Qumran, Israel
Qumran
Eleven caves above the Dead Sea where a shepherd found the oldest biblical manuscripts in existence.
Biblical significance
In 1947 a Bedouin boy throwing stones into a cave heard pottery break. The Dead Sea Scrolls that followed include a complete Isaiah scroll a thousand years older than any previously known Hebrew Bible text, confirming with startling fidelity how carefully the text had been transmitted. The settlement ruins below the cliffs — the scriptorium, the ritual baths, the dining hall — are generally linked to the Essenes.
Scripture
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Open in YouVersion →Excerpts from the World English Bible. Full text opens in the YouVersion Bible app.
Best time to go
October to April; the Dead Sea rift is dangerously hot in summer.
Visitor notes
National park with a good film introduction. Cave 4 is visible from the viewing platform. Combine with Masada and Ein Gedi.
Coordinates
31.7411, 35.4589
On the map
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Getting to Qumran
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