The Dead Sea Scrolls are timeless treasures. Qumran Scrolls - Ancient Secrets of the Dead Sea What is written in the Dead Sea Scrolls

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, approximately nine hundred ancient manuscripts were discovered in eleven Qumran caves along the northeastern shore of the Dead Sea. More than two hundred Dead Sea Scrolls were passages from the Bible dating back to 250 BC. to 68 AD Surprisingly, these Qumran scrolls included all the books of the Old Testament except the book of Esther.

Why are these ancient Dead Sea Scrolls so important to 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 scholars argue that these are the words of ordinary people written down 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 perhaps the oldest document in existence that deals with the three-part canon of the Old Testament. 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 corresponds to the Masoretic tradition on which modern translations of the Bible in Hebrew, as well as in English, are based. 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 a genuine translation of the 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 background information, opening up to modern readers the veil of the ancient world in which the New Testament was written. 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 earlier Qumran texts also strengthen our confidence in the Jewish foundations of Christianity.

Jeremy D. Lyon is a professor of Old Testament studies at Southern California Seminary. 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.

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. Directly below it were advertisements for 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.

Having traced the fate and path of the Dead Sea Scrolls from their discovery in the Judean Desert to the safes of various organizations and institutions where they are stored today, we found that we came face to face with the same contradiction that we had to deal with before: the contradiction between Jesus - a 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 have seen from our own experience 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 a real historical figure, that is, trying 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. As part of a research project we were working on at the time, we attempted 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

The Dead Sea is a unique place on our planet. It is surrounded by desert on all sides; fish do not live in its water and it is impossible to drown. Its coastline is interesting for its archaeological sites. The most mysterious of them are the legendary caves of Qumran, where ancient scrolls written 2000 years ago were discovered. Some of the Dead Sea Scrolls predate the oldest surviving Bible by 1,000 years. Is it so?

Now these mysterious scrolls are a national treasure of Israel. They are dated to the 1st century BC. e. The scrolls were discovered by chance in 1947 by a Bedouin boy who was looking for a missing goat. While throwing stones into one of the caves in the hope of scaring the animal away, he heard a crash. Curiosity overcame fear, and in the darkness he saw ancient clay vessels, one of which crumbled after a stone hit it.

The vessels, carefully wrapped in strips of linen, contained scrolls of leather and papyrus, covered with writing. After lengthy ups and downs, the unique manuscripts ended up in the hands of specialists. Subsequently, about 200 caves in the area were explored, and similar scrolls were found in 11 of them. The ruins of an ancient settlement were also located nearby. Since 1947, endless research and excavations have been carried out here. The discovered Dead Sea Scrolls have presented the scientific community with so many mysteries that, apparently, several generations of scientists will not be able to solve.

What are the legendary Dead Sea Scrolls? These manuscripts tell the historical events of the Second Temple period (520 BC – 70 AD). The period from the 2nd century BC is especially interesting there. e. until 70 AD e. – the time of development and establishment of monotheistic religion.

The Dead Sea Scrolls contain quite a variety of texts. This included the texts of all the canonical books of the Old Testament (some of them differ from the known ones), and several non-canonical Jewish lists. The 7 earliest fragments tell about the origins of Judaism and Christianity.

The researchers' particular attention was drawn to the documents of the communities that lived in this area. In addition, the famous Copper Scroll was found, which contains lists of hidden treasures (a mystery that haunts minds to this day). The largest exhibit is written in an old Hebrew script that has common roots with the pictographic alphabet. The rest of the manuscripts were written in later Assyrian, Hebrew, and Aramaic scripts.

Where could this amazing library come from in the Qumran caves? Who and why left the scrolls under the protection of gloomy cave vaults? Researchers tried to find the answer to this question in the ruins located between the limestone cliffs and the coastal strip. We are talking about a complex of structures 80 x 100 m, having a significant height. The remains of burials were discovered nearby. In one of the interior rooms of the building, plaster tables with low benches and inkwells were found; Some of them still contain traces of ink.

