*WTF* DEAD SEA SCROLLS to go online

[rpfan2008]

http://www.webuser.co.uk/news/266426.html?aff=rss

Do you think they are still authentic, after so many years of mysterious hiding??
Why they were hidden at first place?

Scientists in Israel are to undertake a huge project to digitise the Dead Sea Scrolls, which include the oldest known version of the Hebrew Bible, and make it available on the internet.


To bring the 2,000-year-old scrolls into the digital age, scientists will use American space technology developed by NASA.


When the project is completed, it is hoped that surfers all over the world will be able to access these ancient manuscripts.


"Now for the first time the scrolls will be a computer-click away," said Pnina Shor, who is responsible for the conservation of artefacts at the Israeli Antiquities Authority.


"This will ensure that the scrolls are preserved for another 2,000 years," Shor continued.


Previous to the digitisation process, only a handful of scholars have been allowed access to the scrolls, which were discovered by accident in 1947 by a young Bedouin shepherd looking for his sheep.


This week, archivists in Germany finished digitising over six million documents on the Nazis' slave labour program during the Second World War.


The documents will now be available to view on the web at Holocaust memorial centres in the US, Poland, Israel and and Germany.


www.antiquities.org.il/home_eng.asp

*If someone has any good link(s) regarding these scrolls worth sharing with a moderate "skeptic" pls PM me. Thanks in advance.

 

[GreenCardSeeker]

I haven't heard of them getting posted online before, but the authentic dead sea scrolls have been available to scholars for some time now, maybe two decades or so. The first ones were found in 1947, but kept in the possession of a Catholic monastery or something like that for several decades, with them alone commenting on what was supposedly in it. Some scholars have accused this monastery of attempting to cover up that the scrolls are from the new testament era, yet don't mention Jesus, but instead a completely different kind of messianic character. Robert Eisenman has written a couple of books on the subject of early Christianity, to some extent based on the dead sea scrolls, he's reached some interesting conclusions. He feels that Christianity originally had its roots in the Jewish zealots who followed a very militaristic and xenophobic messiah.

I've not seen anyone doubt the authenticity of the scrolls.

 

[Zippyjuan]

The scrolls are not "original" versions of the books of the Old Testament (there are other writings found as well) but just the earliest known versions. Portions which have been translated have been compared to more modern versions and they are quite similar. It does seem that some errors have occured over time- for example, the scrolls list the height of Golliath who David fought as being over six feet tall- not over nine feet as more modern versions state.

 

[Uriel999]

The dead sea scrolls were not really hidden you just wouldn't believe the insanity that occurs just in getting these books into the hands of scholars. Read the stories about the recovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Hag Hammadi Library, and possibly one of the most interesting stories about a noncanical Christian text, the Gospel of Judas.

Oh and the Community most likely all died (as the Qumran monastery was believed to be all men) in battle because they believed the end times were coming soon and that the kittim (code for the Romans) would be beaten. The Jewish people would be led by God and the Davidic warrior messiah into combat and they would regain control of their lands. The revolt happened in 70ad. Just so happens around this time the Community (as they called themselves) disappeared off the radar.

 

[Zippyjuan]

They were hidden in the caves where they were found- yes. One problem with sharing them so far has been the condition. Many of they are just boxes and boxes of tiny pieces- they have to be sorted and tried to match up- like a million piece jigsaw puzzle- not big rolls which can be unrolled and easily read. The most common method the original finders used to piece them together with was simply Scotch tape- which has ruined many of them.

They recently had some examples from the scrolls here in San Diego which is where I had a chance to see some as well as learn some more about them. They included the oldest known copy of the Ten Commandments.

This site has a little more info- you can search for more if you are curious.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/wsrp/educational_site/dead_sea_scrolls/

 

[voytechs]

They are digitizing them because they are in terribly bad shape. Some of them go back 300 years BC. The pages just crumble and turn to dust. They say that was their main objection to putting them in public. But they can do it now digitally.

You can bet on one thing though, they will publish what politically fits them best right now and withhold other controversial scrolls we never hear of.

 

[Zippyjuan]

They intend to digitize as many as they can piece together- many still need help translating. I do not think they are chosing what to make available based on political considerations. Not all of the texts found are religious either or of only one religion. The Qumron site seemed to be more of a "library". Part of the reason for publishing the actual scrolls is to remove the political bias and open them up to analysis by many different people. There has been some question about the interpretation by some in the past - I will agree.

 

[Ron Paul Vermont]

Yeah they probably kept them secret for so long so that they could sort through everything and only publish the stuff that will only serve their purpose. So you probably won't find anything new and controversial in them...

 

[inibo]

Yeah they probably kept them secret for so long so that they could sort through everything and only publish the stuff that will only serve their purpose. So you probably won't find anything new and controversial in them...

They've been controversial since the day they were found. Referring to the Holy Spirit as "She," describing Her as "God's Consort" and calling Her "Mother of the Universe" was never going to make the orthodox of any Christan sect jump for joy.

http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/sjc.html

 

[Dequeant]

$10 bucks says they now say "Thou Shalt vote Obama/Biden".