The Five W's of the Dead Sea Scrolls | Asia Society

The Five W's of the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Great Isaiah Scroll, col. 28-30, Qumran Cave I, ca. 100 BCE, Parchment, L 734 cm

In the world today, there are many different denominations in the Christian community – Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, and more. Have you ever wondered that in ancient times, whether the Jewish community have different views on the Scriptures? Were they also divided in their interpretation of the guidelines recorded? If you guessed no, then guess again. According to the recent finds of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran, the documents and scripts indicated otherwise.

In light of our current exhibition, Temple, Scrolls, and Divine Messengers: Archaeology of the Land of Israel in Roman Times, here’s a list of the who, what, when, where, and why that will help you get to know about one of Israel’s greatest archaeological finds of the day – the Dead Sea Scrolls.

  1. Where were the Dead Sea Scrolls found?
    They were found in eleven different caves in Qumran, a site near the Dead Sea.
  2. Who put the Scrolls in the caves?
    A community living in Qumran - a Jewish sect that decided to leave Jerusalem to lead a life of austerity - put the Scrolls in the caves.
  3. What was written on the Dead Sea Scrolls?
    Both “biblical” manuscripts and “non-biblical” texts were found in the manuscripts. The former were texts that can be found in the Hebrew Bible while the latter include rules and religious practices that the community adopted.
  4. Why are they important?
    The writings on the scrolls, mostly in Hebrew and some in Aramaic and Greek, was the oldest biblical manuscript survival today, some 1000 years older than the second oldest. On the other hand, the “non-biblical” manuscripts shed light on the contrasting viewpoints, religious practices, and different Jewish sects in that period of time. Issues that were debated include priesthood, the religious calendar, and afterlife. 
  5. When were the Dead Sea Scrolls dated?
    Scholars date the Scrolls to sometime between the third century BCE (mid-Second Temple Period) and 70 CE when the Second Temple was destroyed.

Want to know more about our current exhibition? Click here for more information and do come visit and check out the Isaiah Scroll, Gabriel Revelation Stone, and other artefact excavated from the site of Qumran.

All information from The Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library.