The Essenes, a religious sect or brotherhood, had fled to the Judaean desert wilderness around Qumran during Antiochus IV Epiphanes' persecution of Palestinian Jews.

Like the Pharisees, the Essenes meticulously observe the Law of Moses, the Sabbath, and ritual purity.

They also profess belief in immortality and divine punishment for sin.

Unlike the Pharisees, the Essenes deny the resurrection of the body and refuse to immerse themselves in public life.

With few exceptions, they shun Temple worship and are content to live ascetic lives of manual labor in seclusion.

The Sabbath is reserved for daylong prayer and meditation on the Torah.

Oaths are frowned upon, but once taken they cannot be rescinded.

A Jewish community, possibly Essenes, begins construction in about 150 on a walled complex of buildings at the site of Qumran, located below the cliffs overlooking the northwest corner of the Dead Sea.

Cisterns, fed by canals leading down from the cliffs above, are used to store water.

Most of the Dead Sea Scrolls, found here, date from this period.

The flourishing settlement of Qumran is destroyed by an earthquake in 31 BCE; its inhabitants begin rebuilding the complex.

The site is best known as the settlement nearest to the caves in which the Dead Sea Scrolls are hidden, caves in the sheer desert cliffs and beneath, in the marl terrace.

Qumran, rebuilt after the earthquake of 31 BCE, is in 68 destroyed by the Romans, who leave a garrison here.