The Dead Sea Scrolls – IELTS Reading Answers

The ‘The Dead Sea Scrolls’ Academic Reading Passage is a good resource for anyone who is preparing for the IELTS Reading test. The passage that is present in this blog is similar in difficulty to the passages that you will encounter on the actual IELTS Reading test.

By taking the ‘The Dead Sea Scrolls’ IELTS Reading Answer, you can get a feel for the types of questions that you will be asked and the level of difficulty that you can expect.

The question types in this Reading Passage include:

• Note Completion (Q. 1-5)
• True/False/Not Given (Q. 6-13)

For more IELTS Reading practice, take more IELTS reading practice tests.

Reading Passage

The Dead Sea Scrolls

In late 1946 or early 1947, three Bedouin teenagers were tending their goats and sheep near the ancient settlement of Qumran, located on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea in what is now known as the West Bank. One of these young shepherds tossed a rock into an opening on the side of a cliff and was surprised to hear a shattering sound. He and his companions later entered the cave and stumbled across a collection of large clay jars, seven of which contained scrolls with writing on them. The teenagers took the seven scrolls to a nearby town where they were sold for a small sum to a local antiquities dealer. Word of the find spread and Bedouins and archaeologists eventually unearthed tens of thousands of additional scroll fragments from 10 nearby caves; together they make up between 800 and 900 manuscripts. It soon became clear that this was one of the greatest archaeological discoveries ever made.

The origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were written around 2,000 years ago between 150 BCE and 70 CE, is still the subject of scholarly debate even today. According to the prevailing theory, they are the work of a population that inhabited the area until Roman troops destroyed the settlement around 70 CE. The area was known as Judea at that time, and the people are thought to have belonged to a group called the Essenes, a devout Jewish sect.

The majority of the texts on the Dead Sea Scrolls are in Hebrew, with some fragments written in an ancient version of its alphabet thought to have fallen out of use in the fifth century BCE. But there are other languages as well. Some scrolls are in Aramaic, the language spoken by many inhabitants of the region from the sixth century BCE to the siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE. In addition, several texts feature translations of the Hebrew Bible into Greek.

The Dead Sea Scrolls include fragments from every book of the Old Testament of the Bible except for the Book of Esther. The only entire book of the Hebrew Bible preserved among the manuscripts from Qumran is Isaiah; this copy, dated to the first century BCE, is considered the earliest biblical manuscript still in existence. Along with biblical texts, the scrolls include documents about sectarian regulations and religious writings that do not appear in the Old Testament.

The writing on the Dead Sea Scrolls is mostly in black or occasionally red ink, and the scrolls themselves are nearly all made of either parchment (animal skin) or an early form of paper called ‘papyrus’. The only exception is the scroll numbered 3Q15, which was created out of a combination of copper and tin. Known as the Copper Scroll, this curious document features letters chiseled onto metal – perhaps, as some have theorized, to better withstand the passage of time. One of the most intriguing manuscripts from Qumran, is a sort of ancient treasure map that lists dozens of gold and silver caches. Using an unconventional vocabulary and odd spelling, it describes 64 underground hiding places that supposedly contain riches buried for safekeeping. None of these hoards have been recovered, possibly because the Romans pillaged Judea during the first century CE. According to various hypotheses, the treasure belonged to local people and was rescued from the Second Temple before its destruction, or never existed to begin with.

Some of the Dead Sea Scrolls have been on interesting journeys. In 1948, a Syrian Orthodox archbishop known as Mar Samuel acquired four of the original seven scrolls from a Jerusalem shoemaker and part-time antiquity dealer, paying less than $100 for them. He then traveled to the United States and unsuccessfully offered them to a number of universities, including Yale. Finally, in 19M, he placed an advertisement in the business newspaper The Wall Street Journal – under the category ‘Miscellaneous Items for Sale’ – that read: ‘Biblical Manuscripts: dating back to at least 200 B.C. are for sale. This would be an ideal gift to an educational or religious institution by an individual or group. Fortunately, an Israeli archaeologist and statesman Yigael Yadin negotiated their purchase and brought the scrolls back to Jerusalem, where they remain to this day.

In 2017, researchers from the University of Haifa restored and deciphered one of the last untranslated scrolls. The university’s Eshbal Ratson and Jonathan Ben-Dov spent one year reassembling the 60 fragments that make up the scroll. Deciphered from a band of coded text on parchment, the find provides insight into the community of people who wrote it and the 364-day calendar they would have used. The scroll names celebrations that indicate shifts in seasons and details two yearly religious events known from another Dead Sea Scroll. Only one more known scroll remains untranslated.

