The Qumran coins (hoard and single finds) are worthy of a novel. They were perfectly examined by H. Seyrig and A. Spijkerman, then the popular conviction spread that the coins had been lost. In fact, they were always kept where they had been classified. Now they are finally published and provide the possibility to suggest that Qumran was a very open centre for trade and transactions, at least from finally the end of the second century BC until the destruction of the site in 70/72 CE. This documentation provides a new reasoning on effective data – not on assumptions.

The Qumran coins (hoard and single finds) are worthy of a novel. They were perfectly examined by H. Seyrig and A. Spijkerman, then the popular conviction spread that the coins had been lost. In fact, they were always kept where they had been classified. Now they are finally published and provide the possibility to suggest that Qumran was a very open centre for trade and transactions, at least from finally the end of the second century BC until the destruction of the site in 70/72 CE. This documentation provides a new reasoning on effective data - not on assumptions.

Khirbet Qumran and Ain-Feshkha III A: For 60 years Qumran research has been focused on epigraphy, exegesis, and the historical sources of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Now the time has come to provide researchers with a complete documentation. Following the Coins from the Excavations at Khirbet Qumran (1951-1956) and Ain Feshkha (1956-1958): The Qumran coins are worthy of a novel. Now they are finally published and provide the possibility to suggest that Qumran was a very open centre for trade and transactions, at least from finally the end of the second century BC until the destruction of the site in 70/72 CE. This documentation provides a new reasoning on effective data - not on assumptions.

This book contains an exhaustive survey of past and present Qumran research, outlining its particular development in various circumstances and national contexts. For the first time, perspectives and information not recorded in any other publication are highlighted.

"This comprehensive five-volume work analyzes the archaeological and linguistic data that pertain to the broad cultural milieu of the ancient Near East, the crossroads of three of the world's most influential religions -- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ranging from prehistoric times up to the early centuries of the rise of Islam, the work covers the civilizations of Syria-Palestine, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Iran, Arabia, Cyprus, Egypt, and the coastal regions of North and East Africa. It includes 1,125 alphabetically arranged entries on sites, languages, material culture, archaeological methods, organizations and institutions, and major excavators and scholars of the field. This one-of-a-kind, accessibly written reference brings new breadth to the study of archaeology in the biblical world, making it a valuable resource not only to scholars and students of archaeology, but also to those with an interest in ancient art and architecture, languages, history, and religion." -- Alibris.com.

For 60 years Qumran research has been focused on epigraphy, exegesis, and the historical sources of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The manuscripts are now published and accessible, and research is turning in a positive way to the archaeology of the site and its context. The time has come to provide researchers with a complete documentation. The excavator, Roland de Vaux, had given preliminary reports and a valuable interpretation made in the immediate aftermath of the excavations. Since considerable progress has been made in the archeology of Hellenistic and Roman Palestine, however, Qumran has to be reassessed and the interpretation objectively verified.Volume IIIA presents an up-to-date archaeological reconsideration: a shorter and more precise chronology, in which the earthquake of 31 BC is deleted; the concept of an Essene community is challenged, owing to the lack of a suitable infrastructure; the cemetery itself is connected with a Jewish diaspora scattered around the Dead Sea. Other facilities strengthen the Jewish character of the site, however. The function of Qumran fits better with the rites of a pilgrimage on the occasion of the festivals of Passover and Pentecost.In the second part, the peripheral Essene facilities, expanded around an earlier Hellenistic center, are analyzed and described. The essay seeks to outline their internal consistency and to determine their function. The restoration of a stratigraphy, by cross-checking the excavation archives, leads to a redistribution of pottery in four levels in a more precise chronology.The reconsideration makes use of anthropology, which opens up the archaeological field and throws additional light on the manuscripts.