Internet resources: Israeli specialists will make Dead Sea Scrolls accessible online

On October 19 2010 the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on its intention to digitize the entire collection of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which encompasses the earliest examples of biblical texts, and make it freely accessible online.

The IAA has teamed up with the Google’s Research and Development Center (Google R&D Center) in Israel to convert 30 000 fragments of 900 manuscripts into digital format, translate them into different languages and supply with all possible commentaries.

“The images will be equal in quality to the actual physical viewing of the Scrolls, thus eliminating the need for re-exposure of the Scrolls and allowing their preservation for future generations” – the IAA message reads.

The Scrolls, known as “Qumran manuscripts”, were found in caves at Qumran on the northwest coast of the Dead Sea in 1940s. They comprise texts of biblical books, biblical apocrypha, literature related to the life of so-called Qumran community. The documents date back to 1st – 3rd cc. BC.

“The technology used by scholars will help them rediscover writing and letters that have “vanished” over the years; with the help of infra-red light and wavelengths beyond, these writings will be brought “back to life”, facilitating new possibilities in Dead Sea Scrolls research” – the IAA message reads.