Scientists have suggested that this place became the refuge of the Essenes (Essenes) sect, which is mentioned in ancient historians. The Essenes, who went into the desert, led a hermit life for two centuries. In the texts they called themselves Jews, which corresponds to the third branch of Judaism (Essen), mentioned by the historian Josephus. The sectarians considered themselves true believers, and everyone else – mired in false faith and vices. They were preparing for the final battle between the forces of Light and Darkness under the leadership of the Teacher of Righteousness.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has caused much controversy among experts. A group of skeptics immediately emerged, doubting both the antiquity and the authenticity of the manuscripts. It is difficult to blame them for increased distrust: in 1883, the Jerusalem antiques dealer Moses Shapiro also announced the discovery of the ancient text of Deuteronomy. (These 15 strips of leather caused a sensation in Europe and were exhibited in the British Museum. But later, leading European scientists came to the conclusion that the texts were a crude forgery.)

Some scholars argue that the texts cannot be ancient. They argue that, with the exception of the Nash papyrus containing the Shema prayers and the 10 Commandments in Hebrew, the biblical texts were known only from copies of the 9th century AD. e. And in this case, the threat of forgeries is too great, because it is not possible to compare the texts with earlier manuscripts.

But radiocarbon dating of the fabric in which the scrolls were wrapped generally confirmed the antiquity of the find and points to the period between 167 BC. e. and 237 AD e. Today, the opinion of scientists regarding the dating of manuscripts from the caves of Qumran is also supported by historical, linguistic and paleographic data. It has been established that some texts were written shortly before the destruction of Qumran by Roman legionaries in 68 AD. e.

Controversy regarding the origin of the texts, apparently, will not subside very soon. However, four main groups of opinions can be distinguished:

The scrolls were created by members of the Qumran community;

The collection had nothing to do with the Essenes and was part of the garrison library;

The Dead Sea Scrolls are records of predecessors or even followers of Christ;

These texts are the remains of the library of Solomon's Temple.

The minor discrepancies found with the accepted text of the Bible were of particular importance: they confirm the authenticity of the later Jewish manuscripts. For the first time, the scientific world had a unique opportunity to evaluate the relationship between the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Bible) and the ancient Masoretic text.

Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, all discrepancies that exist in both versions were considered the result of scribal error or intentional distortions of the base text. But after a thorough analysis of the texts, they found out that in ancient times there were several versions of the sacred letter, which were adhered to by various schools of scribes. The most ancient of the known biblical texts apparently originate from these schools.

The Dead Sea Scrolls helped clarify a number of unclear passages in the New Testament and proved that the Hebrew language was not a dead language during Christ's earthly life. It is curious that the scrolls do not mention the events that followed the capture of Jerusalem. The explanation suggests itself: the scrolls are the remains of the library of the Jerusalem Temple, saved from the Romans by a certain priest.

During excavations, they discovered that the building had been stormed. A coin was discovered in the ashes, indicating the presence of warriors of the Tenth Legion in it. Apparently, the inhabitants of Qumran were warned about a possible attack and they hid the library in the surrounding caves. Judging by the fact that the texts lay in them until the 20th century, there was no one to take them after the storming of the monastery...

The hypothesis linking the appearance of the manuscripts with the destruction of Jerusalem is confirmed by the contents of the Copper Scroll. It consists of three copper plates held together with rivets. The rectangular strip with embossed text is almost 2.5 m long and 40 cm wide. The scroll is written in colloquial Hebrew and contains more than 3,000 characters. However, to make one sign, you need to make 10,000 strikes with the coin!

Why did they use such unusual material for writing? It was probably extremely important that its contents be preserved. And in fact, the Copper Roll is an inventory listing the contents and burial locations of treasures.

The manuscript claims that the amount of gold and silver buried in Israel, Jordan and Syria is between 140 and 200 tons! Perhaps this refers to the treasures of the Jerusalem Temple, buried before the invaders broke into the city. However, many experts argue: there was not such a quantity of precious metals at that time, not only in Judea, but in the entire civilized world. It was especially emphasized that none of the treasures were found. But there could also be copies of the document. Perhaps such a list ended up in the hands of treasure hunters much earlier...

The very presence of the scroll in the collection confirms that some of the manuscripts actually came here from Jerusalem at the last stage of the Jewish War. The scroll, which is called “The War of the Sons of Light with the Sons of Darkness,” caused numerous disputes. The mystical nature of its content contradicts the realistic details of the text. There is a feeling as if a national liberation war is being described. Isn't the scroll talking about the Jewish War? This text is a strategic plan for the campaign against the Romans and their allies. At the same time, one gets the impression that if the Jews had been able to act in accordance with it, the outcome of the war would have been different.

