Purity and Purification in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Miqva’ot of Qumran: The Convergence of Text and Archaeology

Ritual purity was central to the life of the Dead Sea sectarians. Qumran purity is part of the set of regulations connected with sectarian life, and it includes the role of purity in the initiation process, the link between purity and sin, and the onset of impurity as a result of transgression. What emerges from study of the sectarian material is an understanding of the unique relationship between repentance, initiation into the sect, and ritual purification. This chapter examines the archaeological evidence of miqva’ot at Qumran, the ritual baths that were used for purification, their size, location, water supply, and construction. The physical evidence of miqva’ot complements the emphasis on the maintenance of purity among the sectarians that is a major component of their literature.