Wednesday, March 28, 2007

March 28, 2007: Qumran Cave 1


There are 250 caves in the area, but only 11 contained the scrolls. Some are very fragmentary and others are in better shape. They include some of the oldest biblical texts including a complete scroll of Isaiah and rules for living in the community, which was located below the caves. One of the rules is the order of prayer, which is similar to the order of prayer used by Jesus and his disciples. So, they are important for Judaism and Christianity. The most famous is Cave 1, a difficult climb with entry originally through a small hole in the top. A Bedouin threw a small stone through this hole and struck 1 of 11 jars lined up, which formed the main library of the Qumran community.

No comments: