Biblical Archaeology Review

The Dead Sea Scrolls and Why They Matter

What Happened When

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The Dead Sea Scrolls have a long, complicated and mysterious history and many "facts" have been lost in the intervening years. The timeline below presents, as accurately as possible, the events surrounding the discovery and acquisition of the scrolls and the players involved.

Timeline Instructions

Using your mouse, hover over the squares in the timeline below to view detailed information in this box

Sep 1952 Jun 1967 Feb-Apr 1955 Jun 11, 1954 Feb 1956 Aug 1952 Feb 1952 Sep 22-29, 1952 Mar 25, 1948 Feb 1948 May/June 1947 Mar 1947 Nov 23, 1947 Nov 29, 1947 Feb 13, 1955 Jun 1954 Mar 10-20, 1952 Nov 24 - Dec 12, 1951 Feb 15 - Mar 1949 Jan 29, 1949 Mar 15, 1948 Jan 1948 July 5, 1947 Apr 1947 Nov 27, 1947 Nov 1946 - Feb 1947

Source: Fields, Weston W. "Discovery and Purchase." In Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Srolls. Ed. by Lawrence Schiffman and James VanderKam. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000

Comment Talkback Add Your Comment

Connie's question

Richard — USA (8/21/2008 1:34:41 PM)

Connie, if you research under "calendar" or "roman calendar" you will see that the current calendar was presented to the then-current Pope in 531 by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus. But Dionysius was wrong about the date of the birth of Jesus - scholars now put that three years earlier in 4 BC not 1 BC. So if Jesus was born in Aril 4BC, he could not have been born in the year 0, Dec 25, or in the year -1 (1 BC), on Dec 25. In effect, if you do some research, you will see that all dates are wrong, from that starting point in 531. Everyone knows but no one wants to change the calendar.

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NEED MORE INFO ON WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT

MATT — (8/20/2008 9:16:50 AM)

Its pretty good but i think it needs to have more information on why they are important to us!!!

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time line

connie — United States (8/4/2008 11:30:24 AM)

I am a little confused on the time line you have posted, I was always under the assumption that the cuurent era began with the birth of Jesus. And that hew was app. 33 years when he was crucafied. That would make His crusafixtion somewhere betwee 32-34 AD. The time line shows His birth at 4A.D. and his crucafixtion at 30 A.D.. Which would make him 26. We have always been told that men could not begin to teach before the were 30 years old. Could you explain this to me, I am sure I am missing somethg significant. Thank you.

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SCROLLS

JOHN — (6/10/2008 12:30:06 PM)

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

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teacher of righteousness

silvertongue — England (6/1/2008 11:08:26 AM)

does Barbara Thiering's theory of the teacher of righteousness being John the Baptist, fit with the idea that the text is telling of future events when the end of days is imminent?

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The Dead Sea Scrolls

dmanh — USA (5/31/2008 6:29:12 PM)

I agree with Mr. Johson in the fact that the scrolls should be shared publically. No one should have absolute authority as to peace-meal the information out as they see fit.

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DSS

Oscar Johnson — USA (5/15/2008 7:37:10 AM)

I certainly agree with Don. those findings should be shared with the public. remember the scrolls were not found by archaeologist but rather poor shepherds. even then it was shared.

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Photos

William Chamberlin, Bible Collector — United States (5/14/2008 8:05:30 PM)

The Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah is available on the Internet along with an English translation. I also have two different book with photos of the entire scroll of Isaiah. But, that is all a layperson can find. I would like to have photos of all of the balance of the scrolls and fragments.

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Robert Eisenmann

Meyer Gross — USA (5/14/2008 4:36:19 PM)

Why is not Bob Eisenmann mentioned amoung the people surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls. Surely, his efforts deserve mention

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Where are the photo copies?

Don Srail — USA (5/14/2008 3:15:14 PM)

Why are photocopies of the Dead Sea Scrolls on the internet not available free to the public? Why are the intellectuals who control them allowed to have such exclusive rights, and cut the public out of such finds of Biblical importance? I’m only glad these fellows went into the field of archaeology. Had they gone into the field of atmospherics we would all be denied the very air we breath.

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