The Dead Sea scrolls, also known as the Qumran Scrolls or the Hidden Scrolls, are one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever made. Since their discovery, the Dead Sea scrolls have been a source of dispute among researchers, as well as a window into a long-lost world.
As is often the case, the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered by chance. A Bedouin shepherd, looking for a lost goat, threw a stone into a cave in order to draw her out. The stone hit a clay vessel, in which three scrolls were found. This discovery marked the beginning of an archaeological journey that lasted from 1947 to 1956, during which about 15,000 hidden scrolls were unearthed in the Qumran caves and in other nearby locations in the Judean desert.
What is written in scrolls?
Most of the scrolls were preserved in good, legible condition, due to the dry climate of the Dead Sea region. The scrolls, of which most were written in Hebrew, and some in Aramaic and Greek, deal with varied subjects. Researcher Rachel Elior categorizes the scrolls according to several main subjects:
- Biblical texts – scrolls that contain texts from all books of the Bible, except for the Book of Esther. The phrasing of the texts in most of these scrolls is similar to the text we are familiar with today.
- Pseudo-biblical texts – scrolls where the phrasing is different from today's versions. These scrolls include, among others, the Genesis and Joshua Apocrypha and the Thanksgiving Hymns.
- Scrolls with stories that expand upon the Bible.
- Liturgical and mystical scrolls. These scrolls depict the work of the priests as agents of heavenly angels.
- Polemic scrolls.
Despite the great number of scrolls and the varied subjects they cover, the Dead Sea scrolls are still believed to be holding many secrets from the past, with answers to many yet-unanswered questions.
Who wrote the scrolls?
This question is still being debated. Researchers’ opinions are divided among three main approaches.
The oldest approach claims that the scrolls belong to the Essene sect. The Essenes resided in the Qumran area, and supporters of this approach claim that the Essenes hid the scrolls in the caves during the great revolt.
The second approach claims that the scrolls belong to the Sadducean priests. This approach is based on the fact that the content of the scrolls is compatible with the beliefs of the Sadducees, as they are known today.
The third approach, supported by American researchers, claims that a portion of one of the scrolls is actually a verse from the New Testament’s Gospel of Mark, indicating that the scrolls were written by early Christians.
