Secacah (Hebrew:סְכָכָה,səkākā) is a town mentioned in theHebrew Bible/Old Testament as well as in theDead Sea Scrolls. The town was located in the wilderness ofJudah, otherwise known as theJudean Desert, and is identified by some scholars with the archaeological site ofKhirbet Qumran.
Thetoponym Secacah is derived from the root סכך, which means either “enclosed” or “cover” (possibly in reference to a shaded area).[1] The variation in the spelling of the place name, סככה in the Hebrew Bible versus סככא in the Copper Scroll, reflects an orthographic phenomenon seen elsewhere in later phases ofHebrew (א < ה). In theGreek versions of the Hebrew Bible, Secacah is transcribed as Σοχοχα inLXX-A but is written Aιχιoζa inLXX-B. In the latter source (LXX-B), however, the place names ofJoshua 15:61–62 seem to have been corrupted.
Secacah is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible,Joshua 15:61, as part of the Tribe of Judah's inheritance. The roster of towns inJoshua 15 is commonly thought to reflect an administrative document that originated during theKingdom of Judah. This list divides the Iron Age kingdom into four regions, theShephelah, theNegeb, the wilderness, and the highlands; Secacah is listed in the wilderness along with theCity of Salt and the better known town ofEn-gedi.[2] Although Secacah is only listed once in the Hebrew Bible, it is mentioned several times in theCopper Scroll, 3Q15 4-5, in reference to the hiding places of the treasures mentioned in this document. The description of Secacah includes a dam and an aqueduct (3Q15 4:13 and 5:1-3) and associates the place with Jericho (3Q15 5:13).
The town of Secacah is listed along with six other towns and related settlements in the wilderness of Judah, situated along the western bank of theDead Sea and commonly known as the Judean Desert.Frank Moore Cross Jr. andJózef Milik located Secacah at the archaeological site of Khirbet es-Samrah in the Buqê’ah, a valley in the Judean Desert.[3] The basis for this identification was that es-Samrah was an Iron Age settlement that was in the same area as Secacah (the wilderness of Judah).John Marco Allegro, however, identified Khirbet Qumran (nearby the Buqê’ah) with Secacah.[4] Although it is most famous as the archaeological site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, excavations have revealed that Qumran was initially inhabited during the Iron Age. The Iron Age remains found there include aLMLK seal (similar to the one found by Cross and Milik at es-Samrah). In addition, the water system at Qumran, which dates to the early Roman Period, is consistent with the description of Secacah in the Copper Scroll.[5]