Qumran is a site near the Dead Sea that is believed to have been inhabited by the Essences. Who were the Essenes? After the Second Temple was destroyed, there were different sects of Jews living in the land of Israel. The Essenes strived to live a very isolated and pious life. They lived celibate and refrained from other sensual pleasures in order to devote their lives to study. They also immersed multiple times a day in the mikva (ritual path). Some historian believe this was the roots of Christianity, others call them "the early Hasidim". More about the Essenes can be found by clicking here.
The site is most famous for the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The scrolls are a collection of about 900 documents from the Hebrew Bible found in 11 different caves. They are the oldest surviving biblical documents dating back to the second Temple period. It is interesting to note that the scrolls were discovered between 1947-1956, at a time when the area was under Jordanian control. Because of that, Jews did not have access to the scrolls at the time. The politics, are for another discussion. If you are interested in viewing some of the scrolls from up close, go pay a visit to Kibbutz Almog, not far from the site.
For any history buff or Bible enthusiast, this site is a must see, and its only about an hour away from Jerusalem.
