A young Muslim shepherd made an amazing discovery in 1947 in the Jordan desert. The whole world heard about it!. Here is his photo and below is his remarkable, world-famous story and our tribute to Muhammed ed-Dib.
Muhammed ed-Dib (left) and Jum’a ed-Dib (right) who discovered the first Dead Sea scrolls. (Photo C Treve)
Muhammad Ahmed al-Hamed was born in 1931. Today he is better known as Mohammed ed-Dib or Muhammed edh-Dhib (in Arabic محمد لاذئب Mohammed Lupul.) He is a Bedouin shepherd of the Ta’amireh tribe, residing in Bethlehem, and he discovered the Dead Sea manuscripts.
In the winter of 1946-47 and the spring of 1947, a Bedouin from the semi-nomadic tribe of Ta’ami discovered a cave in the desert of Wadi Qumran. This cave was in Jordan, 2 km from the Dead Sea and 13 km Lehiron.
Muhammad ed Dib was tending his 50 sheep when he threw a stone into one of the caves. He heard a sound like a breaking jar. He decided to investigate the cave. His stone had smashed a jar that contained leather with Hebrew writing on it. He took it back home and showed it to his father.
Two years later his father sold the leather to a merchant who later sold it to an American University. Excited by the value of the scrolls, further exploration from 1949 to 1956 uncovered jars in eleven more caves with scrolls that contained the entire Old Testament in Hebrew and Aramaic except for the Book of Esther. Some of the writings were inscriptions on copper plates. The caves also yielded up many ancient historical records from the times of Isaiah through to Christ.
The Old Testament was carbon dated at 100 to 300 BC. The area suffered an earthquake in 31 BC, that may have contributed to the area suffering a sudden decrease in the Essene community. It remained isolated for centuries.
The message of the book of Isaiah had been given to the prophet in approximately 750-700 BC. Here is a brief summary of the scriptures in Isaiah under three headings.
The nation of Israel at the time of the coming of the Messiah
They will not be “as Sodom and Gomorrah”; (Isaiah 1:9) but it will be a nation “whose stump remains when it is felled”(Isaiah 6:11-13).
The person of the Messiah and His life, death and resurrection and return as the Just Judge
1) He will be born of a Davidic virgin (Is 7:14) – (Lk 1:26- 31)
2) a Galilean ministry (Is 9:1-2) – (Mt 4:13-16)
3) an heir to the throne of David (Is 9:6/7; 11:1, 10); (Lk 1:32-33)
4) His way is prepared (Is 40:3-5) – fulfilled by John the Baptist (Mt 3:3; Mk 1:2-3; Lk 1:76; Jn 1:19-28)
5) be spat on and struck (Is 50:6) – (Mt 26:67)
6) be exalted (Is 52:13) – (Jn 12:32)
7) be disfigured by suffering (Is 52:14; 53:2) (Mt 27:29-30; Mk 15:15 -19; Lk 22:63; Jn 19:1-3)
8) be widely rejected (Is 53:1, 3) – (Jn 12:37, 38)
9) bear our sins and sorrows (Is 53.4,5) (1 Pt 2.24,25)
10) God’s Spirit will rest on Him (Is 11:2) – (Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22; 4:1)
11) Gentiles will seek Him (Is 11:10) – (Lk 2:30-32; Jn12:20-21)
12) make a blood atonement (Is 53:5) – (Jn 19:34)
13) voluntarily accept our guilt and punishment for sin without opening His mouth, like a lamb led to slaughter (Is 53:7) – (Mt 27:14; Jn 1:29)
14) be our substitute (Is 53:6, 8) – (Rom 5:6, 8)
15) bear the sins of many for the sake of their salvation (Is 53:12) (Jn 3:16)
16) die with transgressors (Is 53:12) – (Mk 15:27-28; Lk 22:37; 23:33)
17) heal the broken-hearted (Is 61:1-2) – (Lk 4:18-19)
18) be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Is 53:9) – (Mt 27:57-60; Jn 19:38-42)
19) He will judge the earth with righteousness (Is 11:4, 5) – (Jn 5:27)
The message of the Messiah – Jesus Christ
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, take away from before my eyes the evil of your deeds. Cease to do evil, learn to do good” (Isaiah 1:16-17).
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace, and brings good news of happiness, and announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns'” (Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15).
“His own arm brought salvation to him, and His righteousness upheld him” (Isaiah 59:15-16).
“A Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob declares the Lord” (Isaiah 59:20).
“All nations will stream to the mountain of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:2-4).
“In a favourable time I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you…”(Isaiah 49:8).
“His own arm brought salvation to him, and His righteousness upheld him” (Isaiah 59:15-16).
“…to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house, when you see the naked to clothe him…” (Isaiah 58:7).
The first chapter of Isaiah clarifies God’s reason for rejecting as filthy rags, the righteousness of his people, in Judah and Jerusalem. (Isaiah 64:4-9). They were “alas a sinful nation”; and a rebellious people (Isaiah 1:4-5). They are likened to Sodom and Gomorrah (Isaiah 1:10 – 11). Yet they offered to God multiplied sacrifices and prayers (Isaiah 1:11-15). “How the faithful city has become a harlot, she who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her” (Isaiah 1:21).
Sources of this analysis of scriptures about the person of Jesus Christ: Michal E. Hunt Copyright © 2000, revised 2018 www.AgapeBibleStudy.com
Ron Graham – Australia; https://www.simplybible.com/f589-isaiah-a-day-of-salvation.htm
At the time Muhammad ed Dib found the Old Testament scrolls, just after the second World War, which ended in August 1945, many Christians in the USA, United Kingdom and Western Europe were doubting their faith. They wondered how a loving God could allow the death and destruction of 70 million people including 6-7 million Jews. They doubted the authenticity of the Bible.
Muhammad ed Dib’s discovery was very significant.
His discovery proved that the Holy Bible in Hebrew and Aramaic had not been changed in more than 2,000 years. The discovery of the book of Isaiah confirmed that the prophet had prophesied so many aspects of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the son of Mary.
Tap for further evidence and research on these scrolls.
Islamic scholars involved in the Dead Sea Scrolls recovery, confirmed the authentication of the Torah, Zabur and Injil given to Moses, David and Jesus in Surah 2:87, and its inability to be altered, because of His protection of His words (Surah 6:115). The words of Allah cannot be changed according to Surah 10:64 and 18:27. If you doubt this then read Surah 10:94-95.
This leaflet pays tribute to Muhammad ed Dib whose discovery has provided the evidence to prove that the Old Testament is unchanged and Jesus Christ is ‘the child born to us, and the son given to us, and the government will rest on His shoulders, and His name is called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace, and of the increase of His government there will be no end.’ Isaiah 9:6-7