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QumranQumran is a region on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea in modern day Israel. In 1947 a large number of scrolls were found in caves in the cliffs of the region. These scrolls are known to us today as the Dead Sea Scrolls. This collection of scrolls contained a wealth of manuscripts of many canonical and non-canonical writings. There were also many manuscripts concerning the workings and rules of the community at Qumran found in the caves. Most schoalrs believe that the community at Qumran was an apocalyptic Jewish sect who withdrew to the wilderness to await a day when they would join forces with the armies of God and fight the force of evil (PerelmuterSRJEC1989: 17). Many apocalyptic texts were found among the manuscripts, including multiple copies of the book of Daniel, the book of Enoch, and the War Scroll, a writing which describes a series of battles in the final war between the Children of Light (those on the side of God and the community at Qumran) and the Children of Darkness (those on the side of Satan and Belial) (RinggrenFQ1963: 25-8). Many, though not all, scholars tend to associate the community at Qumran with the Jewish political party the Essenes due to similar characteristics in theology and religious practice which were known to be practiced by both the Essenes and the community at Qumran, as well as the mention of the geographic region which the Essenes inhabited by the Jewish author Josephus (ZifferBCMJ2006:28-30). Contributors |