Using ancient texts, some researchers have tried to link the formation of the Christian church with the revival of the Qumran monastery between 4 BC. e. and 68 AD e. Moreover, among the documents of the community, researchers discovered horoscopes of the Forerunner and Jesus. The parallel that experts draw between the settlement at Qumran and the lives of these biblical characters is actually interesting.

John the Baptist withdrew into the Judean desert near the mouth of the Jordan River. Please note: this place is less than 16 km away from Qumran! Presumably, John was associated with the Essenes or even belonged to their midst. It is known that the Essenes often took in children to raise, but nothing is known about the youth of the Forerunner, except that he was “in the deserts.” But that’s exactly what the Qumranites called their settlements! “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” the Baptist said about himself, repeating their slogan word for word.

But in time John had to break with the isolation of Qumranite society; He turned the daily sacred ablutions into a “baptism of repentance,” performed only once. Jesus Christ came to the place where John preached to ask for baptism. The Baptist immediately recognized Him, although he had never seen Him before. The Essenes distinguished each other by their white linen clothes...

It is curious that the Gospel also passes over in silence almost 20 years of the life of Christ himself. After mentioning the 12-year-old boy, a mature man appears before us. He amazes with his erudition, quotes sacred texts and easily wins disputes with the Pharisees and scribes. Where could the son of a simple carpenter comprehend all this?

Family Essenes made up the lower classes of the community. They were usually engaged in carpentry or weaving. Presumably, Christ's father Joseph (a carpenter!) was an Essene of the lowest level. The Evangelist Matthew calls Joseph “the righteous” - this is what the people of Qumran were called in those days. Perhaps Jesus, after the death of his father, went to teach among the Initiates. Perhaps there he spent the years that “fell out” of the Holy Scriptures.

N. Roerich suggested that Christ did not stay long in the community. He quickly learned the wisdom of the Essenes (who, according to one version, were descendants of Egyptian priest-healers) and was sent to Tibet. In the ancient monasteries of India, Persia and the Himalayas, according to Roerich, there are documents that confirm the presence of Jesus here. In particular, there is information about a man named Issa, who came from Israel and was resurrected after crucifixion...

Christ returned to his homeland at the age of 30 - at a time when a person’s chakras open and he can practice healing. When it came to healings, Jesus behaved like a careful doctor, but by no means an omnipotent person. He did not cure many the first time, and he completely retreated from some illnesses, advising them to pray and fast.

Apparently, he was fluent in the medical secrets of the Essenes, so that he could take care of himself at the right time. Roman sources report that Jesus died on the cross after 6–7 hours, although as a rule, those crucified died on the third day. He was taken down from the cross and taken to a cave. A day later the body disappeared. In the cave there was only a young man in white robes, who reported a miraculous resurrection.

Egyptian manuscripts contain many stories of this kind. The initiates voluntarily passed away, bequeathing their disciples to resurrect them. Perhaps one of Christ’s “reanimatologists” was the mysterious young man in white.

Christ spoke to his disciples, clearly referring to prophecies that speak of the deeds of the future Messiah. But he mentioned that “the dead are raised” - this is not in the prophecy. The confusion is resolved by the text of the Qumran scrolls, which indicates the “resurrection of the dead” as one of the works of the Messiah.

So, wasn’t Christ himself the Teacher spoken of in the ancient manuscripts? However, the analysis revealed large discrepancies in the description of both personalities. And the manuscripts were created at least 100 years before the birth of the Messiah from Nazareth.

So, the scientific world is now convinced that the capricious animal of a Bedouin boy was the reason for the discovery of the oldest known Bible. The scrolls are actually 1,000 years older than the surviving Hebrew manuscripts used as the basis for all modern Old Testaments.

Interestingly, the Masoretic Text (900 AD) hinted at the treasures of Solomon's Temple hidden in 70 AD. e. (remember the Copper Scroll!). In all the Bibles, Deuteronomy speaks of “fear” or “reverence” of God, but the Dead Sea Scrolls speak instead of “love”... But, as the researchers put it: “The 11th commandment is not in the scrolls.” The changes suggested by the Dead Sea Scrolls do not challenge basic beliefs.

Mysterious discoveries made in the second half of the 50s of the 20th century in caves on the shores of the Dead Sea can easily be called the greatest sensation of the century. They are ancient manuscripts called Qumran scrolls. Found in Massada, the caves of Qumran, Khirbet Mirda, as well as in a number of other caves in the Judean Desert, these artifacts not only confirmed the truth of the Biblical texts, but also revealed many previously unknown events of the past.

