dead sea scrolls tour 2022

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Press Release

WASHINGTON - Museum of the Bible opened an updated Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit today featuring the history of the original discoveries in 1948 and their impact on biblical studies as well as the museum’s state-of-the-art research on its own collection of post-2002 fragments. The exhibit, entitled Dead Sea Scrolls: From Deception to Discovery , is the culmination of years of research on the museum’s Dead Sea Scrolls fragments during which experts and various testing methods resulted in different conclusions. After Museum of the Bible invested heavily in sophisticated imaging and microscopy, it was determined that none of the 16 fragments were authentic. The museum released its findings during an academic symposium at the museum in March.

“We believe that it is important to tell the full and intriguing story about the discovery of the authentic Dead Sea Scrolls, the research on them and their impact on our understanding of the Bible today,” said Museum of the Bible Chief Curatorial Officer Jeffrey Kloha. “We also decided to tell the story about our own fragments and the years of testing and research conducted to determine whether or not they were authentic. We hope this helps to affirm confidence in the original discoveries of the authentic scrolls as well as makes it clear that these, and perhaps other post-2002 fragments, should not be part of the academic record of the history of the text of the Hebrew Bible.”

The new Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit is on the museum’s History Floor. Accompanying the exhibit is a detailed landing page on the museum’s website entitled A Journey for the Truth: Investigating the Recent Dead Sea Scrolls Fragments .

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Restoring the Everlasting Covenant

⁜ The 2024-25 Netsarim-Essene Calendar and Commentary ⁜ Download Here

The Dead Sea Scrolls which promotes this Calendar, includes the Books of Enoch and Jubilees that were also found there; And additionally, these books are a part of the Canon of Scriptures of Ethiopian Jews and Christians. According to the Roman Historian Strabo, the Essene sect of the Jews who were sworn to poverty were also among the Nabateans at Petra , (part of Arabia at the time) in about 10 BC. From this poverty comes the term, Ebionites . Seemingly, they were followers of Melchi-Zedek or Zadokian-Levites; Nasareans. Strabo said, “They worship the Sun and construct an altar on the top of a house, pouring out libations and burning frankincense upon it every day.” Being correctly interpreted, this meant that they honoured the preeminence of the Sun praying at its rising in the morning and at its going down in the evening. These are reflected in the Books of Enoch and Jubilees, as will be recognizable below. Adam and Enoch offered incense in Jubilees with no animal sacrifices. And according to testimony concerning the Nasareans and Ebionites, eating animals and offering them as sacrifices was a fraudulent rewriting of the scriptures. Jubilees 2:22; 3:26; 4:25. See, http://www.acacialand.com/nabateans.html

This Essene-Israelite Sunlight-Based Schedule & Calendar is not to be confused with other hybrid moon-phase-based calendars, such as the Islamic Lunar Calendar and Lunar-Solar Calendar of the Samaritan & Judean Governments. Nor is it to be confused with the hybrid Roman Mithraic-Christian SunDay Governments. The Communities of the Essene-Israelites followed the original Melchizedek-Levitical-Mosaic Torah-Law, not the later edited-law of the Samaritans & Judeans.

In the Nazarean-Essene Sun-regulated yearly schedule, there are 4-Seasons, 364 Days per year, equaling exactly 52 Weekly-Sabbath-Days (except, in intercalation years when a week is inserted). In this Sacred Calendar, there is a 7-Day Perpetual Creation Week: Sunday thru Saturday-Sabbath, which has never been proven to have changed its continuous sequence of Morning-Day-Evening-Night (Gen. 1:3–2:3). The Dawning light from the Sun begins the Morning and Day, and Sundown begins the Evening that ends after Dusk when the Stars come out, which begins the darkness of Night. Thus, we have the biblical phrases: 40 days and 40 nights, 3 days and 3 nights, and, tomorrow begins with Daylight. In the beginning of creation week, the Cosmic Spiritual-Light was created on the Day-One, but the Sun, Moon & Stars, were created on the 4 th Day. And hence, the 4 th Day of the Week (the 3 rd or 4 th Wednesday in March) starts the 364-Day-Count of each year. Therefore, Day-1 of the 364 Days, begins in the Spring of the Year—in relation to the Vernal Equinox (not the Equilux) (nor the Constellations of the Stars). (Gen 1:14-19; Jub 1:8-10) The last day of the year ends on the 3 rd Day of the Week (Tuesday) every year. Each Seasonal Quarter begins on a Wednesday (Jub 6:19). All solar calendars fall behind about 1.25 days each year. This necessitates an intercalation and that is why in the U.S. we have a February 29 th every 4-years. When the Spring Equinox falls on a Wednesday, we insert 7-days (thus making that year 371 days) and restart the 364-Day count on the following Wednesday. The 364-Day count is continuous until the intercalation week. And, this exception occurs every 5-6 years when an extra week must be inserted in order to keep the 4-seasons in-sync. The intercalation week makes one out of every 5 or 6-years to be 371 days and 53 Weekly Sabbaths Days. The reason for the need of an intercalation was because there was an interruption of the perfect synchronization of the 364 Days-Nights yearly cycle. The speed of the Sun and Moon revolving around the Earth was altered at least once in the past. See Joshua 10:13; Habakkuk 3:11 and Isaiah 38:8

There are additional notes and graphs in the .pdf

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Archaeological tour of israel & palestinian authority areas 2023.

• 13-day tour with visits to over 27 sites and museums with internationally renowned scholars
• Guided tours of sites and museums by Yoav Arbel, Shlomit Bechar, Hushney Cohen, Katia Cytryn, Meir Edrey, Adi Erlich, Michael Eisenberg, Yuval Gadot, Peter Gendelman, David Gurevich, Yakov Kalman, Anastasia Kleshman, Robert Kool, Igor Kreimerman, Shelley-Anne Peleg, Issa Sarie, Katharina Schmidt, Avi Solomon, Guy Stiebel, Katharina Streit, Aharon Tavger, Joe Uziel, Sam Wolff, Assaf Yasur-Landau, and Irit Ziffer
• More scholars, museum curators, and excavators are being confirmed every day with almost 30 anticipated
• Due to cancellations, we have two rooms left, book today!

A $300 non-refundable tour deposit is required at the time of registration. Please see Mejdi’s terms and conditions here before paying the deposit.

Price for this tour includes a $1,000 tax-deductible donation to ASOR and supports the Friends of ASOR programming.

Price includes all accommodation, 12 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 11 dinners, 11 days of private group transportation, all tips for drivers & staff, honorariums for speakers and guides, all site/museum entrance fees, water on the bus throughout the tour, a digital booklet including maps and plans of each site sent out before the trip, a personal headset for daily use, a licensed tour expert for the entire trip, dedicated pre-trip customer service, and on-ground support.

Moderate activity level. Average walking distance 2-3 miles per day (not all at once). Expect hills, stairs, and uneven pavement and terrain, especially on archaeological sites. Please bring comfortable footwear and walking poles are recommended if needed.

Tour includes 7 nights in Jerusalem, 2 nights in Galilee, 2 nights in Haifa, and 1 night in Tel Aviv – Jaffa.

Price does not include airfare, arrival/departure transport, travel and health insurance, or transportation outside of group itinerary.

Please e-mail [email protected] with any questions or issues.

Tour Itinerary*

*subject to changes

Sunday, February 19, 2023

Arrival at st. andrew’s scots guest house, jerusalem.

Overnight in Jerusalem

Read the Description

Monday, February 20, 2023

Touring the city of david.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Touring cardo, western wall tunnels, & israel museum.

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Touring the temple mount/haram al-sharif, church of the holy sepulcher, and the albright institute of archaeology.

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Touring masada, tel jericho/tell es-sultan, and hisham’s palace/khirbet al-mafjar.

Friday, February 24, 2023

Touring south to gezer, beth shemesh, lachish, and tel beit mirsim.

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Touring southeast to herodium and bethlehem.

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Leaving jerusalem to tour mount gerazim and samaria-sebastiya.

Travel to and overnight in Galilee

Monday, February 27, 2023

Touring north to tiberias, hazor, and magdala.

Overnight in Galilee

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Touring tel jezreel & megiddo.

Travel to and overnight in Haifa

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Touring university of haifa and acco.

Overnight in Haifa

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Travel south to visit caesarea maritima, musa eretz israel museum, and tel of jaffa.

Travel to and overnight in Tel Aviv – Jaffa

Friday, March 3, 2023

Touring old jaffa.

