Qumran Jar (Dead Sea Scrolls)
Did the Dead Sea Scrolls
actually contain Old Testament scrolls written hundreds of years before the
time of Jesus?
This painting is of the Qumran Jar which contained the Scroll of Isaiah, one of the hundreds of scrolls discovered in caves around the area of Qumran, on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea in Israel. The most important fact is that there were copies of the Books of the Bible dating back a hundred years before Jesus was born. This means that hundreds of prophecies about Jesus were amazingly accurate. In fact the Old Testament Book that testifies most to the life and death of the Messiah is the Book of Isaiah, which an entire scroll was discovered.
The discovery began in 1948 and became known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. What is most significant about these scrolls is that they contain many of the Jewish documents known to Christians as the Old Testament. Before this discovery the oldest copies of Biblical documents of the Old Testament were from the Masoretic time, around the 9th century A.D., because the Jewish scribes took careful measures in copying documents, numbering them, and destroying the originals. The Dead Sea Scrolls date back to at least the 2nd century B.C. making them important in the study of Biblical Archaeology. This is especially important to Christians because it puts hundreds of Old Testament prophecies about Jesus, at least 2 centuries before the events took place.
Isaiah 53:5-7 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
Matthew 21:42 - "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? "
John 10:35 "the Scripture cannot be broken"
John 10:34 "Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law.."
2 Tim 3:16-17 "All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work."
Dead Sea Scrolls Discovery Dates
Cave 1 - 1947
Cave 2 - 1952
Cave 3 - 1952
Cave 4 - 1952
Cave 5 - 1952
Cave 6 - 1952
Cave 7 - 1956
Cave 8 - 1956
Cave 9 - 1956
Cave 10 - 1956
Cave 11 - 1956
Dead Sea Scrolls Museum
The Shrine of the Book houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is a section of the Israel Museum in West Jerusalem. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947 and more caves were discovered until 1956, totaling 11 caves located around the Wadi Qumran area.
Manuscript Copies of the Old Testament Found
Psalms (39 Manuscripts
Found)
Deuteronomy (33 Manuscripts Found)
1 Enoch (25 Manuscripts Found)
Genesis (24 Manuscripts Found)
Isaiah (22 Manuscripts Found)
Jubilees (21 Manuscripts Found)
Exodus (18 Manuscripts Found)
Leviticus (17 Manuscripts Found)
Numbers (11 Manuscripts Found)
Minor Prophets (10 Manuscripts Found)
Daniel (8 Manuscripts Found)
Jeremiah (6 Manuscripts Found)
Ezekiel (6 Manuscripts Found)
Job (6 Manuscripts Found)
1 & 2 Samuel (4 Manuscripts Found)
John 5:39 - Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Jewish Rabbinical Writings Chart
Midrash
Divisions � Halakah and Haggadah
Dates � 100 B.C. � 300 A.D.
Writers � Tannaim
Content � The Halakah was the legal commentary on the Torah and the
Haggadah were the homiletics (preaching and sermons) about the
entire Old Testament text.
Notes � The Halakah was the legal portion of the Gemara, derived
from the Old Testament. The Haggadah was interested with non-legal
issues (history, folklore, parables, scientific knowledge like
medicine and astronomy) that was not necessarily apparent in the
Mishnah.
Tosefta
Dates � 100 A.D. � 300 A.D.
Writers � Tannaim ("repeaters" or teachers of the Oral Law before
the completion of the Mishnah. They date back as far as Ezra and to
Hillel, Akiba and Meir to Judah Hansi.
Content � The teaching that is not found in the Mishnah. (Tosefta
means "supplement").
Palestinian Talmud
Divisions � Gemara (literally the "completion" of the Talmud)
Dates � 200 A.D.
Writers � Amoraim (sages who worked hard in Judaism once Mishnah was
complete.
Content � Commentary on the Mishnah.
Babylonian Talmud
Divisions � Mishnah and the Gemara
Dates � 200 A.D. - 500 A.D.
