NearEastArchaeologicalSociety,69thMeetingoftheEvangelicalTheologicalSociety,Providence,RINovember16,2017

TheDiscoveryofaNewDeadSeaScrollCaveatQumran

Dr.RandallPriceDr.OrenGutfeldLibertyUniversityTheHebrewUniversityofJerusalemDuringthemonthofJanuary2017,excavationwasconductedinacavesouthofQumranbyDr.OrenGutfeld(TheHebrewUniversityofJerusalem)andDr.RandallPrice(LibertyUniversity).TheexcavationdeterminedfromthediscoveryofscrolljarsandtextileremainsthatCave53wasascrollcavethatrenewedthepossibilityoffurtherdiscoveryofscrollremainsinothercavesbasedonthoroughexcavationandsifting.HistoryoftheSiteThecavewasfirstidentifiedin1993duringthetwo-monthprojectknownas“CavesintheNorthernJudaeanDesert"(OperationScroll,organizedandcarriedoutbytheIsraelAntiquitiesAuthorityunderthelateAmirDroriandbytheUnitoftheStaffOfficerofArchaeologyoftheCivilAdministrationinJudeaandSamariaunderDr.YitzhakMagenandassistedbyHananiaHizmi.InthisreportitislistedinregionXIIunderthenumber53.DuringtheOperationScrollsurvey,YigaelYisraeliandAmirGanorconductedanexploratoryexcavationofthefrontareaofthecaveontherightandleft.Fourstratawererevealed:Stratum1(EarlyIslamicperiod),Stratum2(EarlyRomanperiod),Stratum3(PotteryNeolithicperiod),andStratum4(Pre-PotteryNeolithicperiod).FindsincludedNeolithicpotteryandByblosarrowheadsandRoman-erasherdsofacookingpot,bowl,andjars.1In2010Dr.Price,thendirectorofexcavationsontheQumranPlateau,andYacovKalman,FieldSupervisor,Herodium,re-surveyedthecaveandbasedonthepresenceofSecondTempleperiodremains(includingawovenmat)arguedforacompleteexcavationofthesite.In2016Dr.GutfeldreceivedapermitforexcavationandwithDr.Priceco-directedthenewexcavationwithassistancebyMr.AhiadOvadia(TheHebrewUniversityofJerusalem),anexpertinNeolithicperiodremains.DescriptionoftheCaveCave53isafaultcavelocatedinthelimestonecliffsoftheRiftValley.Itsopeninginthelowercave(mainchamber)facesnorthwithafullviewoftheQumranPlateau,situatedafewhundredmetersdistant.Itsentrance,whichspanstheentirewidthofthecavity,hasalowceilingandathinwallsupportedbytwoman-madepillars( דיםועמ ).Workedsectionsarefoundoneachsideofthelowercaveinteriorwiththeremainsofwhatwasidentifiedinthe1993surveyasanenclosurewall.Therewaspartialroofcollapseofpartsofthelowercaveceiling

1‘Atiqot41,Part1(2002),208-11(Hebrew);Part2,185(Englishsummary)

withseveralbouldersatthefrontofthecourtyardofthecaveandattherearoftheentrancearea.Theentireentranceareawasfilledtoadepthofapproximately1.5mwithsoilandrockchipsfallenfromtheceiling.Thesidesofthecavehadseverallargerockspositionedagainstwallsandcoveredbydebris.Atthebackofthelowercaveisa12mtunnelthatfollowsanelongatedplan.Initialobservationofthetunnelwasthattheceilingwasblackenedfromtheuseoffireanditwasfilledwithanundisturbedlayerofrockchipsbrokenfromtheceilingtoadepthof.5mcoveringsomelargerfallenstonesandsoildeposits.

ExteriorofCave53located.5kmsouthofQumranInteriorofCave53showingoneofthesupportingpillarsExcavationoftheLowerCave(MainChamber)

Thelowercavehadanaccumulationofcollapsedstonesandrockchipsfallenfromtheceilingduetoearthquakeactivitywithsoildepositedbetweenlayers.Excavationbeganwithathoroughsiftingofthe1993dumpsiteinfrontofthecave(fromtheexploratorytrenchexcavation.Inthisdebriswerefoundbones,charcoal,workedflint,organicmatter,severalRomanperiodstorejarsherdsandaNeolithicobsidianblade(importedfromAnatolia).Excavationofthetopsoilwithinthecavefront(betweenthepillars)producedbonesandseveralpotterysherds.Continuedexcavationinaburntlayerrevealedtheremainsofatabunwithsignificantamountsofcharcoal,plantmaterialandpiecesoffabricandtextile.Here,too,wereseverallayersofwovenmats,probablyusedastemporarysleepingmats.Becausethematswerefoundinlayers(differentstrata),itwasconjecturedthatthematsrepresentuseovertime.Charcoaldepositsbetweenthematsmayimplythattheyburnedoldmatstopreventtickorliceinfestation.

