Norwegian researchers are trying to reveal more secrets using the discovered Dead Sea scrolls. The place Qumran became the most famous archaeological sites on the planet because of many political and social events took places over there. The most mysterious people — Essenes — are an extremely interesting topic for the archaeologists.
The research of ancient culture led by Torleif Elgvin, professor of Biblical and Jewish Studies at NLA University College in Oslo. According to him, as the Roman campaign raged in Judea, many religious texts were hidden or intentionally forgotten in desert caves by the Dead Sea. Qumran cave, which situated close to the border between Jordan and the West Bank, has revealed some scrolls in 1947. Later, in 1956, the scientists unearthed the hundreds of well-protected texts, which were sealed in clay jars.
The Norwegian Schøyen Collection has different fragments, it’s a private library that keeps a lot of manuscripts and religious texts from the dusty past when the Essenes were real power.
Who were the Essenes?
The people who lived out in the Qumran caves called the Essenes, which means ‘those who accepts an Essene religious law’. Often Essene calls halakhah, it is a Judaism’s part — very strict and religious, explains professor Elgvin.
“Their extremely puritanical approach in religion has no limits, whole life was focused on ritual purity.”
The water was really important to Essenes because they wash before meals and religious procedures. They had not only the ritual immersion pools (the water in them wasn’t change in them on regular basis indeed) but a dam, which was built to provide enough water for the Qumran area.
To avoid the problem of toxic bacterial contamination of the soil, the Essenes created their own toxic waste space. Scientists say that Essenes may have been influential and wealthy people in comparison with the other groups of Jews.
