Researchers at the conservation labs of the Israel Antiquities Authority have used advanced multispectral imaging to decipher Hebrew text on several Dead Sea Scroll fragments that had been invisible to the naked eye. In the 1950s archaeologists stored batches of smaller fragments from Cave 11 in cigar boxes. Some of these fragments were recently analysed as part of the digitalization project of the scrolls, resulting in three significant discoveries. One of the fragments seems to come from a previously unknown manuscript. Another belongs to the Temple Scroll, which deals with instructions for conducting services in the Temple. There had been some debate as to whether there were two or three copies of the Temple Scroll in Cave 11; the new portion indicates there were indeed three copies. The third fragment belonged to the Great Psalms scroll and fills in the missing portion that begins Ps. 147:1. It is estimated that there are 19 cigar boxes of Dead Sea Scroll fragments from Cave 11 still to be analyzed. The newly deciphered fragments were recently presented at an international conference in Jerusalem called, "The Dead Sea Scrolls at Seventy: Clear a Path in the Wilderness."
Off-site Links:
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/dead-sea-scroll-fragment-unveiled-in-israel-may-point-to-an-unknown-manuscript/
- https://www.jewishpress.com/news/archaeology-news/hidden-script-uncovered-in-fragments-of-dead-sea-scrolls/2018/05/01/