LowercavebeforeexcavationMatsfromlowercavemadeofpalmfrons

Intheloweststratum(Stratum4)wasfoundpre-potteryNeolithicandWadiRabbawarepotterysherds,includingpartsofaholemouthjarandChalcolithicorearlyBronzecarnelianstampsealwithanincisedtriangulardesign.Onthenortheastsideanearth-fillundertheburnt-layerwasafireplacewithsmallstonesaboveit(likeastoneovenpit)andflinttools,includingalargeflintblade,likelyCanaanite.BelowthiswasfoundWadiRabbapaintedbodysherds.ThelayerunderthefireplaceyieldedthreeintactNeolithicflintarrowheadsofdifferentsizes.Atthecavewallontheeastsidewasfounda.5cmByblosarrowhead(Neolithic).Someofthiswallhadbeenexcavatedin1993.However,thisexcavationleftmuchoftheareaundisturbed,includingthreelargestonesbetweenthiswallandthatonthenorthwestside.ExcavationinthefilltotheeastofthecavewallrevealedaflintarrowheadandsomeWadiRabbapottery.Inthefillwestofthecavewallwasfoundastonepavementabuttingthiswallandtheothercavewalls(butnotextendingintothenorthernchamber).

Canaaniteblade,NeolithicarrowheadsEarlyBronzestampsealWadiRabbapotteryAcut-nichewasdiscoveredonthesouthernpartofthelowercaveafterthetheremovalofoneofthelargestonessetagainstthewall.Onthisniche(orshelf)weretheremainsofalargejarandwithinthejarwasarolled-upfragmentofparchment(papyrus?).Itcontainednovisiblewritingaftercleaning,butawaitsmulti-spectralimagingtodeterminethereisanytraceofatext.Itappearsthelargestonewasplacedagainstthiswalltoconcealthenichewiththejar(similartothatfortheCopperScrollinCave3).Tothefarrightofthisjarwasanothernichecontainingjarremainsaswelltotherightofthisdepositadditionalpotteryfragmentsretrievedfromawallcavitybehindlargefallenstones.Additionalpotterywasfoundonasmallshelfcutinthewallonthesouthwestsideclosetotheentrancetothetunnel.Excavationatthebackofthelowercaveonthewestsideleadingtotheentrancetothetunnelyieldedorganicmaterialandsometextilebetweenthestones.Inthecentralpartofthecave,thelayerdowntobedrockyieldedonpiecesofflint.Theremovalofsoilbetweenthestonesonthenorthwestsideandnortheastsideuncoveredsomeflintandpottery.

ScrolljarinsituonnicheScrollfragmentfrominsidejarNicheafterjarfragmentsremoved

ExcavationoftheUpperCave(Tunnel)Initiallyonlyonesmallgirl(ChristyConnell)wasabletocrawloverthelargestonesblocking15mpassagetotherearofthecave.Thecleaningofthesurfaceyieldedbones,organicmaterial,andsomepotteryandprobingtheedgesofthewallsofthecaveattherearofthetunneluncoveredalargebodyportionofastorejar.ExcavationinthetunnelrevealedamixofearlyRomanandChalcolithicpotteryandaworkedstoneincisedwithlines(perhapsforaccountingpurposes).Continuingintheearthfillbelowthesurfaceofmixedrock,soilandsomepotteryrevealedmorepotterysherds.Thecompactlayerbeneaththisincludedbones,butalsopiecesofparchmentorleatherandfragmentsofabasket,braidedropesandtextile(linenwrappings).

IncisedChalcolithicstoneParchmentLinenwrapping,fabric,wovenropeBelowthisrockdebrisinthecavewallofthetunnelwasarock-cutnichewiththeremainsofstorejars.ThesewereinasealedcontextindicatingtheyhadnotbeendisturbedfromSecondTempletimes.Fromthebackofthetunnelcamealargeaccumulationofolivepits,somedatepits,anacorn,andapartialnutshell.Theseimporteditemsevidenceahumanpresenceinthetunnelatsomeperiod,perhapsduringthecuttingofthenichesforthedepositionofthescrolls.

