Five of the Dead Sea Scrolls are fakes, Washington Bible Museum withdraws them

Five scrolls kept at the Washington Museum of the Bible have been removed from the exhibit because they were deemed bogus. These scrolls were given as being part of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but an analysis carried out in Germany showed “features inconsistent with ancient origins,” as stated by the museum, which reportedly decided to no longer put them on display. Doubts about the authenticity of the incriminated scrolls have been raised since before the institution opened last November, when some scholars speculated that some of the scrolls the museum had on display might be modern imitations.

Jeffrey Kloha, the museum’s chief curator, tries, however, to think positively by saying that the affair nevertheless offers an opportunity to educate the public on the importance of verifying the authenticity of biblical artifacts.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, comprising about 900 documents, are a series of ancient Hebrew Bible manuscripts and include Old Testament passages dating back up to 2,000 years. The first scroll was found in the caves of Qumran on the west coast of the Dead Sea in 1947. Apparently, it was a young Bedouin shepherd searching for his lost sheep who discovered them. Those on display in Washington, however, turned out to be nothing more than ... imitations.

Five of the Dead Sea Scrolls are fakes, Washington Bible Museum withdraws them

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