sign in sign up
<<
Home , 4Q246, Copper Scroll, Isaiah scroll

The Scrolls

A Seven Chapter Series

by Charlene Scott Myers New cave found t was a dry, horribly hot day when my companions, Ifive women and two men, and I journeyed in a van years ago from to the wilderness of Judea and its Dead Sea. As we strolled beside the salty sea, the sands that sprayed our sandals stung like embers of fire. We shaded our faces from the boiling sun as we stared at the listless water and nearby rocky caves, whose giant holes peered at us like the blackest of eyes. Those caves are famous because fragments of ancient scrolls, stuffed in large jars, were hidden 2,000 years ago inside their dark interiors. The Photo by Charlene Scott-Myers huge pots contained manu- scripts of the Book of Isaiah, Near the Dead Sea in older by a thousand years than Israel in the any previously known Hebrew monastery (above), copy of the Old Testament. Jewish monks wrote the Since the last scroll find in Dead Sea Scrolls first 1956, it was believed that only discovered in 1947. 11 caves contained the ancient scrolls. However, on Feb. 9, 2017, it was announced by CNN News that Qumran Cave 12 had been discovered by an interna- tional team of archaeologists Oren Gutfeld said. Cave was found 73 years ago row on each side of the dark from Hebrew University of That recent finding included during the summer of 1947, cave. The scrolls inside the Jerusalem in Israel and Liberty the storage jars in which the when a young shep- jars--discovered by a humble University in Virginia. scrolls and their covering had herd boy, Muhammad Adh- shepherd boy—turned out to A number of jars, lids, flint been hidden, a leather strap Dhib, climbed up the steep be priceless, dating back 2,000 blades, arrowheads, and a for binding scrolls, a cloth crags to bring down his goat years. stamp seal made of carnelian, that wrapped the scrolls, and that had wandered away. The And so it all began. a semi-precious stone from the a piece of worked leather that goat took shelter inside one of Below the scroll cave, lo- Second period, were was part of a scroll. the caves, and the boy threw cated on a plateau near the found hidden in niches along “The important discovery a stone into the opening to Northwest shore of the Dead the walls of Cave 12 and inside of another scroll cave attests startle the animal out. The Sea, my companions and I a long tunnel at its rear. to the fact that a lot of work stone made a “plunk” sound explored the remains of the “Although no scroll was remains to be done in the as it pitched into one of the Qumran monastic commu- found, and instead we only Judean Desert, and finds of pots. nity of Jewish men, who many found a piece of parchment huge importance still are Curious about the sound historians and archeologists rolled up in a jug that was be- waiting to be discovered,” and eager to retrieve his goat, believe were the . ing processed for writing, the said Israel Hasson, Director- the boy struggled up the giant Some people believe in- findings indicate beyond any General of the Israel Antiqui- rocks to the cave. Once inside stead that they were the doubt that the cave contained ties Authority. he noticed seven or eight jars, Zealots known as the Sicarii, scrolls that were stolen,” Dr. The first Dead Sea Scroll some with lids, standing in a political assassins who killed 1 persons sympathetic to Rome. But the population of 600,000 Jews, according plined life and turned away many men Jews who lived severe lives of penance to Roman senator and historian Tacitus. whom they thought would be unable and prayer near both the Dead Sea and The Greek Antonius Felix was appointed or unworthy to live such a harsh life of the high mountain caves were deeply procurator, and according to Roman fasting and prayer. religious. It’s difficult to believe that men historian Tacitus, Felix indulged “in every The monks spent years patiently writ- living in the monastic community could kind of barbarity and lust.” ing portions of scripture onto parchment be murderers. “Law and order began to break down or papyrus, and engraved onto one cop- These Jews at Qumran may have fled all through the land,” wrote Chaim Potok per scroll. The Dead Sea scrolls include Jerusalem to escape persecution when in his book “Wanderings, History of the more than 800 documents, including the Maccabean Revolt of 168 B.C. arose. Jews.” Biblical texts, hymns, and even recipes The cruel Greek ruler Antiochus Epiph- Later, the in Jerusalem from the Second Temple period 530 B.C. anes had attempted to force a Hellenistic caught fire around the same day that the to 70 A.D. It is believed that these monks civilization on the Jews. first temple was destroyed nearly 700 hid their manuscripts in the nearby Or, perhaps the Jews arrived in the years previously. It was not known if the . desert during the reign of John Hyranus fire was an accident or deliberately set The scrolls were written with ink on (135-104 B.C.), ending shortly before the by the then Roman emperor Titus. parchment or leather. One scroll was destruction of Jerusalem by Romans in Many thousands of Jews died in battles composed on , and this scroll has A.D. 70 (as foretold by Jesus). with the Romans, and one pious Jew was been popular through the years because Many archeologists believe the Es- burned to death, wrapped in the scrolls it is a “treasure map,” listing areas in Israel senes wrote the first scrolls discovered by he had written. So it is not surprising that where buried treasure from the Jewish the shepherd boy, as well as the hundreds Jews fled into the wilderness, as “The Temple in Jerusalem was hidden. Several of scrolls found later in other nearby burden of Roman rule grew intolerable,” expeditions to these sites have failed to caves. The Essenes may have hid the Potok wrote. turn up any treasure. scrolls in the caves because they feared The Qumran sect whose members The longest of all the scrolls, more for their lives and wanted to protect what lived by the Dead Sea was led by a man than 26 feet, was from Cave 11. But they had written for future generations of called the . fragments from one scroll of the first righteous believers in the One God. His followers referred to themselves as five books of the Hebrew are After decades of persecution, thou- the Children of Light (considering their estimated to have originated from a sands of Jews fled Roman controlled enemies the Children of Darkness). 98-foot scroll. Jerusalem, which at one time had a Members of the sect lived a strict, disci-

