Copper Scroll
![Part of Qumran Copper Scroll](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Part_of_Qumran_Copper_Scroll.jpg/161px-Part_of_Qumran_Copper_Scroll.jpg)
![Part of Qumran Copper Scroll](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Part_of_Qumran_Copper_Scroll_%282%29.jpg/201px-Part_of_Qumran_Copper_Scroll_%282%29.jpg)
The Copper Scroll (3Q15) is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in Cave 3 near Khirbet Qumran, but differs significantly from the others. Whereas the other scrolls are written on parchment or papyrus, this scroll is written on metal: copper mixed with about 1 percent tin. The so-called 'scrolls' of copper were, in reality, two separated sections of what was originally a single scroll about 8 feet (240 cm) in length. Unlike the others, it is not a literary work, but a list of 64 places where various items of gold and silver were buried or hidden. It differs from the other scrolls in its Hebrew (closer to the language of the Mishnah than to the literary Hebrew of the other scrolls, though 4QMMT shares some language characteristics), its orthography, palaeography (forms of letters) and date (c. 50–100 CE, possibly overlapping the latest of the other Qumran manuscripts).[1]
Since 2013, the Copper Scroll has been on display at the newly opened Jordan Museum in Amman[2] after being moved from its previous home, the Jordan Archaeological Museum on Amman's Citadel Hill.
A new facsimile of the Copper Scroll by Facsimile Editions of London[3] was announced as being in production in 2014.[4]
History[]
While most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by Bedouins, the Copper Scroll was discovered by an archaeologist.[5] The scroll, on two rolls of copper, was found on March 14, 1952[6] at the back of Cave 3 at Qumran. It was the last of 15 scrolls discovered in the cave, and is thus referred to as 3Q15.[7] The corroded metal could not be unrolled by conventional means and so the Jordanian government sent it to Manchester University's College of Technology in England on the recommendation of English archaeologist and Dead Sea Scrolls scholar John Marco Allegro for it to be cut into sections, allowing the text to be read. He arranged for the university's Professor H. Wright Baker to cut the sheets into 23 strips in 1955 and 1956.[8] It then became clear that the rolls were part of the same document. Allegro, who had supervised the opening of the scroll, transcribed its contents immediately.
The first editor assigned for the transcribed text was Józef Milik. He initially believed that the scroll was a product of the Essenes but noted that it was likely not an official work of theirs. At first he believed that it was not an actual historical account; he believed it was that of folklore. Later however, Milik's view changed. Since there was no indication that the scroll was a product of the Essenes from the Qumran community, he changed his identification of the scroll. He now believes that the scroll was separate from the community, although it was found at Qumran in Cave 3, it was found further back in the cave, away from the other scrolls. As a result, he suggested the Copper Scroll was a separate deposit, separated by a "lapse in time."[6]
Although the text was assigned to Milik, in 1957 the Jordanian Director of Antiquities approached Allegro to publish the text. After a second approach by a new director of Jordanian Antiquities,[9] Allegro, who had waited for signs of Milik of moving to publish, took up the second request and published an edition with translation and hand-drawn transcriptions from the original copper segments in 1960. Milik published his official edition in 1962, also with hand-drawn transcriptions, though the accompanying black-and-white photographs were "virtually illegible".[10] The scroll was re-photographed in 1988 with greater precision.[11] From 1994 to 1996 extensive conservation efforts by Electricité de France (EDF) included evaluation of corrosion, photography, x-rays, cleaning, making a facsimile and a drawing of the letters. Emile Puech's edition had the benefit of these results.[12]
Dating[]
Scholarly estimates of the probable date range of The Copper Scroll vary. F.M. Cross proposed the period of 25–75 CE on paleographical grounds, while W.F. Albright suggested 70–135 CE[13] and Manfred Lehmann put forward a similar date range, arguing that the treasure was principally the money accumulated between the First Jewish–Roman War and the Bar Kokhba revolt, while the temple lay in ruins. P. Kyle McCarter Jr., Albert M. Wolters, David Wilmot and Judah Lefkovits all agree that the scroll originated around 70 CE.[6] Whereas Emile Puech argued that the deposit of the Copper Scroll behind 40 jars could not have been placed after the jars, so the scroll "predates 68 CE."[14]
Józef Milik proposed that the scroll was written around 100 CE, nearly a "generation after the destruction of Jerusalem."[6] If Milik's dating of the scroll is correct, it would mean that the scroll did not come from the Qumran community because his dating puts the scroll "well after the Qumran settlement was destroyed."[15]
Language and writing style[]
The style of writing is unusual, different from the other scrolls. It is written in a style similar to Mishnaic Hebrew. While Hebrew is a well-known language, the majority of ancient Hebrew text in which the language is studied is generally biblical in nature, which the Copper Scroll is not. As a result, "most of the vocabulary is simply not found in the Bible or anything else we have from ancient times."[16] The orthography is unusual, the script having features resulting from being written on copper with hammer and chisel. There is also the anomaly that seven of the location names are followed by a group of two or three Greek letters. Also, the "clauses" within the scroll mark intriguing parallels to that of Greek inventories, from the Greek temple of Apollo.[17] This similarity to the Greek inventories, would suggest that scroll is in fact an authentic "temple inventory."[17]
Some scholars believe that the difficulty in deciphering the text is perhaps due to it having been copied from another original document by an illiterate scribe who did not speak the language in which the scroll was written, or at least was not well familiar. As Milik puts it, the scribe "uses the forms and ligature of the cursive script along with formal letters, and often confuses graphically several letters of the formal hand."[18] As a result, it has made translation and understanding of the text difficult.
