The Jewish Chronicle
On this day: The Dead Sea Scrolls
February 15 1949: Excavations begin at Qumran
February 15, 2011 17:29
February 15 1949: Excavations begin at Qumran
February 15, 2011 17:29It was the search for a stray goat that prompted one of the most remarkable findings in Jewish history.
Discovered by Bedouin shepherds in 1947, in caves in the Judean desert where they had been buried for 2,000 years, the Dead Sea Scrolls are believed to be the earliest example of biblical Jewish writings.
Dated back to the time of the Second Temple - during the Hasmonean and Herodian dynasties - the around 900 scrolls included apocryphal writings on fragments of parchment and leather. They were written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic.
Although there is some debate about their origin and still many questions about why they were written, most academics believe they originated the Essenes, a devout Jewish sect that followed an ascetic lifestyle and lived in the area at the time.