Discovery of the Qumran Scrolls

In early 1947, two youth shepherds from the Taamire tribe were herding goats in a desert area of ​​the West Bank called Wadi Qumran, on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea (hence these manuscripts are also known as dead sea scrolls) 20 kilometers east of Jerusalem. A hole in the rock caught their attention. Having entered the cave through it, they, to their amazement, 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, an archaeologist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, managed to acquire the three remaining manuscripts from a dealer 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. The surveys, which revealed new manuscripts and numerous fragments, were carried out jointly by the Jordanian government's Department of Antiquities, 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 ranged in time from the Bronze Age to the Roman era, with the later period being precisely dated by the discovery of a large number of coins. 500 meters east of the Qumran caves, at a site called Khirbet Qumran, researchers discovered the remains of a stone building, probably a monastery, with a large number of halls, where there were many cisterns and pools, a mill, a pottery storeroom, 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. Hebrew of non-biblical texts was the literary language of the Second Temple era, 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 rarely 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 (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 their content, the Qumran scrolls 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 complete text of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah was also found.

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 version of the Australian orientalist Barbara Thiering caused the greatest resonance - if not in the scientific community, then at least in the media. The main person appearing in the scrolls is the leader of the community, called the Righteous Mentor, or Teacher of Righteousness. 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. As early as 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.

Dead Sea Scrolls

It is interesting to note that, apparently, not all dead sea scrolls fell into the hands of scientists. In 2006, Professor Hanan Eshel presented to the scientific community a hitherto unknown Qumran scroll containing 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 incident 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 Scrolls 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).

Almost all Qumran scholars agree that the scrolls were hidden in the 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 extremely great. The found fragments almost completely correspond to the texts of the Bible, and thus confirm the authenticity of later Jewish texts. Also important are manuscripts of non-biblical content, reflecting 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, 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. Thanks to the Dead Sea 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, the formation of the Christian church is 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 Christ. Thus, the discovery and study of the Qumran scrolls helped scientists get closer to the circumstances of writing the Bible - the main book for millions of people.

The greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century was the discovery of leather scrolls on the northern shore of the Dead Sea in the area of ​​Qumran and other areas of the Judean Desert south of it. Strictly speaking, this was not the first discovery of this kind. Some evidence preserved by the Church Fathers shows that scrolls were found in the Dead Sea area as early as the Roman and Byzantine periods. Medieval sources report an ancient Jewish sect living in caves in the area.

I will praise You, O God,
And I will praise You, my stronghold,
And praise of amazement
I will lift you up with a joyful voice...
(From Hymn 21 "From Sorrow to Joy")

C The northern coast of the Dead Sea is one of the most desolate areas on the globe: steep, rocky limestone hills, pitted with caves, make up its entire landscape. In the spring of 1947, a young shepherd from a Bedouin tribe accidentally discovered a cache in one of the caves: leather scrolls with ancient writings were kept in clay vessels. Subsequently, between 1947 and 1956, when archaeologists explored caves in the area, thousands of large and small scroll fragments were discovered in eleven of them. These fragments once amounted to about nine hundred entire seven-meter-long scrolls written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. The found fragments of manuscripts can be divided into three groups: texts of individual books of the Hebrew Bible (including the scroll of the books of the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, the book of Kings, Psalms, the book of Genesis), hundreds of literary works of a non-biblical nature, as well as “documentary texts”, that is, various kind of lists, contracts, charters belonging to a certain religious community. Manuscripts once made up an entire library. Among the books there were many works of various genres - biblical commentaries, psalms, hymns, calendar texts, apocalyptic works and others (the so-called apocrypha).
The question of the dating of the manuscripts has been the subject of heated debate from the very beginning and has been resolved in several ways. An important role was played by archaeological excavations of a complex of buildings located on the plateau directly below the caves. Those who lived there were part of a sect described in several texts, and they copied some of the scrolls. Numismatic data indicate that this settlement flourished from about 135 BC. to 68 A.D. The same conclusions were made based on radiochemical analysis of the material in which the scrolls were wrapped. As a result, scientists identified the manuscripts as the library of a sect that lived in the Qumran area in the period after the Maccabean revolt of 168-164 BC. and until the Great Revolt of 66–73 AD. At present, only the more precise dating of individual manuscripts remains controversial.
Unfortunately, the region in which the manuscripts were found later turned out to be a place of political instability, and this greatly complicated research. Most of the texts were extracted from caves by Bedouins and were therefore damaged and, most importantly, mixed up. Many mistakes were made due to inexperience and other circumstances. But much has been reliably established. A whole field of science arose - Qumran studies.

