The Qumran Community


In 1947 two Beduin shepherds accidentally came accross a clay jar in a cave near Khirbet Qumran, that contained seven parchment scrolls. The Scrolls came into the hands of dealers who offered them to scholars. The first scholar to recognise their antiquity was E.L. Sukenik who succeeded in acquiring three of them for the Hebrew University. The other scrolls were smuggled to the United States where three of them were published in 1950 - 1951. Later they were offered for sale and Yigael Yadin, the son of Professor Sukenik, succeeded in buying them and bringing them back to Israel. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem constructed a special site for exhibiting the scrolls, the "Shrine of the Book".

The Community to which the Dead Sea Scrolls belonged occupied Qumran around 130 BCE to 70 CE. It was an extremist offshoot of the Jewish apocalyptic movement whose basic doctrine was the expectation of the end of days, soon to come. A "Teacher of Righteousness" was their spiritual and social leader. The sect followed its own interpretation of traditional Judaism, it stated that a calendar of 364 days had to be adopted.

Some scholars believe that both John the Baptist and Jesus spent time in Qumran.





33 photos
Jar which contained some of the Dead Sea-scrolls.      
From Qumran,Israel.                                    
AO 20147
#08021464

Jar which contained some of the Dead Sea-scrolls. From Qumran,Israel....

The caves of the scrolls seen from the settlement      
of Qumran, Israel
#08030327

The caves of the scrolls seen from the settlement of Qumran, Israel

The caves of the scrolls, seen from Qumran, Israel
#08030328

The caves of the scrolls, seen from Qumran, Israel

Water reservoir - settlement of Qumran, Israel
#08030329

Water reservoir - settlement of Qumran, Israel

Meeting room, Qumran, Israel
#08030330

Meeting room, Qumran, Israel

Stairs leading into a water resevoir                   
Qumran, Israel
#08030331

Stairs leading into a water resevoir Qumran, Israel

Qumran, Israel, on the coast of the Dead Sea, a first  
monastic settlement of the Essene Sect developed during
the Hasmonean Kingdom (around 130 BCE). Picture shows  
openings of the caves in which the Dead Sea scrolls    
were discovered.
#08040333

Qumran, Israel, on the coast of the Dead Sea, a first monastic settlement of t...

Entrance gate to a first monastic settlement of the    
Essene Sect in Qumran, Israel, developed during the    
reign of Hasmonean King John Hyrcanus (around 130 BCE)
#08040334

Entrance gate to a first monastic settlement of the Essene Sect in Qumran, I...

A ritual bath of a first monastic settlement of the    
Essene Sect in Qumran, developed around 130 BCE        
during the reign of the Hasmonean King John Hyrcanus.
#08040335

A ritual bath of a first monastic settlement of the Essene Sect in Qumran, d...

Qumran on the shores of the Dead Sea, Israel. A water  
duct in the monastic settlement of the Essene Sect     
developed around 130 BCE during the reign of the       
Hasmonean King John Hyrcanus
#08040336

Qumran on the shores of the Dead Sea, Israel. A water duct in the monastic set...

The caves of Qumran,where the Dead Sea Scrolls were    
found in 1947.Qumran was the center of the Essenes,    
a break-away sect from Judaism,who chose the site      
towards the end of the 2nd BCE.
#08040619

The caves of Qumran,where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947.Qumran was...

Qumran was the center of the Essenes,a break-away sect 
from Judaism,who chose the site towards the end of the 
2nd BCE. Entrance gate to Qumran, constructed of large, undressed stones.
#08040620

Qumran was the center of the Essenes,a break-away sect from Judaism,who chose...