The parchment fragments bear verses from the books of the prophets Zechariah and Naum. The scrolls were written in Greek.
Archaeologists have been working in caves and cliffs in the Jewish desert since 2017 as part of a “national operation to prevent the plundering of antiquities,” according to the press release.
The basket shown here is considered to be the oldest complete example in the world. Credit: Yaniv Berman / Israel Antiquities Authority
The teams also found a skeleton of a 6,000-year-old child, rare coins and a complete basket that is believed to be the oldest in the world, dating back 10,500 years.
Discovered 70 years ago in caves around the city of Qumran, the Dead Sea Scrolls are among the most significant scriptural discoveries in archeology, containing the oldest versions of the Hebrew Bible and other Jewish texts dating back to the time of Jesus. Most of the scrolls are kept at the Book Altar, part of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
Archaeologists have also found these rare coins. Credit: Offering Zion / Israel Antiquities Authority
The latest fragments of parchment were found in the Cave of Horror, which is about 80 meters (262 feet) below a cliff in the Judean desert. It can only be reached by rappelling from the top.
Since the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered more than 70 years ago, the area has attracted the attention of robbers, according to the press release. The climatic conditions in the area mean that the scrolls and ancient documents are exceptionally well preserved.
“The purpose of this national initiative is to save these rare and important heritage assets from the clutches of robbers,” said Israel Hasson, director of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, which has called for more resources to complete the recovery operation.
The site is known as the Cave of Horror. Credit: Eitan Klein / Israel Antiquities Authority
“We need to make sure we recover all the data that hasn’t been discovered in the caves before the thieves do it. Some things are out of value.”
Hananya Hizmi, chief officer of the West Bank’s Department of Civil Administration Archeology, said it was “an exciting time” and the results of the operation shed more light on the region’s history.
“The findings attest to a rich, diverse and complex way of life, as well as the harsh climatic conditions that prevailed in the region hundreds and thousands of years ago,” said Hizmi.
Since October 2017, the teams have studied 80 kilometers of caves in the desert, many of which are virtually inaccessible, according to the press release.
Eleven lines of text have been reconstructed, including parts of a Greek translation of Zechariah 8: 16-17. On another fragment were identified verses from Naum 1: 5-6.
Archaeologists were forced to head to the Cave of Horror. Credit: Eitan Klein / Israel Antiquities Authority
Archaeologists have also discovered the partially mummified skeleton of a 6-12 year old child, buried in a shallow pit under two flat stones and wrapped in cloth, dating back 6,000 years.
“It was obvious that whoever buried the child had wrapped him and pushed the edges of the cloth under him, just as a parent covers his child in a blanket,” said Ronit Lupu, an archaeologist at the Israeli Antiquities Authority.
“The skeleton of the child and the covering with cloth were remarkably well preserved and due to the climatic conditions in the cave, a process of natural mummification took place; skin, tendons and even hair have been partially preserved, despite the passage of time. “
Centuries of hot and dry climate means that the large basket, with a capacity of 90-100 liters and made of plant material, can offer a new perspective on how the products were stored about 1,000 years before the invention of ceramics, it is shown in the press release.