Share

cover art for The Dead Sea Scrolls: Mysteries of Qumran

The Ancients

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Mysteries of Qumran

Ep. 349
•

Part 1/2. Potentially one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever, the Dead Sea Scrolls - also known as the Qumran Scrolls - are a set of Jewish Manuscripts from nearly 2000 years ago. Found in a cave at the edge of the Dead Sea, the scrolls offer value insight into what life was like nearly two millennia ago - but what exactly are these scrolls - and do they tell us anything about a man called Jesus?


In this episode, Tristan welcomes back Dr Jodi Magness from the University of North Carolina, to help us decipher these ancient texts. Looking at what life was like in the archaeological settlement of Qumran, what the remaining architecture and inscriptions tell us about the people who lived there, and explaining what ancient society would've been like - do we know who used the Dead Sea Scrolls, but even more importantly, who created them?


The Ancients has been nominated in the History category at the Signal Awards! Help us win Gold by casting your vote here!


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code ANCIENTS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here.


You can take part in our listener survey here.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 483. Prehistoric Japan

    53:36||Ep. 483
    From the arrival of the first humans reaching the Japanese archipelago some 50,000 years ago to the enduring Jomon culture, Japan has a fascinating prehistory. This is discovered in the rich archaeological record that includes stone circles, intricate ceramics and evidence of the incredibly diverse hunter-gatherer lifestyle that was mastered.Join Tristan Hughes and archaeologist Dr. Simon Kaner to explore the incredible archaeological discoveries and the ongoing debates about Japan's ancient past, revealing a complex tapestry of cultural evolution long before the advent of rice farming.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, it was produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here.

  • 482. Dead Sea Scrolls: The Copper Scroll

    58:51||Ep. 482
    When they were discovered in the Qumran Caves in the mid-20th century, the Dead Sea Scrolls revolutionised our understanding of biblical history. But one particular scroll was different. It was not written on parchment or papyrus like the other scrolls, but on metal - 99% copper and 1% tin.In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes visits Jordan so see the this fascinating Copper Scroll in person, and then interviews Prof. Joan Taylor to unlock the mysteries contained within it - not least a map and directions to some undiscovered ancient treasure.Presented by Tristan Hughes. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here.

  • 481. Pyrrhus: Warlord of Ancient Greece

    01:07:51||Ep. 481
    It’s 279 BC. On a large plain in Southern Italy near the town of Asculum, a famous Greek warlord likened to Alexander the Great faces down the legions of the Roman Republic. His name was Pyrrhus of Epirus. And the victory that he won at Asculum would come to define his legacy.In this instalment of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Louis Rawlings to dive into the cauldron of political intrigue and backstabbing that followed the death of Alexander the Great and talk through the story of Pyrrhus, his battles against Romans, Carthaginians, Sicilians, Greeks and how he managed to win the first ever 'Pyrrhic Victory'.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight, audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here.

  • 480. Origins of the Inuit

    46:09||Ep. 480
    In this instalment of The Ancients we're going north of the Arctic circle to uncover the incredible story of the Thule Inuit. Expanding out from present day Alaska east across North America all the way to Greenland more than 1,000 years ago, the early Inuit managed to survive and thrive in freezing cold conditions. But how exactly did they do so? What did they hunt? And how did they live?Tristan Hughes invites archeologist Raven Todd daSilva onto the podcast to explore the lifestyle of some of the Arctic's earliest inhabitants - from the sophisticated subterranean houses they built to the huge range of gadgets that they used to hunt whales, bears, caribou and seals. It is a gripping tale of survival, but also one of astonishing ancient innovation.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight, audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here.

  • 479. Ptolemy I: The First Greek Pharaoh

    46:36||Ep. 479
    In the aftermath of Alexander the Great’s death his former generals carved out their own kingdoms in the chaos that was the Wars of the Successors. Arguably the most successful of those successors Ptolemy is today's subject, the general who came from Alexander’s deathbed in Babylon to claim one of the richest jewels of Alexander’s empire.Tristan Hughes invites Dr Toby Wilkinson to discuss the man who took Egypt as his prize and laid the foundations for the last ancient dynasty of Egypt.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight, audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here.

  • 478. Human Evolution

    02:46:55||Ep. 478
    This month we have brought together the best interviews from our archive on human evolution just for our treasured subscribers.Where do humans come from? Or, perhaps more interestingly, who did humans evolve from? A question once posed by the likes of Charles Darwin and other early naturalists, the answer has changed throughout history. But now, thanks to advancements in archaeology and developments in genetics, we know more about our early ancestors than ever before. Tristan Hughes explores the fascinating ancient history of bipedal peoples speaking to world-class experts to hear about the evolution of humankind and whether we can learn anything from our distant ancestors.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph knight, the audio editor is Aidan Lonergan. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscription.You can take part in our listener survey here.

  • 477. The Circus Maximus

    40:18||Ep. 477
    What was the most popular sporting spectacle in ancient Rome? Gladiator bouts? Beast hunts? It was in fact chariot racing! For centuries the Romans were enraptured by the galloping of horses and the thill of the chase. And it all took place in perhaps Rome's greatest arena. A massive racetrack that could hold over 100,000 spectators - The Circus Maximus.In today's episode of The Ancients Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Matthew Nicholls to discover all there is to know about this famous ancient sporting amphitheatre, how it came into being and how chariot racing captured the minds of the Roman people.Presented by Tristan Hughes. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. The producer is Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here.

  • 476. The Edomites

    38:22||Ep. 476
    The Edomites are in the Old Testament, an ancient people who lived around Petra, Jordan before the Nabateans and before Petra was even created. King Herod was a descendant of the Edomites, and perhaps most infamously they are remembered for supporting the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, rejoicing when he sacked Jerusalem in the 6th century BC.Tristan Hughes is joined by archaeologist Dr Matthew Vincent, who has been excavating tombs in Petra, to discuss what is known about the Edomites as archaeology and newly-discovered written sources reveal fascinating insights into how they lived.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight, audio editor is Max Carrey. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK

  • 475. Anubis and the Underworld

    47:41||Ep. 475
    Tristan Hughes and his guest Dr. Joyce Tyldesley OBE are heading to the Underworld for the final installation of The Ancients exploration of the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. They encounter the infamous jackal-headed deity Anubis, analyse Egyptian archaeology and discuss the origins of mummification, the Book of the Dead and the weighing of hearts.Presented by Tristan Hughes. Edited and produced by Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Scriptwriter is Andrew Hulse. Voice Actor is Menna Elbezawy.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘ANCIENTS’. https://historyhit.com/subscriptionYou can take part in our listener survey here.