The monks spent years patiently writing portions of scripture onto parchment or papyrus, and engraved onto one . The Dead Sea scrolls include more than 800 documents, including Biblical texts, hymns, and even recipes from the Second Temple period 530 B.C. to 70 A.D. It is believed that these monks hid their manuscripts in the nearby Qumran caves.

2 The ‘Talking Scrolls’ of yesteryear

At left is the “Copper Scroll”.

n the long ago world–more and the temple service. cleanliness. poverty in their ancient settle- than 2,000 years before 6. Purifications, consisting It is not known exactly when ment close to the rocky caves Icomputers, I-phones, print- of laws regarding ritual un- the Essenes headed into the where more than 900 scrolls ed books, TV, and radio--the cleanness. hot sands and dry air of the someday would be found. scholar Rabbi Judah the Prince So, if you were Jewish, and Judean desert. They may have The Essenes are credited created a legal canon for the you wanted to learn more fled Jerusalem when the Jews by most archeologists as the Jews. about these topics, all you had revolted against the Romans authors of the manuscripts. People did not read this to do was listen to a voice in in A.D. 66, or after the burn- Even Historia Naturalis, writ- canon, they heard it. your town reciting the “talk- ing in 70 A.D. of their beloved ten by historian Pliny in A.D. As author Chaim Potok ing scrolls” for all to hear – or Second Temple in Jerusalem, 77, describes a community points out in his book Wander- go searching for a large stone where they and their ancestors of men living on the western ings, History of the Jews, “In on which were inscribed the had worshipped for more than shores of the Dead Sea, north the very ancient world, you cherished rules and beliefs of 500 years. of the oasis of En-gedi. published a work by reading it the pious Jews. It has been speculated that After being hidden and aloud in public or by inscribing Later, scribes and rabbis John the Baptist was at one forgotten for 2,000 years, the it on a stone which you placed would submit the contents time an Essene, although he first scroll and several fragile in a public area.” of these “spoken scrolls” to lived after most of the scrolls fragments were discovered The good Rabbi Judah col- publishers, who employed were written. Jesus also has in 1947 by a 15-year-old lected the traditions and many copyists. Thus hundreds been labeled an Essene by Bedouin shepherd whose beliefs of the past, and added or thousands of scrolls could some, but most of the scrolls goat had wandered away and to them the rules of his and be produced – and the talking probably were composed 100 scrambled up into one of the his father’s generations. He scrolls became a thing of the years before his birth. caves. The teenager, Muham- divided this accumulation past, putting the “talkers” out Another fact that debunks mad Adh-Dhib, belonged to the of rules and beliefs into six of business. these speculations is that the Ta’amireh tribe, which roamed categories that became the There were different fac- Essene monks shunned outsid- the wilderness of the Judean “talking scrolls.” tions of the Jews: the Saddu- ers and uncleanliness, while desert between the Dead Sea 1. Seeds, having to do with cees, composed of the wealthy both Jesus and John welcomed and nearby . agricultural matters. priestly class who claimed strangers and even lepers who The boy threw a rock into 2. Festival, regarding laws descent from the high priest sought to be baptized and live the cave where his goat was pertaining to the Sabbath and of King David; the Pharisees, more righteous lives worship- hiding, and heard a “plunk” as holidays. a group of religious teachers, ing the One, True God. the stone hit something that 3. Women, concerning mar- whose followers came from After they left Jerusalem, sounded like pottery. It was riage, family life, and divorce, the lower classes of the city the Essenes established a com- a large jar, and inside of it the 4. Damages, explaining buy- and countryside, and the Es- munity at Qumran near the boy found several handwritten ing, selling, injuries, real estate, senes, a pious sect of Second Dead Sea. (The , scrolls of parchment. courts, witnesses, idolatry, and Temple who fled from in which Jesus was baptized, The scrolls’ discovery nearly the effects of erroneous legal Jerusalem into the wilderness flows through Israel and the 2,000 years after they were decisions near the Dead Sea to worship Sea of Galilee, and empties into hidden was called the “archae- 5. Sacred matters, dealing God while living strict lives the Dead Sea.) The Qumran ological find of the century.” with sacrifices, dietary laws, of fasting, prayer, and ritual sect of Essenes lived in strict Since then, 11 more scroll 3 “In the very ancient world, you published a work by reading it aloud in public or by inscribing it on a stone which you placed in a public area.”

