Dead Sea Scrolls (Qumran Cave 1)

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

What this document is

In late 1946 or early 1947, a Bedouin shepherd named Muhammad edh-Dhib (Muhammad the Wolf) of the Ta’amireh tribe was searching for a lost goat in the cliffs above Qumran near the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. He threw a stone into a cave opening and heard pottery break. Climbing in, he found clay jars containing linen-wrapped scrolls. He and companions recovered seven major scrolls from what became Cave 1 (including the Great Isaiah Scroll, Community Rule / Manual of Discipline, Habakkuk Pesher, War Scroll, Thanksgiving Hymns, and others). The scrolls were sold to a Bethlehem dealer (Kando) and later divided between the Syrian Metropolitan Mar Athanasius Samuel and Hebrew University professor Eleazar Sukenik. Further caves (2–11) were found in subsequent years, yielding fragments of ~900 manuscripts. The texts include biblical books (some nearly complete), sectarian rules, commentaries, and apocalyptic works, dating roughly 3rd century BCE to 1st century CE. Major finds are housed in the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem.

Dating and civilization

Dead Sea Scrolls (Qumran Cave 1) is catalogued under Jewish / Second Temple and is dated c. 250 BCE–70 CE (discovered 1947). Its recorded category is Biblical & Sectarian Texts, associated with Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek.

Where to investigate

Primarily the Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem; fragments in other institutions

Connected traditions

This entry connects to Ra (Re), An (Anu). Follow the linked deity profiles to compare stories and roles.

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Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Scrolls
• https://www.imj.org.il/en/wings/shrine-book

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.