The scrolls describe the life and beliefs of the Jewish sect of the Essenes and contain unique information about the life of early Christians, excerpts from the Gospel and original stories from Hebrew mythology. Documents written in Aramaic and Hebrew date back to the 3rd century BC. - 1st century AD and are considered the oldest surviving record of the Tanakh (the accepted Hebrew name for the Hebrew Scriptures).
The bulk of the discovered relics are kept in the Temple of the Book in Jerusalem. However, some of the scrolls are present on the antique market, that is, these artifacts are regularly bought and sold. Therefore, it is not surprising that along with the original relics, there are also fake ones on the market.
Thus, the Museum of the Bible, which is scheduled to open in November 2017 in Washington, USA, became a victim of fraud. The museum paid several million dollars for the fakes.
“Scholars who study the Dead Sea Scrolls agree that most of the fragments in private collections are fakes,” the publication quotes paleographer Kipp Davis as saying.
At least six of the 13 fragments acquired by the Museum of the Bible are fakes, he said.
To determine the age of an archaeological find, scientists do radiocarbon dating.
Fraudsters often use antique parchment to make counterfeits.
It is noted that on the antique market the cost of the smallest fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls exceeds 100 thousand dollars.
In April of this year it was reported that the presenters American specialists based on biblical antiquities, unknown fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls will be translated and published.
A group of scientists from the United States acquired 28 ancient documents found in 2017 in Israel. According to researchers, their age can reach two thousand years. The texts will be interpreted by biblical scholars from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.
Dead Sea Scrolls
The Qumran manuscripts were first discovered in 1947 in the Qumran Cave and other caves in the Judean Desert. In total, archaeologists found about 900 manuscripts and 50 thousand fragments in 11 caves. Most of theirs is kept in the Temple of the Book in Jerusalem.
The Qumran scrolls are written mainly in Hebrew, partly in Aramaic. There are fragments of Greek translations of biblical texts.
The main writing material is parchment made of goatskin or sheepskin, occasionally papyrus, some of the manuscripts are made by pressing on sheets of copper.
Of particular interest is the connection between the Qumran manuscripts and early Christianity: it turned out that the Dead Sea Scrolls, created several decades before the birth of Christ, contain many Christian ideas (an approaching turning point in history, etc.).
The Qumran community itself, which arose a century before this event, was similar to a monastery in the Christian sense of the word: strict rules, joint meals, public confession of sins, baptismal ablutions, obedience to the abbot (called the Righteous Teacher) and abstinence from sexual intercourse contacts.
Documents found at Qumran and other areas are published in the Discoveries in the Judaean Desert (DJD) series, currently numbering 40 volumes, published since 1955 by Oxford University Press.
In September 2011, the Israel Museum, in collaboration with Google, digitized five scrolls - the Temple Scroll, the Large Scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, the Scroll of the Community Rules, the War Scroll, and a commentary on the book of the Prophet Habakkuk - and made them freely available on the Internet.
At the end of 2012, experts published about five thousand photos in high resolution the same Google and the Israel Museum. These annotated photographs of fragments of more than 1,200 manuscripts are currently available on the website electronic library Dead Sea Scrolls (site available in Russian, Hebrew, English and other languages).
Jeremy D. Lyon
Scientists are amazed by new data about the preservation and correct understanding of God's infallible Word from the very moment they were discovered.
Did you know that one of the greatest archaeological finds was just around the corner? In 1947, a Bedouin accidentally stumbled upon ancient Qumran scrolls, hidden among stones in clay jars. From 1947 to 1956 in eleven Qumran caves along the northeast coast Dead Sea About nine hundred ancient manuscripts were discovered. More than two hundred Dead Sea Scrolls were passages from the Bible dating back to 250 BC. to 68 AD Surprisingly, among these Qumran scrolls all books were presented Old Testament except the book of Esther.
Why do these ancient Dead Sea Scrolls have such great value for us today? At a time when modern scholars are questioning the veracity of the Bible, God has given us these incredible Qumran scrolls to study, confirming our confidence in the formation, preservation, translation, and interpretation of His Word. As research into these timeless treasures progresses, we are learning more and more.
