The Dead Sea Scrolls

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls ranks among the most important archaeological findings of the twentieth century. Unearthed between 1947 and 1956 in the caves near Qumran, close to the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, these ancient manuscripts shed light on Jewish life, scripture, and religious practices in the centuries surrounding the life of Christ. Their significance to Christian history lies in their age, content, and confirmation of the preservation of the biblical text.