Dead Sea Scrolls Now Available On Line !
The discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls in a remote Judean Desert cave in 1947 is widely considered the greatest archaeological event of the twentieth century. Bedouin treasure hunters and archaeologists ultimately found the remains of hundreds of ancient scrolls. These fragile pieces of parchment and papyrus, including the oldest existing copies of the Hebrew Bible, were preserved for two thousand years by the hot, dry desert climate and the darkness of the caves where they were placed. The scrolls provide an unprecedented picture of the diverse religious beliefs of ancient Judaism, and of daily life during the turbulent Second Temple period when Jesus lived and preached.
GENESIS
Among the oldest known copies of Genesis, the fragment of the Scroll shown here contains the description of the first three days of the creation of the world. 4Q Genesisg Date: 100–1 bce, Late Hasmonean Period, Language: Hebrew
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep; And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”— GENESIS 1:1–2
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Date: 30–1 bce, Herodian Period Language: Hebrew
This small scroll preserves one of the earliest known copies of the “Ten Commandments” (the Decalogue), a central dogma in Judaism and Christianity, and the majestic description of their divine revelation at Mount Sinai. “I am the Lord your God who took you out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage. You are to have no other gods but me.”— DEUTERONOMY 5:6-7
PSALMS SCROLL
Date: 1–68 ce, Herodian Period Language: Hebrew. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity”
The Dead Sea Scrolls are available on Israel Antiquities Authority.
Source : Dead Sea Scrolls (Pictures by : Shai Halevi)