Photo by Charlene Scott-Myers Above is a view of the Jordan River in Israel at the spot where Jesus was thought to have been baptized. The Jordan River feeds into the Dead Sea. caves containing thousands of priest studied the scrolls for monks might retrieve them at East Jerusalem. fragments have been found, many years. a later date. The authors of the Dead the small and larger pieces A Bethlehem antiques dealer “The Copper Scroll is not Sea scrolls were unidentified, sorted by archeologists and sold four scrolls for $100 Biblical; it may be a temple referring to themselves as placed together like puzzles to in 1947, but he received inventory,” wrote Millar Bur- “The Sons of Light” and “the form whole or partial scrolls. $105,000 for the rows in his book “The Dead Sea Community.” Father de Vaux Written in both Hebrew and from Cave Eleven from the Is- Scrolls.” The Copper Scroll had was convinced, however, that around 135 B.C., the raeli government in 1967 after to be cut into pieces in order the monks living near the Dead scrolls are among the oldest the Six Day War. The Temple to read and preserve it. Sea caves were the obvious manuscripts ever discovered. Scroll is the longest of all the Perhaps the monks removed authors of the library of scrolls They include versions of 23 scrolls, measuring 26 feet long, the treasure from the Jerusa- discovered. of the 24 books of the Old according to “The Dead Sea lem temple before they fled “The most exciting discovery Testament, some predating Scrolls, Unlocking the Secrets to the Dead Sea prior to an ex- occurred when scroll Cave other surviving Hebrew texts of the Scriptures.” pected attack. The monks may Three was discovered north by 1,000 years. Some scroll But it has been estimated have chosen copper for this of the first cave,” John -Alle Biblical texts are more than from fragments that a 98-foot special scroll as it would have gro, secretary of the Dead Sea 1,000 years older than any scroll of the first five books been less likely to disintegrate Scrolls fund, noted in his book previously found. The only of the Hebrew Bible once than parchment. And in 2,000 “The Dead Sea Scrolls.” book not included was the existed! years it did not fall apart as the “The roof had fallen in, but Book of Esther. The Copper Scroll is unique parchment scrolls did. the remains of 40 jars and 26 A Biblical scholar from Hol- because its words were en- After the 1948 war between lids testified to the possibility land, Father J.P.M. van der graved instead of written with the young state of Israel and of there having once been Ploeg, was the first to identify ink. This scroll was found the Arabs, an international a large library stored in the the largest scroll as the Book in Cave Three in 1953 near team of archaeologists led cave.” of Isaiah, the most famous Qumran, and contains a list of by Father , a intact scroll, found hidden in locations where and silver Jesuit priest from France, was the first cave. This Catholic are hidden, possibly so that the formed to study the scrolls in 4 Discovery at Israel’s ‘Masada’ ears ago, I visited Ma- the Dead Sea Scrolls were Si- to ingratiate himself with rul- dangerous Snake Path up sada—golden in the carii, known to attack persons ers of the Flavian dynasty of Masada carrying their heavy Ymorning sun--in south- friendly with the Romans in Romans in Israel. weapons. And there was no ern Israel’s Judean Desert, not Jerusalem. More voices claim wrote the history of the Jews, room for their mammoth bat- far from the Dead Sea and the that the Qumran monks were but he later became a Christian tering rams and huge siege dark caverns where the first non-violent, holy men, how- and a bishop. tower that opened into a plank Dead Sea Scrolls were found. ever. The video about Masada on which the Romans could One of the hottest places on The 960 zealot Jews who fled claimed it was unbelievable climb. The Jews made it even earth, Masada is the address to the fortifications at Masada that Josephus knew so much more dangerous by sending of a fascinating ancient high also have been described as about the 900 Jews’ painful massive stones plummeting rise: a gigantic mesa with a Sicarii, however they were not discussions prior to their deci- down upon the Romans to palace brilliantly designed and violent until forced to defend sion to commit suicide in order part their wavy black hair. built on its rocky three tiers by themselves. After the Roman to escape the Romans, who Under the frustrated com- King Herod the Great. siege and fall of Jerusalem in had built a high wall surround- mand of General Silva, the Ro- It was Jonathan the high 70 AD (which had been fore- ing Masada. mans finally conceived a plan priest who first built a fortress told by Jesus: “Not one stone But in his book Josephus to erect an enormous siege on the plateau and named will be left on another….”), the himself addressed that issue, ramp fashioned of stones it Masada, but Herod also Jewish zealots at Masada were reminding his readers that two and dried mud. This ramp al- designed the beautiful harbor the last of the Jews whom the women and five children had lowed their soldiers to reach and town of Caesarea, visited Romans sought to conquer in hidden in a cistern at Masada the top of Masada with their by Jesus. 73 AD. These Jews also were after they heard the Jewish swords and massive machines Several ancient scrolls were devout religious men and leaders debate and decide to of death that hurled fire and discovered at Masada, not too women. The Qumran monks kill their wives and children- stones larger than grapefruit surprising due to the mesa’s and the Jewish zealots all had -and then kill themselves--to down upon the Jews. close proximity to the Dead fled the beauty of Jerusalem to escape capture by the cruel It took the Romans four Sea and its caves that housed save their lives and souls in the and vicious Romans. years to finish the massive thousands of hidden remnants stark and steaming desert. Now we learn from Jose- ramp, which was built with the of scrolls for 2,000 years. The Jews inhabited Ma- phus himself what he wrote sweat and pain of thousands Herod, although of Jewish sada for only four years after about that: of Jewish slaves who had been heritage, was not popular the Romans laid siege to the “It seems as if that philo- captured in towns attacked by with the Jews. They hated desert outpost. During those sophic lady who survived the Romans. him, and he knew it, so he long years, the defenders of remembered the substances The Jews at Masada were chose Masada as his refuge in Masada could look down into of these discourses, as spoken able to survive due to the case the Jews rose up against the valley below and watch by Eleazar [leader of the Jews massive amount of preserved him. The paranoid Herod Jewish slaves laboring in the at Masada], and so Josephus food stored in vessels in two took even more drastic steps sweltering sun to construct clothed them in his own words enormous storehouses built against his family, ordering enormous camps for the Ro- that he wrote.” on Masada by King Herod’s his three sons murdered, his man warriors, as well as a huge Josephus believed this workers. On the jars were once beloved wife Mariamne ramp up to Masada. We saw woman who heard the tragic inscriptions such as “crushed poisoned to death, and her the outlines of one camp from discussions of whether the pressed figs,” “pressed figs,” brother drowned at . Masada 2,000 years later, and Jews should allow themselves and “dried figs.” (They ate a It was dangerous to be re- travelers still trek up the ramp to be captured by the Romans, lot of figs!) lated to Herod. There was to Masada today. who would attack their wives, In 1909, archeologists stud- a saying in Rome that it was You can read about Masada in murder their children, and ied, mapped and excavated “safer to be a pig than a rela- “The Works of Josephus,” a 930- enslave the survivors for life. Masada. A century later, the tive of Herod.” page book that weighs almost The Jews agreed that their Jewish Youth Movement of Herod should have stuck as much as I do! The Jewish only means of escape was to Israel and hundreds of other with architecture. He was not historian Flavius Josephus was take the lives of their families volunteers from around the a nice man. born in 37 A.D. of a priestly fam- and end their own lives, rather world helped with additional My husband, Dave, and I ily of the Hasmoneans. He was than submit to slavery. Both excavation. One young man viewed a video about Ma- attached to the Roman army options were tragic. found several scrolls written sada, which claimed that the during the siege of Jerusalem, The Romans were unable 2,000 years ago by the Jewish Qumran monks who wrote and chose the name “Flavius” to navigate the narrow and zealots. 5 Golden Masada: a massive mesa glori- ous in the morning sun, the scene of the Roman assault on Jews who took ref- uge there.

