Science News  ... from universities, journals, and other
research organizations  Biblical Latrine: Ancient Parasites Show
That Cleanliness May Have Been Next To Sickliness   Share This:
Now, new scientific findings from the settlement connect Qumran
to details in the scrolls, and give direct evidence of Essene
culture at the site. The discovery may also provide a window
into dynamic relationships between the sect's rigorous religious
practices and the community's health.  A forthcoming report
presenting new bioarchaeological evidence from Qumran reconfirms
the "Essene hypothesis" by showing the presence of unusual and
extreme toiletry and hygiene practices in the ancient community.
The evidence points to the Qumran inhabitants' detailed
obedience to unique, rigorously demanding precepts that are
specified in Dead Sea Scrolls texts and also documented in a
Roman-era descriptions of the Essenes.   University of North
Carolina at Charlotte biblical scholar James Tabor suggested the
investigation at a site outsi