Not a Settlement of Hermits or Essenes: A Response to Y. Hirschfeld, A Settlement of Hermits above 'En Gedi

Early in 1948, shortly after the discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls, E.L. Sukenik suggested identifying Khirbet Qumran as the Essene settlement mentioned by Pliny the Elder (23/4-79 C.E.).1 R. de Vaux, who later excavated the site, adopted this identification, citing in support the finds from his excavations. Although this interpretation has gained widespread acceptance, it has recently been challenged by a number of scholars who instead identify Qumran as a villa rustica, a fort, or a commercial entrepot. Y. Hirschfeld, one of the prominent members of this group, believes that Qumran was a manor house (Hirschfeld 1998). It seems that his rejection of Qumran as an Essene settlement has influenced his proposal of cEn Gedi as an alternative location, based on the results of his excavations at that site.

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