Qumran cave
The Qumran Manuscripts and the Formation of the Old Testament
Christians and Jews traditionally believe that the Old Testament was written around 1400 BC. to 400 BC and at the time of writing was considered to be the inspired Word of God. However, many modern scientists argue that these are words ordinary people, recorded much later, and that these records were collected only by the 90s AD. Can the Dead Sea Scrolls shed light on this issue?
After long delays in publication, the Qumran manuscripts were finally made public. In the ancient manuscript 4QMMT (also known as " Some works of the law") said: “These things were written to you so that you might understand the books of Moses, the books of the prophets and David.”. This text, dating from around 150 BC, is possibly the oldest document in existence to contain we're talking about about the canon of the Old Testament, consisting of three parts. He confirms the words of Jesus Christ spoken in Luke 24:44, where He calls the Old Testament "the law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms."
This text confirms the words of Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, that no new books have been added to the Scriptures since the time of Ezra (425 BC). Thus, the Qumran manuscript 4QMMT is a remarkable piece of evidence that once again proves that the Old Testament was most likely finalized during the time of Ezra, and not at the Jewish Council of Jamnia around 90 AD, as is often claimed. declared.
The Qumran Manuscripts and the Preservation of the Old Testament
Has today's Bible retained everything that was originally written in it? Before the discoveries made from 1947 to 1956, the earliest surviving Old Testament manuscripts dated back to around 900 AD. The Qumran manuscripts of the Bible date from about 250 BC - 68 AD, that is they are a thousand years older.
Some scholars have questioned the ancient dates of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were established through paleography, the science of studying changes in the spelling of ancient letters over time. However, doubts disappeared when several Qumran scrolls were tested using radiocarbon dating in the 1990s. And the results of this study confirmed the ancient dates established through paleographic research. Of particular interest is the Great Qumran Scroll of the Prophet Isaiah - the only complete book of the Bible discovered in the caves of Qumran, dating back to 125 BC. (which is confirmed by the results of two independent studies). Thus, the ancient age of the Dead Sea Scrolls appears to be a reliable fact.
Remarkably, the writing of many of these ancient Dead Sea Scrolls is consistent with the Masoretic tradition on which modern Hebrew Bible translations are based, as well as English language. And this once again confirms the fact that the text of the Old Testament was faithfully preserved throughout all these centuries. Moreover, these Qumran manuscripts shed light on the techniques used by scribes during the Second Temple period, demonstrating how they prepared, wrote, copied, and revised to preserve these ancient Dead Sea texts. Thus, the Qumran manuscripts fill a huge gap in the history of the biblical text and help us see God's care in ensuring the preservation of the Old Testament.
Qumran manuscripts and translation of the Old Testament
The Dead Sea Scrolls shed light on another issue regarding the reliability of the Bible. The New Testament often quotes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, rather than from the Hebrew text. Some scholars have questioned whether the Septuagint is authentic translation original Hebrew text. Some biblical Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran provide evidence of another Hebrew textual tradition underlying the Greek translation. And this proves that the Septuagint is an authentic translation of the Hebrew text existing at that time. These findings open the door to new possibilities for exploring the history and significance of existing translations.
Qumran Manuscripts and Interpretation of the Old Testament
Can the light of ancient times illuminate modern issues of text interpretation? The Qumran manuscripts contain the oldest extant interpretations of the Flood described in the book of Genesis. In the Dead Sea Scrolls of the 1st century B.C. talks about the flood and confirms that the modern understanding of the global catastrophic flood that occurred in the days of Noah is a reliable historical interpretation of chapters 6-9 of the book of Genesis. These Qumran manuscripts also demonstrate how the ancient Jews grappled with complex interpretive issues, such as interpreting the day-by-day chronology of the events of the flood.
The Qumran Scrolls contain commentaries on the books of the Old Testament, as well as paraphrases. Thus, these Dead Sea Scrolls are of particular value to us as we try to better understand the details of the Bible. They provide us with unique insights into ancient interpretations and shed ancient light on modern issues to help us correctly interpret God's Word.
