In this report on the sifting of Jerusalem Temple Mount rubble http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1383353/posts is reported the following find
"* An ivory comb, apparently from the Second Temple period. Similar combs have been found at Qumran and it is probable that they were used as preparation for ritual purification in a mikveh (ritual bath), prior to entering the Temple courts" I haven't yet seen a photo of this comb. It may be worth noting, provisionally, that two pairs of combs that appeared in several Dead Sea Scroll exhibits, and catalogues, are not from Qumran. Or, more precisely, two are from Wadi Murabba'at caves (DJD II); the other two, as far as I know, are not from Qumran; at least, they are not from de Vaux' excavation of Khirbet Qumran (as opposed to a Cave One broken fragment), based on the publications and on personal communication from J.-B. Humbert. The comb photo on the cover and on a full-page plate inside Y. Hirschfeld, Qumran in Context, is misleading, as it is not properly linked to Qumran. Perhaps some other dig than de Vaux may have found one or more combs at Qumran; but, to my knowledge, none have so far been published. So this is a note of caution about comparing the Jerusalem comb to Qumran. On the other hand, the sifting of the Temple Mount rubble surely has yielded very interesting finds and is a worthwhile project. best, Stephen Goranson _______________________________________________ g-Megillot mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.McMaster.CA/mailman/listinfo/g-megillot