Writers � Tannaim and Amoraim
Content � Mishnah - Legal commentary on the Mishnah. Gemara �
Commentary on the Mishnah.
Notes � The Mishnah was divided into six sections.
See The Tractates of the Mishnah
The Jewish High Priests from 200 B.C to the
Reign of Herod the Great
1. Simon II the Just, 220-190 B.C.
2. Onias III, 190-174 B.C.
3. Jason/Jeshua,175-172 B.C.
4. Menelaus, 172-162 B.C.
5. Alcimus, 162-156 B.C.
6. Jonathan, 153-142 B.C.
7. Simon, 142-135 B.C.
8. John Hyrcanus I, 134-104 B.C.
9. Aristobulus I, 104-103 B.C.
10. Alexander Jannaeus, 103-76 B.C.
11. Hyrcanus II, 76-67 B.C.
12. Aristobulus II, 67-63 B.C.
13. Hyrcanus II, 63-40 B.C.
14. Antigonus, 40-37 B.C.
The Jewish High Priests from Herod the
Great to the Destruction of Jerusalem
15. Ananel, 37-36 B.C. (Appointed by Herod the Great)
16. Aristobulus III, 35 B.C.
17. Jesus, son of Phiabi, ? -22 B.C.
18. Simon, son of Boethus, 22-5 B.C.
19. Matthias, son of Theophilus, 5-4 B.C.
20. Joseph, son of Elam, 5 B.C.
21. Joezer, son of Boethus, 4 B.C.
22. Eleazar, son of Boethus, 4-1 B.C. - (Appointed by Herod
Archelaus)
23. Jesus, son of Sie, 1 - 6 A.D.
24. Annas, 6-15 A.D. (Appointed by Quirinius)
25. Ishmael, son of Phiabi I, 15-16 A.D. (Appointed by Valerius
Gratus)
26. Eleazar, son of Annas, 16-17 A.D.
27. Simon, son of Kamithos, 17-18 A.D.
28. Joseph Caiaphas,
18-37 AD.
29. Jonathan, son of Annas, 37 A.D. (Appointed by Vitellius)
30. Theophilus, son of Annas, 37-41 A.D.
31. Simon Kantheras, son of Boethus, 41-43 A.D. (Appointed by Herod
Agrippa I)
32. Matthias, son of Annas, 43-44 A.D.
33. Elionaius, son of Kantheras, 44-45 A.D.
34. Joseph, son of Kami, 45-47 A.D. (Appointed by Herod of Chalcis)
35. Ananias, son of Nebedaius, 47-55 A.D.
36. Ishmael, son of Phiabi III, 55-61 A.D. (Appointed by Herod
Agrippa II)
37. Joseph Qabi, son of Simon, 61-62 A.D.
38. Ananus, son of Ananus, 62 A.D.
39. Jesus, son of Damnaius, 62-65 A.D.
40. Joshua, son of Gamal iel, 63-65 A.D.
41. Matthias, son of Theophilus, 65-67 A.D.
42. Phinnias, son of Samuel, 67-70 A.D. (Appointed by The People)
Some dates cannot be known for certain.
Related Pages:
How Many Isaiah's According To The Dead Sea Scrolls?
Qumran - Map of Ancient Israel
Heart Message - The Paradox of the Priesthood
Caiaphas in Unger's Bible Dictionary
Caiaphas in Easton's Bible Dictionary
Beersheba in the ISBE Bible Encyclopedia
Biblical Definition of Beersheba
Altar - Background Bible Study
Altar in Smith's Bible Dictionary
Altar in the ISBE Bible Encyclopedia
Israel - The Center of the Ancient World
Israel - Archaeology Links and Resources
The Destruction of Israel in the Old Testament
Archaeological Resources - Israel
Free Bible - Fallen Empires (Biblical Archaeology)
Bible History Links - Ancient Near East : Art & Images
Free Bible - Ancient Art
The Destruction of Israel - Kings of Israel, Judah and Assyria
Timeline 800 - 700 BC
The Assyrians
The Captivity of Israel
The Impregnable Strength of Jerusalem
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