The lost settlement of Qumran
Home of the Dead Sea Scrolls, this ancient ruin still holds many secrets
Words by Callum McKelvie
Located on the west coast of the Dead Sea, the mysterious ruins of Qumran were occupied during the Greco-Roman period, which lasted from 150 BCE to 68 CE. However, the site itself is even older, with evidence suggesting an Iron Age settlement dating back some 2,600 years. Qumran may have had a population of no more than a few dozen people, never being much larger than a single acre, and was most likely the home of a religious sect. In 68 CE the settlement was captured by the Roman Army, and the resulting fire was so intense that glass vessels have been found melted by the heat.