Catholics, what is your opinion of the Dead Sea Scrolls?

Answer 1

They are wonderful.

The Dead Sea Scroll contain:
- All of the books of the Old Testament (Hebrew scriptures) except Esther
- Several books that never became part of the Hebrew Scriptures
- Numerous commentaries on the Scriptures
- Books having to do with
.....- Community life
.....- Rules for living
.....- Temple worship
.....- Other matters

There are many duplicates. Fourteen copies of Deuteronomy have been found and two of Isaiah.

The scrolls are important because they:
- Testify to the accuracy of the people who copied and recopied the Scriptures over the centuries. Despite minor errors, they show us that the Old Testament has not changed since it was compiled.
- Throw light on beliefs and customs in Palestine during times between the Old and New Testamants. There was far more diversity among the Jews than had been thought.

For more information, see:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/SFS/an0500.asp

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

The Dead Sea scrolls are manuscripts of Old Testament books, and some manuals from a couple of different Jewish sects with their rules and guidelines for now the community was to live. There are no New Testament manuscripts among them.

The Books appear to have been placed there over several centuries. There are copies of the book of Isaiah, in the early Paleo-Hebrew scripture that was last used around 400 BC, copies of books from the Maccabean Revolt in the 200 BCs, up to the time of the destruction of Israel in 70 AD. Nearly 500 years between the oldest and the newest.

If includes every one of the Old Testament books (except Esther, which never uses the name YWHW in it). It also inclues several translations of the books into other languages. Some children's story books that tell the Old Testament stories. And some commentaries on the Old Testament books.

It also includes some manuals and rule book from various Jewish sects. Every single one of these was been torn into pieces, while the actual Old Testament manuscripts show evidence that they were carefully wrapped and preserved.

One thing that all the books have in common is that they all contain the word YWHW, the "divine name of God". Following the Captivity (which ended around 500 BC) the Jews began a custom that any manuscript that contained YWHW had to be buried, not burned or otherwise destroyed. It was a true scripture, it was carefully wrapped to preserve it. If it was heresy, it was ripped apart.

This appears to be a "burial place" for old manuscripts that where either to worn to continue being used, or where heresy and ended to be destroyed. (That is why there appear to be no copies of Esther in the caves. "YWHW" is not used in the book of Esther.)

They are an incredible find as they demonstrate first that the Old Testament text that our Bible is based on is accurate. It matches these ancient manuscripts. It gives us insight into how the Jews of that time interpreted the Old Testament, through the commentaries, translations and children books. It also shows us what they considered "heresy" through the materials they were destroying.

Answer 3

they contain the oldest copies of the Old Testament and confirm todays modern translations with incredible accuracy.