Second Temple Jewish Scriptures — Manuscripts and Textual Traditions
The Great Isaiah Scroll
c. 125 BC
The Great Isaiah Scroll preserves all sixty-six chapters of Isaiah in a manuscript copied more than a century before Christ.
Full Account
The scroll known as 1QIsa-a was discovered in the first Qumran cave. Its fifty-four columns preserve the complete book of Isaiah and make it one of the most important biblical manuscripts ever found.
It contains numerous spelling and wording differences from the medieval Masoretic manuscripts, yet the book is recognizably the same Isaiah. Many variants are minor, and comparison helps scholars evaluate the history of copying without overturning the message of the text.
Historical Significance
The Great Isaiah Scroll is a vivid witness to both the antiquity and substantial preservation of a major prophetic book.
People, Places and Sources
- Key people: Isaiah; an unknown Jewish scribe
- Key places: Qumran; Judean Desert
- Languages: Hebrew
- Scripture:
Isaiah 1
Isaiah 53