Dead Sea Scrolls

Wikipedia

• 972 texts.
• Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
• Parchment and papyrus in linen wrappings.
• Date from around 150 BC to 70 AD.
• Tobit, Sirach, part of Exodus from the Septuagint (LXX) among the texts.
• Many non-canonical texts, some previously known (Enoch, Jubilees), many brand-new: Community Rule (a.k.a. the Manual of Discipline), War Scroll, Pesher ("commentary") on Habakkuk, and the Rule of the Blessing, which comprise roughly 30% of the identified scrolls.
• 1946-1947: first scrolls found.
• 1957? Last scrolls found?
• 11 caves near the desert community of Qumran.

One of the most important benefits of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is the ability to compare the text of these ancient manuscripts to later versions. The comparison shows that the scribes did an astonishingly excellent job in copying the text letter-for-letter over the centuries.