This episode is based on the Dead Sea Scrolls, named after the area where the scrolls were found – on the Qumran desert overlooking the Dead Sea. These scrolls challenge the knowledge we have of the history of modern bible contents and its origin. It is clear archeological wonder that provides incredible insights from centuries ago. These scrolls were first found in 1946 – remains of over a hundred manuscripts discovered in caves on the banks of the Dead Sea. The scrolls are possible original copies of the Old Testament, a thousand years older than the version already known to us.
For more insights and inside knowledge on this thrilling archeological breakthrough, Josh Gates travels to the ancient city of Jerusalem, Israel, where the chapters of the scrolls were first written. Jerusalem is home to several trademarks holding immense religious significance, one of which is the great temple mountain, formerly the famous biblical mountain, Moriah. A Jewish temple was erected around the mountain, and on top, once sat the famous temple of King Solomon before it was later destroyed by invaders in 586BCE. Years later, it was rebuilt by the Jews and represented the centre for Jewish faith, as it housed Jerusalem’s greatest treasures, including several scrolls and sacred manuscripts. After a rebellion against the Romans, the temple was destroyed, and to this day, only the west wall of the temple platform remains.
Around 1946-1947, a young shepherd boy discovered in a cave ten jars containing seven ancient scrolls. Over the years, these scrolls were passed on and on to different people. Four of the scrolls were first sold to a dealer from Bethlehem – an Arab Christian. The other three were bought by a Hebrew professor for a Hebrew university. The Bethlehem dealer then resells his scrolls to an archbishop of a Syrian orthodox church. The archbishop, due to serious political turmoil at the time, smuggles these scrolls into the United States before offering it for sale to the highest bidder on a wall street journal in 1954, after which it was bought by Israeli scholars who recognized the great significance these scrolls hold to their faith.
Understandably, this has triggered much looting and digging in the Qumran desert where these scrolls were first found. In a bid to find and discover some more, the search have yielded a huge result of over 900 manuscripts found in eleven different caves. Before heading to Qumran, Josh visits the Lian livi laboratory of the Israel antiquity authority in Jerusalem; there he saw firsthand some of these scroll confirmed to be the oldest version of chapters of the Old Testament, including the earliest version of the Ten Commandments.
What is interesting however is that the scroll had a slightly different but fundamental provision in the ten commandments – while our modern bibles saw ‘’keep the Sabbath day,” the scroll says ‘’remember the Sabbath day.” Josh also was shown the original scroll of the book of Isaiah and a part of the original writings of the book of Genesis, which uncovers something extraordinary. According to these writings, there was more to Abraham than we know; he was presented as an exorcist that could cast out demons. It appears not only could he talk to God, he had some ‘‘super powers.” The exact meaning of these superpowers is not exactly mentioned in the show. This just tugs at the mind with series of questions: What type of super powers?
To an extent, Christians would argue that being a true Christian grants you superpowers of your prayers being answered, direct connection with God, and the gift of prophesy. The question then arises; were Abraham’s ‘super powers’ beyond the Christian beliefs of power? If so, how and why was that possible? These questions are left unanswered. Also, some of these scrolls are not contained and have nothing to do with the bible, one of which is the ‘’war scroll,’’ which spells out war strategies and formations to help God triumph over evil – is still unclear what that meant; were they written by and for Israelites to fight invaders like the Romans? Or was it placed in the ancient libraries, open to anyone to benefit from? Who was the good? Who was the evil?
Furthermore, in this structure where the scrolls are now kept, exists labs shouldered with the responsibility of deciphering the contents of thousands of scroll fragments. To do this, they use twelve different shades of light; seven were visible, and the remaining five were invisible to the naked human eye. These lights uncover the content of the parchment. A parchment was demonstrated in the show and it revealed the content “let there be light.” This was God’s first words in creation revealed by lights.
Now, Josh finally heads to Qumran located in the heart of the Judean desert, and there, he met with the person in charge of exploring the desert for more scrolls. It was reported that the scrolls were hidden in the desert caves. Interestingly, of 600 caves, 90% of the scrolls were discovered in one of the caves (cave four). Although this was not addressed in the show, it is simply wondrous how out of 600 caves, most scrolls were found in just one. Why was this? Was that cave significant in some way? What was so special about it? Was the cave home of the scribes and learned? These questions continue to be in the wild.
Other caves still contain evidences of people living in them, which begs the question; who were these people? And were they the ones who wrote all the scrolls? The theory is that a group of people, known as the Essens, dwelt in a sector of the desert. They broke out of Jerusalem because they believed the high priests were corrupt and so they observed their rituals and traditions away from Jerusalem. There is evidence to suggest they also wrote some of these scrolls, but not all of them.
It is believed that most of the scrolls were not written in the desert – they were carried there by the Jews who fled Jerusalem during the invasion. They were hidden in jars in the caves or Qumran and they also lived in these caves away from the Romans. Pottery materials were discovered and this is what suggests their living there.
Furthermore, the exploration took us to a place called Beit-lehi, a remote desert west of Jerusalem which served as a major trade route due to its proximity with the Gaza ports. There, he encountered signs of former life and commerce, and also in a nearby cave unquestionable evidence suggesting something was being hidden in it, perhaps more scrolls.
As far as the show was insightful and interesting to watch and learn from, a lot of questions still remain unanswered. Did the Jews leave these scrolls in jars in the desert solely to save them from the Romans, or could it be they had the future generation in mind – i.e. us? Why were most scrolls found in a single cave in Qumran? 90% seems too much to be a coincidence. Could there be more scrolls still waiting to be found? Would these scrolls contain things that will change the modern scriptures as we know it? Is it possible that more scrolls are hiding someplace else that we do not know of? The mystery is overwhelming.
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