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106-554: The Genesis Apocryphon was one of the seven major scrolls found at Qumran in Cave 1. It is one of the collection in the Dead Sea Scrolls , which has over 800 documents in fragmentary form. All documents have been found in various states of preservation in twelve caves of the cliffs that parallel the northwest shore of the Dead Sea and in the general location of Qumran. The scroll was found in

212-498: A burg , or fort. Archaeologist Michael Avi-Yonah agreed with Dalman's identification of Qumran as a fort and published a map that identified the remains at Qumran as part of a string of fortresses along the southeastern Judean border. Full-scale work at the site began after Roland de Vaux and Gerald Lankester Harding in 1949 excavated what became known as Cave 1, the first scroll-bearing cave. A cursory surface survey that year produced nothing of interest, but continued interest in

318-404: A main building , a squarish structure of two stories featuring a central courtyard and a defensive tower on its north-western corner; and a secondary building to the west. The excavation revealed a complex water system that had supplied water to several stepped cisterns, some quite large, located in various parts of the site. Two of these cisterns were within the walls of the main building. Both

424-416: A "man coming from the south of the land, the sickle in his hand, and fire with him" (col. 15, line 10) will come to judge those who rebel. The passage ends with a detailed description of how Noah divides up the land among his sons, who in turn divide their shares of land among their sons. This series of columns is a retelling of the story of Abram, though with much closer adherence to the biblical Genesis than

530-412: A 2010 season). Some new discoveries have been made. Most of the small finds from the de Vaux excavations were taken back to Jerusalem to be used in later excavation reports for Qumran, but the death of Roland de Vaux brought a halt to the reports and the small finds were left to gather dust on shelves in museum backrooms. In the late 1980s, archaeologist Robert Donceel worked on the de Vaux materials in

636-623: A change in the humidity of the Shrine of the Book had affected the condition of the Genesis Apocryphon. The change was allegedly caused by the opening of a wall during construction and renovations. This resulted in the wrinkling of the parchment on some of the Dead Sea Scrolls documents, and the document most affected was the Genesis Apocryphon. The literary genre of the Genesis Apocryphon lies within

742-651: A clear author, the references to Enoch 1 and the Book of Jubilees suggest that it was accepted and used at Qumran. This passage is very fragmentary, but seems to contain the story of the Watchers (Heb: עירין ) or Nephilim found in 1 Enoch 1–36, based on Gen 6:1–4. Columns 2–5 tell the story of the birth of Noah, using both third person accounts, and first person language from the point of view of Lamech , Noah's father. The text deals with Lamech and his wife. A portion of column 2 states: She said to me, "O my master and [brother, recall for yourself] my pregnancy. I swear to you by

848-540: A dining or assembly room and debris from an upper story alleged by some to have been a scriptorium as well as pottery kilns and a tower. Many scholars believe the location was home to a Jewish sect , probably the Essenes . But, according to Lawrence Schiffman , the rules of the community, its heavy stress on priesthood and the Zadokite legacy, and other details indicate a Sadducean -oriented sect either distinct from or one of

954-410: A few dozen candidates to the population, yielding over 170 people. From 1983 to 1987 Joseph Patrich carried out archaeological surveys around Qumran and its caves. He concluded that the caves were "stores and hiding places". He found no traces of permanent tent dwellings and that any "dwelling quarters should be sought inside the wall of Khirbet Qumran, mainly on the upper floor". Patrich estimated that

1060-431: A figure of "a few tens of residents, fifty at most". Jodi Magness accepted Broshi's estimate, adding "This number accords better than lower estimates with the presence of over 1000 dining dishes in the pantry (L86)." Working from ratios of populations in other ancient settlements, Yizhar Hirschfeld estimated the population of Qumran thus: "If we use the lower value of fifteen people per dunam [1,000 m ], it emerges that in

1166-563: A full report on the excavations at Qumran. In 1986 the École Biblique appointed the Belgian archaeologist Robert Donceel to the task of publishing the final results of de Vaux's excavations. Preliminary findings were presented at a conference in New York in 1992, but a final report never eventuated. According to Pauline Donceel-Voûte the final report was impossible to write, because many artifacts had been lost or corrupted (in particular, according to

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1272-453: A house in Sodom and dwelt in it. I was dwelling on the mountain of Bethel, and it grieved me that Lot, the son of my brother, had parted from me. (col. 21, lines 5–7) The Genesis Apocryphon was the most damaged out of the first four scrolls found in Cave 1 making the publication history difficult, lengthy yet interesting. The scroll is dated palaeographical to 25 BC through 50 AD which coincides with

1378-505: A local garrison. According to Lönnqvist, the technical evidence of the recording and documenting of the Qumran silver coin hoards in 2006–2007 showed that the coins came from lots, groups or batches of coins that originated in a few or one single large payment. This payment may have come from a mint, bank or an authority like the treasury of the Roman army. The new evidence refutes the possibility that

1484-450: A more coherent order. More recently a 3rd edition of Fitzmyer's commentary was published containing the newly publish columns. Martin Abegg and Michael Wise collaborated in 2005 to create an English translation of the Genesis Apocryphon and this is the most recent completed edition of the text. These publications and commentaries are not a complete list of translations and commentaries related to

1590-418: A new effort towards publishing excavation reports. He found artifacts he believed did not fit the religious settlement model, including "sophisticated glass and stoneware". In 1992 Pauline Donceel-Voute put forward the Roman villa model in an attempt to explain these artifacts. In 2002 archaeologists Minna and Kenneth Lönnqvist published their archaeological and spatial studies at Qumran bringing another view to

1696-422: A new interpretations as to the importance, chronology and significance of the coins. According to Lönnqvist, the newly dated coins in the silver coin hoards give an earliest possible burial date for the coin hoards to 52/3–66 CE, based on an interpretation of a countermark. However, the archaeological and numismatic nature of the silver coin hoard burials may suggest that the coin hoards may have been buried in

1802-610: A part of the fourth scroll. Józef Milik edited the fragments and published them under the name Apocalypse de Lamech based on Trever's previous identification; the fragments were given the publication number 20. All other texts related were added to this number 1Q20. Avigad and Yigael Yadin led the initial major publication of the Genesis Apocryphon in 1956. It dealt mostly with the last three columns that were very well preserved. The publication included very meticulous transcriptions and translations that stood well against later re-readings and photographic technology. The Genesis Apocryphon

1908-399: A patriarchal discourse. The narrative is written in first person from Noah's point of view and is his testament about the events that took place during his life. Column 6 begins with Noah's declaration that he is a righteous man who has been warned about darkness. He marries, has sons and daughters, and arranges marriages to the children of his brother for all his offspring, "in accordance with

2014-540: A room on the west side of the monastery. They consisted of tetradrachmae that had been minted in Tyre at various times in the first-century BCE. The Iron Age remains at the site, which were modest but included a LMLK seal , led de Vaux to identify Qumran as the City of Salt listed in Josh 15:62. The site, however, may be identified with Secacah , which is referenced in the same area as

2120-412: A thank offering to God. He and his family explore the land and praise God for the beauty that is found there. God appears to Noah and makes a covenant with him to rule over the earth, so long as he and his sons do not consume blood. This covenant between God and man is made manifest by a rainbow "a sign for [Noah] in the clouds" (col. 12, line 1). Noah and his family adhere to the covenant by cultivating

2226-574: Is a complex issue, as can be seen by the above considerations. Much hinges on interpretation of two locations at Qumran—the refectory and the pantry . The search for extramural dwelling quarters has failed to provide substantial evidence. Discounting Laperrousaz's apparently excessively high estimate, a number of proposals put the population in and around Qumran at between 20 and 200 people. Lamech (father of Noah) Lamech ( / ˈ l eɪ m ɪ k / ; Hebrew : לֶמֶךְ ‎ Lemeḵ , in pausa לָמֶךְ ‎ Lāmeḵ ; Greek : Λάμεχ Lámekh )

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2332-450: Is an integral part of the site, as seen with the numerous cisterns and channels. If the large cisterns were ritual baths, the water would sit getting dirtier through ritual bathing throughout the year and was extremely infrequently replenished by the run off. The current state of analysis of the cisterns is still unresolved, but Katharina Galor suggests a mixed usage of the stepped cisterns as both ritual baths and water storage. According to

2438-421: Is called Column 1, the inner most end of the scroll shows traces and signs that another piece of skin had originally been there. Moreover, the last line on Column 22 ends in the middle of a sentence, showing that there is text missing. At certain points, the scroll also displays holes where ink has corroded through the document, creating missing areas within the scroll. In 1968, The Jerusalem Post reported that

2544-715: Is taken. He asks God to have vengeance and show his power against Pharaoh and his household. God sends a spirit to torment the Pharaoh of Zoan and the men of his household. After two years of attempting to understand why his household was afflicted, Pharaoh sent his attendant to Abram and Lot. Lot tells the attendant the truth, and Pharaoh becomes angry and sends Sarai back to Abram along with a substantial amount of wealth and gifts. After leaving Egypt and settling back in Canaan Abram and Lot grow flocks together. Eventually they decide to divide their land since their flocks were too numerous and

2650-403: Is that bodies were those of generations of sectarians, while another is that they were brought to Qumran because burial was easier there than in rockier surrounding areas. The scrolls were found in a series of eleven caves around the settlement, some accessible only through the settlement. Some scholars have claimed that the caves were the permanent libraries of the sect, due to the presence of

2756-447: The Dead Sea Scrolls —which continued to be discovered in the nearby caves throughout his excavations . De Vaux concluded that the remains at Qumran were left by a sectarian religious community. Using his excavations as well as textual sources, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the historical accounts recorded by Pliny the Elder , Philo , and Flavius Josephus , De Vaux's conclusion was that

