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The Dead Sea Scrolls contain genetic clues to their origins
Science News ^ | June 2, 2020 | Bruce Bower

Posted on 06/04/2020 10:35:01 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

Rechavi's group obtained DNA from minuscule bits that either fell off or were removed from 26 Dead Sea Scroll fragments. Those samples contained no writing.

After excluding DNA left by people who had handled the scrolls, the scientists identified DNA of animals used to make the ancient parchments. All fragments were made of sheepskin except for two made from cow skin...

Four Qumran fragments from the Hebrew Bible's book of Jeremiah likely came from two different versions of that book, the investigators find. Two sheepskin fragments belonged to one book and two cow skin fragments belonged to another. Cows couldn't have been raised in the parched Judean desert, so cow skin scrolls must have been produced elsewhere, Mizrahi says.

Scholars had already noted that the style of writing on the cow fragments differed from that on other pieces from the book of Jeremiah.

DNA findings also indicate that a non-biblical text about religious practices known as the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice was popular beyond Qumran. Fragments from three copies of this text found in two Qumran caves were made from skins of closely related sheep. But a fragment from another copy found at Masada, about 55 kilometers south of Qumran, came from a genetically separate line of sheep, suggesting that people there assembled their own copy of the text.

Distinctive sheep DNA from a Qumran fragment of the biblical book of Isaiah suggests it came from outside Qumran at a site that's yet to be identified.

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencenews.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: deadseascrolls; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; isaiah; israel; jeremiah; masada; qumran
some topics from the FRchives:


1 posted on 06/04/2020 10:35:01 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

2 posted on 06/04/2020 10:35:56 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

I’m reading Dead Sea Scrolls now, but it’s slow, because I do it in the quiet of the day, and before I know it, my eyelids slam shut. But I WILL get through it!!! And I hope I learn something!


3 posted on 06/04/2020 10:50:39 AM PDT by Monkey Face ("I can't think of a tagline." ~~ Darksheare ~~)
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To: Monkey Face

:^) It’s tough to unroll them and roll them back without having them crumble, so, good luck!


4 posted on 06/04/2020 11:08:36 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Distinctive sheep DNA

Great name for a baaaand.

5 posted on 06/04/2020 11:21:21 AM PDT by Ezekiel (The pun is mightier than the s-word. Goy to the World!)
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To: SunkenCiv

I’ve been vewwy, vewwy caehful.


6 posted on 06/04/2020 11:54:51 AM PDT by Monkey Face ("I can't think of a tagline." ~~ Darksheare ~~)
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