Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 08-14-2006, 11:16 PM

Archaeologists Challenge Link Between Dead Sea Scrolls and Ancient Sect

Quote:

... two Israeli archaeologists who have excavated the site on and off for more than 10 years now assert that Qumran had nothing to do with the Essenes or a monastery or the scrolls. It had been a pottery factory.

The archaeologists, Yizhak Magen and Yuval Peleg of the Israel Antiquities Authority, reported in a book and a related magazine article that their extensive excavations turned up pottery kilns, whole vessels, production rejects and thousands of clay fragments. Derelict water reservoirs held thick deposits of fine potters’ clay.

Dr. Magen and Dr. Peleg said that, indeed, the elaborate water system at Qumran appeared to be designed to bring the clay-laced water into the site for the purposes of the pottery industry. No other site in the region has been found to have such a water system.

The research is reported in BAR as Qumran—The Pottery Factory (not free to non-subscribers) and a book, "The Site of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Archaeological Interpretations and Debates (or via: amazon.co.uk)."

The last paragraph of the NY Times article:

Quote:

Despite the rising tide of revisionist thinking, other scholars of the Dead Sea scrolls continue to defend the Essene hypothesis, though with some modifications and diminishing conviction.

Duke Leto · 08-14-2006, 11:20 PM

Oh, Hershel's actually publishing some Archaeology pieces rather than still harping on that ludicrous ossuary? I haven't kept up with that since I made basarchive.org and then went mad.

Chris Weimer · 08-15-2006, 12:37 AM

Wow. I'm surprised that BAR actually got something right for once.

Anat · 08-15-2006, 07:41 AM

Is there a way to know whether the jars in which the scrolls had been hidden were produced in Qumran?

youngalexander · 08-15-2006, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anat

Is there a way to know whether the jars in which the scrolls had been hidden were produced in Qumran?

From the NYT article

Quote:

In the magazine article, Dr. Magen said the jars in which most of the scrolls were stored had probably come from the pottery factory. If so, this may prove to be the only established connection between the Qumran settlement and the scrolls.

andrewcriddle · 08-16-2006, 11:20 AM

I don't see any necessary contradiction between
a/ those living at Qumran were members of a religious community
b/ the main source of revenue at Qumram was the manufacture of pottery.

Andrew Criddle

Chris Weimer · 08-16-2006, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewcriddle

I don't see any necessary contradiction between
a/ those living at Qumran were members of a religious community
b/ the main source of revenue at Qumram was the manufacture of pottery.

Andrew Criddle

There isn't. But one does not assume a/ to be true if there it is defeated. Why would there be a religious community at Qumran? There's no reason to assume so. The "Essene" hypothesis was built on the Dead Sea Scrolls, thus remove the Scrolls and you remove the only support for a religious community.

Anat · 08-16-2006, 11:34 AM

But if they made the jars for the scrolls, then it could have been a 'religious project' of some sort.

Chris Weimer · 08-16-2006, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anat

But if they made the jars for the scrolls, then it could have been a 'religious project' of some sort.

It's possible, but how likely? Even if they made the jars for the scrolls (but how would they get the scrolls - certainly weren't produced at Qumran?), it seems unlikely that it was the primary reason for making jars, nor does it imply that they were religious in nature.

Lógos Sokratikós · 08-16-2006, 11:56 AM

Too bad the Essene romance is over.

On the other hand the scrolls were there, the scrolls are real (as far as I know) and they still say what they say -and they're a real treasure.

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08-14-2006, 11:20 PM	#2
Duke Leto Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 3,387	Oh, Hershel's actually publishing some Archaeology pieces rather than still harping on that ludicrous ossuary? I haven't kept up with that since I made basarchive.org and then went mad.

08-15-2006, 12:37 AM	#3
Chris Weimer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: none Posts: 9,879	Wow. I'm surprised that BAR actually got something right for once.

08-15-2006, 07:41 AM	#4
Anat Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: home Posts: 3,715	Is there a way to know whether the jars in which the scrolls had been hidden were produced in Qumran?

08-16-2006, 11:20 AM	#6
andrewcriddle Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Birmingham UK Posts: 4,876	I don't see any necessary contradiction between a/ those living at Qumran were members of a religious community b/ the main source of revenue at Qumram was the manufacture of pottery. Andrew Criddle

08-16-2006, 11:34 AM	#8
Anat Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: home Posts: 3,715	But if they made the jars for the scrolls, then it could have been a 'religious project' of some sort.

08-16-2006, 11:56 AM	#10
Lógos Sokratikós Contributor Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Virtually right here where you are Posts: 11,138	Too bad the Essene romance is over. On the other hand the scrolls were there, the scrolls are real (as far as I know) and they still say what they say -and they're a real treasure.

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