2862-467: The First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), although some of them may have been deposited earlier. The site of Khirbet Qumran had been known to European explorers since the 19th century. The initial attention of the early explorers was focused on the cemetery, beginning with de Saulcy in 1851. In fact, the first excavations at Qumran (prior to the development of modern methodology) were of burials in

2968-534: The Jerusalem Temple Mount . Regarding the scrolls De Vaux cautiously stated that "manuscripts were copied in the scriptorium of Qumran... We may also suppose... that certain works were composed at Khirbet Qumran. But beyond this we cannot go." He believed that the Essenes later hid the scrolls in the nearby caves when they felt their safety was in danger. Roland de Vaux died in 1971 without having provided

3074-536: The Second Temple period . Writers employed several different methods of rewriting scripture : rearranging passages, adding detail, and clarifying points that were open to misinterpretation. The Genesis Apocryphon is heavily influenced by the Book of Jubilees , the Book of Enoch , and the Book of Genesis account. It records the story of Genesis in the same chronological order, but by using these editing methods, it presents

3180-636: The Thanksgiving Psalms , which had been purchased from Bedouins by Eleazar Sukenik of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem . The seven main scrolls found in Cave 1 at Qumran, came to be housed in the Shrine of the Book in West Jerusalem. J. Biberkraut was called upon to conduct the unrolling of the Genesis Apocryphon. When it was opened, it was found to lack the beginning and the end of the text. What

3286-409: The patriarchs as examples to emulate. The main process is effectively substitution, or replacing the text of Genesis with new narrative, but the Genesis Apocryphon also adds more detail to the story of the patriarchs and their ancestry. Most prominently, the approach extends scripture by means of supplementation, incorporating traditions from other sources, especially Jubilees and Enochic writings, into

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3392-465: The "rewritten bible" category, which can be closely compared to the Targum , Midrash , and parabiblical or parascriptural genres. The term "parascriptural" can be used as an umbrella term for a broad class of texts that in various ways extend the authority of scripture by imitation and interpretation. The "rewritten bible" category is the result of extending scripture which was a somewhat common practice during

3498-497: The 1950s, and several later digs have been carried out. Since the 1967 Six-Day War , Qumran has been managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority . Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947–1956, extensive excavations have taken place in Qumran. Nearly 900 scrolls were discovered. Most were written on parchment and some on papyrus . Cisterns , Jewish ritual baths , and cemeteries have been found, along with

3604-779: The City of Salt in the Book of Joshua 15:61. Secacah is mentioned in the Copper Scroll , and the water works of Secacah that are described in this source are consistent with those of Qumran. The excavations revealed that after the Iron Age, Qumran was principally in use from the Hasmonean times until some time after the destruction of the temple by Titus in 70 CE. De Vaux divided this use into three periods: De Vaux's periodization has been challenged by both Jodi Magness and Yizhar Hirschfeld. The site that de Vaux uncovered divides into two main sections:

3710-455: The Donceels, some of the coins excavated by Roland de Vaux from Qumran had been lost. ) To fill the gap, the École had a synthesis of de Vaux's field notes published in 1994. This volume included several hundred photographs, 48 pages of measurement, and summary descriptions of the field diaries. An English translation of the field notes synthesis was published in 2003. Two later books, devoted to

3816-546: The Genesis Apocryphon but are the most significant. Qumran Qumran ( Hebrew : קומראן ; Arabic : خربة قمران Khirbet Qumran ) is an archaeological site in the West Bank managed by Israel 's Qumran National Park. It is located on a dry marl plateau about 1.5 km (1 mi) from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea , about 10 km (6 mi) south of the historic city of Jericho , and adjacent to

3922-415: The Genesis Apocryphon represents a flexible attitude to the scriptural text and provides deeper insight into the lives of the patriarchs. The Genesis Apocryphon is a retelling of the stories of the patriarchs. It can be separated into books; the Book of Lamech , the Book of Noah and the Book of Abraham . The Genesis Apocryphon is largely based upon 1 Enoch , the Book of Jubilees and Genesis and therefore

4028-608: The Great Holy One, by the Ruler of Hea[ven] that this seed is yours, that this pregnancy is from you, that from you is the planting of [this] fruit [and that it is] not from any alien, or from any of the Watchers, or from any heavenly bein[g.] - trans. by Reeves The section closes with Lamech appealing to his father Methuselah to go and approach Enoch , who is Lamech's grandfather, for guidance on this dispute. Enoch tells Methuselah about

4134-405: The Hasmonean period only about 20 people occupied the site of Qumran. Yitzhak Magen and Yuval Peleg entered the discussion commenting on how one could feed such large numbers of community members: "Were we to accept the claim that the sect lived at Qumran for about 170 years, we would expect to find hundreds of cooking and baking ovens as well as thousands of cooking pots." The population question

4240-575: The Israel Numismatic Bulletin supports his theory of a third-century CE date for the three silver coin hoards from Qumran. This Ain Hanaziv coin hoard spanned hundreds of years, starting from the Seleucid era and ended with the same kind of coins from the reign of Septimius Severus in 210. Therefore, according to Lönnqvist, claiming an earlier date for the silver hoards is untenable and contradicts

