Fact Sheet

Ancient Treasures and the Dead Sea Scrolls

About the Dead Sea Scrolls

The first seven Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947 in a desert cave by a young Bedouin shepherd searching for a lost goat. Over the next decade, portions of more than 900 scrolls were found in 11 nearby caves. The collection includes fragments of every book in the Old Testament, except the Book of Esther, as well as biblical commentary and contemporary writing. Written mainly in Hebrew, but also in Aramaic and Greek, the scrolls date from the second century B.C.E. to 70 C.E.

Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?
Biblical scholars believe that the scribes who collected or wrote the scrolls belonged to a strict sect of Jews who abandoned the Temple in Jerusalem. They criticized the Temple for being too lenient and established a community in Qumran, near the Dead Sea. Although the Temple in Jerusalem was the centre of religious and political life, many Hebrew cults and breakaway sects existed in ancient Israel. What distinguished them was their interpretation of biblical law. The Qumran sect was probably one such sect. Early Christians were another.

With the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E., the structure of religious life changed forever. One approach, based on Rabbinic teachers, emerged as the single face of Judaism. Prayer and observance of a written interpretation of biblical law replaced Temple rites as the expression of Jewish faith. Christianity took a separate course, with its own texts, spiritual leaders and symbols. Written before the destruction of the Second Temple and during the time of Jesus of Nazareth, the Dead Sea Scrolls open a window on a religious world in transition.

Ancient Treasures and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibits sections of three of the first scrolls found in the caves at Qumran.

The Isaiah B Scroll
Isaiah was a prophet who lived in the eighth century B.C.E., during the First Temple era. The Book of Isaiah contains prophetic exhortations to the Hebrews to live righteously. Later chapters address the exile to Babylon and the return to Israel. The text found in the Qumran cave is almost identical to modern versions; it has remained virtually unchanged for 2,000 years.

The Community Rule
The people of Qumran, the sect believed to have written the scrolls, lived communally and devoted themselves to the study of biblical texts. The Community Rule Scroll lays out their standards for community life, meals, purity and worship, as well as the punishments for breaking accepted rules.

The War Scroll
Also called the War of the Sons of Light with the Sons of Darkness, the War Scroll describes a final war between the forces of good and evil. The Sons of Light are the members of the sect that produced the scroll. The Sons of Darkness are their enemies.