RandallPriceexcavatingtunnelnicheJarfragmentsfromwallnichesHere,too,wasfoundtwoirontools(twotypesofpicks).ThefirstimpressionwasthattheywereBedouinrobber’stoolsfromthe1950’s,however,Inthesoilbetweenstonestheareawherepickswerefoundabraidedpieceofropewasdiscoveredinthesifting.ThismayaidinthepreliminarydatingbysomeexpertsofthesetoolstotheSecondTempleperiod.Ifthis

datingiscorrect,theintentionalplacementofthesetoolsinanaturalnichemayindicatetheywerebeingstoredforlateruseinexpandingthenichesforadditionalscrolldeposits.

FindingofirontoolsinbackoftunnelSecondTempleperiodIronpicksThePotteryfromCave53ThepotteryhasonlybeenpartiallyexaminedbyYehudaRapuano(IAA).ThisinitialexaminationsuggestedadateintheQumranPeriodIBbasedonthelackofridging(orribbing)andlongerjarhandles,atraitoflateHellenisticperiod(2nd-1stBCE).Also,theincurvingrimbowlislikethatincludedbydeVauxinhisPeriodIBassemblage.Thejarshavenotbeencleanedsothatresidueattachedtosomepiecescanbetestedandsamplescanbetakenforpetrography.Forthisreason,weareunabletostateatthistimehowmanystorejarsandwhattypeofstorejarswerepresentinthecave.However,oneobservationmaybemade.ItmighthavebeenexpectedthatthesejarswouldbelaterindateiftheywerestoredtowardtheendoftheQumransettlement(68CE).However,theearlydateofthejarsattheinitialtimeofscrollproduction,maysuggestthatthejarswereputinplaceinthiscaveandleftthereasstoragereceptacles.Inthisway,onetheburdenoftransportingthejarstothecavesitewasdone,thecontentsofthejarscouldbeeasilyremovedandreturnedwithoutfurthereffortinjartransport.Itmaybeforthisreasonthattheusestickthatwasfoundcouldbeinterpretedasadeviceforscrollremoval(seebelow).

StorejarsinuppercavenichesStorejarsherdsinbasketforregistration

TheTextilesfromCave53Thesiftingofsoilanddebrisfromtheexcavationofthenichesandthatsurroundingthepotteryfragmentsproducedseveralsamplesoflinentextilesandpiecesofbraidedropeandwoventiesthatareknowntohavebeassociatedwiththestorageofscrollmaterial.MireilleBélishasreportedfromapersonalcommunicationfromNaamaSukenikandOritShamirthatthelinenusedforthesewrappingscamefromfinequalitygarmentsthatweresometimesbleached.2Ourexcavationrevealedinthesiftingapieceofwhitewovenfabric,suchasthatdescribedfortheinhabitantsofQumran,butmostofthesamplesweobtainedwereofthisfinequalitylinen.Bélisalsoobservesthat“themerepresenceoftextiles,togetherwithjarsandmanuscripts,bearsdefactowitnesstoa‘slow-hidingsenario’ofthescrolls,aprocessthattookplaceoveranextendedperiodoftimeandwascompletedindifferentphases.”3

LinentextileusedtowrapscrollsWovenfabricperhapsusedforpackingscrolljarsTheScrollJarsofCave53Thefragmentsofpotteryvesselswerefoundtogetherinsituwithinrock-cutnichesinthesidesoftheconglomeratewallsofthetunnelandinniches(orshelves)cutintothewallsandwithincrevicesbehindlargefallenstonesinthelowercave.Becausethesenicheswerecompletelyburiedbeneaththeaccumulationofrockchipsfallenfromtheceilingofthetunnelorconcealedbehindplacedstonesinthelowercave,itappearsthattheserepresentrestorablejars.Thedatingofthepotteryhasbeengivenassecond-centuryBCE-first-centuryBCE,thetimeofscrollproduction,theQumran1Bperiod(103-31BCE).Theplacementofstonestoconcealthenicheswasalsoobservedinoneoftheonlyotherarchaeologicalexcavationsofan

2MireilleBélis,“TheUnpublishedTextilesfromtheQumranCaves”inTheCavesofQumran:ProceedingsoftheInternationalConference,Lugano2014,ed.MarcelloFidanzio(Leiden:Brill,2017),134.3Ibid,136.

undisturbedcave,Cave3Q,whereonMarch20,1952theCopperScroll(3Q15)wasfoundona“naturalshelf”inthebackofasmallsidecavethathadbeenblockedbyaboulder.4

