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Re: orion The Diverse Cemetery of Qumran - afterthought
> Why the diversity in the cemetery of Qumran?
> The Temple Scroll states that every cemetery was to contain the dead
> from four settlements.
> "For you shall set apart places within your land (in) which you shall
> bury your dead; between four cities you shall allot a place to bury
> them." 1QTa XLVIII 12-14
>
> The Qumran cemetery (as all others) by law (if the Temple Scroll should
> be taken seriously) needed to include the deceased from three other
> settlements. Some were likely a longer distance away than others.
"Are there any other references to this four-settlement rule outside
the TS?" - Dave Washburn
No, not that I know of. But look at Yadin's discussion of its basis
being derived from the rules for Levitical cities and cities of refuge
found in the book of Leviticus. cf. Temple Scroll vol I p 322f.
Stephen Pfann