These timeless treasures prove that the Bedouin's stone smashed not only clay jars, but also many false attacks on Scripture. The Qumran manuscripts confirm that we can trust God's Word. As we study these Dead Sea Scrolls further, we will learn more about the place of the Bible and its interpretation in global history, and we can expect many new and incredible discoveries to come.
A Look at the Jewish Community of New Testament Times in the Qumran Manuscripts
Not a single book of the New Testament was found in the Qumran caves, and no mention of Christianity, despite the fact that Jews lived in these places during the time of the New Testament (until the fall of the Roman Empire in 68 AD). However, among the Qumran scrolls there are also hitherto unknown Jewish religious writings, which help us better understand the features of Judaism of the New Testament period. For example, the Qumran manuscripts reveal to us the diversity of Jewish religious groups, beliefs, traditions and politics that form the context for the reception of the New Testament. Thus, these Dead Sea Scrolls provide us with valuable basic information, opening the veil to modern readers ancient world, in which it was written New Testament. Moreover, comparing the teachings of the Qumran scrolls with the teachings of the New Testament deepens our understanding of the New Testament Scriptures in the context of the history of the first century AD. Numerous analogies between the teachings of the New Testament and the Qumran texts are more early period also strengthen our confidence in the Jewish foundations of Christianity.
| TEACHING | NEW TESTAMENT COMMUNITIES | QUMRAN COMMUNITIES |
|---|---|---|
| "SONS OF LIGHT" and "SONS OF DARKNESS" | Both of them contrasted the “sons of light” with the “sons of darkness” | |
| HOPE FOR THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH | Accepted the Old Testament messianic promises and proclaimed faith in one Messiah, Jesus Christ (High Priest and descendant of King David) | Accepted the Old Testament messianic promises and proclaimed faith in two messiahs (a high priest and a descendant of King David) |
| RESURRECTION | Both believed in the resurrection of the dead | |
| THE RESCUE | Salvation is achieved by faith in Jesus Christ, the only One who fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law | Seek God's favor through strict observance of the law and faith in the "teacher of righteousness" |
| BAPTISM | Believed in “baptism of repentance” and considered baptism a one-time act of faith | They believed in “baptism of repentance,” which involved a process of initiation into the community and daily rituals of keeping oneself clean |
| LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY | Both of them shared their property with those in need, ate food together, prayed and studied the Scriptures. |
Jeremy D. Lyon- Professor of Old Testament Studies at the Seminary in Southern California. He has developed a program in apologetics and teaches courses on Old Testament history and creation/evolution. While writing his doctoral dissertation, he spent several months in Israel studying the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The Qumran manuscripts are the name given to manuscripts discovered since 1947 in the caves of Qumran, Wadi Murabbaat (south of Qumran), Khirbet Mirda (southwest of Qumran), as well as in a number of other caves in the Judean Desert and in Masada.In early 1947, two youth shepherds from the Taamire tribe were herding goats in a desert area called Wadi Qumran (West Bank), in the northwestern shore of the Dead sea 20 kilometers east of Jerusalem. A hole in the rock caught their attention. Having entered the cave through it, they, to their surprise, found eight large clay vessels there. One of them contained seven scrolls, sewn from pieces of parchment and wrapped in pieces of linen cloth. The parchment was covered with parallel columns of text in a language other than Arabic. The find remained with the young men for many weeks until they reached Bethlehem, where they offered the scrolls to a Syrian merchant, who sent them to the Syrian Metropolitan Yeshua Samuel Athanasius at the Monastery of St. Mark in Jerusalem. At the end of 1947, Professor E. Sukenik, archaeologist
from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, managed to acquire the three remaining manuscripts from a merchant in Bethlehem. All seven scrolls (complete or slightly damaged) are now on display in the Temple of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
In 1951, systematic excavations and surveys began in Qumran and nearby caves under Jordanian control. Surveys, during which new manuscripts and numerous fragments were discovered, were carried out with common effort the Department of Antiquities of the Jordanian Government, the Palestine Archaeological Museum (Rockefeller Museum) and the French Archaeological Biblical School.