Leather scrolls were kept in such vessels

Z The importance of these texts for biblical scholarship, for our understanding of history and the worldview of the society that first heard the word of Christ cannot be overestimated.
55 years have passed since then, about 200 caves have already been examined, and a huge amount of work has been done to identify and decipher manuscripts. To date, all scrolls that have survived in whole or in large fragments have been published. But it can be said that only the preliminary stage has been completed. There are still lively discussions on many issues related to the manuscripts.
Who were the inhabitants of Qumran? They were sought among many Jewish sects and movements, but in the end the opinion was established that the Qumranites belonged to the Essenes branch of the Old Testament religion. This semi-monastic order was repeatedly mentioned by ancient and early Christian writers. Philo of Alexandria and Josephus wrote about the strict lifestyle of the Essenes, their unity, asceticism, and the allegorical method of interpreting the Bible adopted in this community.
Among the manuscripts are the so-called Damascus Document and the Charter, found in the first cave of Qumran. From them it became known about the way of life of the sect, its ideals and doctrine.
The Damascus Document says that the union of the “chosen ones” arose 390 years after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, that is, around 190 BC. And this date is indirectly confirmed by other messages. The Document goes on to say that the “chosen ones,” who considered themselves the true guardians of religious orthodoxy, once found themselves at a crossroads and wandered for a long time, “until God appointed them a Teacher of righteousness to guide them in the path of their hearts and so that he would notify subsequent generations that (he) made subsequent generations apostates." The name of this Essene leader remains unknown.

Scroll with the text of the Torah, unrolled from the 17th chapter of Deuteronomy

N The beginning of the activity of the Teacher of Righteousness coincided with the era of persecution by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 BC). Then many zealots of the faith fled. The mood of the fugitives was undoubtedly apocalyptic. The Teacher himself may have retired to Syria. He considered his main goal to be the announcement of the imminent coming of the Deliverer.
Among the manuscripts, the so-called Scroll of Praises, or Qumran Hymns, was discovered. These hymns are perceived today as a cry released after two thousand years of silence. There is no doubt that they were known not only to John the Baptist, but also to the evangelists and apostles, and influenced the style of their writings. The hymns are usually attributed to the Teacher of Righteousness. Although in form they represent a rather weak imitation of the psalms, sincere faith and prayerful impulse are visible in them. Here are some excerpts from these hymns:

I will praise You, Lord:
You saved my soul from death,
From Sheol, from Abbadon
You raised her to eternal heights.
And in a straight, endless way
I will go because I know there is hope
Created by You from the dust:
An eternal secret awaits them!

(From Hymn 6 "River of Fire")

Perhaps some adherents of the Teacher of Righteousness even had a thought: was he not the Anointed One promised by God? But to the direct question: “Are you Christ?” – The Teacher, like the Forerunner, would probably answer: “No.” In none of the texts is he called the Messiah, and he never ascribed messianic dignity to himself. His mission was limited to interpreting the word of God and preparing people for the coming of the Savior.

I will guide many others
In fear of Your judgments, O God,
So that they don't leave
Your commandments!

(From Hymn 27 "Of Predestination")

He recognized himself as a weak and sinful person. The main idea of ​​many hymns is the insignificance of a mortal before the face of the Lord.

What do I mean - a creation made of clay?
Divorced on the water - why am I standing?
Is strength given to me?

(From Hymn 6 "River of Fire")

Behind these lines one can discern a man of genuine piety and humility.
During and after the Maccabean Wars, the Essenes and the Master were apparently persecuted by another Jewish movement, the Hasidim. After the end of hostilities and the death of the Hasmonean kings, the Teacher, along with his people, retired to Qumran, to the deserted shores of the Dead Sea. There the Essenes decided to wait for the appearance of the Messiah and the general judgment. Archaeologists date the first traces of their settlement in Qumran to 140–130 BC. Moving to Qumran, they took with them manuscripts copied in various regions of ancient Israel, that is, even before their settlement on the shores of the Dead Sea. At the same time, in Qumran they created their own documents and rewrote them.

