The
Qumran were a subsect of the Essenes that split off after conflicting theories
about certain aspects of the Halakhah arose (1).
They gained their name from the desert plateau
where they made their home, after separating from the majority of the other
members of the Essenes. In particular, debate arose over the correct
interpretation of the Halakhah concerning the temple, worship, and the
purity of objects (1). A leader arose, called
the Teacher of Righteousness, who fled in exile from the majority of the Essenes
who still followed the "Wicked Priest." This rift between the
factions of the Essenes, occured roughly 390 years before the Essenes were exiled
and destroyed in their failed revolt against the Romans.
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