Scroll jars

Abstract

The so-called “scroll jars” have become synonymous with Qumran. It was in jars of this type that some of the first Dead Sea Scrolls—including the Great Isaiah Scroll—were discovered by Bedouin of the Taʽmireh tribe, when they entered what later came to be known as Cave 1Q. The label, however, is somewhat misleading, since the storage of scrolls was neither their sole nor their primary function. The jars belong to a larger category of open-mouthed storage vessels, distinguished by three main forms: ovoid, krater-shaped, and cylindrical. This distinction is frequently overlooked in the academic literature. Ovoid and krater-shaped jars were introduced in the first half of the first century BCE, with some types persisting into the late first or early second centuries CE. Ovoid jars are widely attested, with examples known from Qumran, Jericho, ʽEin Feshkha, ʽEin Boqeq, ʽEin ez-Zara (Callirhoe), Machaerus, Herodium, Masada, and Tel Hevron. Krater-shaped jars are less common, documented at Qumran, Jericho’s royal estate, and Masada. The vessels commonly referred to as “scroll jars” correspond to cylindrical jars. These emerged later, first appearing in the late first century BCE. Once thought to be exclusive to Qumran, a few examples have since been discovered at other sites, such as Jericho, Masada, Qalandiya, and Tel Esur. Regardless of shape, these jars were sealed with bowl-shaped lids (Mizzi et al. 2024). [excerpt]