From 1951 to 1955, they organized four archaeological expeditions to the area a few kilometers south of the first cave, and even further south to Wadi Murabbaat. More than 200 caves were explored, and many showed traces of human presence here. The finds date from the Bronze Age to the Roman era, with late period accurately dated by finds large number coins 500 meters east of the Qumran caves, at a place called Khirbet Qumran, researchers discovered the remains of a stone building, apparently a monastery, with a large number halls, where there were many cisterns and pools, a mill, a storeroom for pottery, a pottery kiln and a granary. In one of the interior rooms, table-like structures made of plaster with low benches and inkwells made of ceramics and bronze were discovered; Some of them still contain traces of ink. It was probably a scriptorium, that is, a writing room, where many of the found texts were created. To the east of the building was a cemetery containing more than 1,000 graves.
With the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, almost all of these finds, concentrated in the Rockefeller Museum, became available to Israeli scientists. In the same year, I. Yadin managed to acquire (with funds allocated by the Wolfson Foundation) another of the famous large manuscripts - the so-called Temple Scroll. Outside Israel, in the Jordanian capital Amman, there is only one of the significant Dead Sea manuscripts - the Copper Scroll.
The Qumran scrolls are written mainly in Hebrew, partly in Aramaic; There are also fragments of Greek translations of Bible texts. The Hebrew of non-biblical texts was literary language era of the Second Temple, some fragments are written in post-biblical Hebrew. The main type used is the square Hebrew font, a direct predecessor of the modern printed font. The main writing material is parchment made from goatskin or sheepskin, and occasionally papyrus. The ink used was mainly carbon. Paleographic data, external evidence, and radiocarbon dating allow us to date the bulk of these manuscripts to the period from 250 to 68 BC (this is the period of the Second Temple of Jerusalem). They are considered to be the remains of the library of the mysterious Qumran community.
According to the content, the Qumran manuscripts can be divided into three groups: biblical texts (this is about 29% of the total number of manuscripts); apocrypha and pseudepigrapha; other literature of the Qumran community.
Between 1947 and 1956, more than 190 biblical scrolls were discovered in eleven Qumran caves. Basically these are small fragments of the books of the Old Testament (all except the Books of Esther and Nehemiah). One was also found full text Books of the prophet Isaiah.
The founding of the Qumran settlement appears to date back to the Maccabean era, possibly to the time of King John Hyrcanus of Judea, as the earliest coins date back to his reign of 135-104 BC.
From the first years of work on the found texts, the prevailing opinion in scientific circles was that the Qumranites’ own works (“Charter of the Community”, “War Scroll”, “Commentaries”, etc.) were written in the 2nd-1st centuries BC. Only a small group of scholars chose to date the scrolls to a later time.
Of the hypotheses in which the manuscripts date back to the 1st century AD, the greatest resonance - if not in the scientific community, then at least in the means mass media- was the concept of the Australian orientalist Barbara Thiering. The main person appearing in the scrolls is the leader of the community, who bears the nickname Righteous Mentor, or Teacher of Righteousness (Hebrew: more hatzedek). Identifying him with historical figures of the 2nd-1st centuries BC encountered great difficulties. At the same time, many Qumran scholars point out that there are many similarities between the teachings of this man, as reflected in the manuscripts, and the preaching of John the Baptist. Tiering put an equal sign between these people. Moreover, she was not the first who decided to do this. More
in 1949, the Austrian scholar Robert Eisler, known for his study of the Slavic translation of The Jewish War, pointed out that the Righteous Master was John the Baptist.
It is interesting to note that, apparently, not all of the Dead Sea Scrolls have yet reached the hands of scientists. In 2006, Professor Hanan Eshel presented to the scientific community a hitherto unknown Qumran scroll, which contains fragments of the Book of Leviticus. Unfortunately, this scroll was not discovered during new archaeological excavations, but was accidentally seized by the police from an Arab smuggler: neither he nor the police suspected the true value of the find until Eshel, who was invited to the examination, established its origin. This case in Once again confirmed that a significant part of the Dead Sea Scrolls may be in the hands of thieves and antiquities dealers, gradually falling into disrepair.
