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| | Dead Sea -- Qumran Community (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-16) |
 | | In de Vaux's view the site was the wilderness retreat of the Essenes, a separatist Jewish sect of the Second Temple Period, a portion of whom had formed an ascetic monastic community. |
 | | According to de Vaux, the sectarians inhabited neighboring locations, most likely caves, tents, and solid structures, but depended on the center for communal facilities such as stores of food and water. |
 | | Following de Vaux's interpretation and citing ancient historians as well as the nature of some scroll texts for substantiation, many scholars believe the Essene community wrote, copied, or collected the scrolls at Qumran and deposited them in the caves of the adjacent hills. |
| sunsite.unc.edu /expo/deadsea.scrolls.exhibit/Community/communit.html (270 words) |
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