“From an historical view- of the floor in the southern identified as identical with the Another fragment was from point, the most significant of corner of the room were 17 traditional Hebrew version, the “Songs of the Sabbath our discoveries in the rooms silver shekels. “They were in both in wording and division Sacrifices,” identical with the of the casemate wall were un- excellent condition,” Yadin of the Psalms. scroll from Cave Four of Qum- doubtedly the scrolls,” wrote reported. “The inscriptions It was the first time that a ran. Also discovered was , the distinguished in Hebrew, ‘Shekel Israel’ and parchment scroll was not dis- a piece of white leather on Jewish military leader and ‘Jerusalem the Holy,’ were covered in a cave. This scroll which was written the last archaeologist, in his book completely clear.” So were was dated as not later than the chapter of the Book of Psalms, “Masada.” several Hebrew words and year 73 A.D., the year Masada Psalm 150: “Praise Ye the “Our great excitement may letters representing numbers fell. Yadin described this scroll Lord… Praise Him with the be imagined when, only a few such as one to ten. as “almost identical to the text sound of the trumpet!” weeks after we started dig- “At Masada, silver shekels of the Biblical books which we The story of the Jews at ging, we found our first scroll,” were found for the first time [the Jews] use today.” Masada ended tragically when Yadin said. “It was discovered in a systematic archaeological A young man from a kibbutz the men decided to kill their in one of the rooms in the excavation, and in an archaeo- in Israel, one of the many vol- families and themselves, rath- casemate wall. logical stratum clearly belong- unteer workers at the excava- er than succumb to Roman “After clearing more than ing to the period of the revolt,” tion, found a scroll from the slavery. six feet of debris, we got down Yadin explained. Book of Leviticus at Masada. It was heartbreaking for close to the floor. The room The first scroll discovered at The text on another fragment each father to bestow hugs had not been burned [as were Masada was three feet away was exactly the same as the and farewell kisses on his be- several rooms on Masada from the shekels. It was a text of a scroll discovered at loved wife and children, and by the Romans], and it con- fragment from the Book of Qumran’s Cave Four! then to slay them in order to tained a large collection of Psalms, and the parchment One fragment appeared save them from the pain and vessels, cloth, mats, baskets, was black and creased. But to have been cut and torn, degradation of a lifetime of and leather articles…. Then the archeologist was able perhaps intentionally by the slavery. came the first serious find, to identify the chapters: the Roman garrison. Josephus This tale of Masada, its his- important not only in itself, scroll section ran from Psalm wrote that “Roman soldiers tory and its ancient scrolls, but also in relation to the 81 to Psalm 85. And with the persecuted Jews by tearing would echo down the centuries other finds.” help of infra-red photogra- books of the Bible before their and never be forgotten. Strewn over a small area phy, the text of this scroll was eyes.”

