Qumran

Qumran

Where ancient secrets were unearthed

Qumran is an archaeological site on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. In 1947 Bedouin shepherds found ancient scrolls in a nearby cave, and later searches turned up manuscripts in eleven caves in all. They include the oldest known copies of books of the Hebrew Bible, as well as texts of a particular community. Many scholars link them to a Jewish group of the Second Temple period, often identified with the Essenes, though that identification is debated. Some of the scrolls are on display in the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Glossary: Qumran