4346-481: The Israeli archaeologists Magen and Peleg, the clay found in the cisterns was used for pottery factory facilities. The construction of the Qumran aqueduct that fed the cisterns and the baths can be seen as an important chronological marker. Although there are some disagreements in this area, Stacey (2004) argues that it should be dated to around 95-90 BCE, which is during de Vaux’s Period Ib. Coins from Qumran are one of

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4452-555: The Jericho pottery data, refers to cylindrical jars at Jericho, saying "[a]t Jericho, most of these jars .. come from an industrial area dating to the time of Herod". Jan Gunneweg observed that the supposed single partial parallel at Jericho – "a partly preserved rim and neck with a vertical loop handle" – is in fact not a "scroll" jar. Another one was reported found in Jordan in a later burial near Abila but no photos or drawings were published and

4558-742: The Noah account, sometimes even translating portions of the Genesis text verbatim. Unfortunately, column 18 has been lost, but is speculated to have contained the beginning of the Abram story from Genesis 11–12, as column 19 begins with Abram already in Canaan . Prior to Abram's journey to Egypt, there is mention of him in Hebron, which is not mentioned in Genesis. However, it is recorded in Jubilees that he passes through Hebron, and in fact

4664-564: The Qumran coin hoards and the museum bags where the coins were kept do not support the hypothesis that the 2nd- and 3rd-century Roman coins are intrusive in relation to the Tyrian silver. Furthermore, the new countermark that went unrecorded is apparently from 52/53 CE and the Greek letters in it do not support a date of 9/8 BCE, as the other countermarks. This means archaeologically and numismatically that at least one, but probably two minimum, of

4770-865: The Spring of 1947 by Bedouin shepherds, after throwing a rock into a cave while looking for their lost sheep. Along with the Isaiah Scroll , the commentary on Habakkuk , and the Manual of Discipline , this document was sold by the Bedouin who discovered it to Mar Athanasius Yeshue Samuel, the superior at the Monastery of Saint Mark the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary of Jerusalem . The four scrolls were transferred from Jerusalem to Syria and to Lebanon under certain political conditions in

4876-466: The area of Qumran and probably also from the Plain of Jericho." Many scholars have viewed the several large stepped cisterns at Qumran as ritual baths. This supports the religious settlement model. There are difficulties in understanding all these cisterns as baths, however. Qumran's water arrived perhaps twice a year from rainwater runoff. Water was one of Qumran's most valued commodities, and water management

4982-545: The area. There were plans made to transfer the scrolls to the U.S. but permission was later retracted because it was insisted that a high price could be asked for the scrolls if they remained unrolled and unraveled. The four scrolls were then announced for sale in the Wall Street Journal for $ 250,000 and were purchased by Israel on February 13, 1955. The Genesis Apocryphon joined the Isaiah Scrolls, War Scroll and

5088-490: The assumed date of hiding of the coin hoards, which in turn dated the coin hoards themselves. Nevertheless, Lönnqvist's theories have been criticized by Farhi and Price. They point to the fact that the identity of the silver coins from Qumran held at the Amman Museum in Jordan is not certain. One important issue for the understanding of the site of Qumran is a realistic calculation of its population. Using estimates based on

5194-463: The average population, working on the comparison with the population of the monastery of Mar Saba, which numbered 150 monks in the 9th century and from Josephus' figure of 3,000 Essenes calculating that "at least five per cent lived the strict monastic life". E.M. Laperrousaz went as high as 1,428 inhabitants. Magen Broshi, analyzing the size of L77 (which he calls an assembly hall), estimated that about 120 to 150 people could sit there, to which he added

5300-528: The buildings and the water system evince signs of consistent evolution throughout the life of the settlement. with frequent additions, extensions and improvements. The water channel was raised to carry water to newer cisterns farther away and a dam was placed in the upper section of Wadi Qumran to secure more water, which was brought to the site by an aqueduct. Rooms were added, floors were raised, pottery ovens relocated and locations were repurposed. De Vaux found three inkwells at Qumran (Loci 30 (2) and 31) and over

5406-477: The caves north of Qumran; they also dug in the cemetery and in marl terrace caves. In 1996 James Strange and others dug at Qumran using remote sensing equipment. From 1996 to 1999 and later Yitzhak Magen and Yuval Peleg carried out excavations at Qumran under the auspices of the National Parks Authority. Randall Price and Oren Gutfeld dug on the Qumran plateau, seasons in 2002, 2004 and 2005 (and plan

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5512-480: The cemetery, conducted by Henry Poole in 1855 followed by Charles Clermont-Ganneau in 1873. Albert Isaacs , British counsel James Finn , and photographer James Graham visited Qumran in December 1856. Isaacs stated regarding Qumran's tower, "It can hardly be doubted that this formed a tower or stronghold of some kind. The situation is commanding, and well adapted for defensive operations." Finn later suggested Qumran

