Biblical Text from 500 A.D. Deciphered from Charred Scroll

Discovery ^ | Jul 20, 2015 06:06 PM ET // by | Rossella Lorenzi

[BenLurkin]

Virtual unwrapping software has revealed verses from the Book of Leviticus in a charred parchment scroll, making it the oldest biblical text after the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Monday.

Found 45 years ago inside the Holy Ark of the synagogue at Ein Gedi, on the western shore of the Dead Sea, the 2.7-inch scroll was dated by C14 analysis to about 500 AD.

“This is the first time in any archaeological excavation that a Torah scroll was found in a synagogue, particularly inside a Holy Ark,” the IAA said in a statement.

...

To decipher the 1,500-year-old charred remains, the IAA, working with Merkel Technologies Company, Ltd. Israel, first scanned it with a micro-computed tomography machine.

The results of the CT scans were sent to Brent Seales of the University of Kentucky, author of a digital-imaging software capable of virtually unrolling the scroll.

Indeed, Seales’s software produced a flattened readable text from the micro-computed tomography, discerning the first eight verses of the Book of Leviticus.

“The page actually comes from a layer buried deep within the many wraps of the scroll body, and is possible to view it only through the remarkable results of our software,” Seales said.

Pnina Shor, curator and director of IAA’s Dead Sea Scrolls Projects, admitted there was little hope to make the scroll readable.

“We were certain it was just a shot in the dark but decided to try and scan the burnt scroll anyway,” Shor said.

“Now, not only can we bequeath the Dead Sea Scrolls to future generations, but also a part of the Bible from a Holy Ark of a 1,500-year old synagogue,” she added.

[exnavy]

Bump

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

making it the oldest biblical text after the Dead Sea Scrolls

Not even close. There are many, many New Testament texts older than that. But it is not even true for Old Testament texts.

The Nash Papyrus dates to the 1st to 2nd century B.C. The silver scrolls from Ketef Hinnom date to the late seventh century B.C.

[minnesota_bound]

It says a man named Indiana will keep the Arc out of the hands of evil.

[bajabaja]

Leviticus.

Good in the time of Moses, and perhaps even more now.

[smokingfrog]

And right here it says:
"Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

[xzins]

Ping

[CommerceComet]

Given the recent Supreme Court decision, wouldn’t it be fitting if Leviticus 18:22 (”Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, it is an abomination”) was part of the text recovered? Of course, modern “scholars” will continue to argue that this verse doesn’t mean what it says.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Well-stated. Thank you.

More of secular media's Biblical illiteracy and willful ignorance. It will never, ever end.

[liberalh8ter]

It appears to be about Obama.

[Cats Pajamas]

Damn straight

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks xzins for the ping, thanks Red Badger for that link in FReepmail, and BenLurkin for posting the topic!

[Red Badger]

Be sure to drink your Ovaltine......................

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Red Badger:

21st century technology deciphers ancient Hebrew scroll July 20, 2015 by Steve Weizman

[BenLurkin]

Hussein sure looks unhappy in that pic.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Engraved-on-His-hands.

‘Silver scrolls’ are oldest O.T. scripture, archaeologist says
http://www.bpnews.net/17741
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1087478/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1228872/posts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketef_Hinnom

Nash Papyrus
http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-OR-00233

Israeli museum unveils ancient Jewish prayer book
Associated Press | Sep 18, 2014 3:00 PM EDT
Posted on 09/18/2014 12:44:09 PM PDT by Olog-hai
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3205458/posts

> An Israeli museum on Thursday unveiled what it says in the oldest known Jewish prayer book in the world, dating back to the 9th century A.D.

[Bigg Red]

Wow! Goosebumps. Amazing technological feat, too.

[SunkenCiv]

Very.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thanks for those links. In describing the discovery of the silver scrolls, I was especially taken with their explanation that it took them three years to unroll them. What painstaking work!

Thanks to both of you for mentioning both the scrolls and the Nash papyrus--although I was born again nearly four decades ago and have always been a diligent Bible student, somehow they had escaped my attention and I was completely ignorant of them. Ignorant no more, thanks to you both!

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

You’re very, very welcome. The Nash Papyrus has been around for awhile, but the silver scrolls are part of an exciting group of finds in recent decades. If you get time, you might want to look up such things as the Deir Alla inscription, the Goliath shard, the finds at Khirbet Qeiyafa, and the Tel Dan inscription, among others.