Fragmentary mss.
discovered since 1947 in caves in the cliffs along the left bank of the Dead Sea.
Manuscripts found in eleven caves within a few
miles of ancient ruins on a plateau overlooking the mouth of wadi
Qumran
have become the focus of international scholarly
debate related to the history of Judaism. All parties agree on the
importance of these scrolls but differ on the identity of their authors
& the circumstances of their composition. Scholars who first studied
the scrolls identified them as the library of the secretive ancient Jewish
sect of the Essenes based in the adjacent settlement at Qumran. This
identification remains the dominant scholarly consensus after more than
half a century of debate but continues to be challenged by scholars who
argue (a) that the scrolls were produced by other Jewish or early
Christian groups or (b) originated elsewhere.
Other resources
on line:
-
Dead Sea Scrolls - illustrated analysis of scrolls,
scholarly controversies & catalogue of major finds in each cave at Qumran [Wikipedia].