A fragment of a copy of the Bible found 1,900 years ago in a desert cave in Israel

A fragment of a copy of the Bible found 1,900 years ago in a desert cave in Israel

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A second-century manuscript of an estimated second-century Bible found in Israel

picture explanationA second-century manuscript of an estimated second-century Bible found in Israel

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Local media reported on the 16th (local time) that Israeli archaeologists have found fragments of copies of the Bible that are estimated to be 1,900 years old in a desert cave near Jerusalem.

According to the Israeli Cultural Heritage Administration, some of the Old Testament books of Zechariah and Nahum are written in Greek on more than 20 pieces of parchment excavated in a cave in the Desert of Judea in southern Jerusalem.

The Cultural Heritage Administration revealed that radiocarbon dating results indicate that the fragments are estimated to be 1,900 years old.

Fragment of a newly excavated second-century Bible manuscript in Israel

picture explanationFragment of a newly excavated second-century Bible manuscript in Israel

The excavation team also believes that these sculptures were hidden in this cave during the’Bar Kokhba’s Rebellion’ (132-135), a movement of Jewish people’s resistance against the Roman Empire.

Manuscripts of the Old Testament excavated in caves on the west bank of the Dead Sea and documents related to Judaism are called’Dead Sea Scrolls’.

The cave where new Dead Sea documents were discovered was named’Horror Cave’ after 40 remains were discovered at once during excavation in the 1960s.

It seems that robbers have not been able to reach the cave until 80m down the cliff by riding a rope.

An excavation team descends on a rope to a cave where a 2nd century manuscript of the Bible was found.

picture explanationAn excavation team descends on a rope to a cave where a 2nd century manuscript of the Bible was found.

▶ Click here for a larger view

The oldest Dead Sea texts unearthed to date came from the Qumran Caves on the west bank of the Dead Sea in the 1940s-1950s, dating from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century BC.

In addition to the Bible manuscripts this time, the excavation team also found a basket in perfect shape, estimated to be 10,000 years old, and the corpse of a mummified child estimated to have died 6,000 years ago.

Excavation of baskets estimated to be 10,000 years old

picture explanationExcavation of baskets estimated to be 10,000 years old

The Israeli Cultural Heritage Administration has been conducting extensive excavations since 2017 on caves in the Judean wilderness, which seemingly out of reach of robbers.

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