What were found in a cave near Qumran, Jordan by Mohammed Ahmed el-Hamed in 1947 that significantly impacted the world's understanding of religion and history?
"cliffs and beneath, in the marl terrace. The principal excavations at Qumran were conducted by Roland de Vaux in the 1950s, though several later unearthings at the site have since been carried out. Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947–1956, extensive excavations have taken place in Qumran. Nearly 900 scrolls were discovered. Most were written on parchment and some on papyrus. Cisterns, Jewish ritual baths, and cemeteries have been found, along with a dining or assembly room and debris from an upper story alleged by some to have been a scriptorium as well as pottery kilns and"
"are a collection of about 900 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the ruins of the ancient settlement of Khirbet Qumran on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank. The texts are of great religious and historical significance, as they include the oldest known surviving copies of Biblical and extra-biblical documents and preserve evidence of great diversity in late Second Temple Judaism. They are written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, mostly on parchment, but with some written on papyrus. These manuscripts generally date between"
"understanding of ancient water systems in Palestine. As of April 2007, the procedures to add Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity to the UNESCO World Heritage List have been initiated. The Dead Sea Scrolls are 981 parchments discovered in 11 caves in the hills above Qumran between 1947 and 1956. The discovery of the scrolls was dubbed ""[u]nquestionably the greatest manuscript find of modern times"" by William F. Albright, and the majority are transcribed in a unique form of Hebrew now known as ""Qumran Hebrew"", and seen as a link between Biblical Hebrew and Mishnaic Hebrew. Some 120 scrolls"
"the Pesher on Habakkuk (1QpHab), the War Scroll (1QM), the Thanksgiving Hymns (1QH), and the Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen). Cave 4 was discovered in August 1952, and was excavated from 22–29 September 1952 by Gerald Lankester Harding, Roland de Vaux, and Józef Milik. Cave 4 is actually two hand-cut caves (4a and 4b), but since the fragments were mixed, they are labeled as 4Q. Cave 4 is the most famous of Qumran caves both because of its visibility from the Qumran plateau and its productivity. It is visible from the plateau to the south of the Qumran settlement. It is by"
"discovered in 1946/47 and in 1956 – from 11 caves. The 11 Qumran Caves lie in the immediate vicinity of the Hellenistic-period Jewish settlement at Khirbet Qumran in the eastern Judaean Desert, in the West Bank. The caves are located about west of the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, whence they derive their name. Scholarly consensus dates the Qumran Caves Scrolls from the last three centuries BCE and the first century CE. Bronze coins found at the same sites form a series beginning with John Hyrcanus (in office 135–104 BCE) and continuing until the period of the First Jewish–Roman"
"4Q, nos. 196–200). The ""Letter of Jeremiah"" (or ""Baruch"" chapter 6) has been found in cave 7 (papyrus 7Q2) in Greek. It has been theorized by recent scholars that the Qumran library (of approximately 1,100 manuscripts found in the eleven caves at Qumran) was not entirely produced at Qumran, but may have included part of the library of the Jerusalem Temple, that may have been hidden in the caves for safekeeping at the time the Temple was destroyed by Romans in 70 AD. Deuterocanonical and Apocryphal books included in the Septuagint The large majority of Old Testament references in the"
"to protect against raids by neighboring nomadic tribes. At Bab al-Dhra in Wadi `Araba, archaeologists discovered more than 20,000 shaft tombs with multiple chambers as well as houses of mud-brick containing human bones, pots, jewelry and weapons. Hundreds of dolmens scattered throughout the mountains have been dated to the late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Ages. Although writing was developed before 3000 BC in Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was generally not used in Jordan, Canaan and Syria until some thousand years later, even though archeological evidence indicates that the Jordanians were trading with Egypt and Mesopotamia. Between 2300 and 1950 BC,"
"small pieces for crafting glass vessels. An elegy written in Arabic script typical of the 9-10th century and containing the date AH 287 or 289 (AD 900 or 902) was found in the ""Magharat al-Jahannam"" (""Cave of Hell"") catacomb during excavations conducted there in 1956. The sophisticated and beautifully worded elegy was composed by the previously unknown poet Umm al-Qasim, whose name is given in acrostic in the poem, and it can be read in Moshe Sharon's book or here on Wikipedia. Moshe Sharon speculates that this poem might be marking the beginning of the practice of treating this site"
