Decoding History’s Most Elusive Treasure Map

The Dead Sea Scrolls are widely considered one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Unearthed between 1947 and 1956 within the limestone cliffs of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea, over 900 papyrus and parchment documents provide an unparalleled window into the world of Judea a century before the birth of Jesus. Among them are the oldest surviving manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, preserved for two millennia by the arid silence of the Qumran caves.