[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Fwd: Qumran Texts Found!! (fwd)
The following appeared in ha'aretz 9 Feb. 96 by Merav Nesher (the
newspaper's archaeology correspondent)
Two hebrew ostraca from the 2nd temple period- 1st cen CE- were
discovered yesterday in the Qumran national park. in one of them the
words "lo 'ammi" appear, among others. The ostraca were unerathed by an
archeological expedition headed by Prof. James Strange, U of S. Florida
and Dr. Gary Kolat. This is the first time in thirty years that ostraca
were found at Qumran.
The ostraca were found by chance. in the last days, the epedition was
engaged in excavating a large cistern near H. Qumran, using heavy
equipment (bulldozers-VAH) The excavators hoped to uncover a small cave,
but found nothing. yesterday, with the completion of the dig and
clearing the site, the two ostraca were discovered near on of the walls
of the ruin which was, in the estimation of the ecavators, the community
center of the Qumran sect (Like todays JCC-s? VAH).
The size of one ostracon was 5x8 cm. and on it were fourteen lines of
hebrew writing. The second measure 2x3 and had three lines of effaced
writing. Also discovered were fragments of various pottery vessels-
cooking vessels from the first century CE, as small jug apparently from
the Hasmonean period (2nd century BCE) and a vessel from the Persian period.
Prof. Strange, who also is digging in Sephoris, estimates that by
computer scanning the photographs of the Hebrew inscriptions it will be
possible to dicipher the inscriptions. in his opoinos, the ostraca came
from a large container. "Te discovery is likely to add important
knowledge about the Qumran sect, and especially about the daily lives of
the sectarians. In my estimation, the inscriptions are a list or a short
letter" he said.
Exxcuse any inelegancies in the translation-
Victor Avigdor Hurowitz
Dept of Bible and ANE
Ben Gurion University
Beer Sheva, ISRAEL