"possession from Cave I. It was the Scrolls from later caves discovered like III–XI, which came in after 1948 and Partition and on-site excavations by persons like Dominican Father Roland de Vaux, which were the problem. In 1985–86, Eisenman, who had written his first book presenting, as he called it, “A New Theory of Qumran Origins” in 1983 and a follow-up on James as Righteous Teacher in 1985, received a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship at the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem (also known as “the American School"") where Cave I Scrolls had first come in and"
"were found in 1983 at the site of prehistoric village Ain Ghazal. Fourth century mosaics have been found in the church at the Monument of Moses at Mt. Nebo, and Byzantine mosaics at various churches in Nebo and Madaba. Other mosaics are found throughout the Jordanian desert at various castles dating back to the Umayyad dynasty. Such castles include Qasr al-Hallabat, Hmmam al-Sarakh, Qusayr ‘amra, Qasr Kharana, Mshatta, and Qasr al-Tuba. The Jordan Archaeological Museum was founded in 1951 in Amman, and archeological museums at Petra, jerash, Madaba, and Kerak have also come into existence. Archeological discoveries in Jordan have"
"were found in the cave. Fear of the destruction of archaeological evidence with the discovery of caves by the Bedouin led to a campaign by the French and American Schools to explore all other caves to find any remaining scrolls. Although 230 natural caves, crevices and other possible hiding places were examined in an 8 kilometer area along the cliffs near Qumran, only 40 contained any artifacts and one alone, 3Q, produced texts, the most unusual being the Copper Scroll. 4Q was discovered in September 1952 by the Ta'amireh. De Vaux, on being offered a vast amount of fragments, contacted"
"5 March 1949 by the Jordanian Department of Antiquities led by Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux. The Cave 1 site yielded discoveries of additional Dead Sea Scroll fragments, linen cloth, jars, and other artifacts. In November 1951, Roland de Vaux and his team from the ASOR began a full excavation of Qumran. By February 1952, the Bedouin had discovered 30 fragments in what was to be designated Cave 2. The discovery of a second cave eventually yielded 300 fragments from 33 manuscripts, including fragments of Jubilees and the Wisdom of Sirach written in Hebrew. The following month, on"
"Noah. Qahat speaks specifically about the inheritance being passed down, which is believed to be the books and laws given from God passed down generationally from Noah to Shem, Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob, Jacob to Levi and then to Qahat. 4Q542 was found in Cave 4, also commonly known as the mother lode of manuscript fragments. Cave 4 was found in August 1952 by Bedouin treasure hunters exploring under the noses of the archaeologists excavating Qumran. ""The most legendary of all caves, Cave 4 revealed ample treasures: thousands of fragments from hundreds of manuscripts, comprising 75% of all"
"Visions of Amram Visions of Amram, also referred to as 4Q543-549, is a collection of five extremely fragmented copies found in Qumran cave 4. In 1972, Jozef T. Milik published a significant fragment of the Visions of Amram. Since then, controversy has surrounded this document at every turn. In this testament, Amram gathers his sons, Moses and Aaron, to his deathbed and relates stories of his life, providing wisdom and commanding understanding. This document is named for a vision shared during this time. This document has many distinguishing features that separate it from the other Dead Sea Scrolls found in"
"known in the ancient Hebrew as ""borit"" [Lye] which was produced in this region by the inhabitants of Qumran and was one of their industries."" Jones believed his archaeology to have eschatological significance, and that when he found the ancient religious items he was looking for, God would be revealed to the world, all Jews will return to Israel, and there would be peace in the Middle East. Also, Israeli democracy will be replaced by a Sanhedrin, not unlike the group that was formed by various Israeli rabbis in 2004, and with which Jones was closely associated. In May 2005,"
"and commemorates his glory and victory against the Israelites. The stele constitutes one of the most important direct accounts of biblical history. The original Mesha Stele is on display at the French Louvre Museum and Jordan has been constantly demanding its return. The human statues found at 'Ain Ghazal constitute one of the world's oldest human statues ever made by human civilization dating back to 7000 BC. 'Ain Ghazal is a major Neolithic village in Amman that was discovered in 1981. The Dead Sea Copper Scroll was found near Khirbet Qumran, which is an inventory of hidden gold and silver"