6 Seeing the Scrolls have written several stories Discovered by a young about the Dead Sea scrolls Bedouin boy in 1947 when I since I floated years ago in his goat scampered up the the sea’s thickly salt-clogged rocks and into one of the waters, looking up at the cliff caves, the huge pots we saw caves where the scrolls were at the museum contained found in Israel. manuscripts of the Book of But never did I think I actually Isaiah, older by a thousand would see the scrolls with my years than any previously own eyes, which happened known Hebrew copy of the recently when my husband Dave Old Testament! The Book and I visited an exhibit of 10 of 20 of Isaiah is one of the more scrolls displayed at the Denver common Dead Sea scroll Museum of Nature and Science texts. in downtown Denver. (The other The dawn of civilization 10 scrolls were displayed at a arose in the region of Israel different time.) more than a million years ago Among the ancient pieces of pottery from Israel displayed The scrolls had never before and became the birthplace of at the Denver museum were huge collared-rim storage jars been on public display, and span some of the world’s leading called “Pithos,” dating from the Iron Age I (11th century nearly 185 years, with copies religions. There are more than BCE). These enormous pots were found in the remains of made as early as 125 BCE. The 30,000 known archaeological four-room houses in Canaan’s central hill country. is one of the latest sites throughout Israel, a copies discovered. tiny sliver of land that can be The building was clogged with crossed by car from top to the curious public, but a kindly bottom in only four hours! man from the museum gave T h e D e n v e r m u s e u m us a private tour, explaining featured 2,000-year-old the history of each scroll on parchments and scraps of display as we strolled past these parchments found in Israel’s remains of antiquity. caves above the Dead Sea The scrolls had been written between 1947 and 1956. and stuffed into large jars by Following their discovery, religious men—Essene monks— historians in the 1950s pieced a sect of the scraps back together who fled the attacks of Jews and using cellophane tape. others in Jerusalem and lived in The majority of the scrolls a desert community they named are non-Biblical, representing Qumran that was destroyed religious legal writings, prayer in 68 CE (Christian Era). More texts and predictions of a than 900 remarkably preserved This is an early Eucharist press used by Christians to make future apocalypse. Even scrolls were recovered. Communion wafers for Mass. recipes are included among During my visit to Israel, some the scrolls! of my companions and I climbed The dawn of civilization arose in the region of Some 1,200 silver shekels the huge rocks leading up to one Israel more than a million years ago and became (coins) were unearthed at of the caves and peered into the the birthplace of some of the world’s leading Qumran, and many copies darkest darkness I’ve ever seen. religions. There are more than 30,000 known of the Book of Isaiah were Of course, there were no pots or archaeological sites throughout Israel, a tiny discovered in the caves. A few parchment of any sort left inside sliver of land that can be crossed by car from top were on display at the exhibit, the cave. to bottom in only four hours! as were a pair of leather sandals worn by one of the

7 Seeing the Scrolls

Date: 100–1 BC; Language: Hebrew Among the oldest known copies of Genesis, the fragment of the Scroll shown here contains the description of the first three days of the creation of the world. It reads: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The Denver museum featured 2,000-year-old parchments and scraps of parchments And the earth was formless found in Israel’s caves above the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1956. Following their and void; and darkness was discovery, historians in the 1950s pieced the scraps back together using cellophane upon the face of the deep; tape. Today, they are housed in environmentally controlled cases through which And the spirit of God moved they can be viewed. An ancient pot is at the center. upon the face of the waters.” — Genesis 1:1–2

