As the Israelis and Palestinians struggle slowly and painfully toward some kind of accommodation that eventually will almost certainly involve the creation of a Palestinian state, the future of the scrolls and the settlement associated with them is emerging as another thorny issue.
Several things are clear.
Qumran is in the West Bank. So are the 11 caves where the scrolls were discovered between 1947 and 1956. And before 1967, Qumran was in an area controlled by Jordan. The Palestinians have already stated that they want both the scrolls and the site, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Israel and the West Bank. Whether Qumran will ultimately be part of the state of Israel or the state of Palestine will be a matter of negotiation between the parties.