End of tour

Moderate activity level. Average walking distance 2-3 miles per day (not all at once). Expect hills, stairs, and uneven pavement and terrain, especially on archaeological sites. Please bring comfortable footwear and walking poles are recommended if needed

Site Guides / Speakers

Registration is now live on Mejdi’s website so click the button above to reserve your space! Please e-mail [email protected] with any questions or issues.

The tour fees include a $1,000 donation to Friends of ASOR. If you cannot attend the trip, we would deeply appreciate your support to continue programming like this in the future. Click on the button above and choose “Friends of ASOR” from the dropdown menu of designations. Thank you for all you do for ASOR.

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Qumran – Site of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Perched on a cliff with a commanding view of the Dead Sea , Qumran is an archaeological site renowned for to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The scrolls reflect a 2000-year-old sect called Yahad whose spiritual center was Qumran.

Qumran’s Unique Archaeology

A French team from Jerusalem conducted the initial excavations in Qumran in the 1950s. The finds included a unique scriptorium, dining hall, and many ritual baths. These findings suggest Qumran was home to a unique religious commune. Scholars believe that Qumran served as a center of the Yahad community, which may have been part of the Essene movement. This community focused on the study and transcription of religious texts and followed unique rituals. This contributed significantly to the understanding of ancient Judaism during the Second Temple, and the time of Jesus. Moreover, some scholars suggest that John the Baptist may have been a member of this community before settling next to the Jordan River.

Touring Qumran

Qumran is a national park that is open every day of the week, 8:00 to 17:00. Its main point of interest are:

• A renewed visitor center, which provides a detailed introduction to Qumran’s unique history.
• A viewpoint to caves 1-2,3 and 11.
• A watchtower that offers commanding views of the Dead Sea and the Judead Deseet cliffs.
• Two big ritual baths leading into a dining hall.
• A  close-up view of cave 4, where most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.
• The main cemetery at the site eastern’s wing.

Integrate a tour of Qumran in a day tour of the Dead Sea or an extensive multi-day tour of the Holy Land .

Contact us to inquire more about a private tour to Qumran:

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75 years since Dead Sea Scrolls discovery, here’s where to see them

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls . Unearthed from the caves of Qumran in the mid-20th century, the scrolls have offered scholars invaluable insight into the writing of the scriptures and Jewish life in the Second Temple Era. Now, thanks to the age of digital media, we can all view the Dead Sea Scrolls from just about anywhere.

The Scrolls 

A website dedicated to digitized images of the scrolls is run by The Israel Museum . The site features high-resolution images of five of the most intact scrolls to have survived the last two millennia. These include The Great Isaiah Scroll , the War Scroll, the Temple Scroll, the Community Rule scroll, and the Commentary on the Habakkuk Scroll. 

Titled “The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls,” this virtual exhibition offers more than just a viewing. The Israel Museum’s experts explain the history behind each scroll and summarize their content. 

In addition, the curators provide a breakdown of each scroll, which includes the basic concepts of the biblical texts and recommendations on how to approach reading them. Those who cannot read Hebrew will find accurate translations in a line-by-line format provided by Google. 

“Visualizing Isaiah”

While the scrolls are enough to attract interested visitors, the Israel Museum gives the viewer a chance to delve even deeper into history with artifacts of the Second Temple Era. In a supplementary exhibition, titled “ Visualizing Isaiah,” the site features more high-res images of various archaeological finds that relate to the scriptures. 

Beside each artifact is a verse from the Great Isaiah Scroll, 66 chapters of which are preserved in the museum. The items range from early works of art, statuary, stone inscriptions, and remnants of building facades to household objects that bear signs of daily use. 

The site is designed with convenience of access in mind, with easy to navigate links and succinct explanations that don’t overwhelm the reader. There’s so much content that a full perusal could keep a visitor busy for days . Not a bad way to spend a “staycation” in the upcoming summer months. 

Visit the Israel Museum’s Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition today and begin your tour.

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Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit tells stories from then and now

To best appreciate the Pacific Science Center's Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, it helps to know or read about their background and religious...

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To best appreciate the Pacific Science Center’s Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, it helps to know or read about their background and religious significance beforehand.

The exhibit, which opened for a media preview Wednesday morning, is not a display of visual grandeur on the King Tut scale. Instead, the 10 scrolls on display are small and in dimly lit cases — the limited lighting necessary to preserve these ancient manuscripts.

It’s the stories behind the scrolls — and the stories they tell — that are the most interesting.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are considered one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century and include the earliest known Hebrew biblical manuscripts.

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• Seattle Pacific University is presenting a panel discussion on “The Dead Sea Scrolls: Uncovering Their Secrets,” at 7 p.m. on Oct. 12 at the Upper Gwinn Commons of the campus, 3307 Third Ave. W., Seattle. Free. www.spu.edu .

• The University of Washington presents a lecture series by Professor Lawrence Schiffman of New York University on “Creation, Revelation and Redemption: The Religion of the Dead Sea Scrolls,” at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 and Oct. 19 and 3 p.m. on Oct. 22 at the Husky Union Building on campus, Seattle. Free. jsis.washington.edu/jewish/

The scrolls give today’s scholars insight into the era that produced rabbinic Judaism and Christianity, as well as into the Hebrew Bible — known to Christians as the Old Testament — and the New Testament.

The exhibit uses a DVD presentation to set up the context around the scrolls. Then there are areas detailing how the scrolls were discovered and passed into different hands; the science used to date and piece together the scrolls; and the historical and societal context of the time that the scrolls were written or collected.

There are interesting tidbits: placards that describe how, in the first years after their founding, some of the scroll fragments were listed for sale in The Wall Street Journal or how cellophane tape was once used to piece together the fragments.

Artifacts from the Qumran settlement, close to the caves where the scrolls were found, are on display: ceramic jars, coins, tableware. Interactive displays, such as assembling pieces of pottery and manuscripts or touching parchment and papyrus (the materials on which the scrolls were written) would likely interest kids.

To purchase: www.pacsci.org/dss/tickets.html or 877-DSS-1947. Group bookings: 206-443-2937.

What to expect: Organizers say to set aside 90 minutes to go through the exhibit. An audio tour is included in the ticket price.

More information: www.pacificsciencecenter.org

There is also an area describing the settlement at Qumran, presenting the theory that the people who collected or transcribed the scrolls were part of an ascetic Jewish sect, most likely the Essenes. There is a small-scale model of a Qumran settlement as well as placards with more nuggets of information about daily life in Qumran.

In the last several days, a few people — who had not seen the exhibit — expressed misgivings that the exhibit, which is curated by the Israel Antiquities Authority, would not present evidence of alternate theories of scroll authorship. One such theory suggests that the Qumran residents were not a religious sect at all and that the scrolls came from a library in Jerusalem and were placed in the caves by refugees fleeing a war.

The exhibit does take the view that the scrolls were collected or transcribed by a sect in Qumran — the view of most Dead Sea Scrolls scholars. But the exhibit and DVD presentation also point out that there are some scholars who do not ascribe to that theory.

The scrolls themselves come almost last in the exhibit. Each of the 10 scrolls is displayed in a plexiglass case, lit only when a person comes close.

It’s difficult to discern the text on some of the fragments, given the dim lighting, but large banners next to each scroll offer translations and give information on the scroll’s discovery, content and context.

Janet I. Tu: 206-464-2272 or [email protected]

The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls

Great isaiah scroll, temple scroll, community rule scroll, commentary on the habakkuk scroll.

• Search the Site

The Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Associated Literature מרכז אוריון לחקר מגילות מדבר יהודה והספרות הקרובה להן

The War Scroll, cols. 12-13

One of the original seven scrolls found at Qumran; purchased by Prof. E. L. Sukenik for the Hebrew University in 1948. Photo © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, by Ardon Bar Hama.

Professor E. L. Sukenik of the Hebrew University, studying the War Scroll (1951)

Source: Hebrew University Archaeology Department, © The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Qumran site: The Scriptorium

Viewed from the Tower. Photo by Elad Vladislovsky for the Orion Center ©.

Qumran cave 4 (southwest of the Qumran site)

Photo by Asher Altshul for the Orion Center ©.

Search the full bibliography

Take a virtual qumran tour, upcoming events, dr. rotem avneri meir, prof. menachem kister, 2024 haifa workshop, (con)textual perspectives on the dead sea scrolls, remember to check the events page for more upcoming online events, more orion center news, now published.