Contents[]
The text is an inventory of 64 locations; 63 of which are treasures of gold and silver, which have been estimated in the tons. For example, one single location described on the copper scroll describes 900 talents (868,000 troy ounces) of buried gold. Tithing vessels are also listed among the entries, along with other vessels, and three locations featured scrolls. One entry apparently mentions priestly vestments. The final listing points to a duplicate document with additional details. That other document has not been found.
The following English translation of the opening lines of the first column of the Copper Scroll shows the basic structure of each of the entries in the scroll. The structure is 1) general location, 2) specific location, often with distance to dig, and 3) what to find.
- 1:1 In the ruin that is in the valley of Acor, under
- 1:2 the steps, with the entrance at the East,
- 1:3 a distance of forty cubits: a strongbox of silver and its vessels
- 1:4 with a weight of seventeen talents. KεN[19]
- (The three letters at the end are Greek.)
There is a minority view that the Cave of Letters might have contained one of the listed treasures,[20] and, if so, artifacts from this location may have been recovered. Although the scroll was made of alloyed copper in order to last, the locations are written as if the reader would have an intimate knowledge of obscure references. For example, consider column two, verses 1–3, "In the salt pit that is under the steps: forty-one talents of silver. In the cave of the old washer's chamber, on the third terrace: sixty-five ingots of gold."[21] As noted above, the listed treasure has been estimated in the tons. There are those who understand the text to be enumerating the vast treasure that was 'stashed,' where the Romans could not find it. Others still suggest that the listed treasure is that which Bar Kokhba hid during the Second Revolt.[15] Although it is difficult to estimate the exact amount, "it was estimated in 1960 that the total would top $1,000,000 U.S."[22]
Translation of Copper Scroll[]
showSelected excerpts |
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Claims[]
The treasure of the scroll has been assumed to be treasure of the Jewish Temple, presumably the Second Temple, among other options.
The theories of the origin of the treasure were broken down by Theodor H. Gaster:[102]
- First, the treasure could be that of the Qumran community. The difficulty here is that the community is assumed to be an ascetic brotherhood, with which vast treasures are difficult to reconcile. (Yet community, as opposed to individual, wealth for a future hoped-for temple is possible. Such is proposed by, among others, André Dupont-Sommer, Stephen Goranson, and Emile Puech.)
- Second, the treasure could be that of the Second Temple. However, Gaster cites Josephus as stating that the main treasure of the Temple was still in the building when it fell to the Romans, and also that other Qumranic texts appear to be too critical of the priesthood of the Temple for their authors to have been close enough to take away their treasures for safekeeping. (The Arch of Titus shows some temple items taken to Rome. But several scholars expressed this view.)
- Third, the treasure could be that of the First Temple, destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, in 586 BCE. This would not seem to fit with the character of the other scrolls, unless perhaps the scroll was left in a cave during the Babylonian Exile, possibly with a small community of caretakers who were precursors of the Dead Sea Scrolls community. (The scroll was written too late for this proposal.)
- Fourth, Gaster's own favourite theory is that the treasure is a hoax.
There are other options besides those listed by Gaster (see Wolters in Bibliography pp. 15–17 for a more up-to-date list). For instance Manfred Lehmann considered it Temple contributions collected after 70 CE.
