by Helen van Huyssteen
March 16, 2021
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is considered by many as the most spectacular archaeological find of the 20th century.
In 1947 at Qumran, on the Western slope of the Dead Sea, a young Bedouin shepherd stumbled upon a cave containing large pottery jars. Concealed in these containers were found scrolls, fragments and manuscripts written between 150 BC and 68 AD. This, as well as other discoveries in the region, proved to be the hidden library of a Jewish, religious splinter group, the Essenes. They left their beloved Jerusalem in protest of the incorporation of Hellenism by the Greek rulers occupying the city, and their idolatrous practices.
The Essenes followed a sacrificial lifestyle as given in the Scriptures. Collectivity was an important element of their community: they ate together, prayed together and deliberated together and strived to live in a way of seeking God ‘with all their heart and soul.’
The Dead Sea Scrolls discovery, was the opening chapter to the most important archaeological research concerning the Scriptures, in the last 2000 years. In total, 11 caves were discovered at that time. In 2019 a 12th cave was found but research information is still pending.
Through the inputs of a team of expert’s scholarship they found that the Scrolls revealed a priceless link to the validity of the Bible. The interpretation of their content also proved that Scripture has never been tampered with as Rabbis during the past 2000 years, meticulously
copied each Torah Scroll, without any alterations to the original text. Even the original punctuation was retained.
From the 50,000 fragments and scrolls, 800 manuscripts could be retrieved. Many copies of each Old Testament book were pieced together from the fragments, except the book of Esther.
Even more awesome was the complete book of Isaiah, as part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Personally it was an incredible experience to stand in front of this exhibit of the scroll of Isaiah which is displayed in the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. About 3 months after this discovery the United Nations voted, on 27 November 1947, that the land of Israel will be assigned again to the Jewish people as the legitimate occupiers. And as I stood there, I was reminded of a specific scripture in Isaiah.
Who had heard such a thing?
Or who hath seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once.
For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children – Isaiah 66:8
After 2000 years of travail for Zion; of pogroms, persecutions, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust she is back in the land which God covenanted to Abraham.
And the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said: Unto thy seed will I give this land;
and there he built an altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him – Genesis 12:7