Jewish rebels who fought in at the Denver museum were the “Pierced ” text, this small part of Israel that vain against Roman forces huge collared-rim storage jars which refers to a Messiah looks like Paradise, and we and chose to kill their families called “Pithos,” dating from from the Branch of David have named a picnic area in and themselves rather than the Iron Age I (11th century (whom we know as our Savior our backyard “Ein Gedi!). The surrender at the nearby BCE). These enormous pots Jesus Christ), and also to a land changing hands in Israel desert fortress of Masada in were found in the remains of judgment and a killing, both was owned by the government 73 CE. four-room houses in Canaan’s of which He experienced. of Simeon Bar Kokhba, leader The Jewish religious men central hill country. One Hebrew scroll on of the Second Jewish Revolt at Qumran believed the last As for the scrolls on parchment includes as many against the Romans (132-135 days were coming at any time, exhibit at the museum, 27 as 51 psalms, but their order CE). The document refers to and readied themselves by percent were written in does not correspond to Bar Kokhba as the “Prince of prayer, study and cleanliness, Greek, although 10 scrolls the present version of the Israel.” bathing twice a day in small were copies of the Hebrew Hebrew Bible, and the scroll One parchment, the book of pools of water. Qumran was community’s writings. NASA contains psalms not found in Enoch, was written in Aramaic destroyed in 68 CE (Christian has a digital library where the present version. and found in Cave 4, dating Era), but when we visited the a digitized process allows The text names King David back to between 100 and 50 area, we walked among the viewers to “see writings we as author of the psalms, BCE. Enoch is mentioned in rooms of its stony remains never could see before.” reinforcing his reputation as the book of Genesis, where as we did at the better A discovery made in Cave 4 in the greatest of poets! he is reported to “Walk with preserved mountain fortress 1952 produced a “War Rule,” One scroll contains a lease God,” as we all would like to of Masada. a six-line fragment, known agreement belonging to walk. Among the ancient pieces of as the Sefer ha-Milhamah, Eliezer ben Shmuel, a farmer pottery from Israel displayed commonly referred to as who lived in Ein Gedi. (I visited

8 Scrolls foretold the coming of the “He shall be called the Son of the Great [God], and by his name shall he be hailed as the Son of God, and they shall call him Son of the Most High.” -- Text , Dead Sea Scrolls

ne text of the Dead nearby mountainous areas, other objects, while 25 B.C. to A.D. 68,” Davis Sea Scrolls, which but had left the rougher caves held pottery of the wrote. “The Romans had a Oare 1,000 years older country near the Dead Sea same type as that found in garrison there between A.D. than any other extant and the high mountain the original cave. A dozen 68 and 86, and the final manuscripts, specifically fortress of Masada that or more caves contained occupation at the site was is a prophecy of the days was King Herod’s refuge as manuscript fragments. by Jewish insurgents in the to come of Jesus and His the last to be attacked and My husband Dave and I second war against Rome teachings. conquered. saw several ancient pots (A.D. 132-135).” Text number 4Q246 (The oldest Hebrew text and clay dishes from Israel Those last insurgents reads: prior to the 1947 Dead Sea at the recent scrolls exhibit killed themselves and “He shall be called the Scroll discoveries was the in Denver. (The pots and their families rather than Son of the Great [God], and Ben Asher Text located in dishes looked almost surrender to the Romans by his name shall he be Jerusalem and Bethlehem.) identical to Frankoma ware and become their slaves for hailed as the Son of God, When they learned of the that is created and sold in life. and they shall call him Son great monetary value of the Oklahoma!) One-fourth of all the of the Most High. (See BAR Dead Sea Scrolls, , One of the larger wadis scrolls and fragments found Magazine, March/April archaeologists, scholars, in Israel is found at Wadi in the caves were copies 1990, page 24). and just plain thieves began Qumran, which we visited. of different books of the According to John J. to ravage the caves along It is situated next to a site Hebrew Old Testament, and Davis, author of “The Dead the northwest shores of the that formerly contained every book in the Hebrew Sea Scrolls,” this is the first Dead Sea, surely dunking many ruins. Once thought canon is represented time that the expression themselves into the murky to be the remains of a among the scrolls, except “Son of God” has been and sticky sea in the horrible Roman fort, this site now is for the book of Esther. found in a Palestinian text heat, and later selling the known as Khirbet Qumran Parts of books such as outside of the Bible. scraps (which most of them or “ruins of Qumran.” Deuteronomy, Isaiah, the A Catholic Dominican could neither read nor We walked around and Minor Prophets or the priest, Father Roland de decipher). among those ancient Psalms were found in more Vaux, joined G.L. Harding in Davis reported that stones, whose rooms had than ten copies. The Book excavating Khribet Qumran “Expeditions were launched been occupied as long ago of Job was written in the between 1951 and 1956. into various valleys or as the end of the second normal square Hebrew “Evidence from this small ‘wadis,’ dry creeks or river century B.C. to A.D. 68. characters called paleo- village indicates the Dead beds with hills on either Large stone remains of a Hebrew script, and in Sea Scrolls were copied side, along the west shore long, narrow room were Aramaic translation. there,” Davis wrote. “The of the Dead Sea,” (where thought to be the dining Among the Jews at inhabitants – most likely their footprints and mine and prayer room of the Qumran, the most popular the Jewish sect known as from visiting there many monks who had occupied scripture was the Book of the Essenes – hid the scrolls years later were washed the site and worshipped Daniel. in nearby caves when they away with the tide.) there, having fled from the Davis reported that learned of the approach of A total of 230 caves were Romans when they attacked “No fewer than eight the Roman army.” explored by archaeologists Jerusalem. manuscripts of the book The hated Romans had after the original finds. “A religious community were found in three ravaged Jerusalem and the About 40 of these caves lived at the site from the different caves.” many smaller villages in the contained pottery and end of the second century “The most spectacular 9 The texts were discovered in caves in the canyons above the Dead Sea, rolled up and placed in clay jars such as these that were on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Photo by Dave Myers