5618-492: The cemetery, excavating twelve tombs. In 1967 restoration work was performed at Qumran by R.W. Dajjani of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan. In 1984 and 1985 Joseph Patrich and Yigael Yadin carried out a systematic survey of the caves and pathways around Qumran. Between 1985 and 1991 Patrich excavated five caves, including Caves 3Q and 11Q. One of Patrich's conclusions was that the caves "did not serve as habitations for

5724-504: The coming apocalypse, and tells him that the reason Noah is so beautiful is because he is righteous and is meant to father the new world. Enoch instructs Methuselah to assure Lamech that he is Noah's father. Columns 3–5 contain Enoch's speech, which overlaps well with the Aramaic text found in 1 Enoch 106–107 from 4QEn. It is this overlap that provides the strongest evidence that the Genesis Apocryphon

5830-507: The context of a sectarian settlement according to the Donceels. These materials point to trade connections in the area, and provide evidence that Qumran may not have been in a vacuum in the Graeco-Roman period. Rachel Bar-Nathan has argued from similarities between pottery finds at Qumran and at the Hasmonean and Herodian palaces of Jericho that Qumran should be seen as part of the Jordan valley context, rather than as an isolated site. While

5936-422: The cylindrical "scroll jars" from Qumran were once thought unique, she cites a proposed similar find at Jericho, shows a related form existed at Masada , and reports that such jars have been found at Qalandiya. Bar-Nathan states from the Jericho palace data that, "It is possible to trace the typological development of this group of jars", i.e., the cylindrical jars. Jodi Magness, citing Bar-Nathan's M.A. thesis on

6042-411: The date palm objects and says "Do not cut the cedar down, for the two of us grow from but a single root." So the cedar is spared and is not cut down. Abram deduces that he is the strong cedar, and that Pharaoh will seek to kill him while sparing Sarai. Abram instructs Sarai to say she is his sister so that they can avoid this. Sarai was very distressed by this dream as they entered Egypt, and for five years

6148-448: The early 3rd century. The final coin was minted in Rome between 206 and 210, during the reign of the emperor Caracalla . The new suggestion made is that the silver coin hoards from Qumran may be connected to Roman military campaigns in the region, as these are widely attested in the early 3rd century CE. It is also quite possible that the silver was part of Roman army payments made to troops in

6254-457: The first 56 years of Lamech's life. When Lamech named his son Noah, he prophesied: "This [same] shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the L ORD hath cursed." ( Genesis 5:29 ) The people were cumbered with the toil of cultivating a ground that had been cursed in Genesis 3:17 , and they hoped for relief through Noah. Albert Barnes noted: "In stating

6360-408: The first complete recording of the Qumran silver hoards made by him in 2007, which includes the first photographic evidence of the coin hoards, and the regional coin evidence from other hoards. It has already been shown that de Vaux's dating system of Qumran and the silver coin hoards was based on what is generally known as a circular argument; the end of the first major settlement period was dated after

6466-639: The following years more inkwells have come to light with a Qumran origin. Jan Gunneweg identified a fourth (locus 129). S. Steckoll found a fifth (reportedly near the scriptorium). Magen and Peleg found a sixth inkwell. Without counting the Ein Feshkha inkwell or others with debated provenance, that number is more inkwells than found at any other site of the Second Temple Period, a significant indication of writing at Qumran. De Vaux interpreted his findings at Qumran based (at least in part) upon information in

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6572-438: The ground which the L ORD hath cursed. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. Lamech is the eighth-generation descendant of Adam ( Genesis 5:25 ), the son of Methuselah , and the father of Noah ( Genesis 5:29 ), in the genealogy of Seth in Genesis 5. In Genesis 5:12-25, Lamech

6678-422: The imagination of man’s heart [is] evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done." According to a local Afghan legend, Lamech was buried 50 km (31 mi) from Mihtarlam . Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni built a tomb and gardens over the presumed burial site. Mihtarlam itself is said to be named after Lamech. Lamech is portrayed by Marton Csokas in

6784-556: The inhabitants of Qumran, who may have been Essenes , or the asylum for supporters of the traditional priestly family of the Zadokites against the Hasmonean priest/kings. A literary epistle published in the 1990s expresses reasons for creating a community, some of which resemble Sadducean arguments in the Talmud . Most of the scrolls seem to have been hidden in the caves during the turmoil of

6890-441: The inhabitants of the site were a sect of highly ritualistic Jews called the Essenes , a conclusion that has come to be known as the "Qumran–Essene hypothesis". This hypothesis suggests that the original residents of the settlement were the Essenes, and that they established the site in the desert for religious purposes. He interpreted the room above locus 30 as a "scriptorium" because he discovered inkwells there. A plastered bench

6996-487: The interpretation of the excavations of de Vaux, were published by Jean-Baptiste Humbert in 2003 and 2016. However, not all of de Vaux's archaeological findings from Qumran (which are stored in the Rockefeller Museum ) have yet been published; some are still inaccessible to scholars and the public. Although de Vaux's excavations of Qumran were quite exhaustive, and thereby the most important source of information on

