The two ritual baths which were discovered at Masada were constructed in accordance with later rabbinic law. However, for the purposes of this research, the focus is not on that segment of the story, but rather on the scrolls and the mikvaot (ritual baths) and synagogue which were excavated at Masada. The historicity of Josephus’ account is debated by scholars. In 73 CE, after a protracted siege, Masada fell to the Romans, thus ending the Great Revolt.Īccording to Josephus, the rebels committed mass suicide to avoid capture by the Romans. At some point it served as a Roman garrison, and was captured by the rebels in 66 CE. ![]() Masada, located south of Ein Gedi and facing the Dead Sea, was built as a fortress by either Jonathan, brother of Judah the Maccabee (152–143 BCE), or Alexander Janneus (103–76 BCE). It is possible that some priests fled Jerusalem during the war and brought the Copper Scroll with them to Qumran sometime before its destruction in 68 CE. This scroll is clearly connected to the Jerusalem Temple, and therefore could not have been composed by the sectarians who had separated themselves from the Temple and its rituals. Some of the items are linked to the system of tithes and offerings in the Temple. Although the amounts are large, they are not inconceivable. Some scholars have argued that the enormous amounts of gold and silver mentioned are unrealistic, and therefore the scroll is a fabrication. Despite many attempts to find these treasures, none of them have been recovered. Someone outside the community must have listed treasures that he had buried or intended to bury as the war approached. Scholars have concluded that this scroll was not written at Qumran, based on the Hebrew dialect in which it was composed, which is closer to Mishnaic Hebrew than sectarian Hebrew. Each one is listed with an amount and a location. According to the text, there are sixty-four buried items. The Copper Scroll was engraved on copper sheets and contains a list of buried treasures hidden in the Judean desert at various locations. ![]() Rather, the manuscripts remained hidden from the Romans and only the ravages of time and nature nearly destroyed them. Contrary to early claims, it is now known that the Romans did not damage the Cave 4 scrolls. As the war neared Qumran, the sectarians hid other manuscripts in caves around the area. Throughout the period of occupation at Qumran, manuscripts had been stored in Cave 4 for regular use. Whether the inhabitants were killed or captured is unknown, but, in any case, with the great destruction of the land and the people, all sectarian groups faded from view. Archaeological remains show that Qumran was burnt to the ground. In 68 CE, Qumran fell to the Romans and the sect ceased to exist. Even if the Qumran sect is not identical to the Essenes, it is probable that the sectarians would have joined the rebellion as well, given their messianic expectations. When the Roman revolt began in 66 CE, Josephus reports that the Essenes joined in the revolt. Instead, the Romans easily conquered the divided Hasmonean state in 63 BCE. ![]() The Dead Sea sect had expected the Roman invasion of the Land of Israel to lead to the great eschatological battle which would usher in the messianic period. This defeat led to the end of sectarianism and the emergence of Pharisaic-rabbinic Judaism. It also led the Jewish people into an unsuccessful revolt against Rome. The sectarianism of the Second Temple period involved itself primarily with thoughtful debate on the correct interpretation of the Torah and the shape of Jewish life and law.
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