"The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the northern shore of the Dead Sea."
A collection of Jewish texts written between 200 BCE and 70 CE, discovered between 1947 and 1956.
Historical Context: Understanding the historical context in which Dead Sea Scrolls were written is important to have a better understanding of their significance.
Sects during Second Temple Period: During the Second Temple Period, there were many Jewish sects. Understanding them is important to understand the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Qumran: The archaeological site of Qumran is the place where Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Knowing about Qumran is important to understand their context.
Language of Scrolls: Understanding the language of Dead Sea Scrolls is essential since it is written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
Manuscript Studies: Knowing about manuscript studies is crucial to determine the authenticity of the scroll and its significance.
Literary Genres: Dead Sea Scrolls include various literary genres like law, narrative, prophecy, and wisdom. Knowing each genre is important.
Theology and Literature: Dead Sea Scrolls shed light on theological and literary developments within the Second Temple Period.
Relationship to Religious Texts: Dead Sea Scrolls provide insight into the formation of the Hebrew Bible and other Jewish texts.
Relationship to Christianity: The Dead Sea Scrolls can offer understanding about the Jewish origins of Christianity.
Textual Criticism: Understanding textual criticism of the Dead Sea Scrolls helps in understanding how scholars analyze and understand ancient texts.
Publication and Distribution: Knowing about the publication and distribution of Dead Sea Scrolls is important since it affects how scholars analyze the texts.
Controversies and Conflicts: There have been controversies and conflicts surrounding the discovery and study of Dead Sea Scrolls. Knowing about them helps in understanding their significance.
Biblical Scrolls: These are the most famous and significant of the Dead Sea Scrolls. They contain parts of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament, including the Book of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, and the Psalms.
Apocryphal Scrolls: These scrolls contain stories and legends that were not included in the Bible or any other religious canon. They include the Book of Enoch, Jubilees, Tobit, and Sirach.
Sectarian Scrolls: These scrolls reflect the beliefs and practices of the Jewish sect that produced them, which is believed to be the Essenes. They include the Community Rule, the War Scroll, and the Damascus Document.
Pseudepigraphic Scrolls: These scrolls contain writings that are attributed to biblical figures but were not actually written by them. They include the Testament of Levi, the Testament of Naftali, and the Testament of Amram.
Liturgical Scrolls: These scrolls contain prayers and hymns used in religious services. They include the Thanksgiving Hymns and the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice.
Magic Scrolls: These scrolls contain spells, incantations, and other magical texts. They include the Book of Angels and the Book of Giants.
Targums: These scrolls contain translations and interpretations of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic, which was the language spoken by the Jewish people at the time. They include the Targum of Job and the Targum of Isaiah.
"The Dead Sea Scrolls are considered to be a keystone in the history of archaeology with great historical, religious, and linguistic significance because they include the oldest surviving manuscripts of entire books later included in the biblical canons, along with deuterocanonical and extra-biblical manuscripts which preserve evidence of the diversity of religious thought in late Second Temple Judaism."
"Almost all of the 15,000 scrolls and scroll fragments are held by Israel in the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum."
"Israel's claims are primarily based on historical and religious grounds given their significance in Jewish history and in the heritage of Judaism."
"Researchers have assembled a collection of 981 different manuscripts – discovered in 1946/47 and in 1956 – from 11 caves."
"The 11 Qumran Caves lie in the immediate vicinity of the Hellenistic-period Jewish settlement at Khirbet Qumran in the eastern Judaean Desert, in the West Bank."
"Archaeologists have long associated the scrolls with the ancient Jewish sect called the Essenes..."
"Most of the texts are Hebrew, with some written in Aramaic... and a few in Greek. Discoveries from the Judaean Desert add Latin and Arabic texts."
"Most of the texts are written on parchment, some on papyrus, and one on copper."
"Scholarly consensus dates the scrolls from the last three centuries BCE and the first century CE..."
"Bronze coins found at the same sites form a series... supporting the radiocarbon and paleographic dating of the scrolls."
"About 40% are copies of texts from the Hebrew Scriptures."
"Approximately another 30% are texts from the Second Temple period which ultimately were not canonized in the Hebrew Bible..."
"The remainder (roughly 30%) are sectarian manuscripts of previously unknown documents that shed light on the rules and beliefs of a particular group (sect) or groups within greater Judaism..." Quotes for questions 1-14: (from the provided paragraph)