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Who were the essenes

Who were the essenes Latest

Qumran, Aerial View

May 7 Blog

Who Were the Essenes?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

A recent study has sought to determine by sophisticated methods whether Khirbet Qumran was home to a community of sectarian Jews, the Essenes.

Domenichino

Jan 31 Blog

How the Serpent in the Garden Became Satan

By: Shawna Dolansky

The serpent in the Garden of Eden is portrayed as just that: a serpent. The story in Genesis 2–3 contains no hint that he embodies the devil, Satan or any other evil power. So where does the devil come into the details of Eden? Biblical scholar Shawna Dolansky examines how the serpent became Satan.

ashkar-gilson-manuscript

Nov 1 Blog

What Is the Oldest Hebrew Bible?

By: Jennifer Drummond

The oldest Hebrew Bible texts are the Dead Sea Scrolls (c. 250 B.C.E.–115 C.E.), but the most nearly complete copies of the Hebrew Bible are codices from a thousand years ago. What happened in the period between these two discoveries? The Ashkar-Gilson Manuscript fills the gap in our knowledge of this interim period.

Jun 9 Blog

Josephus on the Essenes

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Josephus’s commentaries on the laws and characteristics of the Essene community have been invaluable to scholars studying ancient Jewish laws and customs.

Nov 7 Blog

A Feast for the Senses … and the Soul

By: Dorothy Willette

Go on a journey of the senses through history and discover the significance of ritual feasts and meals in antiquity.

Jul 14 Blog

Ancient Scribe Links Qumran Scrolls to Masada

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Paleographer Ada Yardeni identified the handwriting of a single scribe on more than 50 Dead Sea Scrolls from Qumran and Masada. What can this tell us about the scribal community at Qumran?

damascus-document

Jul 13 Blog

First Person: Was the Dead Sea Scroll Community Celibate?

By: Hershel Shanks

One of the many fascinating questions about the Dead Sea Scroll community living at Qumran is whether its members were celibate. Did they marry and have children or not?

dss-war-scroll

Feb 20 Blog

Lawrence H. Schiffman on the Dead Sea Scrolls’ History

By: Robin Ngo

In the May/June 2015 issue of BAR, Lawrence H. Schiffman describes the Dead Sea Scrolls’ history, from their discovery in the Qumran caves to the state of present-day scroll research.

huji-qumran-parchment

Feb 21 Blog

Did Archaeologists Really Discover a New Dead Sea Scroll Cave?

By: Robert Cargill

Did archaeologists excavating a cave west of the Dead Sea settlement of Qumran find a new Dead Sea Scroll cave? Scholar Robert R. Cargill examines the evidence.

Where Were the Dead Sea Scrolls Found and Who Put Them There?

Jan 4 Blog

Where Were the Dead Sea Scrolls Found and Who Put Them There?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

For nearly 2,000 years, the Qumran caves protected the secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Might the same caves also shed light on the mystery of who deposited the scrolls there in the first place?

Must-Read Free eBooks

A Digger’s Life: A Guide to the Archaeology Dig Experience
The Dead Sea Scrolls: Past, Present, and Future
Biblical Peoples—The World of Ancient Israel
The Holy Bible: A Buyer’s Guide
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