DEAD SEA SCROLLS IN CHICAGO
This is Bill White with the VOA Special English Science Report.
Many people are visiting a museum in Chicago, Illinois to see ancient documents called the Dead Sea Scrolls. The world famous writings will be shown at the Field Museum of Natural History until the middle of June. Museum officials say it is the most extensive exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls in North America. Officials in Israel lent the documents to the museum.
The Dead Sea Scrolls were written in what is now Israel more than 2,000 years ago. They represent the oldest surviving copies of the Old Testament of the Bible. The Jewish and Christian religions consider the Bible to be holy.
Some archaeological experts have called the Dead Sea Scrolls one of the most important discoveries of the 20th Century. The scrolls were discovered in 1947 near Qumran, along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea.
Eight nearly complete documents were found in caves near Qumran between 1947 and 1956. More than 100,000 pieces of documents also were found. Some were as long as one meter. Others were only a few centimeters long.
The Dead Sea Scrolls were written on animal skin and an ancient form of paper called papyrus. The scrolls were written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.
Experts say some of the writings describe the laws and beliefs of the people who wrote them. Many experts believe the writers were from a group called the Essenes, who lived in Qumran. Other experts believe the scrolls were written in Jerusalem and hidden in caves near Qumran to protect them from invading Roman forces.
The Field Museum exhibit contains parts of 15 of the ancient documents. They include five documents that have never been shown outside Israel. The exhibit also has 80 ancient objects from settlements near Qumran. They include containers, money and shoes.
Experts continue to study the meaning of the words on the Dead Sea Scrolls. They also are working to protect and put together pieces of the Scrolls. One problem involves the cellophane tape used 50 years ago to attach the scrolls to flat pieces of glass. One expert noted that the major work of researchers today is to safely remove this tape from the Dead Sea Scrolls.
This VOA Special English Science Report was written by George Grow. This is Bill White.
Source: Voice of America, 4/6/2000
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