Manuscripts of Qumrân

Also known under the name of “Dead Sea Scrolls”, the Manuscrit S of Qumrân are a series of parchments and fragments of found papyruses, for a small portion only, in earthenware jars laid out in caves being all around the site of Qumrân. The official discovery of these 900 manuscripts was made between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves.

In spring 1947, a young Bedouin shepherd discovers on the desert slopes of Qumrân, of the caves of difficult access, where it finds large earthenware jars which, for the majority, leather rollers preserved surprisingly well contained. Later research will update other documents.

The major discovery of Qumrân is the roller of Isaïe, became universally celebrates. It is oldest Hebrew Manuscrit complete known of a biblical book: the Book of Isaïe . The text is written in 54 columns out of 17 bent leather sheets units end to end, an overall length from approximately 7,30 Mr. It was made at second century BC.

The Hebrew biblical manuscripts of the Dead Sea are thus of more than thousand years former to the oldest texts known hitherto. Their interest is thus considerable for biblical science.

The Israeli Archéologue Eleazar Sukenik identified the importance of the rollers of the Dead Sea and took part to convince the Israeli State to buy them. In 1948, it published an article in which it established a bond between the rollers (and their contents) and a dissenting Secte Jewish that one calls the Communauté Esséniens. Its theory became interpretation most commonly allowed as for the origin of the rollers. This assumption is regarded as probable, but no formal evidence exists. It always obtains a broad consensus among its disciples, even if it is sometimes called in question by other researchers

Some also evoked the possible membership at this community of Jesus or Jean-Baptiste.

Various other assumptions were put forth, among which that of K.H. RENGSTORF, taken again by NR. GOLB, according to which the manuscripts would come from the library of the temple of Jerusalem, setting to the shelter in caves at the time of the approach of the Romans before 70 before J.C.

Discovered

In 1947, Mohammed Ahmed el-Hamed, a Bedouin shepherd left to research the one its animals, find in a cave of the rollers wrapped in fabric. The rollers initially were brought to an antique dealer Bethlehem named Ibrahim 'Ijha. It is the version most commonly accepted this history (largely based on investigations of John C.Trever).

Until 1956, other research in ten other caves around the first reflects up to date hundreds of fragments of manuscripts. The difficult work of examination and deciphering of these rollers continues still today.

The rate/rhythm of publication of the fragments was extremely long, since it was completed only in 2002.

Dating of the texts

The manuscripts were written between 250 before J.C and 68 after J.C.

The oldest biblical text, found with Qumrân, is probably a fragment of a roller of the books of Samuel, dating from the medium or the end of IIIe front century J. - C.

The roller of Isaïe has, oldest Hebrew Manuscrit complete known of a biblical book: the Livre of Isaïe was made at second century BC

Fragments

One found 100.000 fragments, divided into 870 different manuscripts, of which 220 are biblical texts of the Old Testament. All the books of this one are represented there, except the Livre of Esther.

In addition to the books of the Old Testament, one finds also books Apocryphes (excluded from the biblical gun by the Christians, but also by the Jews), like the Livre of Enoch and the Livre of the Jubilees. Almost all are in Hebrew, some in Greek, taking again the version of the Seventy. With these books (canonical or not) comments are added on those, as well as texts suitable for the Jewish community which lived in Qumrân, like the Rouleau of the Temple and the Règle of the Community.

These fragments were scattered throughout the world and are preserved in various institutions. Those which are in Paris or London were sent by the father Roland de Vaux. They constitute a considerable share of the unit.

Books sorted according to the number of found manuscripts (16 first)

Cave 1

It is not before 1949, nearly two years after the initial discovery, which one found the cave from where the first manuscripts had been extracted. Excavations began in February, carried out per G L Harding, Roland de Vaux, and Ibrahim El-Assouli, of the Musée Rockefeller. Not less than 600 fragments were gathered, as well as pieces of wood, clothing and glares of potteries.

Cave 2

Three years later in 1952, the Bedouins discovered not far from there cave 2. Less monumental, of many fragments however discovered and were sold there with the archaeological Museum of Palestine and the biblical and archaeological École French of Jerusalem.

Cave 3

March 14th of the same year, a third cave was discovered, which contained most mysterious of the manuscripts, the Rouleau of copper.

Cave 4

Discovered in 1952 by the Father Roland de Vaux, director of the biblical and archaeological school French.

On more than 500 texts discovered in the fourth cave, only a hundred were published 50 years after the discovery.

Bibliographical sources

The bibliographical sources on the manuscripts and their interpretation are extremely numerous. Here various authors and researchers (French, English, Israeli) of very first order.

Roland de Vaux

The Father Roland de Vaux, Dominican École biblical and archaeological French of Jerusalem, was at the same time exégète Old Testament and archeologist of ground. He discovers the cave n°4 in 1952.

