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Cave 1 Allegedly
discovered by a Bedouin shepherd chasing a stray, the initial Dead Sea
Scrolls
found here changed the study of the Old Testament. The
seven scrolls were the Manual of Discipline, War of Sons of Light,
Thanksgiving Scroll, Isaiah A and B, Genesis Apocryphon and Habakkuk
Commentary. |
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Cave 3 The Copper
Scroll was found in this cave in 1952. This was the only scroll
photographed in situ. The
Copper Scroll is on display in the Amman Museum and lists 63 treasures
hidden in the Judean wilderness and Jerusalem area. |
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Cave 4 This most
famous of the Dead Sea Scroll caves is also the most significant in
terms of finds. More than 15,000 fragments from over 200 books
were found in this cave, nearly all by Bedouin thieves. 122
biblical scrolls (or fragments) were found in this cave. From all
11 Qumran caves, every Old Testament book is represented except
Esther. No New Testament books or fragments have been found. |
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Cave 4 Interior The
scrolls found in this cave were poorly preserved because they were not
stored in jars. The practice of paying "per piece" led
to the creation of multiple fragments from single pieces by the Bedouin
thieves. This cave was
among those looted by the Bedouin in the free afternoons of the days
they were in the employ of the Qumran archaeologists. |
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Cave 5 (foreground) This
eroded cave was discovered by the archaeologists (Bedouin found caves 1,
2, 4, 6, 11). It is one of those in the marl terrace close to the
site of Qumran (also caves 4, 7, 8, 9, 10). Archaeologists
estimate that there were originally 30-40 caves in the marl
terrace. |
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Cave 6
This cave was not used for inhabitation, but only for the deposit of
scrolls. This is the most
accessible of the Dead Sea Scrolls to visitors today (follow the
aqueduct from Qumran to the hills and it's on the left). |
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Cave 7 (right), 8 (left)
Everything found in Cave 7 was in
Greek. The
cave collapsed shortly after the scrolls were hidden.
In
Cave 8 were discovered 8QMezuzah, Genesis, and a hundred squares of
small leather with strips. The
guy who lived here had the job of making these strips.
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Cave 10 (right)
Only one ostracon was found in Cave 10. Complete
scrolls were found only in caves 1 and 11. In
all 11 caves, some biblical books were found in large numbers: 34
copies of Psalms
27 copies of Deuteronomy
24 copies of Isaiah
20 copies of Genesis |
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Cave 11 The last
Dead Sea Scrolls found to date were found in this cave. Thirty
scrolls were found including Leviticus and the Temple Scroll. The
Temple Scroll was held by the antiquities dealer Kando until 1967 when
being put in jail by Yadin, he agreed to sell it "of his own free
will" for $110,000. |
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