The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 11 caves near Qumran, Israel. They contain over 850 documents, including parts of the Old Testament, and were written before AD 100. The discovery of the scrolls is shrouded in mystery, and they have changed hands from dealers to churches. The scrolls offer insight into Jewish history and are used by Bible scholars to analyze differences in the text. The theory that they contain evidence of early Christian belief structures is flimsy, and it remains unknown who wrote, kept, or hid the scrolls.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of documents found in caves along a plateau above the Dead Sea in Israel called Qumran. There are over 850 documents found in 11 different caves. Many recount parts of the Old Testament and have been dated as being written before AD 100
A goat herder named Mohammed Ahmed al-Hamed found the first of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. Legend has it that he was looking for an animal that had gotten lost and came across the Dead Sea Scrolls. However, several people claiming to be al-Hamed have questioned this story. So, like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the legend of their discovery is shrouded in mystery.
The Dead Sea Scrolls changed hands from antique dealers to churches. Some have been sold on the open market. Further searches of places around Qumran found more scrolls in more caves. Some scrolls were published immediately, while others were published much later. Some have claimed that the Roman Catholic Church wanted to suppress the publication of some scrolls. However, with all the scrolls now published, little evidence has been found that any of the works cast a negative light on the Church.
The Dead Sea Scrolls contain writings by at least three different scribes and in at least three different dialects of Hebrew. Initially, the Dead Sea Scrolls were considered a way to unravel mysteries about Jewish and perhaps early Christian beliefs. Very often today they are used by Bible scholars to analyze differences in the text and compare interpretations and translations of some controversial words.
The Dead Sea Scrolls offer some insight into the period in Jewish history when the Second Temple was built, 570 BC to AD 70. Most of the Dead Sea Scrolls are written from different Old Testament books, such as Psalms, Isaiah, and Deuteronomy . There are some texts written in Greek, which many thought proved early Christian influence.
The theory that the scrolls contain evidence of early Christian belief structures is flimsy. Many estimate the scrolls date back to 90 BC So Christians could not have written them.
Who exactly kept or hid the Dead Sea Scrolls remains mysterious. In the 1990s, many believed that the Dead Sea Scrolls were once in the possession of the Essenes, who lived near Qumran from approximately the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD During the Jewish revolt of AD 2, the Essenes hid the scrolls in caves to prevent its destruction. Many now discredit this theory because the Essenes were a small community and would not have supported so many scribes.
Other theories have since emerged, but no one can say exactly who wrote, kept, or hid the Dead Sea Scrolls. Archaeologists and theologians still continue to study the scrolls in the hope that some interpretation will be made that sheds more light on their origins. Many of the scrolls have also been printed and are available for public examination.
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