Joseph Milik (Seroczyn, Poland, March 24th, 1922 - Paris, January 6th, 2006)

Joseph Milik, young collaborator of the Father of Be worth, he made his career at CNRS. Pioneer of the deciphering of cursive the araméenne, it made of many specialists.

Jean Carmignac (1914-1986)

Jean Carmignac is one of the first to be taken part in the publication of the French manuscripts, founder of the Revue of Qumrân in 1958. (ED. Gabalda, Paris)

Andre Dupont-To summon

Professor with the Sorbonne, perpetual secretary of the Academy of the inscriptions and the humanities, one of the largest specialists in the Semitic Languages and the Bible, it is one of the first to credit the thesis with the essenism of Qumrân.

He publishes many works, whose celebrates it the Writings esséniens discovered close to the Dead Sea in 1959.

John Marco Allegro

Professor John Marco Allegro, of the University of Manchester, Philologist and member of the first team of Father R. of Be worth. He is one of the only academics “not monk” to have taken part in the first campaigns of translation and transcription of the manuscripts.

Following research carried out with Qumrân, J.M Allegro will publish in 1970 The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross , work polemizes which it will not leave unscathed.

Ernest-Marie Laperrousaz

Professor emeritus with the section of religious sciences of the practical School of the high studies, Ernest-Marie Laperrousaz is a former boarder of the biblical and archaeological School French of Jerusalem; for this reason, it took part in the excavations of Massada and of Qumrân and it is regarded as one of the large specialists in the Manuscripts of Qumrân.

Qoumrân and Dead Sea Scrolls. One fiftieth anniversary , Paris, Stag, 459 p. (1997 - 2000)

Bibliography

Emile Puech

Emile Puech is research director with CNRS, director of the Review of Qumrân, Gabalda (Paris), editor of the batch of Hebrew manuscripts, araméens and nabatéens new, founding member of International Organization for the Qumran Studies, member of the Board Leading article of Dead Sea Discoveries, Brill, Leiden, consulting for the project of Encyclopedia off the Dead Sea Scrolls, New York, professor at the biblical and archaeological School French of Jerusalem, researcher of Institut of Semitic Studies, Collège de France, Paris, Laboratoire research director of old Semitic Studies, Collège de France, Paris.

Biography-Bibliography

* belief of Esséniens in the future life: Immortality, resurrection, eternal life? History of a belief in the old Judaism.

Volume I - the resurrection of died and the context scripturaire.

Volume II - the data qumrâniennes and traditional. Foreword Mr. A. Caquot, Member of the Institute, Professor at the Collège de France. Biblical studies N.S. numbers 21-22, 984 pp. Paris, 1993.

* Qumrân Cave 4. XVIII. Hebrew manuscripts (4Q521-528, 4Q576-579), Discoveries in the Judaean Serves XXV , Oxford, 1998, XVIII- 230, XV Boards and 2 figures.

* Qumrân Cave 4. XXII. Texts araméens. First part (4Q529 - 4Q549), Discoveries in the Judaean Serves XXXI , Oxford, 2001, XVIII- 440, XXII Boards.

Emmanuel Tov

Emmanuel Tov is professor at the Hebraic University of Jerusalem, he directed as from 1991 the edition of the rollers of the Dead Sea and surrounded by a hundred researchers, he completed the publication in 2001 of it.

The entirety of the manuscripts is thus available in bookstore, in 39 volumes published by the editions Oxford University Close, under the general heading " Discoveries in the Judaean Desert". This with the help of the moderate amount of 4.270 €; for the Parisian bookstore Gets It, for example.

Michael Wise, Martin Abegg, Jr, Edward Cook :

" Dead Sea Scrolls:

(Integral Translation of the old rollers, with texts never yet published, and comprising most recent discovered). " Editions Plon October 2001.

See too

Charline Zeitoun, double life of the Dead Sea Scrolls , in the newspaper of CNRS , n°214, November 2007, p. 9.
Ursula Schattner-Rieser, Texts araméens of the Dead Sea. Edition bilingual, vocalized and with accompanying notes , coll Languages and old cultures 5, ED. Safran, Brussels, 2005,

Internal bonds

Esséniens
Handwritten of the Bible
Roller of copper
Document of Damas
Rule of the War

External bonds

'' Querelles in Qumrân '', article, the most sensational Reform, 2005
of the discoveries. Manuscripts of Qumrân In this time, the Bible No 15 pages III-II.
Qumrân and Dead Sea Scrolls by Andre Paul, Historian, biblist and theologist.
Dead Sea Scrolls by Aime Fuchs.
the archaeological discoveries of the Dead Sea
Publications of the Dead Sea Scrolls
the Dead Sea Scrolls, Qumrân and the Gospels apocryphal books
Oxford University Close Discoveries in the Judaean Serves (to seek on the site)
Association Jean Carmignac

Interrogations

After 50 years, Dead Sea Scrolls… Opened bible, site evangelic
Investigation into the lack of diffusion of the manuscripts.

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