Scholars are divided as to what the actual contents are. However, metals such as copper and bronze were a common material for archival records. Along with this, "formal characteristics" establish a "line of evidence" that suggest this scroll is an authentic "administrative document of Herod's Temple in Jerusalem."[17] As a result, this evidence has led a number of people to believe that the treasure really does exist. One such person is John Allegro, who in 1962 led an expedition. By following some of the places listed in the scroll, the team excavated some potential burial places for the treasure. However, the treasure hunters turned up empty handed.[15]
Thus, a treasure has yet to be found. Even if none of the treasures comes to light, 3Q15, as a new, long ancient Hebrew text has significance. (For example, as comparative Semitic languages scholar Jonas C. Greenfield noted, it has great significance for lexicography.[103])
Robert Eisenman, in his book James the Brother of Jesus argues that the Copper Scroll is an authentic treasure map created by the Essene community, and places its authorship around the time of the First Revolt. He later maintains that a duplicate copy of the scroll may have been discovered by the Knights Templar during the First Crusade, who then dug up all the treasure and used it to fund their order. These claims are not taken seriously by most scholars.[citation needed]
It is more than plausible that the Romans discovered the treasure. Perhaps when the temple of Herod was destroyed the Romans went looking for any treasure and riches the temple may have had in its possession.[17]
The Romans might easily have acquired some or all of the treasure listed in the Copper Scroll by interrogating and torturing captives, which was normal practice. According to Josephus the Romans had an active policy regarding the retrieval of hidden treasure.[17]
Another theory is that, after the Roman army left after the siege, Jewish people used the copper scroll to retrieve the valuables listed, and spent the valuables on rebuilding Jerusalem.[104]
Media[]
A Long Way to Shiloh (known in the USA as The Menorah Men so as not to be thought a Civil War novel) is a thriller by Lionel Davidson, published in 1966, whose plot follows the finding and contents of a similar treasure scroll.
The denouement of Edwin Black's Format C: included using the Copper Scroll to find the Silver Scroll, giving the protagonists the information they needed to find and defeat the main threat of the book.
The Copper Scroll is the subject of a political thriller, The Copper Scroll, by Joel C. Rosenberg, published in 2006. This book implements its author's theory that the treasures listed in the Copper Scroll (and the Ark of the Covenant) will be found in the End Times to refurnish the Third Temple.
It also features in Sean Young's novel, Violent Sands. In this historical novel, Barabbas is the sworn protector of the Copper Scroll and the treasure it points to. He is under orders to protect this document at all costs.
The scroll—and a search for its treasures—was featured in a 2007 episode of The History Channel series Digging for the Truth. The program gives a basic knowledge of the research of the Copper Scroll and all the major theories of its interpretation.
Gallery[]
Strips of the Copper Dead Sea Scroll at the Jordan Museum, from Qumran Cave 3, 1st century CE
Strip 11 of the Copper Dead Sea Scroll, from Qumran Cave 3, Jordan Museum
Strip 13 of the Copper Dead Sea Scroll, from Qumran Cave 3, Jordan Museum
Strip 15 of the Copper Dead Sea Scroll, from Qumran Cave 3, Jordan Museum
Strip 18 of the Copper Dead Sea Scroll, from Qumran Cave 3, Jordan Museum
See also[]
Further reading[]
- Puech, Émile; Lacoudre, Noël; Mébarki, Farah; Grenache, Claude (2000). "The Mysteries of the "Copper Scroll"". Near Eastern Archaeology. The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The American Schools of Oriental Research. 63 (3): 152–153. JSTOR 3210763. (Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Discoveries, Debates, the Scrolls and the Bible)
References[]
- ^ "The Bible and Interpretation – On the Insignificance and the Abuse of the Copper Scroll". Bibleinterp.com. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
- ^ "Новости – Библейский альманах "Скрижали"". Luhot.ru. 2013-07-29. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
- ^ "Dead Sea Scrolls". Facsimile Editions. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
- ^ "Copied copper scroll is one to treasure". The Jewish Chronicle. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- ^ Lundberg, Marilyn J. "The Copper Scroll (3Q15)". West Semitic Research Project. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Wise, Michael (2005). A New Translation: The Dead Sea Scrolls. New York: Harper Collins Publisher. pp. 211–223. ISBN 978-0-06-076662-7.
- ^ [1] Archived February 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Allegro 1960, pp. 22–24, 27.
- ^ Allegro, 1960, p. 6.
- ^ Al Wolters, article on the "Copper Scroll", in Schiffman, 2000a (Vol.2), p.146.
- ^ George J. Brooke; Philip R. Davies (2004). Copper Scroll Studies. A&C Black. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-567-08456-9. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
- ^ See Poffet, et al. 2006.
- ^ Al Wolters, article on the "Copper Scroll", in Schiffman, 2000a (Vol.2), p.146.
- ^ Puech, "Some Results of the Restoration of the Copper Scroll by EDF Mecenat", in Schiffman, 2000b, p.893.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c VanderKam, James C. (2010). The Dead Sea Scrolls Today. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. pp. 92–93. ISBN 978-0-8028-6435-2.
- ^ Lundberg, Marilyn J. "The Copper Scroll (3Q15)". West Semitic Research Project. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Wise, Abegg, and Cook, Michael, Martin, and Edward (2005). A New Translation: The Dead Sea Scrolls. New York: Harper Collins Publisher. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-06-076662-7.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- ^ Milik, J.T (September 1956). "The Copper Document from Cave III, Qumran". The Biblical Archaeologist. 19 (3): 60–64. doi:10.2307/3209219. JSTOR 3209219.
