NEW PIECE OF SCROLLS SURPRISES HISTORIANS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 13, 1993                   TAG: 9301130202
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: JERUSALEM                                LENGTH: Short
NEW PIECE OF SCROLLS SURPRISES HISTORIANS
A new fragment of the Dead Sea scrolls has been put on display after researchers deciphered an unexpected mention of an Israelite king, officials said Tuesday.
Few historic figures are named at all in the ancient documents found in the Qumran caves by the Dead Sea in 1947, said Magen Broshi, curator of the Israel Museum.
But a Jewish king from the 2nd century B.C. known as King Jonathan, or Alexander Janneus in Latin, is mentioned three times in a scroll that contains a prayer for his well-being, Broshi said.
He noted the find could challenge the beliefs of historians who say that kings of the Hasmonean dynasty, such as Jonathan, persecuted the Essenes.
"This could start some controversy in the world of scholarship since this isn't something we exactly expected to find in Qumran," Broshi said.
The Essenes, a cult with an austere lifestyle founded in 2nd century B.C., lived in Qumran and are believed to have compiled the Dead Sea scrolls. - Associated Press

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB