Deemed unreadable since they were found over 7 decades ago. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Comments
After a period of more than 70 years, a scientist posits that he has finally deciphered the writing on the Dead Sea Scrolls. The age-old ‘Cryptic B’ script was composed of seriously degraded pieces, inscribed with writing using an unknown character set.
Unearthed in caverns close to the West Bank between 1947 and 1956, the scrolls stand among the most ancient existing biblical documents, penned in Hebrew, Aramaic, and sometimes Greek. While the ‘Cryptic A’ scroll was interpreted back in 1955, the Cryptic B had been considered beyond comprehension. However, researcher Emmanuel Oliveiro of the University of Groningen suggests he has managed to match each symbol with a letter to uncover religious texts.
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They are believed to relate to well-known biblical expressions regarding the apocalypse, including divine adjudication and the advent of a Messiah, according to the Daily Mail.
Reports mention allusions to Judah, Jacob, and Elohim (equating to ‘God’), along with the term Yisrael (denoting ‘Israel’).
One piece mentions “the tents of Jacob,” which are present in Jeremiah 30:18 and Malachi 2:12. Although the passages are not directly cited, it is supposed to have an association with sacred themes. Another segment alludes to “Elohim” and “your glory”.
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The pieces also encompassed references to dates and rulers, such as the use of “the second year” and “the fifth month”, potentially indicating precise chronological dating practices.
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The manuscripts were created by the Qumran, a Jewish group renowned for keeping safe sacred writings, who existed close to the Dead Sea more than 2,000 years ago.
Known as 4Q362 and 4Q363, they are considerably harmed and eroded, with certain pieces just a few millimetres in size. The leather is fractured, discoloured or worn.
Deformed letter forms on Cryptic B led it to seem indecipherable for many years. Considerable diversity exists between the documents, and the employment of an unusual alphabet could signify it was designed for a particular group, for example priestly leaders, elevating the text’s hallowed status.