Qumran scrolls

In the spring of 1947, an unusual find was made in the area of the Dead Sea, near the hill of Khirbet-Qumran. Two Bedouin boys found three leather scrolls wrapped in old linen cloth. The inner side of the Qumran scrolls was covered with letters. So the first mysterious Qumran scrolls of Old Testament texts were born, which two years later was destined to become a real world sensation. There was no doubt about the authenticity of the manuscripts. The Qumran scrolls were written about a hundred years before our era.

So the first mysterious Qumran scrolls of Old Testament texts were born, which two years later was destined to become a real world sensation

To shed light on the secrets of the scrolls could primarily the Qumran scrolls themselves. To study the collected material, a special research group was created, which included specialists from different countries. The state of the documents in their hands was horrendous: obviously, in ancient times there was a tradition not to destroy old, worn out manuscripts of sacred texts, but to hide them in secluded places. And for the past two thousand years, they still thoroughly "worked" time. And now, before the scientists lay worn, partially broken, half-corroded, eaten by insects and rodents leather kumran scrolls. Before reading, they needed to be strengthened and restored.

Meanwhile, when the scientists were still deciphering the Qumran scrolls, two "independent" researchers, a Frenchman and an Englishman, hastened to publish their own "sensational discovery": they said that the results of the study of the Qumran scrolls "represent a radical revolution in the history of Christianity". As if the Qumran scrolls say that a "teacher of righteousness" was crucified on the cross, his body was then removed and buried, and the apostles awaited the resurrection and return to the earth of their "teacher, that is, the image, or rather the prototype, of Jesus Christ supposedly already Existed".

"The handwritten Qumran scrolls of the Dead Sea - the greatest challenge to Christian teaching since the advent of Darwinism!" - the authors of the hypothesis stated pompously. This unsubstantiated assertion, despite the heated protests and refutations of the largest scientists, was immediately picked up and replicated by the world press.

The Qumran scrolls contain absolutely nothing that could question the basic dogmas of Christianity. The authors of the Qumran scrolls were deeply devoted to traditional Judaism. Some parallels with Christianity, however, are present, but they are explained by the common roots of both teachings, originating in the Old Testament.

The open Qumran scrolls, of course, are interesting not with the nonsense that "anti-religious" propagandists have built around them. First of all, the Qumran scrolls are valuable because they enriched with priceless information not only the general history and history of religion but also linguistics (along with the basic Hebrew dialects, seven other languages are represented in them), paleography - the science of ancient manuscripts, the history of literature, The history of law (some of the Qumran scrolls are contracts for buying and selling). This circumstance also ensured that the Qumran scrolls gained world renown, far beyond purely scientific interest. Today, it is known that the bulk of the Qumran finds are mainly Biblical texts and apocrypha, ie, anonymous works of religious content that are not considered inspirational and therefore not included in the Bible. Created in the 3 - 1 centuries BC, the Qumran scrolls are the most valuable documents of the era.

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