Why were the dead sea scrolls hidden?

Question

Was a war happening at that time?

Answer 1

The amount of bad information is astounding.

do a little research before you post!!

The Dead Sea Scrolls had NOTHING to do with Christianity. they were a sect of Judaism.

The only tie between the Dead sea scrolls is that some of the practices of the writers MAY have been adopted by Christians.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were Jewish religious and law writing. Most of them are part of the OLD Testament and NOWHERE do they mention ANYTHING about Christianity, Jesus or the new testament.

Now, as to why they were hidden.

At the time the Romans controlled the Holey land and the Jews were in open revolt. Even prior to this, most groups kept their holy books and writings hidden as they were holy and could not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.

With the Jews in open revolt, the Romans were burning and destroying ANYTHING associated with the Jews.

So they were hidden to protect them.

It is also possible that they weren't actually hidden. The area they were found in extremely hot and dry. The writing was on parchments with inks that would break down. The best way to preserve them is in a cool, dry place - in the desert, the coolest, driest places are almost always caves. So the cave could have simply been their library, but with the end of the revolt and the death of many Jewish leaders and scholars, the location was just forgotten.

Answer 2

The war was the Jewish revolt against Rome 66-70. The revolt ended with the siege of Masada, the great fortress/palace by the Dead Sea. Some scholars see this last stand as being made by the Zealots, an extreme jewish sect that had withdrawn from a "corrupt" jerusalem, others think that the Essenes another sect that may have influenced Jesus may have been involved. In either case, the people of the desert oasis community of Quarum, buried their library to be safe from the Romans, and then died in the final stand at Masada.
here is a site about the Jewish Revolt in general:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Jewish_Revolt
here is a site about Masada and the Zealots and Essenes:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/deadsea.html
So the scrolls were hidden from the Romans as part of the last stages of the Jewish Revolt against Rome.

Answer 3

Through a careful study of the scrolls, historical analysis, and interviews with scholars, the authors establish a view of Christianity that challenges the Church's adamantly defended "facts".

The oldest Biblical manuscripts in existence, the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves near Jerusalem in 1947, only to be kept a tightly held secret for nearly fifty more years, until the Huntington Library unleashed a storm of controversy in 1991 by releasing copies of the Scrolls.

In this gripping investigation authors Baigent and Leigh set out to discover how a small coterie of orthodox biblical scholars gained control over the Scrolls, allowing access to no outsiders and issuing a strict "consensus" interpretation. The authors' questions begin in Israel, then lead them to the corridors of the Vatican and into the offices of the Inquisition.

With the help of independent scholars, historical research, and careful analysis of available texts, the authors reveal what was at stake for these orthodox guardians: The Scrolls present startling insights into early Christianity - insights that challenge the Church's version of the "facts." More than just a dramatic expose of the intrigues surrounding these priceless documents, "The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception" presents nothing less than a new, highly significant perspective on Christianity.

Answer 4

I believe that the scrolls may have been hidden for a couple of reasons. First, if we think of religion historically, there were many governments who wanted to destroy any evidence of the existence of a God. Secondly, the scrolls were aging badly, and they needed to be sealed and protected from light. I'm not sure what made them hide the scrolls, but I'm glad we found them for I believe they are an important part of history, and another opportunity for people to see that the Lord really exists.

Answer 5

The second Jewish revolt against Roman occupation, which was led by Simeon Bar Koshba, saw 900 Jewish towns and villages pillaged, 10,000 Romans killed, Jerusalem recaptured and Jews banned from entering its confines.

"We know these parchments came from a Torah scroll used by Jews in the spring of 135 during Passover, which they then hid in the caves to save it from the Roman legions," said Professor Eshel, a Biblical specialist at Israel's Bar Ilan University.

Historians believed Jews managed to hide 14 Torah scrolls in the caves, but Professor Eshel says the latest manuscripts prove there is a 15th such scroll.

Answer 6

Are we sure that they were really hidden or were they just placed in the cave for one reason or another and forgotten? I put things in boxes at home because they need to be put somewhere but not because I want to hide them. This is just a theory.

Answer 7

Because the information they contain refutes many long held beliefs that the church has forced upon humanity. Those long held beliefs were put into place for one reason, to prolong the life of the church as a collection agency without taxation. Just look at the book of Judas recently released to the public. It refutes just about every thing the church has told its sheep for centuries. Not much outcry though, what do you expect from a bunch of sheep? In other words, "Wake up and think for your self."

Answer 8

I figure with Roman persecution of Christians, they authors were afraid of the obliteration of the Living Word.

Answer 9

They were hidden in caves in a desert.

Answer 10

Just like Dinosaur Bones... they were put here on the earth by the devil, to confuse us.