What is the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls?
The Dead Sea Scrolls are widely acknowledged to be among the greatest archaeological treasures linking us to the ancient Middle East, and to the formative years of Judaism and Christianity. Over 200 biblical manuscripts are more than a thousand years older than any previously known copies of the Hebrew Bible. In addition, there are scrolls that appear to represent a distinct form of Judaism that did not survive the Roman destruction of the second Temple in 70 CE. These “sectarian scrolls” reveal a fascinating stage of transition between the ancient religion of the Bible and Rabbinic Judaism, as well as the faith that would become the world’s largest, Christianity. Both of these traditions, in turn, influence Islam. How do the scrolls relate to the Koran? Many Westerners are not aware of the many ways in which the Koran is influenced by the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament. The Koran does not borrow from these scriptures, however, it does contain some of the same history, mo
