The people who wrote the scrolls

This week I will be looking for information about the people who wrote the scrolls. Throughout my research I will be trying to find answers for the following questions:

Who wrote the scrolls?
What were they like?
Why did they write the scrolls?
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Again it was not difficult to find information on this subject. There was so much information that I had to dig through that it was quite exhausting. With all the information I found I could probably write a book on the subject if I wanted to. But for the purpose of trying not to make these posts too long I had to be very selective when it came to actually using the information since it would be easy in this case to sway away from the subject which is the Dead Sea Scrolls, not religious sects.
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The Qumran-Essenes were divided into two groups: the monastic brotherhood at Qumran and the urban sectarians.

The monastic brotherhood at Qumran was devoted to holiness, piety and the contemplative life. Although there is no reference to mundane cares and occupations it is thought that this group worked as farmers, potters and produces of manuscripts.

The monastic brotherhood at Qumran was organized into a strict hierarchical order which from the most important to the least included: the priests, the elders and the remaining people –the latter was also divided into a hierarchical order which from the most important to the least included: the master who functioned as a teacher, the guardian who functioned as the president and ‘the man appointed’ who functioned as the spiritual assessor.

The urban sectarians lived in towns and villages throughout Judea. This group married and had children and worked in businesses which meant that they often communicated with Jews and Gentiles –which was forbidden in the monastic brotherhood.

The groups although separate were united in documenting of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Resources:

Lim, T 2005, The dead Sea scrolls, a very short introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford, viewed 2 April 2010.

Charlesworth, JH 2006, The bible and the dead sea scrolls, vol 1, scripture and the scrolls, Baylor University Press, Waco, viewed 2 April 2010.