SECOND QUMRAN F O U N D AT I O N

The Great Isaiah Scroll is one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls

discovered in Qumran in 1947. It is the largest and best preserved

of all the biblical scrolls, and the only one that is almost complete.

The Dead Sea ScrollsIn 1947, Muhammed Edh-Dhib, a young Bedouin shepherd from Bethlehem, tossed a small stone into a cave near the ancient settlement of Qumran and accidentally discovered the world’s most significant archaeological find of the modern age: the Dead Sea Scrolls.

A collection of hundreds of manuscripts dating from between 408BCE and 318 CE, the texts are of great historical, religious and linguistic significance. They include the earliest known surviving manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), as well as other writings from the Late Second Temple Period of Judaism.

The manuscripts, primarily of parchment but also of papyrus and bronze, were written in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Nabataean. Authorship is widely debated, but many scholars consider them the work of the Essenes. Others think they are the work of priests from Jerusalem, the Zadokites, or some other Jewish groups.

The Dead Sea Scrolls continue to capture world-wide attention, drawing the finest scholars from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to study their rich secrets. In a tangible and significant way, the scrolls are a unifying force, bringing understanding to people from many cultural backgrounds.

Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority

The Dead Sea scrolls have been called the greatest manuscript find of all time.

– Bible History Daily

Bedouin shepherd Muhammed Edh-Dhib, his cousin Jum’a Muhammed, and Khalil Musa found the original scrolls

Khalil Eskander Shahin, “Kando”purchased original scrolls

Caves at Qumran where original seven scrolls were found

AcQUIRING THE SEcOND LARGEST cOLLEcTION OF DEAD SEA ScROLLS KNOWN TO EXIST

This historic collection is the most importantcollection of religious documents since the discovery of the original Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Collection is currently in private hands and has been preserved by one family since 1946. Its potential for historic scholarship is incalculable. Scholars and specialists from universities and institutes around the world will yearn to study, translate, and publish articles about the Collection.

The scrolls and fragments will be housed in state-of-the-art climate and light-controlled, secure repositories. They will also be used as an anchor exhibit for sophisticated replicas of the village of Qumran—the Second Qumran—and the nearby caves where the scrolls were found. These world-class exhibits will draw thousands of visitors each year.

Basket weave courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority

The Second Qumran Foundation (a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization) is now acquiring the second largest collection of Dead Sea Scrolls known to exist outside of Israel. The documents will add priceless insights into the history and religions of the Middle East, including the cultural milieu before, during, and after the ministry of Jesus.

The Collection is made up of 25 Hebrew Bible scrolls and scroll fragments and 75-80 non-biblical fragments from the period 408 BCE to 318 CE. Never before documented, analyzed or published, the Collection is in addition to the 972 texts popularly referred to as the “Dead Sea Scrolls.”

Donald W. Parry Ph.D. Professor of Hebrew Bible in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University

“The massive amount of manuscripts found to date is exceedingly more substantial than any other human document

ever written by mankind. There is nothing even remotely close to this in all of human history.”

— Jack Wellman, Christian author, freelance writer, and pastor at the Mulvane Brethren church —

First and foremost, the Bible is an indispensable foundation for three of

the world’s religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Bible texts such as Genesis,

Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Judges, Samuel, Isaiah, Joel, and Daniel are integral

parts of the doctrines and practices of millions of people. Some of the fragments date to the time of Jesus and have never been published before. The world is eager to see if some new insights can be gained from these documents. Even a small fragment may reveal a variant or new reading, and provide knowledge that has been unavailable for millennia.

SIGNIFIcANcE OF THE cOLLEcTION

The Temple Scroll fragments, in particular, are of great import. They apparently set forth information regarding an eschatological (last days) temple in Jerusalem. The scroll reveals the temple’s architectural features; its concentric spheres and gradations of holiness; certain holy days and festivals, and more.

