 C.E.)
- 11 Ancient Jewish Tombs and Burial Customs (to 70 C.E.)
- 12 From 70 C.E. to the Bar-Kokhba Revolt (132–135/136 C.E.)
- 13 Aelia Capitolina (Hadrianic Jerusalem) (135 to ca. 300 C.E.)
- 14 Roman and Late Antique Period Synagogues in Palestine
- 15 The Byzantine (Early Christian) Period (313–640 C.E.)
- 16 The Byzantine (Early Christian) Period (313–640 C.E.)
- 17 Epilogue
- Glossary
- Timeline
- Index
- References
Summary
Qumran is a small ruin located on a natural marl (chalk) terrace by the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, 8 miles (13 kilometers) south of Jericho. In this chapter, we explore the site of Qumran and the nearby caves in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, beginning with an account of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls
The first Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by accident in the winter-spring of 1946–1947, when a Bedouin boy entered a cave (Cave 1) in the limestone cliffs behind Qumran and found a row of tall, cylindrical ceramic jars covered with bowl-shaped lids. Most of jars were empty, but at least a couple reportedly contained ancient scrolls. Eventually the Bedouins removed seven complete or nearly complete scrolls from Cave 1. Because the scrolls were written on parchment (processed animal hide) and resembled pieces of old leather, the Bedouins sold them to a cobbler in Bethlehem named Kando. Kando could not read the scrolls, but thought the writing on them might be ancient Syriac (the language used by the Syrian Orthodox church, to which Kando belonged). Kando therefore offered four of the scrolls to the patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox church in Jerusalem, Mar Athanasius Yeshua Samuel, who purchased them for the sum of 24 British pounds sterling (about $100 at that time).
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Archaeology of the Holy LandFrom the Destruction of Solomon's Temple to the Muslim Conquest, pp. 108 - 132Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012
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