Copper Scroll

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The Copper Scroll is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Khirbet Qumran, but differs significantly from the others. While they are written on leather or papyrus, this scroll is written on metal, specifically very pure copper mixed with only about 1% tin. Also, unlike the others, it is not a literary work in any way, but contains a listing of locations at which various items of gold and silver are buried or hidden. It is currently on display at the Archaeological Museum in Amman, Jordan.

Contents

[edit] History and origin

The scroll was found in 1952 in Cave 3 at Qumran, the first cave to be explored by archaeologists, and is thus referred to as 3Q15. Two copper rolls were discovered off by themselves in the back of the cave, but being made of corroded metal they could not be merely unrolled by conventional means. Professor H. Wright Baker, of the College of Technology at Manchester, England, cut the sheets into strips, and it became clear that the rolls were part of the same document. Low-quality photographs of the scrolls were taken and published, but scholars have found these to be difficult to work with, and have relied on a drawing of the text by scholar Józef Milik. While his edition was published in 1962, he was beaten to the punch by another scholar, John Marco Allegro, who published his translation separately, and controversially, in 1960. The scroll was rephotographed in 1988 in much better quality, thanks to efforts led by P. Kyle McCarter, Jr.

[edit] Writing style

The style of writing is unusual, and different from that of the other scrolls. It is written in a style similar to Mishnaic Hebrew, there is an unusual orthography, and the script has the peculiarities obviously resulting from someone writing on copper with a stylus. There is also the anomaly of seven of the locations being followed by a group of two or three Greek letters. The text is a straightforward listing of sixty-four locations – sixty-three of which are treasures of gold and silver, which have been estimated in the tons – and the final listing points to a duplicate document with additional details.

The listings are by no means easy to decipher, containing city and street names, and none of the treasures have thus far been unearthed. There is some dispute, however, that the Cave of Letters contains one of the listed treasures [1], and the artifacts from this location have been recovered. Although the scroll was obviously made of pure copper in order to last, the locations are written as if the reader would have an intimate knowledge of obscure references — e.g., "In the irrigation cistern(?) of the Shaveh, in the outlet that is in it, buried at eleven cubits: 70 talents of silver" (from Allegro's translation), or "In the cave that is next to the fountain belonging to the House of Hakkoz, dig six cubits. (There are) six bars of gold" (from McCarter's translation).

[edit] Claims

The treasure of the scroll has been assumed to be treasure of the Jewish Temple, presumably the Second Temple. Professor McCarter makes a preliminary link of one location, found on the property of the "House of Hakkoz", with the family of Hakkoz being treasurers of the rebuilt Temple, following the return from Babylon, as listed in the Biblical Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The theories of the origin of the treasure were broken down by Theodor H. Gaster. First, the treasure could be that of the Qumran community. The difficulty here is that the community is assumed to be an ascetic brotherhood, with which vast treasures are difficult to reconcile. Secondly, the treasure could be that of the Second Temple. However, Gaster cites Josephus as stating that the main treasure of the Temple was still in the building when it fell to the Romans, and also that other Qumranic texts appear to be too critical of the priesthood of the Temple for their authors to have been close enough to take away their treasures for safekeeping. Thirdly, the treasure could be that of the First Temple, destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, in 586 BC. This would not seem to fit with the character of the other scrolls, unless perhaps the scroll was left in a cave during the Babylonian Exile, possibly with a small community of caretakers who were precursors of the Dead Sea Scrolls community. Fourthly, Gaster's own favourite theory is that the treasure is a hoax. If so, it is an elaborate hoax by an ancient people not known primarily for their sense of humor.

The idea of ancient, lost, hidden treasures in the Holy Land is obviously not without fascination. The Second Book of Maccabees describes the prophet Jeremiah bringing the Ark of the Covenant and other items to be hidden in a cave on Mount Nebo. The very matter-of-factness of the listings in the Copper Scroll would seem to indicate that somewhere in the area from Hebron to Mount Gerizim there might just be some treasure lurking. However the listings, as stated, are not clear, and so finding the treasures is unlikely, short of an additional find with clarifying details.

[edit] Media

The Copper Scroll is the subject of bestselling political thriller, The Copper Scroll, by Joel C. Rosenberg, published in 2006. This book implements its author's theory that the treasures listed in the Copper Scroll (and the Ark of the Covenant) will be found in the End Times to refurnish the Third Temple.

It also features in Sean Young's novel, Violent Sands. In this Historical Novel, Barabbas is the sworn protector of the Copper Scroll and the treasure it points to. he is under orders to protect this document at all costs.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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