January 04, 2012

OAT Israel: Qumran National Park

A Bedouin shepherd boy discovered a cave filled with jars in 1947.  Subsequently, Bedouins and archeologists found 14,000 fragments of the 2000 year-old Dead Sea Scrolls (some now displayed in the Israel Museum).  Some believe a Roman soldier deliberately tore scrolls in 68CE. Climate and animals caused further damage. By 2001, these fragments were pieced together into 530 different scrolls including the Hebrew Bible as well as other biblical and extra-biblical documents.

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