Essay on Analysis of The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls

It was the most mysterious Qumran text, written on a copper scroll and broken in two. It discusses sixty-four locations where significant quantities of gold, silver, coins, scrolls, and priest garments were hidden. Locations are said to be under an architectural or natural structure such as a cave, cistern, monument, etc. It also discusses the hiding place of that list. The treasures, however, were never found. If the treasures were real they may have been recovered or ransacked a long time ago. The copper scroll presented a serious problem. It was impossible to unroll them. The two copper scrolls, property of the Jordan Government were loaned to the University of Manchester. In February, 1956 they were dissected and the inscriptions were deciphered. “The method adopted was the passing of a spindle through the scrolls, then spraying them with aircraft glue and baking them hard, which allowed them to be sawed by an exceedingly fine circular saw across their rolled-up length (which would be their width, if unrolled), and the resulting strips were available to be photographed.” (Davies, 18). It was a very long and tedious process, but the contents of the scroll were too important. The Copper Scrolls were written in Mishnaic Hebrew the “earliest known extensive text in that dialect.” (Zeitlin). Engraving on copper required experience and labor. Only governments engraved documents on copper, so it is believed the people found this document to be highly important and of value. Although no treasure was found the scroll was one of the most fascinating to

Pre-dynastic children burials (4th millennium BC) were found at Riqqa (site between Lisht and Medum at El-Fayoum) in an area called Gerzeh, where 51 burials of infants and children were found among a total of 249 intact burials. 12 children burial among 43

In order to understand their theological beliefs and system, we must know about this community and who were they. The Essenes were a religious Jewish group thriving during the last two centuries of the Second Temple era (150 BCE – 70 CE). It is important to know about this community because the scrolls were associated with them. One of the texts of the Dead Sea Scroll known as the Rule of the Community is described as the “manual of disciple” and it has always been a central element in the Essenes’ identification. The Rule of the Community is a crucial text for understanding the community’s way of life. It deals with various subjects such as the admission of new members into the group, handling meals, and theological

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has been described by numerous scholars and biblical commentators as one of the most important finds in archeological history. (Top 10 Most Important Historical Finds) The find occurred in 1947 when a Bedouin shepherd came across sealed jars in a cave containing leather scrolls. The scrolls which were subsequently brought to an antiques dealer in Bethlehem were purchased by a Syrian Orthodox Archbishop named Mar (Athanasius) Samuel. ( HYPERLINK "http://bible.org/byauthor/2658/Patrick%20Zukeran" Zukeran) He recognized that the scrolls were in Hebrew and were possibly very ancient. These scrolls were then examined by a prominent Middle East archaeologist, Dr. William Albright, and were confirmed as originating between the first and second century B.C. ( HYPERLINK "http://bible.org/byauthor/2658/Patrick%20Zukeran" Zukeran)

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which was initially made in 1947, represents one of the most important archeological discoveries made in the twentieth century. In the caves of the cliffs overhanging the northwestern end of the Dead Sea, in an area now known as Khirbet Qumran, a number of large clay jars containing more than six hundred ancient Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts were discovered by some travelling Bedouins. These manuscripts were attributed to the members of a previously unknown Jewish brotherhood, and were written approximately between the years of 100BCE and 68CE. While these scrolls provide scientists and historians with a window into a previously undiscovered community,

The Syrian Warrior God is on display in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Hammer Building as a part of the “Art of the Ancient Near East” collection– a collection consisting of over two thousand objects spanning over four thousand years. Artifacts from all over the ancient Near East can be seen in the various, well lit, galleries of LACMA. With simple cream-colored walls, the stone reliefs, pottery, vessels, and sculptures, all clearly stand out behind their protective casings. Though the galleries offer thousands of artifacts to gaze upon, the collection is well organized and not at all overwhelming.

Not only did he contribute to the discovery and research of the Dead Sea Scrolls but he also was responsible for unearthing many mysteries that surrounded the history of Israel at places like Masada, Hazor and Tel Megiddo. In this paper I will briefly talk about Yadin’s life, his archeological achievements and major contributions to biblical archeology and in doing so will show that Yadin was no ordinary archeologist but truly was a one of the most influential archeologists concerning the discoveries as it relates to the history of Israel.

In Jericho in 1950 Cecil Western, a British Archeologist discovered decorated skulls with a reconstructed nose and shells as eyes for a replacement. The skulls were discovered in walls of homes and they had been placed in specially made alcoves. Since that discovery, other decorated skulls have been found in the Middle East and Asia and some tribes also in South East Asia still practice this today.