- ^ Wise, Abegg, and Cook, Michael, Martin, and Edward (2005). A New Translation: The Dead Sea Scrolls. New York: Harper Collins Publisher. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-06-076662-7.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- ^ "NOVA | Ancient Refuge in the Holy Land". Pbs.org. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
- ^ Wise, Abegg, and Cook, Michael, Martin, and Edward (2005). A New Translation: The Dead Sea Scrolls. New York: Harper Collins Publisher. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-06-076662-7.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
- ^ Lundber, Marilyn. "The Copper Scroll (3Q15)". West Semitic Research Project. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
- ^ Chapmann III, R.L.; Taylor, J.E., eds. (2003). Palestine in the Fourth Century A.D.: The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea. Translated by G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville. Jerusalem: Carta. pp. 19, 169. ISBN 965-220-500-1. OCLC 937002750.
- ^ Chapmann III, R.L.; Taylor, J.E., eds. (2003). Palestine in the Fourth Century A.D.: The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea. Translated by G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville. Jerusalem: Carta. p. 104. ISBN 965-220-500-1. OCLC 937002750.
- ^ Chapmann III, R.L.; Taylor, J.E., eds. (2003). Palestine in the Fourth Century A.D.: The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea. Translated by G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville. Jerusalem: Carta. p. 50. ISBN 965-220-500-1. OCLC 937002750.
- ^ The name has been variously interpreted. James Elmer Dean, editor of the Syriac version of Epiphanius' Treatise On Weights and Measures thinks it to mean "the place of the circuit," in recognition of the circuits made there by Joseph and his brothers who stopped there while en route to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. E.H. Palmer of the Palestine Exploration Fund, on the other hand, thinks it means - based on the Arabic - "the house of the partridge."
- ^ Allegro (1964), p. 63
- ^ Jewish Encyclopedia (1906), s.v. Beth-Arabah
- ^ Pesikta de-Rav Kahana (1949). Salomon Buber (ed.). Pesikta de-Rav Kahana. New York: Mekitze Nirdamim. p. 19a (P. Sheqalīm). OCLC 122787256., s.v. ככר כסף; cf. Epiphanius of Salamis (c.310–403), who explains the sense of certain Hebrew weights and measures and writes: "The talent is called Maneh (mina) among the Hebrews," the equivalence of 100 coins in specie. See Epiphanius (1935). James Elmer Dean (ed.). Epiphanius' Treatise on Weights and Measures - The Syriac Version. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 60 (§ 51), 65. OCLC 123314338.
- ^ Epiphanius (1935). James Elmer Dean (ed.). Epiphanius' Treatise on Weights and Measures - The Syriac Version. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 57. OCLC 123314338.. The weight of the Roman libra is estimated at anywhere from 322 to 329 g. One-hundred Roman libra would have come to 32.89 kilograms (72.5 lb), roughly the same figure proposed by Shelley Neese of The Copper Scroll Project for the weight of the talent. Lefkovits (1994,37) supposed that the weight of the talent in the late Second Temple period was equal to about 21.3 kilograms (47 lb).
- ^ Jerusalem Talmud (Sanhedrin, end of chapter 1, s.v. שאל אנטינונס הגמון לרבן יוחנן בן זכאי); ibid, Commentary of Moses Margolies entitled Pnei Moshe. Here, centenarius (Hebrew: קנטינרא) is used interchangeably with the Hebrew "talent" (kikkar). Compare Josephus, Antiquities 3.6.7. (3.144) "Over against this table, near the southern wall, was set a candlestick of cast gold, hollow within, being of the weight one-hundred [pounds], which the Hebrews call Chinchares (Greek: κίγχαρες) (Hebrew: קינטרא); if it be turned into the Greek language, it denotes a talent."
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Lurie, Benzion, ed. (1964). The Copper Scroll from the Judean Desert (megīllat ha-neḥoshet mimidbar yehūdah) (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: The Society for biblical research in Israel, in affiliation with Kiryat Sefer Publishing House. OCLC 233295816.
- ^ Hai Gaon (1921–1924), "Hai Gaon's Commentary on Seder Taharot", in Epstein, J.N. (ed.), The Geonic Commentary on Seder Taharot - Attributed to Rabbi Hai Gaon (in Hebrew), 2, Berlin: Itzkowski, p. 85, OCLC 13977130, s.v. נפש אטומה (Ohelot 7:1)
- ^ Hai Gaon (1921–1924), "Hai Gaon's Commentary on Seder Taharot", in Epstein, J.N. (ed.), The Geonic Commentary on Seder Taharot - Attributed to Rabbi Hai Gaon (in Hebrew), 1, Berlin: Itzkowski, p. 20, OCLC 13977130, s.v. העשת (Keilim 11:3), where Hai Gaon writes: "ha-ʻashet, meaning, a large piece of [unshaped] metal, as it is written (Ezek. 27:19): Dan and Yavan gave yarn for thy wares, [unshaped] smelted iron."
- ^ Lurie, B. (1964), p. 61
- ^ Maimonides (1963). Mishnah, with Maimonides' Commentary (in Hebrew). 1. Translated by Yosef Qafih. Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook. p. 38 (part II). OCLC 741081810.
