Qumran

Qumran is a site located near the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, identified as the place most closely associated with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Excavations reveal a settlement with communal buildings, ritual installations, and evidence of shared life. Nearby caves contained manuscripts that include biblical texts and other Jewish writings. While scholars debate the exact nature of the community at Qumran, the site is widely understood as part of the cultural setting that produced or preserved these texts. Qumran is therefore used as both a geographic label and a shorthand for the manuscript tradition connected with the scrolls. This site is also often associated with a specific Jewish group known as the Essenes.