Studies in Qumran Law and Thought :, by Joseph M. Baumgarten. Edited by Ruth A. Clements and Daniel R. Schwartz, with an Introduction by Lawrence H. Schiffman. Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah 138. Leiden: Brill, February 2022.       Pesher Habakkuk: A Key to Prophecy from the Dead Sea Scrolls, by Noam Mizrahi. Published in separate Hebrew, English, and Spanish editions. Jerusalem: The Israel Museum and Arta Scritta, 2022. The Religious Worldviews Reflected in the Dead Sea Scrolls Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Symposium of the Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Associated Literature, 28–30 May, 2013. Edited by Ruth A. Clements, Menahem Kister and Michael Segal. Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah 127. Leiden: Brill, 2018. https://brill.com/view/title/39295 -->

Meghillot : Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls 14 (2019) Edited by Jonathan Ben-Dov and Menahem Kister; published by Haifa University, The Orion Center/Hebrew University, and the Bialik Institute. Meghillot-Journal

Scholarships and Internships

• Applications are now open for Orion Center Research scholarships. Deadline: May 15, 2023. For application materials, please click here.
• The Center also offers the opportunity for students already learning in Jerusalem to volunteer as interns at the Center. For more details, click HERE.
• Other Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities

Dead Sea Scrolls Online

• NEW: Congratulations and many thanks to Elisha Qimron on the publication of the second, updated edition of his monumental three volume work, The Qumran Texts Composite Edition , and for graciously sharing it with the Orion community worldwide,
• The Israel Museum and the Israel Antiquities Authority have put online searchable digital images of many of the scrolls in their collections. The Cambridge University Library has done the same with its manuscripts of the Damascus Document and the Aramaic Levy Document. Click here to access these collections .

Of special interest

• Congratulations to Prof. Fassberg, Chair of our Academic Committee, who has been awarded the prestigious Landau Prize for the Arts and Sciences in the field of Hebrew Bible and Language
• The NYU Conference, "The Dead Sea Scrolls in Recent Scholarship"--recordings now available
• Congratulations to Prof. Michael E. Stone, founder of The Orion Center, on his receipt of the Enoch Seminar Life Achievement Award.
• Prof. Devorah Dimant of the University of Haifa, awarded the 2020 Emet Prize in biblical studies.
• Prof. Vered Noam awarded Israel Prize in Talmud (2020)
• NEW on the Orion site! Video talks
• Honors and awards
• Congratulations to Prof. Michael E. Stone on his election to the prestigious Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities in recognition of his major contributions to the study of Second Temple Judaism and Armenian studies, with special mention of his founding of the Orion Center.
• Prof. Michael Segal, head of the Orion Academic Committee, was elected Dean of the HU Faculty of Humanities, beginning October 2018
• Prof Paula Fredriksen, member of the Orion Academic Committee, was awarded an HU honorary doctorate on June 11, 2018
• Prof. Elisha Qimron, Ben-Gurion University, was honored with the Israel Prize on May 19, 2018

• Featured Scrolls
• Explore the Archive
• Learn About the Scrolls

Introduction

• Historical Background
• Historical Timeline
• Discovery and Publication
• Discovery Sites
• Scrolls Content
• Languages and Scripts
• Conservation
• About the Project
• A Note From the IAA Director
• The Digital Library
• The Leon Levy and Arcadia Funds
• Terms & Conditions
• Accessibility Statement
• Accessibility High contrast mode OFF Accessibility Statement

The most well-known texts among the Dead Sea Scrolls are the ancient religious writings found in eleven caves near the site of Qumran. Discoveries from additional sites yielded mostly documents and letters, especially papyri that had been hidden in caves by refugees from wars. While some of these writings survived as nearly intact scrolls, most of the archive consists of thousands of parchment and papyrus fragments.

Qumran Caves Scrolls

The Qumran Caves Scrolls contain significant religious literature. They consist of two types: “biblical” manuscripts—books found in today’s Hebrew Bible, and “non-biblical” manuscripts—other religious writings circulating during the Second Temple era, often related to the texts now in the Hebrew Bible. Of this second category, some are considered “sectarian” in nature, since they appear to describe the religious beliefs and practices of a specific religious community.

Scroll dates range from the third century bce (mid–Second Temple period) to the first century of the Common Era, before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 ce . While Hebrew is the most frequently used language in the Scrolls, about 15 % were written in Aramaic and several in Greek. The Scrolls’ materials are made up mainly of parchment, although some are papyrus, and the text of one Scroll is engraved on copper.

Biblical Manuscripts

About 230 manuscripts are referred to as “biblical Scrolls”. These are copies of works that are now part of the Hebrew Bible. They already held a special status in the Second Temple period, and were considered to be vessels of divine communication. Evidence suggests that the Scrolls' contemporary communities did not have a unified conception of an authoritative collection of scriptural works. The idea of a closed biblical “canon” only emerged later in the history of these sacred writings.

Among the Scrolls are partial or complete copies of every book in the Hebrew Bible (except the book of Esther). About a dozen copies of some of these holy books were written in ancient paleo-Hebrew (the script of the First Temple era, not the standard script of the time).

Many biblical manuscripts closely resemble the Masoretic Text, the accepted text of the Hebrew Bible from the second half of the first millennium ce until today. This similarity is quite remarkable, considering that the Qumran Scrolls are over a thousand years older than previously identified biblical manuscripts.

Strikingly, some biblical manuscripts feature differences from the standard Masoretic biblical language and spelling. Additions and deletions in certain texts imply that the writers felt free to modify texts they were copying.

Non-Biblical Manuscripts

The Qumran Caves Scrolls preserve a large range of Jewish religious writings from the Second Temple period, including parabiblical texts, exegetical texts, hymns and prayers, wisdom texts, apocalyptic texts, calendrical texts, and others. Some of the works discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls were known previously, having been preserved in translation since Second Temple times. The term "Pseudepigrapha" was used for these works, such as the book of Jubilees which was known in Ethiopic and Greek versions before being found in Hebrew in the Qumran caves. Many other non-biblical works were previously unknown.

A primary common factor among the selection of compositions found in the Qumran caves is the fundamental importance of religion.

Scholars agree that some of this literature was valued by large segments of the Jewish population, while other works reflect the beliefs of specific sub-groups. There is disagreement, however, about many other aspects of these texts, including which communities are represented and how those communities may have interacted with one another.

Sectarian Manuscripts

A quarter of these non-biblical manuscripts are labeled “sectarian,” and are composed of material that seems to reflect the life and philosophy of a specific community. These core texts consist of eschatological biblical commentaries, apocalyptic and liturgical works, and regulations that govern community life. In the early days of Scrolls research, scholars attributed all of the Qumran scrolls to the Essene community, one of three main Jewish sects described in ancient sources. In recent years, however, this consensus has been challenged and modified, though many scholars still maintain a link between the Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Scrolls from Additional Sites

Dead Sea Scrolls discovered outside of the Qumran caves range from as early as the First Temple period (eighth century bce ) to as late as the 11 th century ce . Collections include the fourth-century bce Samaritan Aramaic papyri from Wadi Daliyeh and the Arabic manuscripts from Khirbet Mird ( 7 th– 8 th centuries ce ). Most of the manuscripts are Jewish texts that were written during the Roman era. Among these, the finds from Masada and the Hebrew, Aramaic, Nabatean, and Greek documents from the Bar Kokhba Revolt are especially valued by scholars.

The Bar Kokhba Refuge Caves

The biblical Scrolls from the refuge caves are significant for textual criticism because they are equivalent to the Masoretic (Hebrew Bible) Text, which suggests that the biblical text was stabilized by the second-century ce . The religious texts discovered here also include tefillin, a mezuzah, a literary text fragment referring to a prayer for Zion, and a well-preserved Scroll of the Twelve Minor Prophets in Greek.

Sun, Jul 31

Virtual Tour

THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS PART 1

Is this the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century?

Time & Location

Jul 31, 2022, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM EDT

About the event

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2022 Holy Land Tour – Israel, Egypt, Jordan

With hosts dr. clark & laurel christian, may 31 – june 14, 2022.

Join Dr. Clark & Laurel Christian for this 15-day Holy Land Tour through Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Experience the most incredible cities and sites each of these countries has to offer: Visit Cairo, Giza, Memphis, Luxor, Amman, Petra, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Caesarea, Haifa, Jerusalem, Tiberias, Nazareth, Bethlehem and more…

Space is limited so sign up now!

DAY 1 – TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2022

Usa / cairo.

Overnight flight from USA to Cairo, Egypt.

