Qumran

The Hellenistic period settlement was constructed during the reign of John Hyrcanus , 134-104 BCE or somewhat later, and was occupied most of the time until it was destroyed by the Romans in 68 CE or shortly after. It is best known as the settlement nearest to the hiding place of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves of the sheer desert cliffs and beneath, in the marl terrace. Since the discovery from 1947 to 1956 of nearly 900 scrolls in various conditions, mostly written on parchment , with others on papyrus, extensive excavations of the settlement have been undertaken. Cisterns, Jewish ritual baths, and cemeteries have been found, along with a dining or assembly room and debris from an upper story alleged by some to have been a scriptorium as well as pottery kilns and a tower. Many scholars believe the location to have been home to a Jewish sect , the Essenes being the preferred choice; others have proposed non-sectarian interpretations, some of these starting with the notion that it was a Hasmonean fort which was later transformed into a villa for a wealthy family or a production center, perhaps a pottery factory or similar. A large cemetery was discovered to the east of the site. While most of the graves contain the remains of males, some females were also discovered, though some burials may be from medieval times. Only a small portion of the graves were excavated, as excavating cemeteries is forbidden under Jewish law. Over a thousand bodies are buried at Qumran cemetery. One theory is that bodies were those of generations of sectarians, while another is that they were brought to Qumran because burial was easier there than in rockier surrounding areas. The scrolls were found in a series of eleven caves around the settlement, some accessible only through the settlement. Some scholars have claimed that the caves were the permanent libraries of the sect, due to the presence of the remains of a shelving system. Other scholars believe that some caves also served as domestic shelters for those living in the area. Many of the texts found in the caves appear to represent widely accepted Jewish beliefs and practices, while other texts appear to speak of divergent, unique, or minority interpretations and practices. Some scholars believe that some of these texts describe the beliefs of the inhabitants of Qumran, which, may have been the Essenes, or the asylum for supporters of the traditional priestly family of the Zadokites against the Hasmonean priest/kings. A literary epistle published in the 1990s expresses reasons for creating a community, some of which resemble Sadducean arguments in the Talmud . But an on-site survey came closer to de Vaux's number, Eshel, Hanan, Magen Broshi, Richard Freund, and Brian Schultz. Baumgarten , "The 'Halakha' in Miqsat Ma`ase ha-Torah (MMT)." JAOS 116/3 (1996) 512-516)cautioned against premature suggestions of few Sadducee agreements as if pointing to identity. "Were the Hasmoneans Zadokites?" JBL 124/1 (2005) 73-87 show that matters of "Zadokite" identity are not simple. Also, "Sadducees" in Second Temple Period are not fully identical with Talmudic use of the term. In some scrolls "sons of Zadok" are members of the sect, but not a name for the whole sect.

Qumran ( ; Khirbet Qumran ) is an archaeological site in the West Bank managed by Israel's Qumran National Park. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea , near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalya . The Hellenistic period settlement was constructed during the reign of John Hyrcanus , link BCE or somewhat later, and was occupied most of the time until it was destroyed by the Romans in link CE or shortly after. It is best known as the settlement nearest to the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden), caves in the sheer desert cliffs and beneath, in the marl terrace. The principal excavations at Qumran were conducted by Roland de Vaux in the 1950s, though several later campaigns at the site have been carried out. Israel Nature and Parks Authority .

Archaeological site in the West Bank Qumran ( ; Khirbet Qumran ) is an archaeological site in the West Bank managed by Israel 's Qumran National Park. It is located on a dry marl plateau about 1.5 km (1 mi) from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea , near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalya . The Hellenistic period settlement was constructed during the reign of John Hyrcanus (link BCE ) or somewhat later, , was occupied most of the time until link CE and was destroyed by the Romans possibly as late as 73. It is best known as the settlement nearest to the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden, caves in the sheer desert cliffs and beneath, in the marl terrace. The principal excavations at Qumran were conducted by Roland de Vaux in the 1950s, though several later unearthings at the site have since been carried out. Israel's Nature and Parks Authority took over the site following the end of the 1967 war, when Israel occupied the West Bank and seized Qumran. Israel has since invested heavily in the area to establish the Qumran caves as a site of "uniquely Israeli Jewish heritage".

Archaeological site in the West Bank For other uses, see Qumran (disambiguation) . Qumran ( ; Khirbet Qumran ) is an archaeological site in the West Bank managed by Israel 's Qumran National Park. It is located on a dry marl plateau about 1.5 km (1 mi) from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea , about 10 km (6 mi) south of the historic city of Jericho , and adjacent to the modern Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalya . The Hellenistic period settlement was constructed during the reign of Hasmonean leader John Hyrcanus (134–104 BCE ) or somewhat later. Qumran was inhabited by a Jewish sect of the late Second Temple period , which most scholars identify with the Essenes ; however, other Jewish groups were also suggested. It was occupied most of the time until 68 CE and was destroyed by the Romans during the First Jewish–Roman War , possibly as late as 73 CE. It was later used by Jewish rebels during the Bar Kokhba revolt . Today, the Qumran site is best known as the settlement nearest to the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden, caves in the sheer desert cliffs and beneath, in the marl terrace. The principal excavations at Qumran were conducted by Roland de Vaux in the 1950s, and several later digs have been carried out. Since the 1967 Six-Day War , Qumran has been managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority . The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature (3rd ed.). The identity of the people living at Chirbet Qumran in late Second Temple times is still debated. The majority of scholars favour some kind of Qumran Essene hypothesis.

Archaeological site in the West Bank For other uses, see Qumran (disambiguation) . Qumran ( / ˈ k ʊ m r ɑː n / ; Hebrew : קומראן ; Arabic : خربة قمران Khirbet Qumran ) is an archaeological site in the West Bank managed by Israel 's Qumran National Park. It is located on a dry marl plateau about 1.5 km (1 mi) from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea , about 10 km (6 mi) south of the historic city of Jericho , and adjacent to the modern Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalya . The Hellenistic period settlement was constructed during the reign of Hasmonean leader John Hyrcanus (134–104 BCE ) or somewhat later. Qumran was inhabited by a Jewish sect of the late Second Temple period , which most scholars identify with the Essenes ; however, other Jewish groups were also suggested. It was occupied most of the time until 68 CE and was destroyed by the Romans during the First Jewish–Roman War , possibly as late as 73 CE. It was later used by Jewish rebels during the Bar Kokhba revolt . Today, the Qumran site is best known as the settlement nearest to the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden, caves in the sheer desert cliffs and beneath, in the marl terrace. The principal excavations at Qumran were conducted by Roland de Vaux in the 1950s, and several later digs have been carried out. Since the 1967 Six-Day War , Qumran has been managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority . The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature (3rd ed.). The identity of the people living at Chirbet Qumran in late Second Temple times is still debated. The majority of scholars favour some kind of Qumran Essene hypothesis.