This article is a Guest Post from Sarah of The Extra Biblical Librarian Substack, which is an excellent resource for those looking to dive deeper into the hidden treasures of the Scriptures. You will find more information about Sarah’s ministry at the end of this article.

What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls?

Along the eastern side of the Dead Sea lies a desert area known as Qumran.  Between 200 B.C. and 100 A.D., Qumran was home to a Jewish community.  They called themselves The Community and Followers of the Way. 

Traditionally, this Community has been associated with a Jewish sect called the Essenes, although some scholars object to this connection.  Some suspect the Qumran Community to be related to the Messianic followers of the Way in the Book of Acts. (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23, 22:4, 24:14, and 24:22)

The Qumran Community claimed to be descendants of the Zadokite priests.  We can read about the Zadokite priests in the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 40, 43, 44, and 48.  In Ezekiel, YHWH called the Zadokites His servants and instituted them as judges and teachers in Israel.  

The Community kept a vast library of documents.  Around 70 A.D., the Romans attacked Qumran, and the Community disappeared from history.  Before this, they hid their documents in Qumran’s caves.  

In 1947, these caves were discovered along with the hidden library.   Around 53 caves have been found, eleven holding ancient writings.  This library became known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

The Dead Sea Scrolls are a gift to the end-days generation.  In this post, I will share significant study topics covered in the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

The Torah

The Qumran Community possessed many copies of the first five books of the Bible. They also wrote several additional documents expounding and interpreting Torah passages. These documents emphasize ritual purification, how to keep the weekly Sabbath, YHWH’s appointed times, and how to best maintain community order.

Heaven

The Qumran Community wanted to better understand Heaven, as it was the place of Elohim’s throne. Their writings are full of angelic revelation and heavenly descriptions. 

I used to think of Heaven as an abstract dimension, outside of time and mainly unaffected by what happened on Earth. However, after spending time in Qumran’s library, I have developed a clearer concept of what Heaven is and the roles of angels.

Heaven is just as concrete as Earth. It is not outside of time, as it is also a product of the first day of creation. What happens in Heaven affects what happens on Earth. What happens on Earth also affects what happens in Heaven. They are very much connected. Even though most of us are not usually aware of it, angelic influence plays an important role in how the world functions.

The Priesthood and Temple

In their writings, the Community continually expressed their passion for the truthful priesthood. They fervently waited for the time when the Temple would be restored to righteous leadership. 

The Qumran documents The New Jerusalem and The Temple Scroll give detailed descriptions of a future Jerusalem and Temple. This future Temple resembles those in Ezekiel and Revelation, but there are some differences.

The Zadok Priestly Calendar

Another major theme in the Dead Sea Scrolls is how to track time. The correct calendar is debated today among believers trying to observe YHWH’s appointed times. The Qumran Community believed that YHWH and the angels kept a specific calendar in Heaven.

Many writings from Qumran explain this calendar.  This detailed calendar is perhaps the most relevant information that the Qumran Community preserved for us!

End Days Prophecy

“He decreed an age of wrath for the people who did not know Him, and He established appointed times of goodwill for those who search His commandments and walk in the perfection of way. And He revealed hidden things to their eyes, and opened their ears so that they might hear deep (secrets) and understand all future things before they befall them. Listen now, all you who know righteousness.”

The Dead Sea Scrolls 4Q268, Damascus Document manuscripts from Cave 4, Fragment 1, Lines 5-8

“You will understand the end of the ages and you will gaze at ancient things to know.”

The Dead Sea Scrolls 4Q298, The Master’s Exhortation to the Sons of Dawn, Column 3, Lines 9-10

The Qumran Community cared a lot about prophecy, particularly as it related to the End Days.  They recorded prophetic revelations and also wrote many commentaries on the Old Testament prophetic books. 

Learn More

The content in this article is excerpted from my full teaching, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Gift to the End Days Generation. If you’d like to explore the complete study—including background on the community who preserved the scrolls and their prophetic relevance for the End Days generation—you can find the full version available on Payhip, a digital publishing platform where the complete document is offered for a small $5 download fee. Here is the link.

If you are interested in reading the Dead Sea Scrolls, I recommend The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English by Geza Vermes. 

I also recommend as comparative references both The Dead Sea Scrolls A New Translation by Michael Wise, Martin Abegg, Jr., and Edward Cook and The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in English by Florentino Garcia Martinez. 

For your first read, I suggest the Temple Scroll (similar to the Book of Leviticus) or The Thanksgiving Psalms (similar to the Book of Psalms).  

To learn more about extra-biblical books, visit the Extra Biblical Librarian on Substack.  This is a great place to interact with others who are interested in extra-biblical writings, ask questions, and connect with me personally.

Blessings in Messiah,

Sarah

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