IN The entire spirit of the Qumran settlement (community) was imbued with a purely legalistic understanding of righteousness. A righteous person is one who literally and strictly fulfills all the Old Testament rituals and rules. The Qumranites were preparing for the approach of the Kingdom of God and therefore cultivated purity - moral, physical, ritual. The community’s charter required a break with all “sons of darkness,” that is, with people who did not belong to the Essenes; it was forbidden to maintain any kind of relationship with them, even business. Therefore, the community members - the “sons of light”, as they called themselves - were completely separated from the outside world - the “sons of darkness”. In the community they worked together, observing complete equality of property.
People gave their knowledge, their labor, their property to the community. The charter has developed a whole system of penalties: from weekly repentance to complete expulsion from the community. Marriage was rejected due to the proximity of the last times. A person from the world could join the community, but he was subjected to tests for a long time. Persons who had physical disabilities could not be full members of the sect. There could be no talk of gospel mercy and compassion here.
In their midst lived prophets who had communication with the Living God. They prophesied about the righteous path of man, about what would happen in the future, about the appearance of the Messiah and His suffering, about subsequent events, right up to the last battles between light and darkness.
The community members spent all their time in prayer, work, joint reading and commenting on the Holy Scriptures. They kept the Sabbath as strictly as the Pharisees. On Saturday it was forbidden not only to work, but also to talk about work. If the “sons of light” heard the preaching of Christ, then, undoubtedly, it should have caused them to protest even more than the Pharisees.
It is noteworthy that Qumran scholars from the very beginning discovered many similarities between the orders of the early Church and the Essene community. At Qumran they prayed, turning not to Jerusalem, but to the east, as Christians did. The time of prayer was divided by the Essenes into three hours, as was established in church practice. The meals were reminiscent of early Christian agapes. The Essenes were subordinate to a college consisting of 12 priests, just as the Church of apostolic times was headed by 12 apostles. The creed of the Essene hermits has points of contact with early Christian literature. It would seem that the Qumran discoveries confirmed the old hypothesis, according to which Christians owe a lot to Essene. The first researchers of the manuscripts even put forward the assumption that Christianity itself was allegedly born in the Essenes. However, further discoveries and a more thorough analysis of documents showed that the Essenes were not only far from Christianity, but, as we have already indicated, in many ways diametrically opposed to it.
The Teacher of Righteousness probably died between 120 and 110 BC. After this, the sect split into several movements. Celibacy and community of property were preserved only in the main settlements. In other places where the Essenes settled, they began to own property, slaves, and started families. These changes are reflected in the found document, called the “Charter of the Two Columns.” In 31 BC. An earthquake destroyed the Qumran fortress. Its inhabitants were forced to leave the desert. They dispersed to cities and villages, although even there they continued to lead a secluded lifestyle.
At the beginning of the 1st century A.D. Qumran was repopulated, the Essenes lived there until the war with Rome (66–70), in which they took an active part. When Vespasian's legions arrived in Judea, the monastery was already empty. When leaving, the Essenes hid their library in caves, where it has been preserved to this day. Further traces of the sect are lost. Some of its members apparently died during the war, while the other part settled on the outskirts of cities and villages, and subsequently joined the Christian Church.

Findings of scrolls in the Judean Desert

Almost all researchers agree that the forerunner of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, who lived in the desert before his preaching, was associated with the Essenes and most likely lived in Qumran. This hypothesis is accepted by almost all Qumran scholars. But if you agree with her, then, undoubtedly, John the Baptist, after hearing the “word of God,” left his mentors. From the barren desert he went to the green banks of the Jordan. Like the Qumranites, he was deeply imbued with eschatological forebodings and preached the nearness of the Day of Judgment. But, unlike the Essenes, the prophet preached to all people. Essene isolation and pride were rejected by the Forerunner - the greatest of women born.
It is possible that the Apostle John also had contacts with the Essenes (although, according to most scientists, he was never an Essene in the literal sense). A legend has been preserved about his celibacy, which was rare among the Jews. John's writings are similar in style to those of Qumran. This is manifested in the frequent opposition of light and darkness, the Spirit of God and the Spirit of error, as well as in a number of characteristic turns of speech, etc.
In general, the vocabulary and metaphors of the texts of Qumran directly anticipate the New Testament: here for the first time such phrases as “poor in spirit”, “sons of light”, “salvation by faith”, “born again” are found; The very concept of “New Testament” is often mentioned as the self-name of the community. Moreover, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit stands out as particularly significant in the manuscripts. In Jewish scripture and in the literature of Judaism there are references to the Spirit and the Holy Spirit of the Lord, but before the year 30, the time of the execution of Jesus Christ, the combination “Holy Spirit” as such is found only in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in the sermons of Jesus Christ.