discovery among the Dead is historical evidence Jericho. to care much for women. Sea caves was a complete that similar scrolls and Here are some more The historian Josephus, scroll of the book of Isaiah manuscripts had been facts that you can file whom I have quoted many in Hebrew that measured discovered in the region away for future use: three- times in other articles, did 24 feet long,” he added. much earlier,” Davis wrote. fourths of the Dead Sea write about the Essenes, “The text of this Old Bishop Epiphanius of manuscripts include the whom he hardly could Testament book (about 100 Salamis, fourth century A.D. Apocrypha (14 books in the ignore since at one time B.C.) was very much like the refers to Old Testament Greek , but not there were 4,000 of them Ben Asher Text of A.D. 926. manuscripts in Hebrew and in the Hebrew Canon), the living along the northwest “This fact gave scholars Greek found concealed in Pseudepiographa (books shore of the Dead Sea, confidence that the clay jars near Jericho in A.D. that were falsely ascribed where I went for a float translation of the book of 217. to Old Testament writers), among the chunks of salt. Isaiah, which appears in our lived from and commentaries on Recently it came to light modern English translations the third to the fourth books of the Old Testament that the head of a Jewish and is based on the Ben century A.D. and referred such as Habakkuk, which sect had written a letter to Asher text, is a reliable to the discovery of the dates to 25 B.C. – and a king or priest in 160 B.C. one.” manuscripts found in the sadly for readers has had The letter cited 22 matters Surprisingly, Davis large jars. the bottoms of many of its on which the sect disagreed revealed something that I Then in the eighth columns eaten away! with mainstream Judaic never have read previously century A.D., Timothy I, The Dead Sea Scroll thought. in my studies of the Dead who was the patriarch monks also wrote a rather So, some scholars now Sea Scrolls. of the Nestorian Church, severe piece of literature believe the people at “As noteworthy as the recorded the fact that called the “Manual of Qumran may have been Dead Sea finds were in “more than 200 psalms of Discipline,” dating back to rather than 1947 and following, there David” were found near 100 B.C. They didn’t seem Essenes.

When they learned the great monetary value of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Bedouins, archaeologists, scholars, and just plain thieves began to ravage the caves along the northwest shores of the Dead Sea, surely dunking themselves into the murky and sticky sea in the horrible heat, and later selling the scraps (which most of them could neither read nor decipher).