DAY 2 – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

Arrival / cairo.

Upon arrival in Cairo you will be assisted through visa and passport and customs. Meet your guide and visit the Egyptian Museum , where you  will see the King Tut artifacts, as  well as over 700,000 masterpieces of ancient Egypt, then transfer to your hotel in Cairo for dinner and overnight.

DAY 3 – THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022

After Breakfast you will visit Giza and see one of the seven wonders of the ancient world:  the Pyramids .  No picture or videos will ever prepare you for the size of the pyramids. The phrase “awe inspiring” is really true as we stand in their shadow. The pyramid for Khufu (Greek: Cheops) is the largest at 451 feet tall and was  built in 2570 BCE. The second largest pyramid is Khafre’s (Chephren), son of Khufu, and the smallest is the grandson Menkaure (Mycerinus). You will then continue on to Memphis , the  capital of the pyramid age, and stand in front of the huge statue of Ramses II . Our next stop will be Sakkara , the cemetery of Memphis which contains many pyramids and hundreds of tombs, and is the site of Zoser’s famous step pyramid . You will then have the opportunity to visit a Papyrus Factory and learn how this ancient writing material was made and used. In the afternoon, you will visit Old Cairo , The Hanging Church  and the Ben Ezra  Synagogue . Dinner and overnight: Hotel in Cairo..

DAY 4 – FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022

Cairo / luxor.

After breakfast, you will transfer to the Cairo airport for your flight to Luxor, Egypt , the Capital of Upper Egypt, known in ancient  times as Thebes . In the morning, you will visit the west bank of the Nile River and see the Valley of the Kings , the Valley of the Queens , some of the Tombs of  the Pharaohs, and the Tomb of Queen Hatshepsut .  You will also stop by what is called “ Pit Tomb 33 ” where the mummies and papyrus were found that became part of the Book of Abraham. In the afternoon, you will visit the east bank of the Nile River and the spectacular Temple of Karnak . In the evening, you will fly back to Cairo. Dinner and overnight Hotel in Cairo.

DAY 5 – SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

Cairo / amman.

Morning flight from Cairo to Amman. Upon arrival at Queen Alia International airport you will meet your Jordanian guide and driver and drive to Petra . The ‘rose-red’ Nabatean city of Petra is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We will walk through the narrow canyon called the Sek, and view Petra’s most famous landmark, the Treasury. We will then spend the day exploring the rock-cut homes and buildings of this magnificent city carved from the surrounding red rock. Dinner and overnight: Hotel in Petra.

DAY 6 – SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022

Mt. nebo / israel / gideon’s spring.

After breakfast depart Petra and drive north to visit Mt. Nebo from which Moses viewed the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 3). Drive to the northern border and cross into Israel. Meet your Israeli guide and driver and drive to visit Gideon’s Spring . Continue to your Kibbutz Guest House on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight: Kibbutz Guest House.

DAY 7 – MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2022

Sea of galilee / capernaum / tel dan / caesarea philippi / golan heights / kursi.

Start the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 3). Then visit the Mt. of Beatitudes , site of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and St. Peter Primacy . Continue on to Capernaum where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Bread of Life (John 6). In the afternoon visit Tel Dan , the largest source of the Jordan River, and the place where King Jeroboam set up a golden calf (1 Kings 12). Continue on to Caesarea Philippi , another source of the Jordan River, and where Peter testified to Jesus’ divinity (Matthew 16). Travel up to the Golan Heights , and discuss the significance of this site to the state of Israel. End your day with a visit to Kursi. Dinner and overnight: Kibbutz Guest House.

DAY 8 – TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2022

Mt. tabor / nazareth / mt. carmel / haifa / hadera.

After breakfast depart the Sea of Galilee and drive to visit Mt. Tabor , the site of the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17). Then travel to Nazareth , where Jesus grew up and visit Nazareth Village where you will experience how people lived during the time of Jesus. Continue on to Mukhraka (Mt. Carmel) where Elijah challenged and defeated the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Continue on to Haifa and visit the Templers Cemetery where two LDS Missionaries are buried, and talk about the presence of the LDS Church in the Holy Land. View Haifa Harbor from Kaisers Watch. Dinner and overnight: Hotel in Hadera.

  DAY 9 – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2022

Caesarea / jaffa / jerusalem / garden tomb.

Depart Haifa and drive to visit Caesarea , the seat of the Roman Procurator of Judea in the time of Christ and the place where the Apostle Peter      converted the centurion Cornelius (Acts 10). It was also here that the Apostle Paul was held, awaiting his appeal to Caesar (Acts 23-26). We will explore the Roman theater, the aqueduct, and view the ruins of Roman, Byzantine and Crusader times. Continue along the Sharon Plains to Jaffa. Jaffa has been known in the Bible as Joppa and is considered the world’s oldest seaport and the place where the prophet Jonah set sail for Tarshish (Jonah 1). It was also here that the Apostle Peter raised Tabitha/Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9), and received his vision recorded in Acts 10 that the gospel could now be preached to the Gentiles.  Travel up to the City of Jerusalem for a magnificent first view of this historic city from Mt. Scopus. End your day with a tour of the Garden Tomb. Dinner and overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem.

DAY 10 – THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

The day starts with a visit to the Western Wall to see the bar mitzvah’s. Then you will visit the Temple Institute , the Ophel Park (Southern Wall excavations at the Davidson Center), the City of David including a walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel. In the afternoon, drive to the western side of the city and visit a model of the city of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus. Visit the Shrine of the Book to learn more about the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Israel Museum. Our final stop will be Yad Vashem, to learn about the Holocaust in Jewish history. Dinner and overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem.

DAY 11 – FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022

Qsar el yahud / masada / qumran / dead sea.

This morning depart Jerusalem and drive towards the Dead Sea area. Stop at Qsar El Yahud , the traditional site of the baptism of Jesus. Continue on to Masada, where we will ascend the mountain by cable car. Explore the ancient excavation of Herod’s Places: the bathhouse, the ramp and the oldest synagogue in the world. Then, drive to Qumran , where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. We will also have the opportunity to enjoy the unique sensation of a ‘float’ in the unsinkable Dead Sea . Afterward, on the way up to Jerusalem stop at the overlook at Wadi Kelt and then stop at the traditional site of the Good Samaritan Inn. Dinner and overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem.

DAY 12 – SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2022

Jerusalem  / bethlehem.

This morning attend the church at the BYU Jerusalem Center. Then, drive to Bethlehem for a guided tour of the Church of Nativity. Dinner and  overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem.

DAY 13 – SUNDAY,  JUNE 12, 2022

Jerusalem / bethlehem.

Visit the Temple Mount and view the El Aqsa Mosque and the area of the Dome of the Rock, both of which are tied to so much sacred and secular history. Then visit the Pool of Bethesda, where Christ healed the crippled man (John 5), and the Church of St. Anne . Continue on to the Church of the Condemnation and Flagellation where Jesus stood before Pilate and was scourged by the Roman soldiers (John 18-19). Follow the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Stop briefly in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. Dinner and overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem.

DAY 14 – MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2022

After breakfast ascend the Mt. of Olives for a panoramic view of the Old City. Walk along the Palm Sunday Way and visit the Church of the Tear Drop where Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19), and then continue on to the Orson Hyde Memorial Gardens , a possible site where our Savior began His great atoning sacrifice, as well as where He was arrested (Mark 14; Matthew 26).  We will also visit the traditional site of Gethsemane . Next, visit St. Peter in Gallicantu , the possible site of the Palace of Caiaphas , and where Jesus was tried before the Jewish leaders (Matthew 26). Your last stop will be the traditional site of the Upper Room (Cenacle) to review the sacred events of the Last Supper , and where Jesus taught and prepared the Twelve for his departure (John 13-1). End your visit with a private meeting at the Garden Tomb. Farewell dinner. Overnight: Hotel in Jerusalem.

DAY 15 – TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2022

Jerusalem / tel aviv / usa.

Transfer to the airport for flight back to the USA. Arrive the same day.

