A Day in Qumran

• After morning prayers they are dismissed by those in charge, each to his own craft. And they work strenuously until the fifth hour [= 11 a.m.], when they again gather together in one spot. Girding themselves with linen cloths, they wash their bodies with cold water. After this purification, they assemble in a private room, a dining hall as if it were some shrine.

• When they are seated in silence, the baker passes out the loaves according to rank and the cook passes each one a portion from a single dish.

• The priest prays before the meal; and one is not allowed to eat before this prayer. When they have eaten, he gives thanks again