7102-476: The jar has not been relocated, showing de Vaux sought parallels. Taking into account subtypes of pottery, true cylindrical "scroll" jars are not common outside Qumran. They are, however, clearly not unique to Qumran. Bar-Nathan noted the jar's "rarity in the Second Temple period". Of some of the proposed parallel Masada jars, Bar-Nathan wrote "It seems that this group of storage jars was brought (or pillaged?) from

7208-447: The land couldn't support them. After Abram and Lot split ways and Lot leaves, Abram is very generous and the text makes large note (col. 21, line 6) of his grief at their parting (line 7). After this day Lot parted from me because of the conduct of our shepherds. He went and settled in the valley of the Jordan, and all his flocks with him, and I too added much to what he had. He kept pasturing his flocks and came to Sodom. He bought himself

7314-413: The land. Children are born to Noah's sons, and he plants a vineyard. Four years after the flood, Noah holds a festival in his vineyard to praise God. He falls asleep, drunk on wine, and a vision of a cedar and an olive tree comes to him. The interpretation of the vision is also granted to Noah; he is the cedar tree with many shoots because he will have many descendants. However, most of them will be evil, and

7420-454: The law of the eternal statute" (col. 6, line 8). Some time later, a Watcher, also known as "an emissary of the [Great] Holy One" (col. 6, line 13), comes to Noah with a warning about an upcoming flood . Noah heeds the being's proclamation, and thus survives the flood in an ark with his family. When the flood has ceased, the ark comes to rest in the Ararat mountains, and Noah leaves the boat to give

7526-543: The members of the Dead Sea Sect, but rather as stores and hiding places". From mid-November 1993 to January 1994 the Israel Antiquities Authority carried out works in the Qumran compound and nearby installations as part of "Operation Scroll" under the direction of Amir Drori and Yitzhak Magen . In the winter of 1995–1996 and later seasons Magen Broshi and Hanan Eshel carried out further excavations in

7632-409: The modern Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalya . The Hellenistic period settlement was constructed during the reign of Hasmonean leader John Hyrcanus (134–104  BCE ) or somewhat later. Qumran was inhabited by a Jewish sect of the late Second Temple period , which most scholars identify with the Essenes ; however, other Jewish groups were also suggested. It was occupied most of

7738-402: The most important groups of primary evidence from the ancient site. Much of what has been written on the chronology, the occupational periods and the history of Qumran is based on the preliminary report and lecture by the original excavator, Roland de Vaux in 1961, which was translated in 1973. A tentative list of the Qumran bronze coins along with Roland de Vaux's field diary from the excavations

7844-412: The north cemetery (about 10 minutes away from the primary) and a cemetery south of Wadi Qumran. While most of the graves contain the remains of males, some females were also discovered, though some burials may be from medieval times. Only a small portion of the graves were excavated, as excavating cemeteries is forbidden under Jewish law. Over a thousand bodies are buried at Qumran cemetery. One theory

7950-433: The paths near Qumran), and staying with 150–200 inhabitants. While waiting for the publication of Broshi and Eshel's results, Patrich, anticipating them, doubted the possibility that there were once "significantly more habitable caves" cut into the marl, pointing to the lack of paths and suitable terrain. He went on to discount the significance of the nails for tent dwelling without "further substantial evidence and returned to

8056-422: The population was only 50–70 people. Magen Broshi and Hanan Eshel, revisiting the caves and the territory around Qumran in 1995–1996, later pointed out that Patrich's estimate was far too high for what Qumran could offer, reducing the number to 12–20. They turned back to caves (mainly artificial ones cut into the marl terrace most of which have not survived) and tents (pointing to pottery and nails found along one of

8162-462: The radiocarbon dating estimate of 89 BC – 118 AD. Due to its fragile condition the Genesis Apocryphon was the last to be identified. The extent of the damage included missing fragments, faded lettering, and patches of ink that had leaked through the parchment, requiring infrared imaging technology to render some passages legible. In April 1949 New Jersey, the scroll was partially unrolled for the scroll to be identified by John C. Trever . The portion read

8268-404: The reason of the name, they employ a word which is connected with it only by a second remove. נוּח nûach and נחם nācham are stems not immediately connected; but they both point back to a common root נח (n-ch) signifying 'to sigh, to breathe, to rest, to lie down. ' " At Noah's sacrifice in the new world after the flood, the L ORD said, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for

8374-518: The remaining timeline of the Abram story in the Apocryphon follows the timeline in Jubilees. Suffering from a famine, Abram decides to enter Egypt, the land of the children of Ham . Before entering Egypt, Abram receives revelation in the form of a dream. Abram dreams of a cedar tree and a date palm growing from a single root. People come to cut down and uproot the cedar, leaving the palm to itself. However,

8480-408: The remains of a shelving system. Other scholars believe that some caves also served as domestic shelters for those living in the area. Many of the texts found in the caves appear to represent widely accepted Jewish beliefs and practices, while other texts appear to speak of divergent, unique, or minority interpretations and practices. Some scholars believe that some of these texts describe the beliefs of

