In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd in the Qumran region near the Dead Sea — in what is now the State of Israel — searched a cave on a high cliff for his lost goat. What he found were the first fragments of what may be one of the greatest discoveries in the history of archeology: ancient manuscripts written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that we know as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
You can see portions of 15 of these famous papyrus and parchment scrolls, including five that have never been on display before, at “The Dead Sea Scrolls,” an exhibition organized by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Field Museum that opens Friday at the museum. The only other time the scrolls have been on display in Chicago was in 1949, when the Oriental Institute showcased three fragments.
Estimated to have been written about 2,000 years ago or more, the scrolls comprise a variety of religious documents — both copies and original writings –including what most scholars believe are the oldest copies in existence of many books of what later became known as the Hebrew Bibleor the Old Testament. Among the Old Testament sections on display for the first time is a portion of the Book of Deuteronomy, which includes the 10 Commandments.
“No matter your religious affiliation, these scrolls have universal interest,” says Ariel Orlov, senior coordinator for temporary exhibitions at the museum. “Many people are generally familiar, for instance, with the Old Testament — it’s part of our common cultural reference. Additionally, many people are drawn to the scrolls due to their archeological and historical value.”
Other sacred writings included in the scrolls are some from the Second Temple period, 450 B.C.E. (Before the Common Era, used by the museum instead of B.C.) through 70 C.E. (the Common Era, used instead of A.D.) that are not canonical parts of the Jewish or (most) Protestant Scriptures. However, these writings are part of the scriptural canon of the Roman Catholic Church and some other churches. Plus, the scrolls also contain sectarian records that dictated, among other things, laws by which the people associated with the scrolls lived by.
“There are remarkable firsthand accounts of the people of that time, including the rules you had to follow to live in their community,” says Orlov. “Many scholars believe that the scrolls were written by a sect of people, known as the Essenes, who had distanced themselves from what was, at the time, mainstream Judaism. The scrolls give you a picture of what people were rebelling against and how they wanted to live in their own society.”
Since the original discovery of the scrolls in 1947, eight nearly complete scrolls and approximately 100,000 fragments have been found in 11 desert caves in the Qumran region. But until 1991, only a small group of scholars were permitted to piece together the fragments — which represent as many as 800 separate documents — and work on translating them.
In the exhibit’s conservation lab, visitors can see how conservators from the Israel Antiquities Authority currently restore scroll fragments. Some of today’s conservation efforts are devoted to undoing the well-meaning but damaging work of original scholars.
The exhibit also includes nearly 80 artifacts from both the cliff caves in which the scrolls were found and the Qumran settlement area below. The collection ranges from items used in daily life, such as cooking pots, combs, coins and sandals, to artifacts that are believed to be specific to the scrolls themselves, including a 2-foot-tall oval pottery jar that was used to store scrolls. Vessels that look like this have not been found anywhere else in Israel.
Much mystery still surrounds the scrolls, including what they may be able to tell us about the origins of some of the world’s religions.
“Some of the scrolls were written at a time of Judaism when Rabbinic Judaism emerged — which is pretty much how we know the religion today — and some were written just before early Christianity,” says Orlov. “The Israel Antiquities Authority purposely chose some of the scrolls to display in the exhibit to show possible links between the two religions. In fact, several scrolls are often interpreted as having language and ideas that appear in the New Testament.”
What is clear about the scrolls is that much of their content has endured, more than 2,000 years after they were written.
“The scrolls are a written example of some of the same ideas that are still important to us today,” says Orlov. “They show continuity and connect us to ancient times.”
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“The Dead Sea Scrolls,” Friday-June 11, The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Sunday. Adults $3; children ages 3-11, seniors, students with ID, teachers, military personnel, $2; plus general museum admission of adults $8; children ages 3-11, seniors, students with ID, teachers, military personnel, $4. Group sales: 888-343-5385; general information: 312-922-9410.
