250BC3rd century BC–1st century AD; found 1946–1956 · Qumran, Dead Sea

Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Eroded pale cliffs of Wadi Qumran with the caves where scrolls were found — Photo: Dr. Avishai Teicher. CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Between 1946 and 1956 Bedouin shepherds and archaeologists recovered thousands of manuscript fragments from caves above the Dead Sea. Written between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD, they include the oldest surviving copies of books of the Hebrew Bible. Many scholars link them to a Jewish community at nearby Qumran, which the Romans destroyed around AD 68.

Archaeology
Religious & Pilgrimage
Jewish Heritage
Jerusalem, Israel

Sites

Site 1: Qumran National ParkRuined settlement with cisterns, and a view of the scroll caves.Map ↗
Site 2: Shrine of the Book, Israel MuseumWhite-domed gallery displaying scrolls, including the Great Isaiah Scroll facsimile.Map ↗