8586-401: The role of coins and money in the economic system at Qumran during any of the occupational periods from ca. 150 BCE. to 73 CE. Worth noting here is that the amount of coins found at Qumran suggests according to numismatic principles of loss and survival of ancient coins that millions of bronze coins must have circulated at Qumran. The bronze coins identified from Qumran, some dating to

8692-424: The scrolls led to a more substantial analysis of the ruins at Qumran in 1951. This analysis yielded traces of pottery closely related to that found in Cave 1. This discovery led to intensive excavations at the site over a period of six seasons (1951–1956) under the direction of De Vaux. The most-prized find at Qumran up to this time were three small juglets containing over five-hundred silver coins, which were found in

8798-455: The scrolls' close proximity to Qumran, the date of composition and the relationship between 1 Enoch and the Book of Jubilees scholars believe the Essenes might be the authors of the Genesis Apocryphon. Since there have been no other copies found in the 820 fragments at Qumran, Roland de Vaux suggests that it could be the original autograph. Although the scroll does not present any Essene theology or exegetical, doctrinal meditations demonstrating

8904-528: The second and third years of the Jewish War, indicate that the site was still in use in 68 CE and only destroyed after 70, perhaps as late as 73. The coins from Qumran of this period end with a peculiar series of bronze coins minted in 72/73 at Ascalon, which sent auxiliary troops to assist the Roman army in the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73). In 73 the Romans stormed the mountain fortress of Masada, which also

9010-474: The settlement interpretations including the astronomical orientations of some structures at Qumran. A recent final publication of the French excavations by Jean-Baptist Humbert outlining evidence of a decorated frieze, opus sectile , fine columns etc., indicates a phase of a wealthier occupation, "une grande maison", at Qumran. The range of pottery, glass and high quantity of coins found at Qumran do not sit well in

9116-437: The settlement, there have been several excavations since de Vaux finished his work. As de Vaux left little of the settlement unexcavated, later archaeologists have often turned elsewhere to continue research, including dump sites from de Vaux's excavations. During the 1960s, according to Catherine Murphy, there were some unpublished excavations at Qumran by John Allegro and by Solomon Steckoll . Steckoll also carried out work in

9222-525: The silver coins could have been collected from single individuals, for instance, as tax payments, or that Qumran could have been a regional 'tax house'. The new 2007 analysis of the silver coinage contradicts the findings of de Vaux, Seyrig, and Spijkerman as well as the findings of Robert Donceel. Donceel was surprised to find in the Amman museum unrecorded coins, notably denarius coins of Trajan, that he claimed were intrusive. The original Amman Museum records of

9328-548: The site. This means that the site was highly monetized in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, i.e. that the occupants of Qumran were not a community of poor and isolated people. That the flow of cash at Qumran may have been large in the 1st century CE is hardly surprising given the archaeological evidence of trade at Qumran in luxury goods such as glass, which is specifically dated to this period. The coin profile of Qumran shows that there do not appear to have been any major changes in

9434-473: The size of the cemetery and average lifespan de Vaux calculated that the inhabitants "would not have numbered many more than 200 members". He noted that "[t]here is a manifest disproportion between the number of tombs and the number of inhabitants for whom there was room in the buildings". This led him to speculate whether the caves were used as lodgings for his estimated 200 inhabitants. J.T. Milik some years earlier provided an estimate of between 150 and 200 as

9540-465: The story of Genesis. For example, the Genesis Apocryphon seeks to justify Abram's poor treatment of Sarai in Egypt (Genesis 12) by adding that Abram had a prophetic dream from God that sanctions his actions towards his wife. The new narrative contained in the Genesis Apocryphon is not intended to be a new edition of Genesis, but the work is remarkable for its creative and imaginative freedom. Typologically,

9646-624: The story of Sarai's extraordinary beauty and Abram's exploration of the Promised Land through a dream. Sarai's beauty is praised greatly, using language similar to the Song of Songs , by Egyptian courtiers who have visited Abram, so much so that the Pharaoh abducts Sarai to be his wife. Abram's exploration of the Promised Land thoroughly describes a large extent of the geography of the Promised Land. Due to

9752-460: The three hoards post-date de Vaux's suggestion of a burial date after 9/8 BCE. The unusual and intensive die-linkage of the Qumran silver hoards suggest that the three hoards were buried at the same time, and this would mean at the earliest in 52/53 CE. According to Lönnqvist, a highly unusual type of coin hoard found at Ain Hanaziv in the Jordan Valley in the early 1960 and reported in

9858-617: The time until 68  CE and was destroyed by the Romans during the First Jewish–Roman War , possibly as late as 73 CE. It was later used by Jewish rebels during the Bar Kokhba revolt . Today, the Qumran site is best known as the settlement nearest to the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden, caves in the sheer desert cliffs and beneath, in the marl terrace. The principal excavations at Qumran were conducted by Roland de Vaux in