- ^ Allegro (1964), pp. 64–65
- ^ Lehman, Manfred R. (1964). "Identification of the Copper Scroll Based on its Technical Terms". Revue de Qumrân. Peeters Publishers. 5 (1): 97. JSTOR 24599088.
- ^ Zissu, Boaz (2001). "The Identification of the Copper Scroll's Kaḥelet at 'Ein Samiya in the Samarian Desert". Palestine Exploration Quarterly. 133: 145–158. doi:10.1179/peq.2001.133.2.145.. Zissu's identification is based on a similarity of its name with Wadi Kuḥeila, a watercourse that empties into the larger watercourse by the name of Wādi Sāmiya, from its north side. The watercourse appears in the Palestine Open Maps, and although no ruin by that name has been found, there is a possibility that its old appellation was changed in later time by a newer name. A nearby ruin along the watercourse is Kh. Samiya, near the confluence of Wadi Samiya and Wadi Siya.
- ^ Lurie, B. (1964), p. 68
- ^ Ratzaby, Yehuda (1978). Dictionary of the Hebrew Language used by Yemenite Jews (Osar Leshon Haqqodesh shellivne Teman) (in Hebrew). Tel-Aviv. p. 166. OCLC 19166610., s.v. מערה
- ^ Lurie, B. (1964), p. 93 (note 204)
- ^ Danby, H., ed. (1933), The Mishnah, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 590, ISBN 0-19-815402-X, s.v. Middot 1:3.
- ^ Josephus, The Jewish War 5.204, and alluded to in his Antiquities 15.11.5. Cf. Mishnah Shekalim 6:3; Sotah 1:5; Middot 1:4, 2:6; Tosefta Yom ha-kippurim 2:4; Jastrow, M., ed. (2006), Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, p. 1379, OCLC 614562238, s.v. קלנתיא. See also a discussion on this subject in the Jewish Vitual Library, s.v. Nicanor's Gate.
- ^ Danby, H., ed. (1933), The Mishnah, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 10, ISBN 0-19-815402-X, s.v. Berakhot 9:5. See Maimonides' commentary there.
- ^ Schiller, Eli, ed. (1989). The Temple Mount and its Sites (הר הבית ואתריו) (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: Ariel. pp. 129-134 (Cisterns on the Temple Mount). OCLC 741174009. (Reproduced from Ariel: A Journal for the Knowledge of the Land of Israel, volumes 64-65). The closest cistern at present to the Golden Gate, if it were indeed the Eastern Gate under discussion here, lies at a distance of some 30 to 40 meters to its west, northwest.
- ^ Schiller, Eli, ed. (1989). The Temple Mount and its Sites (הר הבית ואתריו) (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: Ariel. p. 131 (Cisterns on the Temple Mount). OCLC 741174009. (Reproduced from Ariel: A Journal for the Knowledge of the Land of Israel, volumes 64-65).
- ^ Wolters, A. (1989). "The 'Copper Scroll' and the Vocabulary of Mishnaic Hebrew". Revue de Qumrân. Leuven (Belgium): Peeters. 14 (3 (55)): 488. JSTOR 24608995., items 2:9 and 10:3
- ^ Allegro (1960), p. 39, renders these words as שני הבדין = "two olive presses." In Allegro's revised second edition, published in 1964, p. 22, he wrote for the same words "two buildings."
- ^ Beit Arabah, although mentioned three times in the Hebrew Scriptures, has not yet been positively identified. Some think that it may have been where is now ʻAin el-Gharabeh, a site that has not yielded archaeological artifacts any earlier than the Byzantine period, while others think that it is to be identified with Rujm el-Bahr (Chapmann III, R.L.; Taylor, J.E., eds. (2003). Palestine in the Fourth Century A.D.: The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea. Translated by G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville. Jerusalem: Carta. p. 121. ISBN 965-220-500-1. OCLC 937002750.).
- ^ Beit-ḥagla (Greek: ΒΗΘΑΓΛΑ) is shown on the Madaba Map a little south-east of Jericho. Eusebius, in his Onomasticon, wrote of the site being located at "three milestones from Jericho and about two milestones from the Jordan" (see: Chapmann III, R.L.; Taylor, J.E., eds. (2003). Palestine in the Fourth Century A.D.: The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea. Translated by G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville. Jerusalem: Carta. pp. 14, 179. ISBN 965-220-500-1. OCLC 937002750.). The old site of Beit-ḥagla may have been near the adjacent natural spring by the name ʻEin Ḥajla, located a little more than 1 km. to the north-east of the monastery Deir Hajla (Marcos, Menahem (1979). "'Ain Hajla". In Ben-Yosef, Sefi (ed.). Israel Guide - The Judean Desert and The Jordan Valley (A useful encyclopedia for the knowledge of the country) (in Hebrew). 5. Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, in affiliation with the Israel Ministry of Defence. p. 169. OCLC 745203905.).
