Dead sea scrolls

 In the 90's Bedouin nomads discovered numerous clay vessels like this in caves in the Qumran area. While I didn't go to Qumran, I did go to see the exhibition of the Dead sea scrolls. Its in an annex of the Israel museum.

The display is very solemn but meaningful. A Jewish group called the Essenes left their community and formed their own in the caves of Qumran. Some of the contents of the clay vessels revealed high quality parchments and papyri with writing. The writing were divided into two types, one of scripture with the whole book of Isaiah and the other were sectarian writing. The sectarian writing were on liturgical services and community living. The dates of these writings were between the third century BCE and before 70 AD (before the destruction of the second temple. It was very impressive. Someone once said, 'its amazing what can be achieved without the television!'