Questions 1-5

The Dead Sea Scrolls

Discovery

Qumran, 1946/7

• three Bedouin shepherds in their teens were near an opening on the side of a cliff
• heard a noise of breaking when one teenager threw a 1………
• teenagers went into the 2………………….and found a number of containers made of 3………

The scrolls

• date from between 150 BCE and 70 CE
• thought to have been written by a group of people known as the 4………..
• written mainly in the 5…………………..language
• most are on religious topics, written using ink on parchment or papyrus

Questions 6-13

6 The Bedouin teenagers who found the scrolls were disappointed by how little money they received for them.

7 There is agreement among academics about the origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

8 Most of the books of the Bible written on the scrolls are incomplete.

9 The information on the Copper Scroll is written in an unusual way.

10 Mar Samuel was given some of the scrolls as a gift.

11 In the early 1950s, a number of educational establishments in the US were keen to buy scrolls from Mar Samuel.

12 The scroll that was pieced together in 2017 contains information about annual occasions in the Qumran area 2000 years ago.

13 Academics at the University of Haifa are currently researching how to decipher the final scroll.

The Dead Sea Scrolls IELTS Reading Answers with Location and Explanation

1 Answer: rock

Answer Location: Paragraph 1, lines 3-4
Answer Explanation: In late 1946 or early 1947, three Bedouin teenagers were herding their goats and sheep near the ancient Qumran settlement on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, now in the West Bank. One of them threw a rock into a cliffside opening and was amazed when it made a cracking sound.

2 Answer: cave

Answer Location: Paragraph 1, lines 4-5
Answer Explanation: The mentioned place was situated on the northwest bank of the Dead Sea and was renamed as West Bank, in late 1946 or early 1947. As one of the shepherds threw a stone, he heard a shattering sound. He was bewildered hearing it. Then he suggested some of his friends to enter the cave.

3 Answer: clay

Answer Location: Paragraph 1, line 5
Answer Explanation: After the surprising sound from the thrown stone, the shepherd and his friends ventured into the cave where they found several large clay jars. Among them, seven jars contained written scrolls.

4 Answer: Essenes

Answer Location: Paragraph 2, lines 4-5
Answer Explanation: According to the prevailing theory, the Dead Sea Scrolls were produced by a community that resided in the region known as Judea until it was destroyed by Roman armies in 70 CE. This community is thought to have consisted of members of the Essenes, a dedicated Jewish sect.

5 Answer: Hebrew

Answer Location: Paragraph 3, line 1
Answer Explanation: The majority of the Dead Sea Scrolls are written in Hebrew, with some passages using an earlier alphabet believed to have ceased around the fifth century BCE. There are also texts in other languages.

6 Answer: NOT GIVEN

Answer Explanation: There is not no justified information to validate the above statement.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in The Dead Sea Scrolls Reading Answers

Now let’s get started with the tips for each question type. It’ll help you understand how to approach the problem.

Note Completion

IELTS Reading Note Completion questions require you to complete a set of notes, summaries, or sentences with information from the passage. Here are five tips to help you excel in this question type:

1. Paraphrasing is key: The passage may not always use the same wording as the notes. Be on the lookout for synonyms, paraphrases, or similar expressions that convey the same meaning. The ability to recognize and interpret paraphrased information is crucial in this question type.
2. Read the passage actively: As you read the passage, actively search for information that matches the content of the notes. Look for keywords, phrases, and concepts that align with what’s missing in the notes. Underline or highlight relevant parts of the text.
3. Skim the notes: Before you begin reading the passage, quickly skim through the notes or sentences that need to be completed. Pay attention to keywords and the structure of the notes. This will give you an idea of what to look for in the text.
4. Use the context: Pay close attention to the context of the passage and the surrounding information. This context can provide valuable clues to help you fill in the missing parts of the notes. Understand the flow of the text to ensure your answers make sense in the given context.
5. Be concise and clear: When completing the notes, make your answers clear and concise. Avoid unnecessary details or lengthy sentences. Keep in mind that the notes are typically shorter and more focused than the original text. Ensure that your answers fit the format and structure of the notes provided.

True/False/Not Given

1. Focus on keywords: Identify the keywords in the statement and look for those exact words or synonyms in the passage.
2. Refer to the passage: For each statement, go back to the passage and carefully locate the relevant information. Pay close attention to the wording of the statement and compare it to the information in the passage.
3. Read the instructions carefully: Understand the difference between “True,” “False,” and “Not Given.” “True” means the information is directly stated in the passage, “False” means it contradicts the information in the passage, and “Not Given” means the information isn’t mentioned in the passage.
4. Beware of paraphrasing: Sometimes, the statement is paraphrased in the passage, so be vigilant about synonyms and rephrase sentences.
5. Watch out for distractors: The passage may contain information that seems related to the statement but isn’t directly addressing it. Don’t be tricked by these distractors; the answer should directly match the statement.

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