- ^ A site shown on the Madaba Map (Greek: ΒΕΘΑΒΑΡΑ) on the west bank of the Jordan River, not far from the place where it empties into the Dead Sea. Some identify this site with the modern Tell Medes, and others with Makhadet el Hajla, not far from Beit-ḥagla (see: Chapmann III, R.L.; Taylor, J.E., eds. (2003). Palestine in the Fourth Century A.D.: The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea. Translated by G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville. Jerusalem: Carta. p. 120. ISBN 965-220-500-1. OCLC 937002750.).
- ^ Allegro, in his revised second-edition (1964, p. 23), leaves this space blank, as it is clearly defaced in the original copper scroll. There is no evidence what the reference may have been, whether to a large stone, or large tree, etc.
- ^ Conder, C.R.; Kitchener, H.H. (1883). The Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology. 3. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund., pp. 206–207
- ^ Lurie (1964), p. 85
- ^ Ben-Yosef, Sefi (1979). "Wadi Qelt". In Yitzhaki, Arieh (ed.). Israel Guide - The Judean Desert and The Jordan Valley (A useful encyclopedia for the knowledge of the country) (in Hebrew). 5. Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, in affiliation with the Israel Ministry of Defence. pp. 76–82. OCLC 745203905.
- ^ Ben-Yosef, Sefi (1979). "Wadi Auja". In Yitzhaki, Arieh (ed.). Israel Guide - The Judean Desert and The Jordan Valley (A useful encyclopedia for the knowledge of the country) (in Hebrew). 5. Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, in affiliation with the Israel Ministry of Defence. pp. 73–74. OCLC 745203905.. Wadi el Aujah is shown on the Palestine Exploration Fund map (SWP map no. XV).
- ^ Allegro (1960), pp. 68–74, 144–145
- ^ Jump up to: a b Ben-Yosef, Sefi (1979). "Ḥorvat Chariton". In Yitzhaki, Arieh (ed.). Israel Guide - The Judean Desert and The Jordan Valley (A useful encyclopedia for the knowledge of the country) (in Hebrew). 5. Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, in affiliation with the Israel Ministry of Defence. p. 88. OCLC 745203905.
- ^ The number "seven" is represented in the original text by the symbols of seven vertical lines |||||||, although part of the original text of the Copper Scroll was defaced at the end of the seventh vertical line.
- ^ Allegro (1960), pp. 68–74, 144–145
- ^ Allegro (1964), pp. 63–70 (Chapter Seven)
- ^ Follows Lurie's interpretation. Allegro (1964), p. 23, writes here "Double Gate," which is clearly a mistranslation. The Hebrew word for city gate is shaʻar (Hebrew: שער), whereas the word used here is פתחין = petaḥīn, meaning, "entranceways".
- ^ cf. Le Strange (1965), Palestine under the Moslems: a Description of Syria and the Holy Land from AD 650 to 1500, p. 214, who cites Idrisi (1154) over this tradition.
- ^ Quarryinng History in Jerusalem, The New York Times (December 1, 1985)
- ^ Conder, C.R.; Kitchener, H.H. (1882). The Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology. 2. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. p. 243.
- ^ Hai Gaon (1924), "Hai Gaon's Commentary on Seder Taharot", in Epstein, J.N. (ed.), The Geonic Commentary on Seder Taharot - Attributed to Rabbi Hai Gaon (in Hebrew), 2, Berlin: Itzkowski, p. 103, OCLC 13977130, Mishnah Parah 3:3, s.v. קלל של חטאת.)
- ^ Høgenhaven (2015), p. 277, s.v. item 6:11
- ^ Cf. Saadia Gaon's Judeo-Arabic translation of the Pentateuch (Numbers 24:5), where the Hebrew word משכנתיך, = משכנות, plural of משכן, is explained by him as meaning "dwellings; houses", and being equivalent to the Arabic word منازل. The Hebrew word is said to be derived from the Phoenician škn (= "dwelling place"), and from the Akkadian maškanu (= "place"), and related to the Aramaic/Syriac mškn (= "tent; dwelling").
- ^ Allegro (1964), p. 23 (item no. 28); Allegro (1960), p. 43 (item no. 28)
- ^ Allegro (1964), p. 23 (item no. 28)
- ^ In the original Hebrew, the number "twenty-two" is represented by the ancient numerical symbols: ।।э
- ^ Ben-Yosef, S. (1979), p. 55
- ^ Lurie, B. (1964), p. 97.
- ^ Lefkovits, J. (1994), p. 534, holds this to be the correct reading, following the opinion of Józef Milik, Bargil Pixner and Thorion. In Allegro's first edition of his translation of the Copper Scroll (1960, p. 45), he assumed that the word referenced here was "drain pipe." In Allegro's second revised edition (1964, p. 24) he corrected his translation to read "Kozibah" (Kuzeiba).