*Subject to Change*

Tour Benefits

This inspiring 2022 Holy Land Tour of Israel, Egypt and Jordan has been designed by your hosts to give you an inspirational tour of the Holy Land. You’ll get to explore the most significant historical, cultural and biblical sites these three countries have to offer. Learn about the roots of your faith in this once-in-a-lifetime spiritual adventure.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;   so that the servant of God may be equipped for every good work. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Jaffa, Caesarea, Tel Dan, Sea of Galilee, Mount of Olives, Old City of Jerusalem, Mount of Beatitudes, Caesarea Philippi, Capernaum, Masada, Ein Gedi, Qumran, the Davidson Center (Southern Wall excavation), Yad Vashem, the Israel Museum, Garden Tomb, Gideon’s Spring, St. Peter Primacy, Nazareth Village, Jordan River, Church of Peter in Gallicantu, and the house of the High Priest Caiaphas. This is not an exhaustive list of sites, see itinerary for more details.

Cairo, Luxor, Memphis, Giza, The Pyramids, Nile River, The Valley of the Kings, Egyptian Museum, Temple of Karnak, Sakara and more.

Amman, Petra, The Sek, The Treasury, Mt. Nebo

Features Included in this 2022 Holy Land Tour of Israel, Egypt and Jordan

• Round trip airfare: USA/ISRAEL/USA
• Round trip airfare: CAIRO / LUXOR / CAIRO
• Round trip airfare: CAIRO / AMMAN
• Airline taxes & surcharges ( to be adjusted at time of ticketing)**
• Cairo – Concorde el Salam Hotel*
• Petra – Movenpick Hotel*
• Tiberias – Kibbutz Ein Gev Guest House*
• Hadera – Ramada Hotel*
• Jerusalem – Leonardo Hotel*
• Full breakfast & dinner daily at hotels
• Lunch in Petra, Jordan
• Meeting & assistance at the airport in Israel, Amman, & Cairo
• Licensed English-speaking guide throughout
• Transfers: Airport/Hotel/Airport
• Touring in a deluxe air-conditioned motor-coach
• Sightseeing per itinerary
• Entrance fees to all included sites
• Porterage, hotel taxes & service charges
• Border exit fees to Jordan
• VISA fees to Jordan & Egypt
• Tips to guide, driver & hotel staff
• Farewell Dinner

Not Included in this 2022 Holy Land Tour of Israel, Egypt and Jordan

• Personal expenses
• Travel insurance – (highly recommended & available at an additional cost)
• Anything not mentioned as included

*Or similar ** At time of writing, subject to change – any changes will be billed at time of ticketing. Please see our terms and conditions for additional info.

Air/land package.

Click here for the 2022 Holy Land Tour to Israel, Egypt & Jordan Brochure with pricing details. If you have any questions please click on this link to send us a request for more information   or call 866.267.2511.

A deposit of $350.00 per person, along with a completed registration form, is required to ensure your space on this tour.

Deposits and Payments for the 2022 Holy Land Tour of Israel, Jordan & Egypt

A deposit of $350.00 is required with each reservation to guarantee booking. Reservation deadline is December 1, 2021. Payment balance is due 60 days prior to departure. All checks should be made payable to Coral Travel & Tours, Ltd.

Tour Arrangements

Air  –  Air arrangements are included in most group tours. Air is available to individual travelers upon request.

Land  –  All packages including overnight hotel stays are quoted based upon double occupancy sharing a twin or double room with private facilities. Coral Travel & Tours, Ltd. does not arrange sharing for individual travelers. Single rooms are available at additional cost. Coral Travel & Tours, Ltd. reserves the right to substitute hotels based upon availability when necessary. Sightseeing and entrance fees are included as per itinerary. Individual passengers and passengers arriving independently from a scheduled group are responsible for their own transfers.

Not Included

Gratuities, airport taxes and transfers (unless specifically included in certain group tours), optional tours, charges for passports, vaccinations and inoculations, excess baggage charges, accident, trip cancellation and baggage insurance, telephone and cable charges, laundry, meals not specified in the itinerary, liquor, items of a personal nature and any items not specifically listed as included.

Cancellation Penalties

All cancellations must be in writing

• Up to 100 days prior to departure date $75.00 cancellation fee
• From 99-61 days prior to departure date $250.00 cancellation fee
• From 60-46 days prior to departure date $350.00 cancellation fee
• From 45 days prior to departure date and on – full cancellation fee (100%)

Passports/Visa

You will be required to provide Coral Travel & Tours with a copy of your passport with final payment. Please Note: The State of Israel requires that your passport have an expiration date not less than 6 months after your date of arrival in Israel. There is no visa requirement for citizens of the United States traveling to Israel. Other nationals should contact their consulate for visa information. For other destinations please contact Coral Travel & Tours, Ltd. Coral Travel & Tours does NOT process visa applications. No inoculations are currently required for travel to Israel. Please contact public health authorities for further information or other destinations.

Fuel Surcharge

Please note fuel surcharges are set by the airline and Coral Travel & Tours has no control over nor receives advance notice of changes. Due to fluctuating global oil prices, the fee may change. The airline will only guarantee the fee at time of ticketing. If the airline imposes an increase, the difference will be the responsibility of each traveler and will be collected prior to departure.

Insurance Note

Travel Insurance is Highly recommended, See attached information. The Exclusion for Pre – Existing Condition will be waived i9f premium is received at the time of orwithin 14 days of the initial deposit/payment for the trip. See Travel Insurance Certificate for complete details. Travel Insurance Benefits are administered by :Trip Mate, Inc. (in CA, dba Trip Mate Insurance Agency). 9225 Ward Parkway, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO, 6411, 1-800-888-7292, To review full plan details online, go to:   www.tripmate.com/wpF418C

Suitcases: 1 per person, not to exceed 50 lbs. for 1 bag. Each can measure up to 62 linear inches (length + height + width). Carry On Luggage: 1 per person, not to exceed 11 lbs. Each can measure up to 45 linear inches (length + height + width).

Any change in the basic program will result in the charge of $150 per change per person plus any additional charges that may apply for revised air or land arrangements.

CORAL TRAVEL & TOURS LTD. (CORAL), and/or its agents and their representatives abroad, act only as agents for the tour participants in making arrangements for hotels, transportation, touring, restaurants, or any other services in connection with the itinerary. They will exercise reasonable care in making such arrangements. However, they do not assume any liability whatsoever for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity to person or property because of any act or default of any hotel, carrier, restaurant, company, or person rendering any of the services included in the tours. The tickets, coupons, tariffs, rules or contracts currently in use by any carrier, hotel, restaurant, or other contractor rendering services shall constitute the sole contract between such contractor and the tour participants. CORAL, and/or its agents and their representatives abroad, accept no responsibility for any damage, delay, or injury due to sickness, pilferage, labor disputes, machinery breakdown, government restraints, hostile acts, terrorism, weather, acts of God, or any other cause beyond their personal control. CORAL, and/or its agents and their representatives abroad are not responsible for loss of or damage to your luggage, accidents en route, or ill health which may require travelers to miss parts of the tour or to return home without the group. No carrier shall be responsible for any act, omission, or event during the time tour participants are not on board its own conveyance. The tour programs are planned in advance. If between planning time and the actual tour operation, circumstances beyond control require changes, CORAL, and/or its agents and their representatives abroad reserve the right to vary itineraries and substitute components of tour programs. In the event it becomes necessary or advisable for any reason whatsoever to alter the arrangements of the itinerary, such alterations may be made without penalty to the operators. The right is reserved to accept or refuse any person as a member of the tour.

Download a PDF version of the tour brochure for the 2022 Holy Land Tour of Israel Egypt, & Jordan . Don’t have a PDF Reader installed on your computer? Get a free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader  here .

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Uncovering the Identity of Melchizedek: Dead Sea Scroll 11QMelch

W ho, exactly, was Melchizedek? Speculation abounds as to the identity of this “King of Salem” and “priest of the most high God” to whom Abraham paid tithes (Genesis 14). A common view is that he was the builder of Jerusalem’s first wall, as asserted in Rabbi Jehiel Heilprin’s Seder HaDoroth (1769). Chronologically , this fits rather remarkably with the dating of Jerusalem’s earliest fortifications around the Gihon Spring (i.e. the “ Spring Tower ” revealed in 2004 by Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron).

One traditional rabbinic opinion is that Melchizedek was the patriarch Shem, son of Noah, who, according to the Masoretic ages given in Genesis 11 , would have still been alive during the time of Abraham. Certain medieval Jewish literature identifies Melchizedek with the archangel Michael. And the early Jewish philosopher Philo (circa 20 b.c.e.– 50 c.e. ) identified him in the Greek language as the Logos, the embodied “Word of God.”

