Qumran

Qumran
Sites in the Holy Land Coin, 5743-1982

At Qumran, located northwest of the Dead Sea, about 24 km east of Jerusalem, the remnants of 700 scrolls were discovered, dating back to the first century B.C.E. and to the first century C.E., an important period in Jewish history as well as being the first period of Christianity.
These scrolls belonged to a Jewish woman a member of one of three major Jewish sects of that period. The extreme faction of that sect established a settlement in one of the arid desert tracts of Qumran and remained in existence for two centuries.
About 200 of the scrolls are from biblical times. At Qumran all the Books of the Bible, except the Book of Esther, were discovered. We now have manuscripts in our possession that are thousands of years old, some of them dating close to the period of their authorship.
After the Qumran discoveries, there began extensive searches in the desert for other manuscripts and six additional ones containing ancient writings were discovered, among them those that pre-dated the Qumran finds (Wadi Dalia in the period of Alexander the Great), and some from later periods (Masada, from the period of the First Revolt against the Romans in 70 BCE, the Murrabaat Caves and River, from the Second Revolt against the Romans - 135 CE) Khirbat Mird, a monastery from the 8th century CE. These discoveries, the most outstanding among them being those of the Qumran caves have enriched our knowledge of early history.

Obverse: The face value, 5 Sheqalim on the Gold coin; 1 Sheqel on the Silver Proof Coin and 1/2 Sheqel on the Silver B.U. coin in Hebrew and English. The emblem of the State of Israel, the word "Israel" in Hebrew and English and Arabic and the mint year 5743-1982.

Reverse: The cliffs, location of the caves where the scrolls were discovered. The word Qumran in Hebrew and English on a background of the ancient writings of the scrolls.

Edge: 12 smooth edges on the B.U. coin, 12 milled on the silver proof and gold coins.

Mint Marks: Obverse of B.U. coin - Star of David., Obverse of the proof coins both silver and gold - Hebrew letter "Mem" centered in the lower border.

Designer: Obverse - Eliezer Weishoff., Reverse - Dan Gelbarg.

Mint: Silver B.U. - Monnaie de Paris, Gold and Silver Proof - Munich Mint.