Dead Sea Scrolls-Explain.?

Question

In terms I can Easily understand (And please keep it pretty short) Please explain the basics of what it is/means. Thanks!

Answer 1

It's a bunch of really old scrolls (mostly parts of the Old Testament) they found near the Dead Sea that make it unlikely that the Old Testament was changed since it was originally written because of how old they are (and therefor, very close to the originals) if I remember right.

Answer 2

The first of the Dead Sea Scroll discoveries occurred in 1947 in Qumran, a village situated about twenty miles east of Jerusalem on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. A young Bedouin shepherd, following a goat that had gone astray, tossed a rock into one of the caves along the seacliffs and heard a cracking sound: the rock had hit a ceramic pot containing leather and papyrus scrolls that were later determined to be nearly twenty centuries old. Ten years and many searches later, eleven caves around the Dead Sea were found to contain tens of thousands of scroll fragments dating from the third century B.C. to A.D. 68 and representing an estimated eight hundred separate works.

The Dead Sea Scrolls comprise a vast collection of Jewish documents written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and encompassing many subjects and literary styles. They include manuscripts or fragments of every book in the Hebrew Bible except the Book of Esther, all of them created nearly one thousand years earlier than any previously known biblical manuscripts. The scrolls also contain the earliest existing biblical commentary, on the Book of Habakkuk, and many other writings, among them religious works pertaining to Jewish sects of the time

The legends of what was contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls are far beyond what was actually there. There were no lost books of the Bible or other literature that there was not already other copies of. The vast majority of the Dead Sea Scrolls were simply copies of books of the Old Testament from 250-150 B.C. A copy or portion of nearly every Old Testament book was found in Qumran. There were extra-biblical and apocryphal books found as well, but again, the vast majority of the scrolls were copies of the Hebrew Old Testament. The Dead Sea Scrolls were such an amazing discovery in that the scrolls were in excellent condition and had remained hidden for so long (over 2000 years). The Dead Sea Scrolls can also give us confidence in the reliability of the Old Testament manuscripts since there were minimal differences between the manuscripts that had previously been discovered and those that were found in Qumran. Clearly this is a testament to the way God has preserved His Word down through the centuries, protecting it from extinction and guarding it against significant error.

Recommended Resource: What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls and Why Do They Matter? by David Noel Freedman & Pam Fox Kuhlken.

Answer 3

The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of about 900 religious texts written between 200BC and 100 AD, found near the Dead Sea. Some of them are copies of the books of the Old Testament, and others are additional texts that aren't included in the official Old Testament, but are still religiously significant.

Before the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947, the earliest know copies of texts of the Old Testament was from 900AD.

Because they are frequently described as important to the history of the Bible, the scrolls are surrounded by a wide range of conspiracy theories.

Answer 4

In the 50's someone found these scrolls in a series of caves. They were the writing s of people called Essenes. They included some copies of books of the bibles but also some totally new texts. They have been studied until recently is secrecy by a panel of researchers from many religions. Some of the views are very differnt and they shed light on jewish life at the time of Christ.

Answer 5

Scrolls are simply the earlier form of what are now books; they were the paper on which things were written.

The scrolls found in the Dead Sea were a collection of books, a part of a library which were hidden, presumably to remain safe. The conditions there kept these scrolls in quite good condition.

They are important because many of them date back to an earlier time than other copies of the same books that we have.

Answer 6

The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves near Qumran.
They were parchments stored inside ceramic jars.
They contain scripture corresponding to some biblical books.

Answer 7

The Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient Jewish manuscripts, most of them written in Hebrew, some in Aramaic, and a few in Greek. Many of these scrolls and fragments are over 2,000 years old, dating to before the birth of Jesus. They were found in a cave in the middle east. First found were seven lengthy manuscripts in various stages of deterioration. As more caves were searched, other scrolls and thousands of scroll fragments were found. Between the years of 1947 and 1956, a total of 11 caves containing scrolls were discovered near Qumran, by the Dead Sea.

When all the scrolls and fragments are sorted out, they account for about 800 manuscripts. About one quarter, or just over 200 manuscripts, are copies of portions of the Hebrew Bible text. Additional manuscripts represent ancient non-Biblical Jewish writings, both Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha.

Some of the scrolls that most excited scholars were previously unknown writings. These include interpretations on matters of Jewish law, specific rules for the community of the sect that lived in Qumran, liturgical poems and prayers, as well as eschatological works that reveal views about the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and the last days. There are also unique Bible commentaries, the most ancient antecedents of modern running commentary on Bible texts.

Answer 8

The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in a cave near the Dead Sea. I have actually seen the cave. They are original manuscript writings of the book of Isaiah, which were placed in an earthen jar, and preserved for hundreds of years. They are now on display in a museum in Israel- I believe it was in Jerusalem.

Answer 9

The Dead Sea Scrolls were copies of some of the Bible that were made by the Essenes. A shepherd found them lying in a cave.

Answer 10

They tell a great deal about life during those times, particularly concerning the Essenes. They're most important as academic/historical documents, less so in terms of religious significance, though the documents are predominantly of a religious theme. Nothing much has changed in the field of theology as a result of the data contained in the Qumran scrolls.

mad cat [above] is mistakenly referring to the Nag Hammadi scrolls, found at roughly the same time.