In 1947, a shepherd boy wandered into a cave hidden in limestone cliffs beside the Dead Sea, in an area called Qumran. There, he found ten two foot-high clay jars. All but two were empty. Of these two, one held dirt; the other held three ancient scrolls.
Archaeologists descended on the site of the ancient community of Qumran, and within ten years ten additional caves were discovered. The caves yielded the remains of more than 800 manuscripts from before and during the time of Christ. These were called the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Some were scroll fragments, some lengthy texts. These scrolls would change the history of Christianity and provoke fascinating controversies. This book details the dramatic discoveries of the scrolls, explains what the manuscripts contain, and casts a clear light on the religious debates they sparked.
I mentioned this book back in 2014 (HERE), but I'm only now getting around to reading it. If you'd like to learn a bit about the Dead Sea Scrolls, read "The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls" (HERE). It's a background summary on the scrolls from noted scholar Hershel Shanks.
1. I spent most of yesterday in my easy chair, reading. When I looked at the app that counts my steps, I laughed because it showed that as of 6:22 pm I had taken 622 steps. So I got up out of that chair and went for a walk.
3. Read about ten amazing coincidences (HERE).
Deb at Readerbuzz hosts the Sunday Salon
Some pretty amazing coincidences!
ReplyDeleteI love days spent in a comfy chair reading -- and good on you to get up for a walk later!
ReplyDeleteThe Scrolls seem quite fascinating. How they were found & pieced together. Thx for the link on the summary about them. They seem to illuminate the early days of Judaism ... Your area looks pretty where you walked ... lush and green.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit when it came to Denver. I never got to it, but I think the scrolls are fascinating.
ReplyDeleteCoincidences tend to come in three’s I find.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a happy reading week
The Dead Sea Scrolls is a fun and mysterious topic for a book. I can see that this would be a fascinating read.
ReplyDeleteI'm finding it difficult to walk (and even move!) during this cold weather. Good for you in going out for a walk!
That is definitely a cool coincidence about you speaking with a person with your grandfather's last name.
ReplyDeleteSpending time in your comfy chair reading sounds amazing. Good for you to get up and go on a walk, though. I would've talked myself out of the walk, lol.
Coincidences...A couple years ago I went into the post office in a small town in rural Arkansas to mail something to my friend in a small town in Germany. The lady at the post office was married to a man with the same last name as my friend in Germany.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I didn't say I went OUT for a walk. I live in an apartment building that's connected to a second building with our Café. I can go for a walk and never set foot out in the cold of winter or the heat of summer. I usually walk a mile or two, back and forth, according to that app counting my steps.
ReplyDeleteJenni, my grandfather's last name (family name) was her husband's middle name, and they both had the same first name. He may be a distant cousin I never knew about.
I like the idea of sitting and reading in an easy chair!
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