Qumran Cave 4

View looking southwest down on the marl cliff that contains cave 4 (the caves were numbered in the order that they were found).  The two dark openings in the center of the image open into cave 4.  The one at the top is more probably original—much erosion has taken place in this area because of the crumbly marl.

Cave 4 contained over 40,000(!) fragments of about 550 manuscripts.  It, along with cave 1, yielded the greatest number of preserved manuscripts (those in cave 1 were more intact).  In cave 4 the scrolls were probably stored on shelves (not in jars as in cave 1), and when the wooden shelves rotted and collapsed, the rotting wood, dampness, and climate took its toll on the documents.  This cave is located just southwest of the site of Qumran.

For comments on the site of Qumran and a map Click Here.

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Image from the Zondervan Atlas of the Bible, p. 194. To view/use additional images from the Atlas Click Here.