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orion-list Donkey-Trail
Dear Steven,
Interesting connection you make between loc 97 in Qumran and loc 17-19 in
En Feshkha! I find this very ingenious! This would leave us with two
independent sources for fresh water to supply the settlement and the
surrounding agricultural region. Quite impressive for a site like Qumran!
Are you publishing these results in the next future? Please let us know where!
I assume the donkeys would transport the water in large jars tied to their
backs as it was common in the region not until long ago. My question is:
would that provide a reason for the large amount of storage jars found at
Qumran, including the so-called "scroll jars"? If these jars were produced
locally (as it seems), they must have met a local need. You might just have
named such a need. I know that there is no archaeological method to *prove*
that the "scroll jars" were originally made for water transport, but their
alleged purpose to store scrolls might just have been a secondary use.
Clearly, there are more options to account for the existence these vessels
apart from scroll storage.
And what would the donkey transport mean for any possible "ritual" purpose
of bassin 91 (the water coming from earthen vessels)? Is 83 the "otzar"?
But why is it then linked with the main channel?
Speculation? Yes, but interesting. "Facts"? No, not (yet?).
Jurgen
For private reply, e-mail to Jurgen Zangenberg <jurgen.zangenberg@yale.edu>
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