---
title: Qumram Caves
author: Dana Murray
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/3981/qumram-caves/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 2015-06-30
---
# Qumram Caves
_Authored by [Dana Murray](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/murrayd7/)_
## Image File
[](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/3981.jpg)
## Image Caption
Qumran was mainly occupied during the Greco-[Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) period (c. 150 BCE-68 CE) by a community generally identified as the [Essenes](https://www.worldhistory.org/Essenes/), a religious sect, which lived in isolation in this region west of the Dead Sea. The cave and a series of scrolls were discovered in 1947 CE by a Palestinian shepherd called Mohammad al-Theeb, gaining the site international attention. The scrolls would become known as the "[Dead Sea Scrolls](https://www.worldhistory.org/Dead_Sea_Scrolls/)," and the cave was excavated in 1949 CE by a joint expedition from the [Jordan](https://www.worldhistory.org/Jordan/) Department of Antiquities, the Palestinian Archaeological Museum and the école Biblique Francaise.
#### Editorial Review
This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).
## About the Author
PhD student with interest in the art, architecture, and religion of ancient Greece and the Near East.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Murray, D. (2015, June 30). Qumram Caves. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Murray, Dana. "Qumram Caves." *World History Encyclopedia*, June 30, 2015. .
### MLA
Murray, Dana. "Qumram Caves." *World History Encyclopedia*, 30 Jun 2015, .
## License & Copyright
Submitted by [Dana Murray](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/murrayd7/ "User Page: Dana Murray"), published on 30 June 2015. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.