"Sea Scrolls, the oldest biblical manuscripts in the world, as well as rare early medieval biblical manuscripts. The scrolls were discovered in 1947–56 in 11 caves in and around the Wadi Qumran. An elaborate planning process of seven years led to the building's eventual construction in 1965 which was funded by the family of David Samuel Gottesman, the Hungarian émigré, the philanthropist who had purchased the scrolls as a gift to the State of Israel. The building consists of a white dome over a building located two-thirds below the ground. The dome is reflected in a pool of water that"
"of Mecca. Then, after fifteen days, Muhammad received the revelation that is ""Sura Al-Kahf"" (""The Cave""), the eighteenth chapter of the Quran. ""Surah Al-Kahf"" mentions the ""People of the Cave,"" a strange story about some young men in ancient times who slept in a cave for many years (which is identical to the Syriac Christian myth of the Seven Sleepers Ephesus). Surah Al-Kahf also mentions the winds (related to the word for spirit, verse 45). Finally, the surah also mentions ""a man who travelled a great deal and reached the east and the west of the earth""—namely, Dhul-Qarnayn. Though Ibn"
"Ancient underground quarry, Jordan Valley An ancient underground quarry in the Jordan Valley was discovered in 2009 by University of Haifa archeologists. The quarry is located about 3 miles (5 km) north of Jericho, West Bank. The cave is located in the desert north of Jericho, 10 metres (40 ft) beneath the surface. It spans more than 1-acre (0.4-hectare) and its main hall is supported by 22 pillars. Various symbols, including Byzantine crosses, a zodiac-like symbol and Roman numerals are engraved upon the pillars. An etched Roman legion's pennant indicates that it was used by the Roman Army. The cave"
"which produced great batches of molten glass that were cooled and later broken into small pieces for crafting glass vessels. An elegy written in Arabic script typical of the 9-10th century and containing the date AH 287 or 289 (AD 900 or 902) was found in the ""Magharat al-Jahannam"" (""Cave of Hell"") catacomb during excavations conducted there in 1956. Composed by the previously unknown poet Umm al-Qasim, whose name is given in acrostic in the poem, it reads as follows: Moshe Sharon speculates that this poem might be marking the beginning of the practice of treating this site as the"
"been an archaeologist for 30 years, researching and teaching on Near Eastern archaeology and biblical studies. His work as a field archaeologist and Bible scholar, combine to tie the biblical record to the historical and archaeological evidence. Collins is the chief archaeologist and co-director of the Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project in Jordan, working with the Department of Antiquities of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He began the project in Jordan in 2005. His archaeological investigations at Tall el-Hammam, have found the remains of a fortified city that was destroyed circa 1850–1650 BCE. In the late 2000s, Collins claimed that the"
"been authoritative back then, arguments can be made for and against this concept. Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 ""Jubilees"" scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that ""Jubilees"" was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Robert Henry Charles (1855–1931) became the first biblical scholar to propose"
"Qumran Caves Qumran Caves are a series of caves, some natural, some artificial, found around the archaeological site of Qumran in the Judaean Desert of the West Bank. It is in a number of these caves that the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The caves are recognized in Israel as a National Heritage Site. The limestone cliffs above Qumran contain numerous caves that have been used over the millennia: the first traces of occupation are from the Chalcolithic period then onward to the Arab period. The artificial caves relate to the period of the settlement at Qumran and were cut"
"1st century CE), unveiled previously unknown documents that shed light on the rules and beliefs of a particular group or groups within greater Judaism. The Qumran Caves Scrolls encompass most of the Dead Sea Scrolls. They are associated with the Essenes. Notable examples: Sefer Yetzirah is arguably the earliest extant book on Jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to Kabbalah. In traditional lore, the book is ascribed to the Bronze Age patriarch Abraham. Some critical scholars argue for the 2nd century BCE as an early date of its"
"Maronite villagers dating back to around 1283 A.D. were uncovered by a team of speleologists from the GERSL scientific organisation in the Qadisha Valley between 1989 & 1991. These were found in the 'Asi-al Hadath cave along with a wealth of artifacts. In 1998, UNESCO added the valley to the list of World Heritage Sites because of its importance as the site of some of the earliest Christian monastic settlements in the world, and its continued example of early Christian faith. The Kadisha (Holy) Valley is the site of some of the most ancient Christian monastic communities of the Middle"