Deshen approaches the Jewish population with a fresh eyes. Compared to the other authors of the works we’ve read previously, he skillfully illuminates the past through both an anthropological and historical lens. His thorough examination of the mellah society, shows the uncanny threads of commonality the Jewish diaspora throughout that wind through the ages. With this work, the microcosm of Morocco was revealed with Deshen’s discussion of various aspects of life. Modern stereotypes of the Jewish masculinity, as well as how medieval Jews juggled the spiritual benefits of baraka with the economic drain of hosting a sage.  Most importantly, he shows the enmeshment and entrenchment in of Jews in a majority Muslim society.

John H. Walton’s Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible is broken up into fourteen chapters. Those fourteen chapters are each part of one of five sections. This book also contains over twenty historical images. Before the introduction, the author gives readers a full appendix of all images used in this published work. The author then gives his acknowledgements followed by a list of abbreviations.

What is known about the authorship, setting, and date of this book? The author of this book is John the son of Zebedee, and one of the twelve disciples. The one who Jesus loved in his disciples. Also, he was a Galilean fisherman, and much of Jesus’ ministry was performed in Galilee. The date of this book was ranging from 40 C.E. to the middle of the second century. Many place it about 90 C.E. In the light of a comparative study of John and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Purpose or Context - Why was the book included in the Scriptures? The purpose of this book is to tell us to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing we will live an eternal life. This book tells us Jesus’ public ministry, private teaching to his disciples, his trial and crucifixion, and his resurrection appearances.

In Syria, a province of Mesopotamia, the discovery of a black steatite cylinder seal occurs having solid chiseled markings of a goat, surrounded by stars, a crescent moon, and a sacred tree; appearing as a god-king, dating 1800-1600 B.C. Concurrently this endures among other numerous cylinder seals with goats or horned goatmen cut in ancient stones. In addition, reoccurring again with Assyrian priests known to cover themselves with goatskins when sacrificing and believed to have directly worshipped goat devils. Predominantly, numerous pictures of ancient goat deities persist carved on boulders and other objects. The common superstitions of Syria and Arabia occurs full of such legendary creatures.

The source of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were transcribed between 150 B.C. and 70 A.D., remains the topic of debate. According to the main concept, they are the work of the Jewish people that populated Qumran until Roman troops devastated the settlements. These Jews are thought to have belonged to a devout, ascetic and communal sect called the Essenes, one of four separate Jewish groups living in Judaea before and during the Roman

Isaiah came during a pivotal time in history. The world was changing rapidly and life was on the edge of prosperity and ruin, as it is today. In this uncertain time Isaiah was called by God to deliver a message of warning, comfort, and deliverance. Christians view the prophecies of Isaiah as a projection of the coming of Jesus Christ. Isaiah spoke of divine judgment and the promises of God through the Prince of Peace. Isaiah’s message of the future King was very meticulous. He describes how Christ will come, Christ’s character and Christ’s purpose. In this paper I will dissect Isaiah’s prophecies in the Old Testament and reference them to the events of Christ in the New Testament.

Whether women were at Qumran or not is a question many scholars disagree about. A well-known trend indicates that there were no women at Qumran, but that the Qumran settlement consisted of celibate males and the presence of women in the cemetery found by the site of Qumran has been argued against being from Qumran at second temple period. The most accepted hypothesis concerning the identity of the people at Qumran connects “three factors: the site itself at Qumran on the shore of the Dead Sea, the dead sea scrolls discovered in the nearby caves, and the Essene population who were believed to have occupied Qumran.” From the descriptions of three well-known historians; Pliny, Josephus and Philo, all three describe the Essenes as a group of ascetics. Pliny even notes that their dwelling place is on the western shore of the Dead Sea “and they live there in splendid isolation with neither property nor women.” Pliny’s description constituted one of the most important elements in the identification of the Qumran site as the Essenes’ dwelling, and both the material and archaeological artifacts were interpreted according to this theory. There are various endeavors made by researchers to accommodate the records of Josephus, Pliny, and Philo in which the Essenes were abstinent. Using Josephus ' record of wedded Essenes, the “accompanying is submitted: Concerning sequence: 1) De Vaux propels three strata of home of the settlement at Qumran by Essenes: Period IA-second 50% of second