9964-431: The various Essene groupings. Others propose non-sectarian interpretations, some of these starting with the notion that it was a Hasmonean fort that was later transformed into a villa for a wealthy family, or a production center, perhaps a pottery factory or something similar. A large cemetery was discovered to the east of the site. Besides this primary cemetery, there are also three separate extensions of it, as well as

10070-555: Was "some ancient fort with a cistern". The British scholar Ernest William Gurney Masterman visited Qumran on several occasions between 1900 and 1901. After observing the positioning of Qumran atop a plateau overlooking the ‘Ein Feshkha Springs, he concluded the ruins "may have very well been once a small fortress". Masterman also questioned why a small fort would require a graveyard of over one thousand tombs. Gustaf Dalman visited Qumran in 1914, and explicitly identified Qumran as

10176-609: Was a patriarch in the genealogies of Adam in the Book of Genesis . He is part of the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:36. Lamech ( Arabic : لامك, romanized : Lāmik ) is also mentioned in Islam in the various collections of tales of the prophets who preceded Muhammad , which mentions him in an identical manner. And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of

10282-688: Was a son of Methuselah, who was a grandson of Jared , who was a grandson of Kenan descended from Adam. Genesis 5:28–31 records that Lamech was 182 (according to the Masoretic Text ; 188 according to the Septuagint ) years old at the birth of Noah and lived for another 595 years, attaining an age at death of 777 years, five years before the Flood in the Masoretic chronology. With such numbers in this genealogical account, Adam would still have been alive for about

10388-514: Was also discovered in the remains of an upper story. De Vaux concluded that this was the area where the Essenes could have written some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. De Vaux also interpreted locus 77 as a "refectory", or a community dining hall, based on the discovery of numerous sets of bowls in the nearby "pantry" of locus 89. Additionally, de Vaux interpreted many of the numerous stepped cisterns as "miqva’ot", or Jewish ritual baths, due to their similarity to several stepped and partitioned ritual baths near

10494-457: Was exceedingly careful so that the Pharaoh of Zoan would not see her. Eventually members of the Egyptian court visit Abram and Sarai, and one attendant, Hyrcanos describes Sarai's wondrous beauty in a poem. In Column 20, Pharaoh had her brought to him after hearing of her immense beauty. Sarai ensures that Abram is spared by declaring he is her brother. Abram weeps along with Lot the night that Sarai

10600-463: Was identified as the previously lost "Book of Lamech". June 1, 1954, due to the growing controversy over the scrolls Samuel Marr placed the famous Wall Street Journal ad to sell the four Dead Sea Scrolls. The State of Israel bought the four scrolls and brought them to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to be translated. In time, (1955), eight small fragments were excavated from Cave 1 believed to be

10706-473: Was located on the western bank of the Dead Sea. It is more than likely that Qumran was destroyed this same time, as the coin finds from Qumran end with the same peculiar bronze coins minted at Ascalon. According to the publications prior to 2007, the most recent silver coin in the Qumran hoard(s) is a tetradrachm of Tyre from the year 9/8 BCE. The publication of the bulk of the silver coins by K. A. K. Lönnqvist, and his regional analysis, resulted, in 2007, in

10812-480: Was most likely written after them. Most of the stories are told in first person, written in Hasmonaean Aramaic , and based on biblical narratives but include other subjects and details previously unknown. Although the material is typically a free reworking of biblical material, occasionally there is word-for-word translation or paraphrasing from Genesis. Two noteworthy passages added to the account of Genesis are

10918-402: Was published by Marcia Sharabani in 1980. The last two hoards located in Amman, Jordan, were published by Kenneth Lönnqvist in 2007. De Vaux's excavations uncovered about 1250 coins (569 silver and 681 bronze coins) altogether from Qumran, though today some Qumran coins have been lost, some lots mixed-up, and records less accurate than ideal. There are a surprisingly high number of coins from

11024-499: Was published in 1994 in French, in German in 1996 and in English in 2003. The first reconstruction of the Qumran bronze coinage, including a complete coin catalogue with up-dated and cross-referenced coin identifications, was done by Kenneth Lönnqvist and Minna Lönnqvist in 2005. Also in 1955, three very important silver coin hoards were found at Qumran. The first lot of the Qumran silver coins

11130-468: Was renamed at this time due to the additional reading about other patriarchs. Jonas C. Greenfield , Elisha Qimron , Morgenstern and Sivan published the rest of the unpublished columns in 1995. In between this time a German translation by Beyer and a two commentaries by Joseph Fitzmyer was also published. Also, in 1991, Wise and Zuckerman arranged the eight fragments of 1Q20 and the Trever Fragment into

11236-635: Was using the Book of Enoch as a source, rather than being dependent on common traditions. This passage opens with the title "[A Copy of] The Book of the Words of Noah ". In addition, the Aramaic word for "copy" parallels the Greek "A Copy of the Testament of X " in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs . The framework for this section is established to be a "copy" of an authoritative record of either an edict or

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