Israel Reveals Newly Discovered Fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls (original) (raw)
Middle East|Israel Reveals Newly Discovered Fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/16/world/middleeast/dead-sea-scrolls-israel.html
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The finds, ranging from just a few millimeters to a thumbnail in size, are the first to be unearthed in archaeological excavations in the Judean Desert in about 60 years.
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Newly Discovered Dead Sea Scroll Fragments Revealed
On Tuesday, Israeli researchers unveiled dozens of newly discovered Dead Sea Scroll fragments containing biblical texts dating back nearly 2,000 years.
“Have they been carbon dated?” “No.” [talking] “We’re here where we discovered, for the first time in over 50 years, new fragments of biblical texts for the Dead Sea region. We found, specifically we found fragment, one fragment from the Book of Zechariah.” “A basket and the scrolls were both found during a very big project led by I.A.A. to survey all the caves in the Judaean desert. After a lot of years of that, looters are coming in the caves to loot all the amazing stuff: coins, basketry, clothes and scrolls, of course.”
On Tuesday, Israeli researchers unveiled dozens of newly discovered Dead Sea Scroll fragments containing biblical texts dating back nearly 2,000 years.CreditCredit...Sebastian Scheiner/Associated Press
March 16, 2021
JERUSALEM — Israeli researchers unveiled on Tuesday dozens of newly discovered Dead Sea Scroll fragments containing biblical texts dating back nearly 2,000 years, adding to the body of artifacts that have shed light on the history of Judaism, early Christian life and ancient humankind.
The parchment fragments, ranging from just a few millimeters to a thumbnail in size, are the first in about 60 years to have been unearthed in archaeological excavations in the Judean Desert. They were found as part of a four-year Israeli national project to prevent further looting of antiquities from the remote caves and crevices of the desert east and southeast of Jerusalem, which straddles the boundary of Israel and the occupied West Bank.
The project turned up many other rare and historic finds, including a large woven basket with a lid that has been dated to approximately 10,500 years ago and may be the oldest such intact basket in the world. The archaeologists also found a 6,000-year-old, partially mummified skeleton of a child buried in the fetal position and wrapped in a cloth.
“The desert team showed exceptional courage, dedication and devotion to purpose, rappelling down to caves located between heaven and earth,” said Israel Hasson, the departing director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, which is the custodian of some 15,000 fragments of the scrolls.
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An ancient basket with a lid, recently discovered in Judean Desert caves.Credit...Ammar Awad/Reuters
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Ancient arrow and spearheads were among the artifacts.Credit...Ammar Awad/Reuters
He added in a statement that their work in the caves involved “digging and sifting through them, enduring thick and suffocating dust, and returning with gifts of immeasurable worth for mankind.”
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