Judaism · Texts & transmission
The Qumran scrolls preserve varied Jewish writings
c. 3rd century BCE–68 CE
The scrolls preserved near Qumran include ancient Jewish writings from the late Second Temple period. Their manuscripts reveal a textual world older than most surviving biblical copies. Scholars debate who collected and deposited them and how closely their owners were connected to the nearby settlement.
Why it matters
They let readers compare surviving manuscripts with later biblical traditions and see that the history of a text includes copying, collection, and preservation.
About the date
Approximate manuscript range, distinct from their discovery beginning in 1947.
Qumran
Discovery area near the caves; not a proven production site for every manuscript.
city orientation
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