A Christian view, building off of his secondary reference in Psalm 110, is that Melchizedek was the promised Messiah, the one also referred to in the New Testament as the divine “Word” (Logos; John 1:1), who became Jesus (John 1:14). This is further based on passages such as Paul’s description of Melchizedek in Hebrews 5-7. There is also a Genesis 14 connection implicit in Hebrews 11:10, which states that Abraham “looked for a city [Jerusalem] which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” and Jesus’s own statement in John 8:56 that “Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.”

One view in the Islamic world is to equate him with the otherwise-obscure “al-Khidr” alluded to in chapter 18 of the Qur’an (Surah Al-Kahf), a Jerusalem-connected individual variously identified as a prophet or angelic/divine/immortal being, who imparted wisdom to Moses and who will challenge the Dajjal (a false Messiah and satanic figure in Islam) in the latter days.

Now, thanks to the truly astounding discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls during the last century, we can probe back much further to see how Melchizedek was being identified within the Jewish Qumran community in the late first millennium b.c.e.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, or Qumran Caves Scrolls, are a trove of Second Temple Period manuscripts discovered in the Qumran Caves primarily between 1946–1956. The discovery of 15,000 scrolls and scroll fragments, dating variously between the third century b.c.e. to first century c.e. , constituted one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.

Among those scrolls was 11Q13—alternatively named 11QMelchizedek or 11QMelch—a fragmentary, three-column manuscript found in Cave 11 at Qumran. This text was dated to the first century b.c.e. It essentially constitutes a treatise on the battle between good and evil, played out between Melchizedek and Belial. ( Melchi-zedek is interpreted to mean “King of Righteousness”; in other Qumran texts, his opponent “Belial” is sometimes given the contrasting name, Melchi-resha, or “King of Wickedness.”) 11QMelch quotes and expounds on numerous biblical passages in the context of this Melchizedek and Belial, as part of the ultimate fulfillment of the biblical “jubilee,” something far beyond simple property reimbursements and the like; rather, the overall triumph over sin itself through atonement and salvation.

While columns 1 and 3 of 11QMelch are quite fragmentary and nearly unreadable, much of column 2 has been preserved and is translatable. Though also fragmentary, column 2 quotes from several scriptures paralleling the Masoretic Hebrew, allowing translators to fill in much of the missing information. In his excellent commentary article on the subject, “ 11QMelchizedek ,” Yeshiva University Prof. Joseph Angel provides the following translation, as derived from Prof. Florentino García-Martínez, E. J. C. Tigchelaar and A.S. van der Woude. (Pertinent sections relating to Melchizedek have here been bolded, and scriptural citations are added in parentheses, as noted by Dead Sea Scroll expert Professor García-Martínez.)

2:1. […] 2:2. […] and as for what he said (Leviticus 25:13): ‘In [this] year of jubilee [each of you shall return to his ancestral land holding,’ concerning it he said (Deuteronomy 15:2): ‘And th]is is 2:3. [the manner of the remission:] every creditor shall remit what he has lent [his neighbor or his brother, for it has been proclaimed] a remission 2:4. of Go[d.’ Its interpretation] for the final days concerns the captives, who […] and whose 2:5. teachers have been hidden and kept secret, and from the inheritance of Melchizedek , fo[r …] and they are the inheritan[ce of Melchize]dek, who 2:6. will make them return. And liberty shall be proclaimed to them, to free them from [the debt of] all their iniquities. And this [wil]l [happen] 2:7. in the first week of the jubilee (that occurs) after [the] ni[ne] jubilees. And the D[ay of Atone]ment i[s] the e[nd of] the tenth [ju]bilee, 2:8. in which atonement shall be made for all the Sons of [Light and for] the men [of] the lot of Mel[chi]zedek […] over [th]em […] accor[ding to] a[ll] their [doing]s, for 2:9. it is the time for the year of grace of Melchizedek and of [his] arm[ies, the nati]on [of] the holy ones of God, of the administration of justice, as is written 2:10. about him in the songs of David, who said (Psalm 82:1): ‘Elohim shall [st]and in the ass[embly of God]; in the midst of the gods he shall judge.’ And about him he sa[id (Psalm 7:8-9):’And] above [it,] 2:11. to the heights, return: God shall judge the nations.’ And as for what he s[aid (Psalm 82:2): ‘How long will you] judge unjustly, and be par[tial] to the wick[e]d. [Se]lah,’ 2:12. the interpretation of it concerns Belial and the spirits of his lot wh[o …], in [the]ir tur[ning] away from God’s commandments to [commit evil]. 2:13. And Melchizedek will carry out the vengeance of Go[d]’s judgments, [and on that day he will f]r[ee them from the hand of] Belial and from the hand of all the s[pirits of his lot.] 2:14. And all the gods [of justice] are in his assistance; [and h]e is (the one) wh[o …] all the sons of God, and he will […. 2:15. This …] is the day of the [peace ab]out which he said [through Isa]iah the prophet who said (Isaiah 52:7): [‘How] beautiful 2:16. upon (the) mountains are the feet [of] the messen[ger who an]nounces peace, the mes[senger of good who announces salvati]on, [sa]ying to Zion: your God [is king’]. 2:17. Its interpretation: ‘the mountains’ [are] the prophet[s]; they […] every [….] 2:18. And ‘the messenger’ i[s] the anointed of the spir[it], as Dan[iel] said [about him (Daniel 9:25-26): ‘Until an anointed, a prince, it is seven weeks.’ And ‘the messenger of] 2:19. good who announ[ces salvation]’ is the one about whom it is written (Isaiah 61:2-3), [ … 2:20. ‘To comfort] the [afflicted,’ its interpretation]: to [in]struct them in all the ages of the w[orld 2:21. in truth … 2:22. …] has turned away from Belial and shall retu[rn to … 2:23. …] in the judgment[s of] God, as is written about him (Isaiah 52:7): [‘saying to Zi]on: your God is king.’ [‘Zi]on’ i[s 2:24. the congregation of all the sons of justice, who] establish the covenant, who avoid walking [on the p]ath of the people. And ‘your G[o]d’ is 2:25. [Melchizedek who will fr]ee [them from the han]d of Belial. And as for what he said (Leviticus 25:9): ‘And you shall blow the ho[rn in] all the [l]and (of) ….

It’s quite astonishing how closely this first-century b.c.e. document aligns with the first-century c.e. New Testament assessment of Melchizedek. This is aptly summed up in The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation (1996):

The author [of 11QMelch] … understands the jubilee year remission of debts as referring not merely to prosaic matters of money, but to the forgiveness of sin. The author declares that the agent of this salvation is to be none other than Melchizedek, a mysterious figure mentioned only twice in the [Hebrew] Bible, in Genesis 14 and Psalm 110. For our author Melchizedek is an enormously exalted divine being, to whom are applied names that are generally reserved for God alone, the Hebrew names El and Elohim. In the author’s citation of Isaiah 61:2, which speaks of ‘the year of the Lord ’s favor,’ ‘Melchizedek’ is substituted even for the most holy name of Israel’s God, Yahweh. Yet more remarkably, Melchizedek is said to atone for the sins of the righteous and to execute judgment upon the wicked—actions usually associated with God himself. By the power of Melchizedek, dominion on earth shall pass from Satan (here called Belial) to the righteous Sons of Light. … The figure of Melchizedek as portrayed here is strikingly reminiscent of the New Testament reference …. Clearly Melchizedek was a focus of powerful salvific imagery among various Jewish groups in the period of the scrolls.

And again, not only do we see remarkable first century b.c.e. parallels in 11QMelch, we also see the same in the early first century c.e. writings of the Jewish philosopher Philo, in his equating of Melchizedek to the Logos, the embodied “Word” of God.

Yeshiva University’s Professor Angel wrote that later, negative rabbinic opinions on the identity of Melchizedek may well have been in reaction against the Christian association of Melchizedek with Jesus. “Rabbinic tradition identifies Melchizedek with Noah’s son Shem ( Targum Pseudo-Jonathan ; Gen. 14:18; B. Ned. 32b) and claims that his priesthood was taken away from him …. [Further, t]he archangel Michael, not Melchizedek, appears as celestial high priest (B. Hag. 12b; B. Zev. 62a; B. Men. 110a). This may reflect a reaction against Christian association of the superior priesthood of Jesus with that of Melchizedek.”

He summarized further “the scroll’s portrait of Melchizedek as cosmic redeemer” of “supernatural status,” writing:

In the epistle to the Hebrews, Jesus is pictured as the eternal cosmic high priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:6; 6:2o; 7:1, 1o-11, 17), who redeemed mankind from the power of sin …. A further connection in New Testament tradition with 11QMelch may appear in Luke 4:16-21, where Jesus reads Isaiah 61:1-2 publicly and declares that “today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” … [T]he association of this passage from Isaiah with Melchizedek is integral to 11QMelch’s portrait of Melchizedek as cosmic redeemer.

