Regev on Qumran archaeology

QUMRAN AND THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS MONTH: Sectarianism and the Archaeology of Qumran (Eyal Regev, ASOR Blog).

The spatial characteristics of Kh. Qumran correspond to sectarian social organization and ideology as defined by sociologists of religion and documented in studies of different sects, and are typical of the spatial organization of several modern sects, especially the Shakers. These general characteristics are also typical of the Yahad sect of the Community Rule (1QS). They may relate to a certain social correspondence between the inhabitants of the site and the Yahad.

Background here and links.