> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Dietel [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 2:03 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: orion-list Essenes at Qumran: A Reality Check
>
>
> Gentle people--
>
> As astonishing as Rochelle' minimum of 32 l/day seems, some
> specialists seem to
> think the figure is even higher:
>
> "The minimum basic water requirement for human health,
> including drinking water, is 50 liters per capita per day
> ...[Pimentel, D, O.
> Bailey, P. Kim, E. Mullaney, J. Calabrese, L. Walman, F.
> Nelson, and X. Yao. WILL
> LIMITS OF THE EARTH'S RESOURCES CONTROL HUMAN NUMBERS?
> College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, CORNELL UNIVERSITY,
> February 25, 1999]
> [see also Gleick, P.H. 1996. Basic water requirements
> for human activities:
> meeting basic needs. Water International 21(2): 83-92.]
But this estimate would appear to include water for all purposes, not just
drinking. It also does not necessarily presuppose the climate at Qumran.
Another question that would seem to rest on the issue of the usage of water
for human purposes is the siege at Masada. My understanding is that the
Romans were forced to transport water from a distance while the Zealots had
a supply of water on the top (there are large cisterns there). Recognizing
that there have been critiques of Josephus' story here (although the ramp,
the outlines of the camps and the siege wall looked very real to me), the
water usage requirements might serve to qualify that account in some way.
David Suter
Saint Martin's College
For private reply, e-mail to "Suter, David" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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