

orion dates, coins, places

Essenes surely lived in Jerusalem at times. But it may be useful to ask
also about other places as well as Jerusalem and Quman/Feshkha.
Stephen Pfann wrote that fewer lived at Qumran after the earthquake (and
perhaps went to Jerusalem). I guess not all Jerusalem Essenes came from
Qumran, but ask:
What evidence is there that only few lived at Qumran during most of Herod's
And, possibly related: Earlier, coin study was cited for setting the
beginning of period 1. What proportion of Qumran coins were clearly
assigned to sealed loci? If it is a small proportion, and if coins were not
minted evenly for each year, nor retained in circulation in identical
duration, and considering the affects of having a communal treasury--how
much weight should be given to proportions of random coin distribution
(compared to, say, pottery and usage of loci)? In other words, is there
evidence besides the coin data which makes a statement that few lived at
Qumran for some years post-31 secure?  Some post- de Vaux  archaeologists,
rightly or wrongly, have stated that, during the Herodian period, Qumran
population was up. Jerusalem and Qumran Essene population need not
necessarily be proportionally inverse, do they?
Stephen Goranson       goranson@duke.edu