Beyond genealogical statements and a couple of Biblical passages (Genesis 5:25; Jude 1:14), very little is known about the prophet Enoch in the Bible. But in the Dead Sea Scrolls, he is a major character, found widely in the Scroll texts of 1 Enoch, Jubilees, and the Genesis Apocryphon. These passages reveal him to be a mighty prophet with special spiritual gifts. In recent years,

scholars have conducted a number of symposia to try to understand more about Enoch; they are now eager to learn what, if anything, may be revealed about Enoch from the documents of the Second Qumran Collection.

The Second Qumran Collection may also provide new insights into the development of the Hebrew and Aramaic languages. Each and every fragment is significant. Scholars can generally provide

details regarding each fragment’s provenance, size, description, content matter, date, particular scribal

characteristics, variant readings, book hand, and more.

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DEVELOPING A SEcOND QUMRAN

Providing an international cultural center and a repository for studying the second collection of dead sea scrolls and other historical documents.

Second Qumran will provide the world with unique and unforgettable exhibitions. The historical and cultural insights visitors will glean will help breach traditional boundaries of language and culture that have contributed to lethal misunderstandings in the Middle East and beyond.

The location of Second Qumran is almost as intriguing as the discovery of the scrolls themselves. Lying in the safety of the deserts of Utah in North America is a large, natural body of salt water, comparable in size and salinity to the Dead Sea of the Middle East—the Great Salt Lake. Feeding it year-round from a fresh water lake is a river called the Jordan, echoing the Jordan River of antiquity that still connects the fresh water Sea of Galilee with the Dead Sea.

The Second Qumran Foundation considers the Great Salt Lake a perfect setting—a “second Qumran”— in which to preserve, study, and display the newly acquired scrolls. The Second Qumran facility will be constructed on property near Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

The Second Qumran Collection will generate scores of specialized lectures for scholars, presentations for the general public, exhibitions, congresses, symposia, and other academic discussions. A peer-reviewed academic publication as well as popular press releases will help bring the new knowledge to the world’s attention.

Exhibits portraying the Second Qumran Collection, the people who created it and the environs in which they lived, will draw audiences of all ages, from elementary students to graduate students, from private individuals and hobbyists to church scholars and officials.

William Kando

Ruins at QumranDr. Donald Parry and Paul Savage, General Counsel for the Second Qumran Foundation examine the scrolls for authenticity

The Second Qumrancultural Heritage centers

In keeping with the Qumran tradition, the Second Qumran Foundation proposes to build a “Restored Qumran Village”, a fully immersive environment that will transport visitors back in time to experience first-hand First Century life. Guests will be astounded as they walk the streets of Qumran, completely enveloped in a wonderful re-creation of that ancient time. In addition, the Second Qumran Collection, those rare and precious documents, will be carefully displayed there in secure, climate controlled repositories, and will serve appropriately as the focal point in this magnificent facility.

What’s more, a series of world-class Cultural Heritage Centers, themselves immersive re-creations of magnificent architecture from ancient civilizations, will be created to honor the world’s ancient cultures through carefully designed exhibits and immersive attractions.

An unprecedented collection of rare documents from civilizations long passed will be similarly preserved in state-of-the-art facilities, to be studied by public and private academic centers and universities from around the world.

A Vision for the Future

Museums and exhibition centers will be created on this unique campus, for the display of public as well as private collections.

Visually, the Heritage Centers will be second to none., resembling ancient temples, cities, buildings and architectural wonders for the enjoyment and appreciation of young and old. Guests will enjoy strolling below towering Mayan pyramids, grabbing a bite in the streets of an ancient Peruvian city, or shopping for gifts in ancient Ankor Wat.

Hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services will be tastefully included to ensure the comfort and convenience of the guests.

Together, a campus alive with learning, scholarly research, cultural activities and a myriad of engaging attractions and informative

exhibits created, geared toward cultural understanding and mutual respect among the various faiths of the world.

Digital reconstruction courtesy of UCLA Virtual Qumran Project

Digital reconstruction courtesy of UCLA Virtual Qumran Project

SECOND QUMRAN F O U N D AT I O N

2750 Rasmussen Road, Park City, UT 84098Office: 435.571.0045 | Mobile: 801.651.0290

Skype: marcussouthworthEmail: marcus@southworth.ms