"Some scholars have claimed that the caves were the permanent libraries of the sect, due to the presence of the remains of a shelving system. Other scholars believe that some caves also served as domestic shelters for those living in the area. Many of the texts found in the caves appear to represent widely accepted Jewish beliefs and practices, while other texts appear to speak of divergent, unique, or minority interpretations and practices. Some scholars believe that some of these texts describe the beliefs of the inhabitants of Qumran, who may have been Essenes, or the asylum for supporters of"
"of Letters. Another camp was also discovered on the southern side of the ravine. In the Cave of Letters, archaeologists found Chalcolithic remains from the 4th millennium BCE as well as artifacts from the Roman period. Further exploration of the cave was abandoned because of some boulders obstructing access to other parts of the cave. It was not until 1960, when more documents from the Bar-Kokhba Revolt were sold to scholars in Jordan, that further exploration was approved. On March 23, 1960, four teams set out to explore the caves over a period of two weeks. Yigael Yadin led a"
"1956, together with the other, already publicized scrolls and fragments. This cave was found by the same Bedouin, ""Abu Dahoud"", who found the first cave in 1947. Apart from this and another scroll from Cave 11 that he claimed to have seen, Strugnell had heard Gerald Lankester Harding, the director of Jordan's Department of Antiquities (1936–1956), speak of at least 2 never published scrolls from the same find. These, or some of them, were at that time (the Kuwait crisis) about to be bought by private, probably European collectors or bankers. The reason for buying them was for investments. Although"
"connection with it, and then he showed in Ewald's ""Jahrbüchern"" (Bd. V. 1853) that the contents of whole sections of the ""Book of the Cave of Treasures"" in Syriac and the ""Conflict of Adam and Eve"" in Ethiopic were identical. And soon after this, Dillmann and others noticed that an Arabic manuscript in the Vatican (No. XXXIX; see Assemânî, Bibl. Orient. i. page 281) contained a version of the ""Cave of Treasures"", which had clearly been made from the Syriac. In 1883 Carl Bezold published a translation of the Syriac text of the ""Cave of Treasures"" made from three manuscripts"
"4Q41 4Q41 or 4QDeuteronomy (often abbreviated 4QDeut or 4QDt), also known as the All Souls Deuteronomy is a Hebrew Bible manuscript from the first century BC containing two passages from the Book of Deuteronomy. Discovered in 1952 in a cave at Qumran, near the Dead Sea, it preserves the oldest existing copy of the Ten Commandments. The scroll was found in the fourth Qumran cave, which was discovered by Ta’amireh bedouin in August 1952. It was later purchased for ""several thousand dollars"" on the black market by Frank Moore Cross and Roland de Vaux with money supplied by an anonymous"
"location for the invention of irrigation. El Kowm (archaeological site) El Kowm or Al Kawm is a circular, gap in the Syrian mountains that houses a series of archaeological sites. The El Kowm oasis is located northeast of Palmyra in Syria, near Al-Sukhnah. It shows some of the longest and most important cultural sequences in the Middle East, with periods of occupation by humans for over 1 million years. An initial 5-day sounding was made in 1967 by M.N. van Loon and R. H. Dornemann with a trench at El Kowm I; a large Neolithic tell about in size. They"
"substantially larger than Palestine which includes a very varied landscape, ranging from well-watered mountain-tops via fertile valleys and foothills to lowland deserts. In the southern part of Arabia there are recently-active volcanoes, near to which are, presumably, the buried remains of Sodom and Gomorrah. Kamal Salibi Kamal Suleiman Salibi () (2 May 19291 September 2011) was a Lebanese historian, professor of history at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the founding Director (later Honorary President) of the ""Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies"" in Amman, Jordan. He was a lifetime bachelor, who devoted his life to books. Born to a"
"no large-scale search could be undertaken safely. Sellers tried to get the Syrians to assist in the search for the cave, but he was unable to pay their price. In early 1948, the government of Jordan gave permission to the Arab Legion to search the area where the original Qumran cave was thought to be. Consequently, Cave 1 was rediscovered on 28 January 1949, by Belgian United Nations observer Captain Phillipe Lippens and Arab Legion Captain Akkash el-Zebn. The rediscovery of what became known as ""Cave 1"" at Qumran prompted the initial excavation of the site from 15 February to"