Printing and Modern Bibles — Manuscript Discoveries
The Dead Sea Scrolls
AD 1947-1956
Scrolls discovered near the Dead Sea included manuscripts of every Old Testament book except Esther, many about a thousand years older than the principal medieval Hebrew codices.
Full Account
The Qumran caves preserved biblical manuscripts, community writings, and other Jewish texts from the last centuries BC and first century AD. Biblical copies sometimes agree closely with the later Masoretic Text and sometimes reflect readings known from the Septuagint or other traditions. Their variations illuminate transmission before the medieval standard text.
Historical Significance
The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm substantial continuity in the Hebrew Bible while providing important evidence for evaluating individual textual variants.
People, Places and Sources
- Key people: Bedouin discoverers; Eleazar Sukenik; Roland de Vaux; scroll editors
- Key places: Qumran; Jerusalem; Judean Desert
- Languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek
- Scripture: Isaiah 40:8