Trips around the Dead Sea and Judean Desert

Qumran

Qumran is an archeological site overlooking the northwestern part of the Dead Sea and it is famous mainly for the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. According to researchers, the Dead Sea Scrolls were written by the desert sect that lived there around the 2^nd century B.C. The scrolls are considered among the most important findings of the 20^th century. The site was discovered by chance, when a Bedouin shepherd found the treasure.

The scrolls are actually bits of hundreds of books from the period of the Second Temple, leading many researchers to conclude that they were written by the desert dwelling Essenes, who believed that the fate of a man is predestined. The Essene calendar is a solar-based calendar, they led an ascetic and communal lifestyle, placing an emphasis on purity, as derived of the many ritual bathhouses (Mikveh) in the area.

When visiting at the site, you can see remnants of the ancient village of Qumran, learn more about the Dead Sea Scrolls and experience the lives of the desert sect through a film and additional displays. Among the structures preserved on site is the central dining hall, many ritual bathhouses, congregation rooms and other structures that relate to the communal lifestyle led by the members of the sect.