The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947 within 11 caves close to the site of an ancient settlement, Qumran. It was originally assumed that the Essenes, a Jewish sect, living in Qumran, were the authors of the scrolls as ritual bathes were uncovered in Qumran, and many of the teachings in the scrolls are consistent with the social standards of Essene culture. However, excavation done at Qumran in recent years indicates that the pools, once thought to be ritual bathes, may actually have been used for the manufacturing of pottery. In addition to this, writing on new archeological evidence found in Jerusalem is written in the same code as that which the scrolls were written in. These discoveries gave rise to a new theory, that the scrolls were written not in Qumran, but Jerusalem and transported to their final location by priests, after the position of high priest was assumed by the king. Yet another theory is that the scrolls were brought to Qumran by groups of Jews escaping from Jerusalem after the Roman siege. Chemical analysis of the pottery, which housed the scrolls, shows that only half of it was actually made locally. Despite these new discoveries, however, some experts still agree with the original theory, arguing that the scrolls all share a common theme. Ultimately, no matter their origin, the scrolls offer important insight into Judaism during the first century.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/07/100727-who-wrote-dead-sea-scrolls-bible-science-tv/
Emily L. Period 1
3 comments:
It is fascinating how history is always changing due to new information that is discovered. This is a great example of how there is rarely an universally agreed upon idea in history because different historians believe in different ideas. The Dead Sea Scrolls are a great source of insight into the life of the Jews in the first century.
This article was very interesting to read. I thought it was fascinating how the Dead Sea Scrolls were thought to have been written by a Jewish sect living in the Qumran but now recent evidence shows that the Dead Sea Scrolls were actually written in Jerusalem. Even though new evidence suggests they were written in Jerusalem, the Dead Sea Scrolls still give historians helpful clues to the culture of the Jewish people and how they once lived.
This article was very interesting to read. I thought it was fascinating how the Dead Sea Scrolls have always been thought to have been written by a Jewish sect living in the Qumran but recent evidence shows that the Dead Sea Scrolls were actually written in Jerusalem. Even thought new evidence suggests they were written in Jerusalem, the Dead Sea Scrolls still give historians helpful clues to the culture of the Jewish people and how they lived.
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