Dead Sea Scrolls

(Image credit: Keystone/Getty)

Found in 12 caves in the West Bank, the Dead Sea Scrolls consist of thousands of fragments from over 900 manuscripts that may have been written by a sect called the Essenes. They contain texts from the Hebrew Bible as well as calendars, astronomical observations and community rules. Here, Live Science brings you all the latest news about newfound scrolls, decoded fragments and all the mystery surrounding the discoveries.

Latest about dead sea scrolls

An orange-colored parchment is fragmented and covered in Greek letters

1,900-year-old papyrus 'best-documented Roman court case from Judaea apart from the trial of Jesus'

By Kristina Killgrove published 29 January 25

A newly translated papyrus found in Israel provides information about criminal cases and slave ownership in the Roman Empire.

Romans

This image shows part of Egypt's 'lost golden city.'

5 archaeological 'digs' to watch in 2022

By Owen Jarus last updated 14 July 22

Archaeological predictions for the new year include: discoveries from Egypt's "lost golden city," new finds from Qumran and evidence that may shed light on what life was like 11,000 years ago.

Archaeology

A conservator of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) shows fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls at their laboratory in Jerusalem on June 2, 2020.

Medieval Hebrew document could reveal why Dead Sea Scrolls were found in Qumran

By Tom Metcalfe published 27 September 21

An ancient Hebrew document created more than 1,000 years ago and stashed away in Cairo may unlock a secret of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Archaeology

The Great Isaiah Scroll, one of the seven original Dead Sea Scrolls found in the late 1940s, on display at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. In a new study, researchers determined that two scribes wrote this scroll.

Mysterious second writer of Dead Sea Scroll uncovered by AI

By Laura Geggel published 21 April 21

Two scribes wrote the famous Great Isaiah Scroll, researchers found with the help of AI and statistics.

Artificial Intelligence

Part of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets scroll, written in Greek.

Biblical scroll discovered in 'Cave of Horror' in Israel

By Owen Jarus published 16 March 21

Fragments of a biblical scroll dating back 1,900 years have been discovered in the "Cave of Horror" in the Judean Desert in Israel.

Archaeology

Fragments of the dead sea scrolls photographed in a lab in Jerusalem, Israel in 2012.

Ancient DNA could reveal full stories on the Dead Sea Scrolls

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published 2 June 20

Tiny traces of ancient DNA in Dead Sea Scrolls could help scientists piece the fragments together.

Genetics

The Hebrew word "Shabbat" is visible in the upper right hand corner. A lamed (the letter "L" in Hebrew) is written on the left side of the fragment.

'Blank' Dead Sea Scrolls have hidden letters on them

By Laura Geggel published 18 May 20

These Dead Sea Scroll fragments appeared blank to the naked eye.

Human Behavior

Secret to This Dead Sea Scroll’s Incredible Preservation — And Inevitable Destruction — Could Be Salt

By Brandon Specktor published 6 September 19

The Temple Scroll is the best preserved of all 900 Dead Sea Scrolls, and researchers just got one step closer to figuring out its secret.

Archaeology

U.S. soldiers patrol the Iraq National Museum, which opened its doors July 3, 2003, for the first time since the April 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, Iraq. The museum was plagued with weeks of looting that also sacked the museum.

7 Biblical Sites Ravaged by Modern-Day Looters

By Owen Jarus published 27 March 19

These historical ruins from the time of Jesus attract more than the public eye — Looters continue to raid the archaeological remains in hopes of selling what they find.

Religion