What Is Rule of the Community?
Serekh ha-Yaḥad, the Rule of the Community (or Community Rule), was one of the first Dead Sea Scrolls to be discovered. The most complete version of the text was found in Qumran Cave 1 and is designated 1QS; fragments of additional copies were found in other caves. The document describes the rules and beliefs of the Qumran community, which is believed by many scholars to have been an Essene sect. It details a procedure for entering the community and lays out instructions for behavior within the community.
Related Primary Sources
Primary Source
The Rule of the Community
Rule of the Community 1–9 (selections)
Primary Source
Torah at Qumran
Damascus Document 5:2–6|Rule of the Community 5:7–10
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The Qumran Community as Temple
Rule of the Community 8:4–10; 9:3–7
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Priests’ Special Status at Meals
Primary Source
Priests in the Political Leadership
Rule of the Community 8:1–4
Primary Source
Qumran Covenant Ceremony Blessings and Curses
Primary Source
Joining the Qumran Sect
Rule of the Community 6:13–21
Related Guide
What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls?
Found in caves in the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea Scrolls preserve the writings of an ancient Jewish sect.