Home Sweet Home?

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These fortified country estates from throughout the Roman empire are strikingly similar to Qumran’s main building, according to archaeologist Yizhar Hirschfeld. (Hirschfeld’s view of the main building at Qumran is indicated on the plan in “What Do You See?”) While there are some differences in the plans, a central courtyard enclosed by living quarters and a fortified tower much like Qumran’s can be seen on each. Other scholars agree that the archaeological concepts are similar, but contend that this was a standard archaeological plan of the time and could well have been used for a religious commune built in the desert.