11QMelch, therefore, gives us a remarkable snapshot into a first-century b.c.e. view of the identity of Melchizedek among the Jewish community of Qumran—not only as a static figure of the past, but a dynamic one of the future, one whose potential would be realized to its fullest extent in the following century—the first century c.e. , New Testament period.

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The Dead Sea Scrolls’ Australian Connection

• 13th November 2022

Rachael Kohn

In the year 2000, Australia played host to the Dead Sea Scrolls, arguably the most precious archaeological discovery in Western civilisation, now celebrating seventy-five years. First found in 1946-47 in caves on the western shore of the Dead Sea, scrolls of parchment containing almost all the books of the Hebrew scriptures predated by one thousand years the oldest extant manuscripts, such as the tenth-century Aleppo Codex and the Leningrad Codex. Excavations of the eleven caves around Qumran, where a settlement was uncovered, have continued to yield new fragments, as recently as 2021, adding to the more than 900 manuscripts and 100,000 fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

That the Art Gallery of New South Wales, under the directorship of Edmund Capon, chose the Dead Sea Scrolls to herald the new millennium, in a superb and extensive exhibition involving the Israel Antiquities Authority and an array of international scholars, was a recognition of the foundational importance of the biblical tradition to Australians. I was involved in public events with international Dead Sea Scrolls scholars, such as Laurence Schiffman, George Brooke and Philip Davies, and drawing on my MA and PhD studies at McMaster University, Canada, I co-produced and presented two one-hour documentaries featuring the leading international Dead Sea Scrolls scholars on the religious and scholarly significance of the Scrolls for ABC television’s Compass program.

This essay appears in a recent Quadrant. Subscribers had no need to wait for the paywall to come down

Important as the Scrolls are for Christians and Jews, for whom the discovery gave unprecedented confirmation of their bedrock tradition, which shaped Western civilisation, the public interest in the Dead Sea Scrolls was especially aroused by the original writings of a radical community, the Yahad (“unity”) , which supposedly dwelled at Qumran, on the north-western plateau of the Dead Sea, the archaeological site closest to the caves. [1] The Community Rule, outlining the Yahad’s practices, and the Scroll of the War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness (also known as the War Scroll), as well as the Habakkuk Commentary, reflect a sectarian outlook that set itself apart from and in opposition to the rabbis and priests of the Jewish tradition. They looked forward to an imminent final showdown in the “End of Days” when only the Yahad would emerge triumphant.

With the carbon dating of the Scrolls establishing a window from approximately the third century BC to first century AD, the question on everyone’s mind was “Could this sectarian group be the origins of the Jesus movement?” After all, the urgency of the coming Kingdom of God (or Kingdom of Heaven) was a key message of Jesus in the three synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Yet it is also true that the Roman presence in Judea with its brutal suppression of peasant anti-taxation revolts (in 6 AD) and its desecration and plundering of the Jerusalem Temple coffers, caused a great deal of social unrest, apocalyptic writing and messianic fervour. Politically, these culminated in the Great Revolt of 66–73 AD, the Kitos rebellion in 115 (fought largely outside Judea) and the Bar Kochba (“Son of the Star”) war from 132 to 136 AD.

Jesus was executed long before these major Jewish wars against the Romans were mounted and failed, but his legacy would be forever associated with the reverse strategy, to avoid war with the enemy: “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 20:21, Mark 12:17; Luke 20:25).

This proverbial saying has become a symbol of compromise, and even pacifism, but its actual meaning remains ambiguous: is Jesus comparing the temple taxes, which were paid in Jewish shekels that were decorated with animal and vegetable motifs and never human representations, to the imperial taxes, which were paid with Roman coins that bore images of Caesar? Or was Jesus waxing more profound on the limited temporal authority of Caesar compared to the eternal authority of God? Sean Freyne, a scholar of early Christianity, suggests the conundrum remains unanswered. [2]

What is clear, however, is that God and Caesar, or religion and politics, turn on the question of authority, and Jesus’s deft handling of them suggests that they should be kept apart as two distinct realms. It is a position consistent with the classic Jewish view, which had become seriously eroded in Jesus’s time by the Hellenistic Jewish priests of the Temple. In stark contrast to a modus vivendi approach to the turbulent politics of the day, the community at Qumran possessed the War Scroll, which anticipates a cosmic battle between itself, the Sons of Light, under the protection of angels, against everyone else, the Sons of Darkness, led by the evil influence of Belial (the devil).

The extreme position of the Qumran community prompted many scholars to identify it with the Essenes, a Jewish sect among several that were described by the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in Jewish War , in Jewish Antiquities and in Life, and also by the Jewish philosopher Philo Judeaus a half-century earlier, as well as Pliny the Elder. Although the term Essene never appears in the texts, and some scholars rejected the connection on various grounds, including that Josephus described the Essenes as an urban sect found in many towns, the Yahad’s Community Rule, also known as the Manual of Discipline, nonetheless had many similarities with the Essenes, including its exclusively male membership, celibacy, strict purity laws, a focus on healing and property in common. [3] All these characteristics suggested a link with Jesus and his disciples.

Much ink has been spilt on the possible association between Jesus, the Essenes and Qumran, but most serious scholars conclude nothing more substantive than the fact that the Essenes and the Qumran community were among the many Jewish sects, schools of thought, and priestly lineages (Zadokite in respect to Qumran) that vied for legitimacy during Jesus’s lifetime. Whether Jesus was personally a member of the Qumran community has been largely dismissed as unfounded.

But far-fetched speculations are among the most tenacious in the popular mind, because they rely on persuasive arguments that catch the spirit of the times. Such was the case with the publication of Jesus the Man: New Interpretations from the Dead Sea Scrolls (1992), by the Australian scholar Barbara Thiering.

Using the pesher technique of interpretation in Dead Sea Scrolls documents, which alleges that there is a plain meaning and a hidden meaning in scripture, Thiering believed that the New Testament contained a secret biography of Jesus. Having “cracked the code”, she revealed that Jesus was born out of wedlock among the Essenes in Qumran, was crucified there alongside Judas Iscariot and Simon Magus, was revived by snake venom (the Essenes were keen practitioners of medical concoctions), escaped and married Mary Magdalene and later Lydia of Philippi, and died in Rome in obscurity. Today, it would qualify as a Netflix series.  

While Jesus the Man received a consistently negative response by scholars, what was not in doubt was how readily the Dead Sea Scrolls became subject to outlandish theories that reflected the current zeitgeist. Thiering, who received her PhD from the University of Sydney and lectured on the “ pesher technique” in the late 1980s and early 1990s, reflected the then popular feminist theories about Jesus’s female companions, especially Mary Magdalene to whom he first appeared after his crucifixion. Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons turned these theories into full-blown conspiracy best-sellers.

Thiering’s was not the first nor the most daring use of the Dead Sea Scrolls to overturn the received view of Christianity. She was influenced by the eccentric work of John Allegro, a lecturer in Comparative Semitic Philology at the University of Manchester, who was the first to translate the unique Copper Scroll in the mid-1950s. Allegro, who was invited into the original inner circle of translators due to his specialisation in Hebrew dialects, popularised the Dead Sea Scrolls in his BBC radio broadcasts, in which he put forth the idea that the leader of the Qumran Community, known as the Teacher of Righteousness, had been crucified. His Discoveries in the Judean Desert of Jordan in 1968 was severely criticised by most of the scholars working on the Scrolls, and this tendency would be magnified when he published The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross (1970) and The Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian Myth (1979).

The popular drug culture of the 1970s had come full circle in Allegro’s works in which he claimed that Christianity was none other than a shamanistic fertility cult that emerged within the Essenes, who used psychedelic mushrooms in their rituals. Jesus, according to Allegro, did not exist, but was a code word for Aminita muscaria , the mushroom which is the basis of LSD.

No wonder his works were hugely popular among a generation keen to remake Christianity into their own image. (It was reminiscent of the rising interest in indigenous shamanism and the ingesting of “magic mushrooms”, popularised in the 1968 best-seller by Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan , which falsely claimed to be an academic work, and is now accepted as a work of fiction.)

