ns the methods of joining thecommunity, the relations among the members, their way of life , and their beliefs. The sectbelieved that human nature and all that happens in the world is predestined. The scroll ends withsongs of praise of God. The scroll was found in cave 4 and cave 5 and It was written onparchment. The longest version was found in cave 4.8The War Rule is commonly referred to as the Pierced Messiah text. It refers to aMessiah who came from the line of David, to be brought to a judgment and then to a killing. Itanticipates the New Testament view of the preordained death of the messiah. It is written in aHebrew script and is only a six line fragment.9 Most of the scrolls were found in caves near Qumran. The Qumran site was excavated tofind the habitation of those who deposited the scrolls in the nearby caves. The excavationsuncovered plates bowls and cemeteries with over twelve hundred graves that have the samecharacteristics which suggest religious uniformity, along with a complex of structures which suggested that they were communal in presentation.10 Many believe this is where a community ofa distant Jewish sect called the Essenes may have once lived. The Essenes were members of aJewish religious brotherhood, organized on a communal basis who practiced strict disciplines. Theorder had around 4000 members and they existed in Palestine and Syria from the 2nd century BCto the 2nd century AD. The sects main settlements were on the shores of the Dead Sea.11 In somescholars views the site was the wilderness retreat of the Essenes. According to these scholars, theEssenes or another religious sect resided in neighboring locations, most likely caves, tents, andsolid structures, but depended on the center for community facilities such as stores of food andwater. 12Many scholars believe the Essene community wrote, copied, or accumulated the scrollsat Qumran and deposited them in the caves of the neighboring hills. Others question...