Of particular interest is the connection between the Qumran manuscripts and early Christianity. It turned out that the Dead Sea Scrolls, created several decades before the birth of Christ, contain many Christian ideas, for example, about an imminent change in the course of history. The Qumran community itself, which arose several centuries before this event, was similar to a monastery in the Christian sense of the word: strict rules, shared meals, obedience to the abbot (called the Righteous Mentor) and abstinence from sexual intercourse.
The manuscripts also depict two antagonists of the Righteous Mentor - the Unholy Priest and the Man of Lies. Having identified both, Tiring saw in them Jesus Christ, who, in her opinion, opposed his teaching to the position of John and was therefore rejected by those Qumranites who remained faithful to the Righteous Mentor. She interprets the Gospels as an allegorical description of the schism from the position of early Christians. She also believes that one of the most important manuscripts - a commentary on the book of the prophet Habakkuk - was written in the late 30s of the 1st century AD.
Almost all Qumran scholars agree that the scrolls were hidden in caves during the war with the Romans - most likely in 68 AD, shortly before Qumran was captured by the latter. It is obvious that the comments were created by witnesses to the events described in them.
The significance of the found scrolls and their fragments is enormous. If the complete scroll of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah reveals minor discrepancies with the accepted text of the Bible, then its fragments almost completely correspond to it and, thus, confirm the authenticity of later Jewish texts. However, even more important are the non-biblical manuscripts, which reflect a previously little-known aspect of Jewish thinking of that era. They talk about people who lived and were buried at Qumran, who called themselves the Community of the Covenant. The order of life of the community is fixed in its Charter. The ideas expressed in it are similar to those attributed to the Jewish sect of the Essenes (Essenes), who, according to Pliny, lived on the western shore of the Dead Sea, where Qumran is located. The Temple Scroll, discovered in 1967, contains detailed instructions for the construction of a large temple and touches on topics such as ritual impurity and purification. The text is often given as being spoken in the first person by God himself.
Before the Qumran finds, analysis of the biblical text was based on medieval manuscripts. The Qumran scrolls have significantly expanded our knowledge of the text of the Old Testament. Previously unknown readings help to better understand many of its details. The textual diversity reflected in the text groups described above gives a good idea of the multiplicity of textual traditions that existed during the Second Temple period.
The Qumran Scrolls provided valuable information about the process of textual transmission of the Old Testament during the Second Temple period. Thanks to these scrolls, the reliability of ancient translations has been confirmed, primarily the Septuagint - the Greek translation of the Old Testament, made back in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC in the Egyptian city of Alexandria.
Some commentators say there is historical continuity between the teachings of the Essenes and the ideas of early Christianity. In addition to ideological similarities, a certain chronological and geographical coincidence of the two groups is emphasized. Thus, becoming christian church associated with the revival of the Qumran monastery between 4 BC and 68 AD. Moreover, these scholars point out that when the Word of God was revealed to John the Baptist, he withdrew into the Judean Desert near the mouth of the Jordan River. There he baptized Jesus - in a place less than 16 kilometers away from Qumran.
Thus, the discovery and study of the Qumran manuscripts helped scientists get closer to the solution to the writing of the Bible - the main book for millions of people. Author: A.V. Dzyuba
Michael Baigent
Richard Lee
Dead Sea Scrolls
Dedication
The Abbey remembers the ancient years, Its chapel pleases the eye, And the ladies who captivated us Descended under the vaulted vaults of Ancient crypts. Armfuls of mown hay Wrapped in a shroud of salt, And the bell, the voice of pain, Sad as a humble monk. And just as lonely. But more than the sleepy virgin And all sorts of miracles, the spell of one of the druidesses shines, And the cat enchants her with the sun. Jean l'Ascuse (Trans. C . V. Golova and A. M. Golova)
Preface
Four Dead Sea Scrolls
For sale are four biblical-era manuscripts dating back to at least 200 BC. They would make an ideal gift for an educational or religious organization from an individual or group. Box F 206.
