Qumran Caves 4 and 5

ca. 100 BCE–68 CE

These caves, discovered by Bedouin shepherds at the end of the British Mandate period (1918–1948), contained numerous scrolls and scroll fragments, which came to be known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, in addition to personal and domestic items from the Second Temple period.
Aerial photograph of desert ridge with several openings.

Credits

© Alon Adika / Shutterstock.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.

Engage with this Source
Aerial photograph of desert ridge with several openings.
Tooltip info icon

Related Guide

Qumran Archaeology

Restricted
Some content is unavailable to non-members, please log in or sign up for free for full access.

Related Guide

The Origins of Judean Sectarianism

1st Century BCE–1st Century CE

You may also like

A tall, cylindrical clay jar with a rounded lid, standing upright against a dark background. The surface appears rough and slightly uneven, with some discoloration and markings.
Tooltip info icon

Earthenware Jar, Qumran

Many cylindrical earthenware jars were found in the caves surrounding the site of Qumran. The jars contained fragments of ancient documents written in the first century BCE and the first century CE…
View Source
Ancient stone ruins with partially intact walls in a desert landscape. Distant visitors walk on a modern pathway under a hazy sky.
Tooltip info icon

Scriptorium, Qumran

The presence of plastered benches and inkwells in this part of the Qumran site suggests that it may have been used for writing and copying manuscripts, including the manuscripts found in the caves…
View Source
Ancient stone ruins with low walls and doorways under a clear sky, with mountains and the Dead Sea visible in the background. Tourists walk along a pathway nearby.
Tooltip info icon

Room with Benches, Qumran

Located next to the scriptorium, this room had low benches around its perimeter and contained a few small clay lamps that could be used for reading, which has led some scholars to suggest that it was…
View Source
A small, round ancient clay oil lamp with a wide opening, featuring a blackened spout with a fibrous wick inside.
Tooltip info icon

Oil Lamp with Original Wick

Over two hundred terracotta lamps were found at Qumran, mostly in fragments. This lamp is 10 cm (4 in) long and has a large central hole for filling with oil and a wick made from palm fiber.
View Source
Ancient stone steps built into a rocky structure, surrounded by rough stone walls, with mountains visible in the background under a clear sky.
Tooltip info icon

Large Cistern, Qumran

The settlement at Qumran contained a number of cisterns, mikvaot, and pools and channels for water, suggesting a concern with purity (also reflected in sectarian texts found at the site), which…
View Source