10 Catholic priest instrumental in piecing together story of the Dead Sea Scrolls n expedition to search the first cave where Dead Sea Scrolls Awere discovered in Israel by a shepherd boy in the summer of 1947 began a fortnight after the rediscovery of the cave. Joining in the exciting venture to explore the biggest archaeological discovery ever found in Palestine was a Catholic priest, Father Roland De Vaux, O.P. of the French School of Archaeology in Jerusalem. Part of the discovered cache came immediately into the hands of a museum, and Father De Vaux was one of the trustees. “The trustees, only one of whom, Father Roland De Vaux, O.P., can claim any competence in reading or Father Roland De Vaux, OP, studies samples from the ruins of Qumran. appreciating the significance of these About 1,000 yards southeast of the cave, [Father Roland De most important and controversial documents–apparently began offering Vaux, OP, and Lancaster Harding of the Jordanian Department the publication and exhibition rights to of Antiquities] discovered the ruins of Qumran, the monastery the highest bidders,” wrote John Allegro of the monks who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. in his book “The Dead Sea Scrolls, a Reappraisal.” was common in antiquity. Allegro said “has probably accounted The priest joined Lancaster Harding of “In his report on the archaeology of for a reduction of at least a centimeter the Jordanian Department of Antiquities the First Cave, Father De Vaux recalls in Father De Vaux’s patriarchal beard, in official excavations of the scrolls instances from the time of Rameses III which he is apt to chew in moments of on Feb. 15, 1949. The excavations down to an Arab letter of the eighth mental stress.” continued until March 5. The two or ninth century of our era where Allegro praised both Father De Vaux men’s work yielded shards and linen the practice is referred to,” explained and Harding. scroll wrappings “and a few pieces of Allegro. “Now, thanks to the skillful work of inscribed leather.” (Scrolls were written While excavating the first cave in the Harding and De Vaux and their teams, on parchment, papyrus, leather and one spring of 1949, Father De Vaux and the visitor can walk again through was even scratched onto copper.) Harding searched for any evidence that rooms and passages of the monastery.” Father De Vaux and Harding also humans had lived nearby when the Father De Vaux joined Harding again found the first fragment recovered from scrolls were written. About 1,000 yards in January 1952 on an official excavation Qumran (where the scroll caves were southeast of the cave, they discovered of the Murabba’at caves of the Wady located by the Dead Sea), written in the ruins of Qumran, the monastery Murabba’at, a great gorge of water east the old proto-Hebraic or “Phoenician” of the monks who wrote the Dead Sea of Bethlehem until it enters the Dead characters. This fragment represented Scrolls. Sea. part of the text of Leviticus. The ruins remained untouched until A priest by the name of Father J. T. The Essenne monks who wrote the Father De Vaux and Harding made a Milik discovered what has been called Dead Sea Scrolls hid them in large trial sounding in 1949, digging up two of “the most amazing documentary find jars in the nearby caves because they the tombs in an adjacent cemetery of a from the pre-Roman period,” a papyrus feared an invasion of Romans who thousand graves, which were presumed which Father Milik identified as sixth would destroy the scrolls, as they had to date from pre-Islamic days. century. On it are written Jewish names destroyed Jerusalem. The practice of The monastery area included a like Josephus, Jesus, Saulus, and Simon. storing scrolls in jars for safekeeping complex water system, which author 11 In the language of Jesus ost of the Dead Sea Scrolls documents, named the Dead Sea discovered in 12 caves at Wadi Scrolls, were found some 40 years MQumran near the Dead Sea in ago near the Dead Sea in cliff caves Israel 72 years ago between 1946 and of the ancient settlement of monks at 1956 were written in Hebrew, but a Qumran. few were found inscribed in Aramaic, a Aramaic texts represent between 10 popular language during the lifetime of and 13 percent of the Qumran finds, Jesus. “depending on how you collect, count, Hebrew was the language of Israeli and configure the epic jigsaw puzzle scripture and culture, but Aramaic was that is the Dead Sea Scrolls,” Perrin the official language of the ancient Near explained. East, as Andrew B. Perrin described it in But it was not until 2009 that the the September/October issue of Biblical last of the Aramaic texts received full, Archaeology Review magazine. critical publication, he reported. According to Perrin, Aramaic “took Aramaic texts of up to 30 literary hold in much of the ancient New East as works were found in the caves at both the official and common tongue, Qumran, where the monks who wrote starting in eighth century B.C.E.” the scrolls resided near the Dead Sea. Aramaic eventually took the place of The community of holy men seemed to the Akkadian language in the region, have preferred to write the majority of According to scholars, Jesus but much of ancient Judaism’s Aramaic their scrolls in their ancestral language spoke a local dialect referred scribal heritage was lost or forgotten. of Hebrew, however. to as Palestinian Jewish Exceptions were imperial messages in “These Aramaic fragments include Aramaic. The scroll above, Ezra (4:8-6:18; 7:12-26) and also the previously known works (e.g., Daniel written in Aramaic, reads, apocalyptic dreams, visions, and court 2-7 and Tobit), texts that served as in part, “ …But you have stories from the first half of Daniel sources for other Jewish or Christian changed your works, [and ... tran]sgressed against him; (2:4b-6:18; 7:12-26). compositions in antiquity (e.g., the (and have spoken) haughty Hebrew was the official language Aramaic Levi Document and the Book of and harsh words, with your of the Jews, but Aramaic words and Giants), and completely new materials impure mouths, [against phrases were to be found scattered (e.g. Visions of Amram and Prayer of his majesty, for your heart within the Hebrew Bible. Aramaic could Nabonidus (king of ),” Perrin is hard]. You will have no be read, for example, in Genesis 31:47 wrote. peace.” and in 10:11. Like Perrin, I wonder “Why would Half of the Babylonian and faithful Jewish scribes reflecting on most of the were their ancestral past and expecting the written in some dialect of Aramaic, dramatic arrival of divine rule pen as was the collection of translations their works in Aramaic, their adoptive the Hebrew Bible, but by the Ethiopian in Targumim, which were spoken language, rather than Hebrew, the Orthodox Church in Ge’ez. paraphrases and explanations of the traditional language of their sacred Until 200 BCE, the Dead Sea Scrolls Jewish scriptures that a rabbi would scriptures?” were written in Aramaic and Greek, give in the language of his listeners, Perrin thinks he has the answer. which predate the Ethiopian version. usually the Aramaic language. “Since Aramaic was the lingua franca Perrin stated it best: “In sum, the The Aramaic of the age, perhaps the choice was scribes of the Aramaic texts exhibit from Qumran Cave 1 was among pragmatic: writing in Aramaic meant an exceptional command of ancestral the first discoveries in the Judean that the texts were accessible to traditions, as well as creativity in re- Desert near the Dead Sea. This text communities beyond Judea, including imagining them.” was published in 1955, but the Jewish communities in the Diaspora.” Most people have never read the greater number of Aramaic texts Until the accidental discovery of or heard of Nabonidus “had long remained among the most scrolls by a Bedouin shepherd boy in or read any text in Aramaic. I am understudied materials in the collection 1946, only a few of the 300 or so texts among those people, but we just keep [of Dead Sea Scrolls],” Perrin pointed they contain were preserved through on learning more about Biblical history, out. Christian traditions, including the Book and for me, that’s one of the greatest Fragments of 972 separate of Enoch, which was preserved not in excitements of this life! 12