This is what an ad published on June 1, 1954, looked like in the Wall Street Journals. If an announcement of this kind appeared today, it would, without a doubt, be perceived as a kind of joke, and, moreover, not in the best tone. In addition, it could raise suspicions that it is a coded message, the purpose of which is to disguise, for example, secret information about a scam or something related to espionage.
Of course, these days the Dead Sea Scrolls are known quite well, but usually only by name. Most people who have the most incredible fantasies about what they are have at least heard of the existence of scrolls. Among other things, there is an opinion that these scrolls are in some respects unique and priceless artifacts, archaeological evidence of enormous value and significance. It's hard to expect to find things like this when digging around in your garden or backyard. It is equally useless, although others think differently, to try to look for them among rusty weapons, household rubbish, broken dishes, remains of harnesses and other household items that can be found, say, during excavations at the site of Roman legionnaires in Britain.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 caused a stir and avid interest among both scientists and the general public. But by 1954, the first wave of excitement was skillfully dispelled. It was believed that the scrolls contained only what such things can store, and the information they carried turned out to be much less pressing than expected. Therefore, the advertisement for the sale of four scrolls, published in the Wall Street Journal (p. 14), did not arouse widespread public interest. They flaunted right under it advertisements on the sale of industrial steel tanks, electric welding machines and other equipment. The adjacent column contained lists of premises and objects for rent, and various types of vacancies. In short, this can only be compared with an advertisement for the sale of treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun, placed among advertisements for water pipes or components and consumables for computers. This book will discuss exactly how such a blatant anomaly could arise.
Tracing the fate and path of the Dead Sea Scrolls from their discovery in the Judean Desert to the safes various organizations and the institutions where they are preserved today, we found ourselves faced with the same contradiction that we had to deal with before: the contradiction between Jesus the historical person and the Christ of faith. Our research began in Israel. Then they were continued in the corridors of the Vatican and, what is very strange, in the offices of the Inquisition. We had to face strong opposition to the "consensus" of interpretation regarding the content and dating of the scrolls and realize how explosive an impartial and independent study of them could be for the entire theological tradition of Christianity. Moreover, we are on own experience We became convinced with what rage the world of orthodox biblical scholasticism is ready to fight in the name of maintaining its monopoly on all sacred information.
Nowadays, Christians consider it quite acceptable to recognize the existence of, for example, Buddha or Muhammad as real historical figures, just like Alexander the Great or Caesar, and to separate them from all sorts of legends, traditions and theological heaps that have long surrounded their names. As for Jesus, such a division turns out to be much more complicated. The very essence of Christian beliefs, historical traditions and theology turns out to be inexplicably confused and contradictory. One overshadows the other. And at the same time, each individually poses a potential threat to everyone else. Thus, it is much easier and safer to remove all demarcation lines between them. Thus, for a believer, two significantly different figures will merge into one image. On the one hand, this is a real historical figure, a man who, according to most scientists, really existed and wandered the sands of Palestine two thousand years ago. On the other hand, he is the God-man of Christian doctrine, a Divine personality, for whose deification, glorification and preaching the Apostle Paul did a lot. Studying this character as real historical figure, that is, an attempt to fit him into a historical context and put him on the same level as Muhammad or Buddha, Caesar or Alexander the Great, for many Christians still remains tantamount to blasphemy.
