historical perspectives: from the hasmoneans to bar kokhba in light ...

NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS 183
tained no Hebrew scrolls but was filled with many Greek papyri of
various texts. Among them were fourteen alleged Gospel of Mark
papyrus scroll fragments. The other ten caves contained Aramaic
and many Hebrew manuscripts. For some Christian scholars (O'Callaghan,
1974; Thiede, 1992), the Cave 7 fragments became the cornerstone
of New Testament textual studies because they seemed to
represent the earliest written Christian documents. In the same cave,
a large ledge-handled jar bearing the name "ROMA" was also found.
Those who believed in the authenticity of the so-called New Testament
texts found in Cave 7 viewed this jar as a corroborating sign and
the link between the origin of the scrolls from overseas (Rome) and
Qumran.
The ROMA inscription, written twice in paint or ink on the shoulder
of the jar near the opposed pierced ledge handles, fit Thiede's
theory that fourteen preserved papyrus fragments of Mark's Gospel
could "have reached Qumran from Rome within a fortnight, via
Jerusalem or directly from the port of Yafo or Caesarea Maritima"
(Thiede, 1996). Furthermore, he mentioned that the inscription "ROMA"
might indicate '"the provenance of its contents," i.e., the scrolls had
been identified as coming from Rome.
We made it our task to determine whether the Roma jar had
been imported from either one of the four mentioned sites, Rome,
Jerusalem, Caesarea and Yafo (Jaffa), or whether it was locally made
and preserved on the shores of the Dead Sea at Qumran. If the jar
happened to be made locally, one would have to exclude Rome or
any other possible site of origin.
The chemical compositions of pottery found at Jerusalem and
Caesarea Maritima are well represented in our data banks. However,
there is no adequate site-specific reference for Rome or Yafo sufficient
to establish a statistical match. To circumvent this inconvenience,
our neutron activation analysis study focused upon establishing the
chemical fingerprint of the local Qumran ware itself. Ninety-one
ceramic vessels and vessel fragments were sampled covering all types
of pottery found in the Qumran settlement and its caves.
Preliminary Results
From the results obtained at Qumran, we were able to form a chemical
group of pottery that matched certain reference materials. These