Are Archaeological Digs Still Going in in Qumran?

In an effort to recover any remnants of the sect that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls, widely believed to be the greatest archaeological discovery of all time, archaeologists continue to achieve FairGo casino login bonanzas in their explorations.

Dead Sea Scrolls

In 1947 seven incredible scrolls were discovered in a cave in Qumran. The scrolls were hidden in jars that dated back to the pre-Common Era period. Some scrolls were in Hebrew while others were in Aramaic or Greek. A few were written on papyrus and the others were written on parchment.

The writings include hundreds of copies of books of the Bible, apocryphal manuscripts (works that were not included in the Jewish biblical canon) and manuscripts that reflected the beliefs of the Jewish sect that lived in the area and followed their own rules regarding the worship of God and the proper way to follow the Torah.

From the first moment that Israeli archaeologists heard about the scrolls they were keenly aware of their importance as documents that could shed light on the history of the Jewish people in ancient times.

The literary treasure is unmeasurable in its ability to allow modern scholars to learn more about the Land of Israel during the Hellenistic and Roman periods and the origins of rabbinical Judaism. There are some Christians who believe that the scrolls provide information about the origins of Christianity.

Discovery

Three of the first 7 scrolls that were discovered were purchased by Israeli archaeologist E.L. Sukenik. The others found their way to the United States but Sukenik's son, also an archaeologist, succeeded in bringing them back. Between 1949 and 1956 additional scroll fragments were found.

In 2017 the Israel Antiquities Authority launched new excavations in the cave cluster where the existing scrolls were found in an attempt to discover more scrolls. The Authority has been particularly concerned that, if they don't work quickly, thieves will be able to find any remaining scrolls or other remains. To date, more than 500 Israeli and foreign volunteers have participated in the excavation.

The team has found a number of artifacts that date back to the period when the Essenes lived in the region. One of the most remarkable findings was announced this year when Oren Ableman, a member of the Israel Antiquities Authority and a Dead Sea Scrolls scholar announced that they had found a new cache of ancient biblical texts. 'These are tiny scraps,' said Ableman. 'But some of them, we did manage to kind of put a puzzle together.'

Cave of Horrors

Entrance to the Cave of Horrors involves rappelling down 200 feet from a high cliff located above. Speaking to the New York Times, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority Israel Hasson said, 'The desert team showed exceptional courage, dedication and devotion to purpose, rappelling down to caves located between heaven and earth.' They went 'digging and sifting through [the caves], enduring thick and suffocating dust, and returning with gifts of immeasurable worth for mankind.'

Archaeologists first discovered the cave in the 1960s. At that time they discovered nearly 40 skeletons in the cave, a finding that prompted the name 'Cave of Horrors". Historians believe that the skeletons of men, women and children were Jews who had taken refuge in the cave during the Bar Kochba Revolt, a rebellion against the Roman Emperor Hadrian and his legions that occurred between 132 CE and 136 CE. The people likely tried to hold out against the siege of Roman encampments, remains of which were discovered on the cliffs above, but eventually succumbed to starvation.

Scrolls

The scrolls that were found there include about 80 or so fragments that were written in Greek which, says Ableman, is unusual. They included verses from the eighth chapter of Zechariah and a verse from the Book of Nachum, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. The newly discovered bits of parchment appear to be missing sections of a scroll discovered in 1952 in the Cave of Horror.

Ableman explained that the most famous Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible is the Septuagint but the original Septuagint was a translation only of the 5 Books of Moses which was destroyed when the Library of Alexandria was burned in 48 BCE. In this newly-discovered version, the name of God is written in Hebrew script but the rest of the text is in Greek.

Ableman said that he never expected to find more scroll fragments. 'This is something that we hope will also help us gain knowledge that will help us conserve the other scrolls and make sure that they survive much longer,' he said.

Additional Findings

Finds that date back to the Roman era include a cache of coins and arrowheads that were likely used as part of the battles against Roman soldiers as well as cloth fragments, a lice comb, date palm, spear tips, a sandal and seeds.

The cave also revealed an ancient basket that dates back 10,500 years and provides archaeologists with an understanding of how humans stored food before ceramics were invented. The basket is the oldest such basket ever discovered anywhere in the world.

A partially mummified child's skeleton was also found that dates back 6000 years and jars from prehistoric times.

Important Archaeological Site

The Dead Sea Scrolls are the acknowledged greatest archaeological find of the last 100 years – maybe of all time. They presently include 15,000 scroll fragments including texts that are remarkably similar to today's Old Testament text. Historians and archaeologists from around the world emphasize, to the Israeli government, the importance of continuing excavation work in the region.