Biblical Archaeology Review

Diodorus of Sicily, Bibliotheca Historica 19.100.

The evidence from ancient sources is examined in Nissenbaum, “Shipping Lanes of the Dead Sea,” p. 22.

In addition to the geographical literature cited below, see Arie Nissenbaum, “Shipping Lanes of the Dead Sea,” Rehovot 11:1 (1991), pp. 19–24.

“Ancient Farming in the Judean Wilderness,” BAR 03:03; Lawrence E. Stager, “Farming in the Judean Desert during the Iron Age,” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 221 (1976), pp. 145–158.

Frank Moore Cross and J. T. Milik, “Exploration in the Judean Buqeah” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 142 (1956), pp. 5–17; Cross, “A Footnote to Biblical History,” Biblical Archaeologist (BA) 19/1 (1956), pp. 12–17.

Philo, Quod omnis probus liber sit 76: “Some Essenes work in the fields, others practice various crafts contributing to peace.” Philo, Apologia pro Judaeis 8: “There are farmers among them, experts in the art of sowing and cultivating plants, shepherds leading every sort of flock, and beekeepers. Others are craftsmen in diverse trades”; Josephus, Antiquities 18.19: “They are excellent men and wholly given up to agricultural labor.”

Philo, Apologia pro Judaeis 4: “None of them can endure to possess anything of their own”; and Quod omnis probus liber sit 86: Whatever they receive as salary … is not kept to themselves, but it is deposited before them all”; Josephus, War 2.122: “It is the law that those who enter the sect shall surrender their property to the order.”

The Temple Scroll (11QT 53.16, 54.5) rules as to when a husband or father can cancel a woman’s oath and when it may remain in force. Similar ordinances appear in the Damascus Rule (CD 14.10–12).