ExcavationofnichesinuppercaveExcavationofnichesinlowercaveInoneofthenichescontainingpottery,astick(approximately46cm)wasfoundembeddedinthejarfragments.AccordingtoBélis,awoodenstickwasfoundinthecontentsofJarGQ39-2intheAmmanMuseum.5Theothercontentsofthejarwerelinencloths,palmfibers,elementsofapieceofstring,leatherandapossiblepieceofpapyrus.Alloftheseitemswerealsofoundinsiftingthedebrisassociationwiththebrokenjarsrecoveredfromtheniches.Itisconjecturedthatthestickmayhavebeenusedtopackthejars.WhatHappenedtotheScrolls?Ourinitialtheory,gainedfromtheexperienceoflongtimeandfrequentactivityinthecavesbythelocalBedouinwastosuspectthattheyhadenteredthecaveandtakenthescrollsfromthejars.Thediscoveryofirontoolshiddeninacreviceattherearofthecavetunnelwerethoughttobeevidenceofrecentlooting.MarcelloFidanzio,whovisitedthesiteduringexcavation,publishedhistheory,basedonthe‘AtiqotreportofCave53ofearlyIslamicfinds,thatithadbeenrobbedduringtheearlyIslamicperiod.6However,thedebrisfillingthetunnelwouldhaveconcealedthenichescontainingthejarsfromlatervisitorstothecave.Asthisdebrisappearedundisturbed,asdidthelargestonescoveringtheshelveswherejarswerefoundinthelowercave,itdoesnotappearthatthescrollswerelootedinthepast.ThedatingoftheirontoolsdiscoveredintherearofthetunneltotheSecondTempleperiodstronglysuggeststhatthecontentsofthejarswereremovedatthistime,possiblybymembersoftheQumranCommunitybeforeorduringtheflightfromtheRomaninvasionthatburnedtheQumran

4HershelShanks,TheCopperScrollandtheSearchfortheTempleTreasure(WashingtonD.C.:BiblicalArchaeologySociety,2007),10.5MireilleBélis,“TheUnpublishedTextilesfromtheQumranCaves”inTheCavesofQumran:ProceedingsoftheInternationalConference,Lugano2014,ed.MarcelloFidanzio(Leiden:Brill,2017),127.6MarcelloFidanzio,“NewDiscoveriesinCaveXII/53(12?)inQumran,”RevuedeQumran29(1)[109],139-144.

settlementin68CE.CaveGQ29(Timothy’sCave)servesasanexampleinwhichemptystorejars(bothbrokenandunbroken)werefoundinsidethecavewithjarlidsplacedinapile.Theintactjarswerestillneatlyarranged,givingMilik,whofirstsawthisscene,theimpressionthat“someonehadrespectfullyemptiedthejarsandpreservedthelids,andthishadbeendoneaverylongtimeago…arespectforcontentsasmuchasforthereceptacles(asindicatedintheTalmud).”7Therefore,itismorelikelythatthosewhocaredforthescrolls,thanBedouinlooters,wouldhaveleftthejarsinthisrespectfulcondition.Itwouldalsofollow,thatthosewhoretrievedthem,whetheroccasionallyorinatimeofcrisis,wouldhavelefttheheavyjarsinplaceandtransportedonlythescrolls.PerhapsthelongstickfoundwiththepotteryinCave53isevidenceofatoolforholdingthepackingawayfromthesidesofthejarsforeasierremovalofthescrolls.8InthecaseofCave53,theearthquakeactivitythatresultedinthelargeamountofrockdebrisfromtheceilingwouldhavealsocausedthedamagetothejarsinsitu.EvaluationofCave53asaScrollCaveWhenthereportofthediscoveryofCave53wasfirstannouncedinFebruaryof2017,somewereskepticalofdesignatingitasa“scrollcave.”RobertCargillquestionedthisdesignationontheabsenceofscrollfragments.9However,PninaShorpointedoutafterheronsitetourofthecavethatanundisturbedcaveentrancecoupledwiththeremainsofstorejarsandtheirwrappings,andevensomeparchmentandpapyrusfragments,wasindicativeofascrollcave.10Evenwithoutthefragments,MireilleBélisalreadyconcludedthat“itisaxiomaticthatiflinenwasfoundinacave,thenthiscavemustalsohavecontainedscrolls.”11ThiscanalsobeconcludedfromtheabsenceofotherSecondTempleperiodremains,especiallycoins,whichisauniquecharacteristicofscrollcavesinthevicinityofQumran.12

Cave53asaSpecialTypeofScrollCaveForcavesintheQumranarea,“itisdebatedwhetherthearchaeologicalevidenceindicates

