Dead Sea Scrolls

The name given to a collection of manuscripts discovered in caves near the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1956.  There were around 900 documents (including a complete copy of the book of Isaiah) and fragments which validate scriptural cross-references and Hebrew practices that were observed prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. They give insight into pre-Christian and early Christian times.

See also: archeology, Dead Sea.