- ^ Lurie, B. (1964), p. 97
- ^ Allegro (1964), p. 24
- ^ In the original Hebrew, the number "eighty" is represented by three ancient numerical symbols: ээээ
- ^ Conder, C.R; Kitchener, H.H. (1883). The Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology. 3. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. p. 358., where it states: "Khŭrbet Kûeizîba. Ruins of a small town with a good spring. The buildings stand on terraces on the side of the valley, and some of the walls remain to a height of 10 feet. In the upper part of the ruin is a tower of good sized masonry, some of the stones 4 feet long. The masonry is good, and has the appearance of antiquity; the ruin is unusually well preserved."
- ^ Lurie (1964), p. 111
- ^ Chapmann & Taylor (2003), pp. 37, 117, s.v. Baalthamar
- ^ Jeba (Gaba) and its topography were described in the late 19th-century by Conder and Kitchener of the Palestine Exploration Fund, in SWP (vol. 3, p. 9) as such: "...on the east [of Jeba] is a plain extending for about 1½ miles, and about ½ mile wide north and south. This plain is open arable land, extending to the brink of the precipitous cliffs on the north" (End Quote). These cliffs are seen on the maps of Palestine produced in the 1940s and are called ʻIrāq el Husn, which rise from the banks of Wadi es Suweinit.
- ^ Allegro (1960), p. 158 (note 222)
- ^ Lefkovits (1994), p. 114
- ^ Payne Smith, R. (1903). Jessie Margoliouth (ed.). A Compendious Syriac Dictionary (in Syriac and English). Oxford. p. 448.
ܦܠܚ a labourer, a husbandman, a vine-dresser
- ^ Lurie (1964), p. 111
- ^ Nathan ben Abraham (1955), "Perush Shishah Sidrei Mishnah - A Commentary on the Six Orders of the Mishnah", in Sachs, Mordecai Yehudah Leib (ed.), The Six Orders of the Mishnah: with the Commentaries of the Rishonim (in Hebrew), Jerusalem: El ha-Meqorot, OCLC 233403923, s.v. Tractate Nedarim
- ^ The number "nine" is represented in the original text by the symbols of nine vertical lines |||||||||.
- ^ Dalman, Gustaf (2013). Work and Customs in Palestine. I/2. Translated by Nadia Abdulhadi Sukhtian. Ramallah: Dar Al Nasher. pp. 541–543. ISBN 9789950385-01-6. OCLC 1040774903.
- ^ Dalman (2020), p. 277.
- ^ The number "twelve" is represented in the original text by the symbols ||>.
- ^ Neubauer’s Geography: Adolphe Neubauer, La Géographie du Talmud, Paris 1868, pp. 131 – 132, s.v. Jerome, Comm. ad Amos, VI, 1
- ^ Conder, C.R.; Kitchener, H.H. (1883). The Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology. 3. London: Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. p. 20.
- ^ Mishnah Middot 3:4; Niddah 2:7.
- ^ Lurie (1964), p. 115. According to Lurie, the word which appears in the text is זוד), having the sense of "provisions" or "victuals" taken by a traveler on his journey.
- ^ Cf. ים = yam, as explained by Mishnaic exegetes Hai Gaon (939–1038) on Mishnah (Taharot 10:8); Maimonides on Mishnah Baba Bathra 4:5 and in his Mishne Torah (Hil. Mekhirah 25:7) as pointed out by Rabbi Vidal of Tolosa; and by Nathan ben Jehiel (1035–1106) in his Sefer ha-Arukh, s.v. ממל; Obadiah Bartenura in his commentary on Mishnah (Maaserot 1:7), as well as by Moses Margolies (1715–1781) in his commentary P'nei Moshe on the Jerusalem Talmud (Baba Bathra 4:5), and by Nissim of Gerona on Rav Alfasi's commentary on Avodah Zarah 75a, among others. See also Amar, Z. (2015). Flora and Fauna in Maimonides' Teachings (in Hebrew). Kfar Darom: Makhon ha-torah we-ha-aretz shavei darom. p. 74. OCLC 783455868., s.v. זית
- ^ In Allegro's first translation of the Copper Scroll (1960, p. 51), he wrote "vat of the olive press." In his second revised edition (1964, p. 25), he wrote simply "Valley of [...]", leaving the word blank.
- ^ Palestine Open Maps, Palestine 1940s. The dale passes between the upper Kh. Umm er Rūs and the lower Kh. Umm er Rūs.
- ^ Lurie (1964), p. 115
- ^ Allegro (1960), p. 55, renders this word שכינה as "adjoining," although there is no parallel to its usage in rabbinic writings that show for it a lineal reference to distance. What is more, the word is partially defaced in the original scroll.
- ^ See also Maimonides, Mishne Torah (Hil. Ma'aseh Korbanot 2:1)
- ^ Theodor H. Gaster (1976). The Dead Sea Scriptures. Peter Smith Publishing Inc. ISBN 0-8446-6702-1.
