Today, archaeology plays an ever growing role in Qumran studies.
Fifteen papers presented in 2002 at Brown University provide the
necessary data to break new ground in the recent debate about
the character of Qumran. Section I discusses material from old
and new excavations that help assess the validity of the
traditional Qumran-Essene hypothesis. Part II discusses various
aspects of the main settlement such as division of space, the
character of period III, the date of the cave scroll deposits
and the use of food. Part III deals with the Qumran cemetery and
a similar graveyard at Khirbet Qazone. Part IV places Qumran
into a wider regional context, concentrating on local
agriculture and ceramic production. The articles strongly call
for a new awareness for archaeological detail and, in their
various ways, instigate a renewed debate about how to bring
texts and material culture into a meaningful dialogue. Katharina
Galor is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Institute for
Archaeology and the Ancient World a