In the mid-1980s. we were accused of precisely this blasphemy. Within research project, which we were working on at the time, we tried to separate history from theological dogma in order to separate the historical Jesus from the Christ of faith. In the process of research, we plunged headlong into the thick of the contradictions that all researchers of biblical materials face. And like everyone else
Dead Sea Scrolls
I. In 1947, in the mountainous part of Judea, directly. proximity to the Dead Sea, it was discovered a large number of ancient manuscripts, partially or completely preserved. These finds became known as " Dead's manuscripts seas". The first, accidental discovery, made in one of the caves of Wadi Qumran, was followed by others: a systematic discovery began. search for manuscripts. Today, scientists have a collection of over 400 texts, 175 of which are biblical. All books of the OT are presented in handwritten texts, with the exception of Books of Esther. The most famous scroll is the Book of St. Isaiah, preserved in its entirety. The manuscripts found date back to 200 BC. – 68 AD (finds at Qumran) and 132–135. according to R.H. (finds in the Wadi Murabbaat valley). Nebibl. the texts are a collection of handwritten materials from Judas. sect - its charter, hymns, an essay on the war of the children of light against the children of darkness, commentaries on the books of the prophets Nahum and Habakkuk and the Aram. apocryphal retelling of the book of Genesis. All collected material is stored in Jerusalem, where it is constantly studied by specialists from different countries.
II 1) in Khirbet Qumran, not far from the cave in which the first manuscripts were found, scientists discovered the ruins of a settlement and a cemetery. It soon became clear that the inhabitants of this settlement were once the owners of the hidden manuscripts. The Qumran community, which existed before the Romans captured the area in 68 AD. during the Jewish War, are usually identified with the one known from antiquity. sources (Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, Pliny) jud. the Essene sect;
2) The first mention of the Essenes dates back to the reign of Jonathan of the Maccabean dynasty (160–143 BC). These were ascetics who strictly observed Judas. law. The Essenes lived in isolated communities, were engaged in crafts and ⇒ agriculture, and rejected warfare. service. They had meals together, strictly followed purification rites and performed ablutions in running water. Reception into the community was preceded by a lengthy period. will be tested term; only initiates could become acquainted with the secret teaching of the Essenes;
3) many similarities are found in the teaching and life of the people who lived in Qumran, although the research has not yet been completed. Here we are also dealing with a group of people who adhered extremely strictly to the Law and believed that the Law could only be observed in a community where everyone thought the same. Outside the community, the Law was allegedly resisted and violated even by those who taught it and interpreted the Word of God. Convinced that the Kingdom of God is the only way can come into their own, they, consciously abandoning all comforts, retired to the Dead Sea area to live together here according to the will of God, strictly observing the Law;
4) the community, which considered itself destined for salvation at the end of time, calls its founder and teacher in its writings “a teacher of truth,” and sometimes “a priest, into whose heart he put the wisdom and all the words of his slaves and prophets; through him God reveals all the events that are about to happen to His people and His community.” This new revelation went beyond the OT. What remained hidden from the prophets, God allegedly revealed to this teacher, “to whom He reveals all the secrets of the prophetic words.” Those who follow the word of the teacher are righteous, and all who refuse to do so are atheists;
5) the opponent of the teacher and the truth itself appears in these texts as a “wicked priest,” all data about whom most closely corresponds to the personality of Jonathan Maccabeus (high priest from 153 BC). Next, the activity of the founder of the Qumran community dates back to about 150 BC. It has been repeatedly asserted that he played the role of Messiah for his followers, but the community's documents do not provide strong enough evidence for such a conclusion.
III. The statement of scientists that the Qumran community influenced John the Baptist, Jesus and the ancient one was perceived as a sensation. Later, however, it became clear that the Qumranite community differed from the early Church both in its organization and in its attitude to the Law. On the other hand, the Qumran hymns [Heb. Hodayot] they talk about truths that are completely consistent with those of the New Testament: the original depravity of man by sin and the futility of good deeds; God-given righteousness, forgiveness and cleansing by the Holy Spirit; there was even knowledge of the need to pray in the Spirit in order to be heard by God (ThZ. 13 (1957) S. 12ff). Therefore, a connection between the Qumranites and the Jews, who were waiting for God's savior (; ), is not excluded. Nevertheless, one should not think that in connection with the discovery of R.M.M. Fundamental changes will occur in the views of historians on the emergence of the ancient Church and on the New Testament. Top left: a fragment of a manuscript and a clay vessel in which the manuscripts were kept.
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