The Dead Sea Scrolls became a magnet for those, like Edmund Wilson, with an axe to grind, most specifically as confirmation of the “end of Christianity”. Fortunately, the Dead Sea Scrolls community of scholars today is by and large extremely cautious in their conclusions and respectful of the historical consensus based on painstaking research of ancient texts in several languages, including classical Hebrew, Aramaic, Nabatean and Greek. More than most scholars of early Christianity and rabbinic Judaism, they know how richly complex was the period in which their respective traditions took shape, together and in opposition, influenced by and reacting to a host of ideas circulating among the radical movements and sects which did not ultimately survive. Neither did the eccentric theories of Allegro and Thiering.

Rachael Kohn is a broadcaster and writer on religion and spirituality .

[1] Some scholars, notably Norman Golb (d 2021), at the University of Chicago Divinity School, whom I interviewed, argued against that the Scrolls were a library, assembled from libraries in Jerusalem including the Temple, for safe keeping.

[2] Sean Freyne, The Jesus Movement and Its Expansion: Meaning and Mission (Grand Rapids Mich: Wm B Eerdmans Publishing) 2014: 60.

[3] Leading Scrolls scholar and first to provide a full English translation of the them, Geza Vermes argues in favour of the Essene connection, An Introduction to the Complete Dead Sea Scrolls , London: SCM Press, 1977:126.

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19 thoughts on “ The Dead Sea Scrolls’ Australian Connection ”

“Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s”. Wisdom is a key player. The conglomeration – on one level, we have the mind, which is the way of the world; at the level of objective truth, this is where the heart brings the mind to that which is just – proper order of truth- balance- the whole person- recognisable truth, the complete truth, if you will. The best example of this is Jesus’ betrayal by Peter- what Jesus said – Wise – and what Peter said and did in his initial betrayal of that wisdom. “Following the arrest of Jesus, Peter denied knowing him Three times (3),but after the third denial, he heard the rooster crow, and recalled the prediction as Jesus ‘turned’ to look at him. Peter began to cry bitterly”. This final instance is known as the repentance of Peter “, (mercy is granted in death from the world). Dr Peter Kreeft explained this, i think it was in his YouTube piece on “How to win the culture war”.Paraphrased -Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar -in other words ,reject the way of the world , give Caesar back his coin with his ugly face on it, and render to God what belongs to God-your beautiful heart and soul with his name engraved on it. I wrote a reply to a friend ,on a piece she had written on abstinence, from one’s worldly self in regard to just and pure Love. Peters wisdom in context, “Denial allows the heart to bloom”. Peter and Christ are living proof of this. If God is in deed the source of all truth, he can never be wrong or at fault , surely this is what lays at the very heart of what should be understood as infinite wisdom for truth-Jesus as Christ proves this beyond measure – the road to the Father is paved with/to mercy. #### Seek and ye shall find the truth.

“Denial switches the heart on and allows it to bloom” Don’t let Caesar( world) rule the heart.

Rachael, Thank you for this story. I continue to wonder what I am lacking because I see little eignificance from these old writings to people in the modern world who have the choice to believe what is real and to reject what is fantasy. Stories about angels are not real. Geoff S

Could be wrong as I have no material proof.But aren’t stories about Angels spiritual stories by there (their)nature-wonderfully unreal perhaps……..food for thought. Geoff could furnish your proofs…….. that way I can turn back on God and worship you….I know I’m being awfully arrogant. Question: do you have belief in your own ability? And is proof required?

Here’s Dr Peter Kreeft on the existence of God, in negative proof too. https://youtu.be/LW7t0fsO8Gk

Paul Charles William Davies when at Adelaide University wrote a weekly opinion column in The Advertiser in which he stated that he did not know even one Natural Physicist who denied the existence of God. . Einstein (so famous for his genius that I don’t need to use his first name) said “I am not an atheist. I do not know if I can define myself as a Pantheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds”. If it’s too much for Einstein’s brain, it’s far too much for the brains of me and 99.99999% of others, so I think anyone who denies the possibility of God, generally by proclaiming him/herself an atheist, and so often by ridiculing those who profess a belief, does not know the meaning of “atheist”, or, and, is deluded as to their knowledge and analytical ability. . Even the self-promoting “famous atheist”, Richard Dawkins, in his book “The God Delusion” has a chapter “Why there is almost certainly no God”, thus leaving open the possibility of there being a God, and in his computation of the probability of God’s existence, assigned it a probability of 14% (1 in 7). Horses win at 7.0 every day, the MC winner was 20/1 and, in my opinion, Dawkins outed himself as an agnostic.

Ancient Palestine has a rich history and the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was one of the most important gifts offered. However, like all archaeology there were, are and will be, varying interpretations on the material.

What do the eccentric writers on Jesus have to say about St. Peter and the Disciples and about St. Paul? Were they drug dealers of some kind? If so, they would be stopped at Sydney Airport and never let into Australia.

In the minority. No I do not think they were drug dealers, or no more or no less than the ways of the world being the opiate of the masses(pile).

Given the fact that Jesus was not mentioned by anyone in his times, not the Romans, Herodians or historians there has been an argument from some that such a figure never existed but was a compilation of other saviour/redeemers. The historian Josephus does mention Jesus but he was born 30 years after Jesus is said to have died so he is hardly a contemporary source.

The fact that the attributes for Jesus are shared by the Roman God, Mithras, adds weight to this theory and that most of the attributes claimed for his mother, Mary, have been translated from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, as has the Lord’s Prayer.

I suspect that all religious writings, and the Bible particularly, should be read as metaphor and not as something literal. That way they make sense and draw upon all ancient spiritual teachings.

And since the Jesus stories were not written down

And since the Jesus stories were not written down until centuries after his death, it would be more likely than not to see other writings, teachings, stories, thoughts, interwoven with the material.

You would need to quote your source for a claim that “the Jesus stories were not written down until centuries after his death”

The general consensus amongst those who study these matters is that the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – were written by the end of the first century, Matthew’s Gospel as early as AD 37, Mark’s possibly as early as AD 40, Luke and John AD 50 and AD 65 respectively.

The point is that if “Jesus” was some kind of LSD mushroom, there would be no moral message or claim that he was the Messiah or his message spread far and wide shortly after he died. He mus have been a religious leader of immense charisma.

I find it somewhat strange that there is no mention of the Book of Enoch.

The first footnote re: Norman Golb should read that he argued that the Dead Sea Scrolls were a library compiled from various places and placed in the caves at Qumran for safe keeping.

rosross — Jesus is generally believed to have died c. 33 AD and Josephus was born c. 37 AD.

Then perhaps I should have said, Josephus was writing 30 years after Jesus supposedly died. That is more than a generation and a long time for a story to last intact. Particularly in that age. Perhaps most critical is that Jesus was not mentioned by any contemporary historian, and Josephus is certainly not contemporary, and neither did the Romans or Herodians make a note about him which is very odd. The Romans were consummate scribes.

Much religious writing was confected. Anomalies abound. In the same way the brilliant scribes of Egypt never mentioned the Hebrews/Jews being slaves which is also odd. And, the Biblical time-frame for the Jews fleeing Egypt and heading for freedom toward Palestine/Canaan was when Palestine/Canaan was an Egyptian colony.

If religious teachings were read as metaphor the world would be a better place.

Nobody seems to have been able to prove, or for that matter disprove, the existence of God, though countless attempts have been made both ways, as shown in the comments above. For my money, the most perceptive assessment was made by the French sociologist Emile Durkheim, when he said that what is really going on in any religious ritual is that the group involved is worshipping itself. This sheds new light on the old Methodist (?) saying, ‘the family that prays together, stays together.’ The group’s religion is its social glue. Believing is the means to belonging. As Richard Dawkins says, they can’t all be right. Never mind other religions. If Catholicism is right, all other religions and brands of Christianity have to be wrong, and their heretical congregations are all bound either for Hell, or for a long stretch in Purgatory: or at least would have been before the Pope abolished said Purgatory, as per Matt 16, 18-19 KJV. “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” It is in the nature of things for each religion to claim infallibilty and to be the One True Faith. That is the only hope each of them has to remain in business. As for me, I’m a Polytheist. So that means that Dawkins is wrong, and they are all right; except where they clash and contradict. But there is neither time nor space here to go into that.

The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail was the book that Dan Brown totally plagiarized to come up with The DaVinci code. THBTHG was mostly BS but nevertheless perfectly illustrated that almost nothing we read today about what happened 2000 years ago can be accepted as true and factual. History is written by victors, charlatans, and fabulists. None of whom can be trusted.

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