7WestonW.Fields,TheDeadSeaScrolls:AFullHistory.Vol.1:1947-1960(Leiden:Brill,2009),136-37.8ForadescriptionofhowthescrollswereplacedinthejarsseeStephanPfann,KeleiDema’:TitheJars,ScrollJarsandCookieJars,”CopperScrollStudies.eds.GeorgeJ.BrookeandPhilipR.Davies.JSPSup40(NewYork:SheffieldAcademicPress,Ltd.,2002),173.ForaphotographofJarGQ39-2showingthelinenpackaginginsidethejarseeBélis,126-27.9RobertCargill,“DigNotes,”BAR43:5(September/October2017).10RemarksrecordedbyvideographerCaseyOlsoninanonsiteinterviewinCave53withPninaShor,January,2017.11Bélis,136.12MladenPopović,“WhenandWhyWeretheCavesNearQumranandintheJudeanDesertUsed?”inTheCavesofQumran:ProceedingsoftheInternationalConference,Lugano2014,ed.MarcelloFidanzio(Leiden:Brill,2017),181.

habitationintermsoftemporaryrefugeorlong-termdwelling.”13HarmutStegemannproposedatheorythatthejars,suchasthosefromCave1,thatheldscrollswell-wrappedinlinenanddepositedinasecretivemannerwereofaspecialtypethatheldmastermanuscripts.Hestatedthatthismethodofstoringthescrollswasusedwithlessthanahundredscrolls.14Whilehistheoryhasbeendiscounted,15hisobservationconcerningtheuniquestorageofthescrollsinthismannerissignificant.AtleastfiftyjarswereoncestoredinCave1,basedonthejarsandfragmentsandcoversrecoveredfromexcavation.OthercavesatthesiteofQumranyieldedscrollfragmentsthathadnotbeenstoredinthismanner.Forthisreason,thediscoveryofCave53withitsrock-cutnichesholdingtheremainsofstorejarsinsituaswellasremainsofthelinenwrappingsandtiesforthescrollsandtracesofotherpotteryvessels(suchasfoundinCave1)maydistinguishitasaspecialtypeofcavebycomparisonwithCave1.Assuch,thiscavemayrepresentoneoftheQumrancavesdesignedforthesafekeepingofmanuscripts.16ConclusionCave53cannowbeclassifiedasaminorManuscriptcavecontainingQumran-typejarsandlinenwrappings.Whetheritshouldhavethedesignation12Q(withmanuscripts)orQ12(withoutmanuscripts)oranothernumberwillbedecidedonthebasisoftheidentificationofthepapyrusfragmentsfoundinthecaveasscrollfragments,althoughthepresenceofpapyrus(evenwithouttext)canmakeacaseforthisbeingdesignatedCave12Q.Inaddition,Cave53isamongaclusterofcavesinthesamevicinityanditispossiblethatitandtheybelongtothesameclassificationof“orderly”cavesthatwasrecognizedinthenorth.Cave53hasprovidedevidenceforthefirsttimeinacontrolledarchaeologicalexcavationofthewaythejarsweredepositedwithinthecavesandmakesanargumentformorethoroughexcavationinnotonlycavesidentifiedinthe1993IAAsurvey,butalsoforareturntopreviouslyexplored/excavatedcavesinwhichremainsmayhavebeenoverlooked.1713JosephPatrich,“KhirbetQumraninLightofNewArchaeologicalExplorationsintheQumranCaves,”inMethodsofInvestigationoftheDeadSeaScrollsandtheKhirbetQumranSite:PresentRealitiesandFutureProspects(ANYAS722;ed.M.O.Wise,et.al.;NewYork:NewYorkAcademyofSciences,1994),73-95;MagenBroshiandHananEshel,“ResidentialCavesatQumran,”DSD6(1999):328-48.14HarmutStegemann,TheLibraryofQumran:OntheEssenes,Qumran,JohntheBaptist,andJesus(Leiden:Brill,1998),61.15FlorentinoGarcíaMartínez,“ReconsideringtheCave1TextsSixtyYearsAfterTheirDiscovery:AnOverviewinQumranCave1Revisited:TextsfromCave1SixtyYearsafterTheirDiscovery:ProceedingsoftheSixthMeetingoftheIOQSinLjubljana,eds.DanielFalk,SariannaMetso,DonaldParry,EibertTigchelaar(Leiden:Brill,2010),4-7.16MladenPopović,“WhenandWhyWeretheCavesNearQumranandintheJudeanDesertUsed?”,183.17ThiswasdemonstratedinMarch2017withthenewexcavationinCave11byDr.DanBahatandMarcelloFindanzio,assistedbyDr.OrenGutfeld,inwhichpotsherdsandtextileswererecovered.

MapofCave53withFindSpotsoftheStoreJars