- ^ See Greenfield's review of Milik "The Small Caves of Qumran" in Journal of the American Oriental Society Vol. 89, No. 1 (Jan.–Mar., 1969), pp. 128–141).
- ^ British TV program: Channel 5, 21 April 2018, "The Dead Sea Treasure Map Mystery", 4/6
Bibliography[]
- Allegro, John M. (1960). The Treasure of the Copper Scroll. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. OCLC 559692466.
- Allegro, John M. (1964). The Treasure of the Copper Scroll (2 ed.). Garden City, NY: Doubleday. OCLC 917557044.
- Ben-Yosef, Sefi (1979). "Dagon (Dok)". In Yitzhaki, Arieh (ed.). Israel Guide - The Judean Desert and The Jordan Valley (A useful encyclopedia for the knowledge of the country) (in Hebrew). 5. Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, in affiliation with the Israel Ministry of Defence. pp. 54–55. OCLC 745203905.
- Brooke, George J.; Philip R. Davies, eds. (2002). Copper Scroll Studies. Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha Supplement Series, Vol. 40. New York: Sheffield Academic Press. ISBN 0-8264-6055-0.
- Dalman, Gustaf (2020). Nadia Abdulhadi-Sukhtian (ed.). Work and Customs in Palestine, volume II. 2 (Agriculture). Translated by Robert Schick. Ramallah: Dar Al Nasher. ISBN 978-9950-385-84-9.
- Chapmann III, R.L.; Taylor, J.E., eds. (2003). Palestine in the Fourth Century A.D.: The Onomasticon by Eusebius of Caesarea. Translated by G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville. Jerusalem: Carta. ISBN 965-220-500-1. OCLC 937002750.
- Feather, Robert (2003). The Mystery of the Copper Scroll of Qumran: The Essene Record of the Treasure of Akhenaten. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781591438571.
- Gaster, Theodor (1976). The Dead Sea Scriptures (3rd ed.). New York: Anchor Books, Doubleday. ISBN 978-0385088596.
- García Martínez, Florentino; Tigchelaar, Eibert J. C., eds. (1999). The Dead Sea Scrolls: Study Edition, Vol.1 (2nd ed.). Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. ISBN 9789004115477.
- Høgenhaven, Jesper (2015). "The Language of the Copper Scroll: A Renewed Examination". Revue de Qumrân. Peeters. 27 (2 (106)). JSTOR 26566326.
- Lefkovits, Judah K. (1994). The Copper Scroll 3-Q15 a new reading, translation and commentary [Thesis (Ph.D.)--New York University, 1993] (in English and Hebrew). Ann Arbor, Mich: University Microfilms International (UMI). OCLC 233980235.
- Lefkovits, Judah K. (2000). The Copper Scroll 3Q15: A Reevaluation: A New Reading, Translation, and Commentary. Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, Vol. 25. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill Academic Publishers. ISBN 90-04-10685-5.
- Lurie, Benzion, ed. (1964). The Copper Scroll from the Judean Desert (megīllat ha-neḥoshet mimidbar yehūdah) (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: The Society for biblical research in Israel, in affiliation with Kiryat Sefer Publishing House. OCLC 233295816.
- Milik, J.T. (1960). "The Copper Document from Cave III of Qumran: Translation and Commentary". Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan 4-5. Amman: Department of Antiquities (Jordan). pp. 147–148. OCLC 1063927215.
- Parry, Donald W. (2005). Tov, Emanuel (ed.). The Dead Sea Scrolls Reader, Vol. 6: Additional Genres and Unclassified Texts. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill Academic Publishers. pp. 250–261. ISBN 90-04-12646-5.
- Puech, Emile; Poffet, Jean-Michel; et al. (2006). Le rouleau de cuivre de la grotte 3 de Qumrân (3Q15): expertise, restoration, epigraphie (2 vol.). Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, Vol. 55. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem, EDF Foundation. ISBN 978-90-04-14030-1. Puech had access to the cleaned artifact and scans; Vol. 1, pp. 169–216 has his text, commentary and French and English translations.
- Shanks, Hershel, ed. (1992). Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-41448-7.
- Schiffman, Lawrence H.; VanderKam, James C., eds. (2000a). Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Vol. 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-513796-5.
- Schiffman, Lawrence H.; Tov, Emanuel; VanderKam, James C., eds. (2000b). The Dead Sea Scrolls Fifty Years After Their Discovery. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society. ISBN 978-965-221-038-8.
- Wolters, Albert (1996). The Copper Scroll: Overview, Text and Translation. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press. ISBN 9781850757931.
External links[]
- Dead Sea Scrolls
- Copper objects
- Archaeological artifacts
- Jordan Museum collections
- Ancient Hebrew texts
- 1952 archaeological discoveries
- Jewish texts
- Ancient Jewish history
- 1st-century Judaism