Qumran is located on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea just about a kilometer away from Kibbutz Kalia. It is worldwide known for the findings of the ancient Dead Sea scrolls back in 1947. The good condition of the scrolls after more than two thousand years was mostly due to the dry climate of the Dead Sea and the Judean desert, which helped to preserve the parchments and their ink writings to a great extent.

It is commonly said that shepherd boys were the first to find the scrolls hidden deep inside the caves, when they followed their grazing sheep up the rocks of the rugged hills, which characterize the site of Qumran. The rumor about the scrolls spread quickly in Jerusalem, and Bishop Gregorius from the Orthodox Church was the first one to follow their trail and he finally purchased them from the Nomads. He took them with him to the US, where they were carbon dated. It was proclaimed that they were around two thousand years old, making them the oldest bible writings ever found.

Altogether, more than 900 scrolls were discovered in a series of more than eleven caves with an orderly shelf system during extensive excavation at the site. This led many scholars to suggest that the caves were meant to be a permanent and hidden library during the times of uprising against the Romans.

Yet the caves were not the only discovery; an entire settlement was excavated at Qumran, which is commonly referred to as the home of the Essenes. The archaeologists found the remains of kitchens, religious baths, storehouses, cemeteries and an assembly hall, water cisterns and plenty of pottery, coins and glass artifacts.

The first archaeologist to excavate at Qumran was Father Roland de Vaux, who concluded that the site had been established for religious purposes by the Essenes, who flourished between the second century BC and the first century AD. The script room excavated at the settlement suggests that the Essenes were the true authors of the scrolls. This religious community, with just about 200 members, spent a lot of their time praying and studying, and refraining largely from trivial worldly matters. They were a highly spiritual and ritualistic community, and the Dead Sea scrolls reflect much of their religious thinking, manners and way of life.

Much research has been conducted all over the world in regard to the Qumran-Essenes theory. Some scholars claim that the scrolls and the settlement are not related, and that the Essenes were not the authors of the scripts. It is rather believed that scholars from Jerusalem brought the scrolls to the caves for protection during times of turmoil in Jerusalem.

Other theories support the idea that the site was a manor of wealthy people from Jerusalem, which eventually became a flourishing trading station in the first century AD. This theory is supported by the pottery findings which put the settlement outside the Essenes-Qumran context.

Qumran is unquestionably one of the most interesting locations for Filming in Israel. More books have been written about this site than on any other single discovery. Located just twelve kilometers south of Jericho and just about an hour drive from Jerusalem, this location has plenty to offer for historical, archaeological and biblical documentaries. Biblical Productions will assist you in any way possible to get the detailed footage and archaeological experts’ opinions you need.