Summary

The term “Dead Sea Scrolls” most commonly refers to a collection of the largely fragmented remains of about 930 manuscripts. They were found in eleven caves located in the vicinity of building ruins at a place called Qumran, situated on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. The site shows evidence of use from early in the 1st century bce until about 68 ce, and the scrolls date from the 3rd century bce to the 1st century ce. The scrolls were used and copied by members of a small group of no more than two hundred individuals, who utilized the buildings for work and community occasions such as meals. Some of the scrolls were written for this community, whereas others came from other Jewish circles. The scrolls, most of which were written in Hebrew, fewer in Aramaic, and a small number in Greek, include copies of previously known works such as books in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Genesis, Isaiah, and Psalms) and a few of what have been traditionally categorized as apocryphal and pseudepigraphal books (such as Tobit and 1 Enoch), but most preserve the texts of compositions not known before. Among the latter are various genres of literature, such as rule texts that regulated the life of the community, other legal material, prayers and liturgies for the worship offered at Qumran, and interpretations of older books, especially the prophetic works. The group seems to have been a small segment of the larger Essene movement; it had separated from other Jewish people in order, by strict obedience to the law of Moses as they understood its requirements, to prepare for the coming of God in judgment. They believed they were living in the last times before that judgment and looked forward to the end of evil and an age in which God would be properly worshiped in a new temple.