Page "Qumran" Paragraph 26

The range of pottery, glass and high quantity of coins found at Qumran do not sit well in the context of a sectarian settlement according to the Donceels These materials point to trade connections in the area, and provide evidence that Qumran may not have been in a vacuum in the Graeco-Roman period.

Rachel Bar-Nathan has argued from similarities between pottery finds at Qumran and at the Hasmonean and Herodian palaces of Jericho that Qumran should be seen as part of the Jordan valley context rather than as an isolated site.

While the cylindrical " scroll jars " from Qumran were once thought to be unique, she cites a proposed similar find at Jericho, shows a related form existed at Masada, and reports that such jars have been found at Qalandiya.

Bar-Nathan states from the Jericho palace data that " it is possible to trace the typological development of this group of jars ", i. e. the cylindrical jars.

Jodi Magness, citing Bar-Nathan's M. A.

thesis on the Jericho pottery data, refers to cylindrical jars at Jericho, saying " t Jericho, most of these jars .. come from an industrial area dating to the time of Herod ".

Jan Gunneweg observed that the supposed single partial parallel at Jericho-" a partly preserved rim and neck with a vertical loop handle "-is in fact not a " scroll " jar.

Another one was reported found in Jordan in a later burial near Abila but no photos or drawings were published and the jar has not been relocated, showing de Vaux sought parallels.

Taking into account subtypes of pottery, true cylindrical " scroll " jars are not common outside Qumran.

They are, however, clearly not unique to Qumran.

Bar-Nathan noted the jar's " rarity in the Second Temple period.

" Of some of the proposed parallel Masada jars, Bar-Nathan wrote " It seems that this group of storage jars was brought ( or pillaged?

) from the area of Qumran and probably also from the Plain of Jericho.