IN Popular literature of the 1950s–1990s often contained claims that Jesus was the Qumran Teacher of Righteousness. But we can safely say that these versions were intended to create a sensation. Scientists completely reject such claims. It is clear to most historians today that Jesus of Nazareth knew about the Essenes and may have had frequent conversations with them. This is reminiscent of some images and phrases contained in the speech of Jesus Christ. For example, the concepts of a covenant (agreement) with God, the Day of Judgment, the fulfillment of the fullness of times, the phrase “sons of light,” etc. Some of Jesus’ statements acquire additional depth for us when we learn that He polemicizes with the teachings of the Essenes. Obviously, Christ opposed the slavish observance of the Sabbath by the Essenes to the detriment of the basic moral precepts of the Torah. When He asked if anyone would leave an animal that fell into a pit to die on the Sabbath, he was most likely refuting the Essene injunction recorded in the Damascus Document: if an animal “falls into a pit or ditch on the Sabbath, leave it there.”
When Jesus urged His followers to listen carefully to God, who knows the number of hairs on everyone's head, He was most likely denying the commandment of the Damascus Document, which advises people to shave their heads when sick, so that the priest could count the number of hairs and thus determine the cause of the illness.
But the gospel preaching of Christ is the word of God addressed to us. And the teachings of the Essenes are only vague prophecies and guesses about the truth.
As far as we know, among the disciples of Jesus there were no Essenes, who by that time had left the desert after the earthquake and settled on the outskirts of the cities where, according to the canonical Gospels, Jesus preached. Therefore, they were quite able to personally hear His sermons and talk with Him. After the Lord's death on the cross and ascension, some Essenes apparently joined the Palestinian followers of Christ, and there may have been many of them. The “sons of light” who turned to the Lord had to be internally reborn, reject the imaginary “new covenant” and find the genuine one, which was established by Jesus Christ.

R The Dead Sea inscriptions are a revolution in the world of biblical studies. But why? In the detective story of the discovery itself? In the wild imagination of modern society? In the desire to find some secret knowledge? No, what gives great interest to the find is the knowledge that an ancient library was found in Qumran, that it belonged not just to the Jews who lived in the era of the Second Temple, but to the Levites, priests, sons of Aaron, who lived in the era of the famous teacher Hillel and our Lord Jesus Christ . The library was found not just in the desert, but in the Holy Land.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls led to revolutionary discoveries in so-called "intertestamental Judaism." Judaism of the Second Temple era was previously considered monolithic, legalistic. Today, thanks to discoveries made from reading the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Old Testament apocrypha, such as the book of Jubilees, the Psalms of Solomon and others, it has become known that Judaism before 70 was not a monolith, but absorbed the achievements of neighboring cultures: Greek, Parthian, Egyptian, Roman.
Many biblical texts were found among the Qumran texts, giving us excellent evidence of the methods of transmission and copying of biblical texts between 300 BC. and 70 A.D. Non-biblical manuscripts give us a good idea of ​​Jewish literature of the period, as hundreds of literary works and their copies have been found in the caves.
The most important information the manuscripts provide relates to our deeper understanding of the origins of Christianity.
Discoveries in the desert near the shores of the Dead Sea not only lifted the curtain on the ideas and aspirations of the people of the Gospel era, but showed the main thing - how great was the power and novelty of the Good News proclaimed to the world by the God-man.

Svetlana FOLOMESHKINA
The article uses materials from the Bible World magazine, No. 1(1), 1993.
Translation of poems by D. Shchedrovitsky

Sponsor of the publication of the article: the online store of upholstered furniture in Moscow "Stock Sofas" offers to buy corner sofas at competitive prices from the manufacturer. You can choose from a large assortment of inexpensive corner sofas, which include “accordion”, “Eurobook”, “dolphin” and “tick-tock” models. The online store provides furniture delivery services in Moscow and the Moscow region. You can learn more about the store’s offer on the website www.stokdivanov.ru