Israel has found 2,000 years of biblical writing

Israeli archaeologists have found a biblical text that is around 2,000 years old and is referred to as one of the most significant finds since the Dead Sea Scrolls.

“For the first time in about 60 years, archaeological excavations have uncovered fragments of a biblical scroll,” said a statement from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

The excavations have been going on for several years in caves and among cliffs in the desert in Judea, where archaeologists have used drones, rock climbing equipment and rappelling equipment, the IAA states.

In the approximately 80-kilometer search area in southern Israel and the West Bank, archaeologists also found six coins dating to the Jews’ fateful and failed Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans in the 100s, writes Haaretz, who has a photo from Tuesday’s announcement.

Archaeologists also found a 6,000-year-old skeleton of a child, and a basket that is over 10,000 years old and is referred to as the oldest found in the world.

The fragments of the biblical scroll contain text written in Greek and are from the Twelve Little Prophets, which are part of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. However, God’s name is mentioned in Hebrew in the text, the IAA states.

IAA director Israel Hasson says the excavations were started in response to the fact that looters had begun to enter the caves. He believes the discovery must trigger more resources to continue the project, which so far has only investigated about half of the area in question.

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