File image: Volunteers with the Israeli Antique Authority work inside the Cave of the Skulls, an excavation website in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea, Israel June 1,2016 (REUTERS/RonenZvulun)
One of the last 2 parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls has actually lastly been equated, thanks to scientists at the University of Haifa.
Dr Eshbal Ratson andProf Jonathan Ben-Dov of the Department of Bible Studies have actually handled to assemble 60 small fragments over more than a year, providing fresh insight into a celebration that marked the altering of the seasons.
First found in a collapse Qumran in 1947, there are 900 scrolls making up the Dead Sea Scrolls; together, the collection is thought about to be the earliest copy of the Bible in understood presence, believed to have actually been developed around the Fourth century B.C. The bulk of the scrolls were found over a duration from 1947 to 1956 and have actually long considering that been brought back and released.
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(The piece deciphered by Dr Eshbal Ratson and Prof Jonathan Ben-Dov of HaifaUniversity (Credit: UNIVERSITY OF HAIFA))
Also consisted of in the recently found piece belongs that handles the 364- day calendar, commemorated by the ancient Judean Desert sect. It’s uncertain who developed the Dead Sea Scrolls, however some scientists have actually recommended a group referred to as the Essenes are accountable. The Essenes existed from the Second century B.C. to the First century A.D.
The celebrations that were utilized to commemorate the altering of seasons consist of the celebration of New Wheat, New Wine and New Oil, associated to the Jewish celebration ofShavuot According to the calendar, the wheat celebration occurred 50 days after the Shabbat that followedPassover Fifty days later on, the wine harvest celebration came and 50 days after that was the oil harvest celebration.
The scroll likewise stated there was a big day for the altering of the seasons, referred to as Tekufah, which in Hebrew equates to “period.” “This term is familiar from the later Rabbinical literature and from mosaics dating to the Talmudic period, and we could have assumed that it would also be used with this meaning in the scrolls, but this is the first time it has been revealed,”Dr Ratson andProf Ben-Dov described in a news release.
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“The lunar calendar, which Judaism follows to this day, needs a a great deal of human choices,” the researchers added. “People should take a look at the stars and moon and report on their observations, and somebody needs to be empowered to pick the brand-new month and the application of leap years. By contrast, the 364- day calendar was best. Because this number can be divided into 4 and 7, unique celebrations constantly fall on the very same day.”
Interestingly enough,Dr Ratson andProf Ben-Dov had the ability to understand the code from annotations made in the margins, by fixing omissions from the initial author.
“What’s good is that these remarks were tips that assisted me find out the puzzle – they revealed me the best ways to put together the scroll,”Dr Ratzon stated in an interview withHaaretz
FollowChris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia
