The Dead Sea Scrolls

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls stands as one of modern archaeology’s most significant finds. Unearthed in the Qumran region near the Dead Sea in the West Bank, these scrolls consist of around 100,000 fragments from approximately 900 manuscripts, spanning from the 3rd century BCE to 68 CE. Hidden in clay pots across 11 caves, it’s widely accepted that a Jewish mystic sect, the Essenes, authored and preserved these texts.

In 1947, the search for a lost goat led young Bedouin shepherds to a cave in the Judean Desert, untouched for centuries, where they discovered jars containing ancient scrolls. This remarkable find led to a decade-long search, uncovering thousands of scroll fragments from other caves.

Simultaneously, as the search for scrolls continued, archaeologists sought evidence of habitation near the caves to identify who might have placed the scrolls there. Their search led them to the Qumran ruin, a series of buildings on a desolate terrace nestled between the cliffs housing the caves and the Dead Sea. It was here that the Essenes, a community of Jewish ascetics committed to the transcription and preservation of holy texts, resided. They ultimately hid the scrolls in the caves to safeguard them before the Roman destruction of their settlement in 68 CE.

​​Shortly after the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, a combination of historical, paleographic, linguistic analysis, and carbon-14 dating confirmed that both the scrolls and the Qumran site date back to the period from the 3rd century BCE to 68 CE. Originating in the late Second Temple Period, which coincides with the lifetime of Jesus of Nazareth, these texts are nearly a millennium older than any previously known manuscripts of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Crafted from materials like animal skin, papyrus, and even copper, the Dead Sea Scrolls have significantly enriched our understanding of the Bible, illuminating aspects of Judaism and Christianity’s early development. These texts include fragments of every book in the Hebrew Bible—referred to by Christians as the Old Testament—except for Esther which recounts the story of the eponymous Jewish queen of Persia. Scholars theorize that Esther’s absence might be due to the disintegration of its materials over time or because it simply hasn’t been found yet.

Notably, the scrolls contain a complete version of the Book of Isaiah, dating back to the 1st century BCE, making it the oldest manuscript of the Old Testament ever discovered. Beyond canonical texts, the scrolls unveil a wealth of previously unknown hymns, prayers, commentaries, mystical writings, and the oldest version of the Ten Commandments, offering a profound insight into early religious practices and beliefs.

Primarily composed in Hebrew, the Dead Sea Scrolls also feature fragments in the ancient paleo-Hebrew alphabet, believed to have become obsolete by the 5th century BCE. However, a number of fragments are in Aramaic, the vernacular of many Jews from the 6th century BCE until the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE—a language likely spoken by Jesus. Furthermore, the collection includes Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible, catering to Jews who, at the time the scrolls were made, either preferred Greek or used it alongside Hebrew.

Among the scrolls, the Copper Scroll stands out as particularly fascinating. Unlike the rest, which are inked on parchment or animal hides, the Copper Scroll is engraved in Hebrew and Greek on metal sheets, suggesting an attempt to ensure its endurance over time. With its peculiar lexicon and unconventional spelling, the Copper Scroll serves as a kind of ancient treasure map, detailing 64 subterranean locations throughout Israel said to conceal hidden treasures of gold and silver. Despite the detailed descriptions, none of these caches have been found.

In June 1954, an unusual classified advertisement appeared in The Wall Street Journal’s “miscellaneous for sale” section, offering four Dead Sea Scrolls. The ad, concise with just two sentences, described the scrolls as biblical manuscripts dating back to 200 BCE, suggesting they would make an “ideal gift” for an educational or religious institution from an individual or group.

A banker stepped forward to purchase the scrolls for $250,000. However, his intention wasn’t to keep them; he aimed to assist the son of a deceased Israeli archaeologist, ensuring the scrolls would be transferred to the Israeli Museum.

The majority of the Dead Sea Scrolls are now stored in the Shrine of the Book, part of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Initially, access to the scrolls, or even their photographs, was severely limited to a handful of scholars. While the original seven scrolls had been translated and published, the remainder were closely guarded.

This changed in 1991 when a suburban library near Los Angeles revealed it possessed 3,000 photograph negatives of the scrolls, opening up access to scholars globally despite criticisms that the photographs were acquired improperly. Thanks to this bold move, translations of the scrolls are now widely available in multiple languages, making it possible for those without knowledge of ancient Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic to explore these ancient texts.