SEATTLE The Dead Sea Scrolls and scroll expert Martin Abegg Jr. have a personal relationship.
“There’s some Indiana Jones-type treasure hunt and that ‘Da Vinci Code’ sense of the mysterious,” said Abegg, co-director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C. He has studied the scrolls for years.
“It’s like finding letters from home from family that you didn’t know you had. It’s a fabulous connection to one’s roots and to one’s faith.”
History, faith and science are partners in “Discovering the Dead Sea Scrolls,” the 105-day exhibit opening Saturday at the Pacific Science Center. Already, 55,000 advance tickets have been sold to see the exhibit and fragments from 10 scrolls.
The scrolls’ accidental discovery in a cave near the Qumran settlement along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea by a Bedouin goat herder in 1947 turned out to be the archeological find and challenge of the 20th century.
Imagine piecing together 50,000 puzzle pieces from about 900 different puzzles; then finding a way to preserve words written about 2,000 years ago.
Scrolls from 11 caves were bought and sold before they came under control of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Debate continues on who actually lived in Qumran (the Essenes are a popular choice) and their connection to the Dead Sea Scrolls (writers, transcribers or rescuers?).
The scrolls, which predate Christianity, also show the diversity in Judaism as well as some apocalyptic beliefs. They include the oldest-known manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, older by about 1,000 years than the next oldest manuscript.
The dry air of the region helped preserve the collection that ranges from fingernail size to 30 feet long. Almost all were written on parchment (treated animal skin) and survived 1,900 to 2,200 years. One copper scroll may be a treasure map.
The scrolls were handled poorly after their discovery. Irreversible damage was done before science took over, including infrared and digital imaging, radiocarbon dating, DNA testing, and strict temperature and humidity controls.
At the exhibit, glass-encased fragments are shown in very dim fiber-optic light. Motion sensors turn on the light as a visitor approaches and cycles 30 seconds on, 10 seconds off.
Visitors learn the history and science of the scrolls and the times before seeing the fragments of biblical and sectarian scrolls, some never seen by the public. Adjacent to each case is a banner with a photograph of the fragment, translation and context.
Some texts are not considered to be Scripture but may have been viewed that way by believers 2,000 years ago.
“The scrolls are a backdrop to Jesus’ time and the formation of Judaism as we know it today,” Abegg said.
The Community Rule sets out how communal life should be lived; War Rule (Book of War) refers to the forces of righteousness and evil, an apocalyptic version of the war at the End of Days when the sons of light (the Dead Sea sect) conquer the world and defeat the sons of darkness.
The Hosea Commentary contains interpretations of various texts. This fragment is about a failing marital relationship, a metaphor for the relationship between God and the people of Israel.
The Genesis fragment begins with the fourth day of creation and includes God revealing his name. The Isaiah scroll’s text matches standard versions of the Bible with minor spelling differences.
Until 1991, the Dead Sea Scrolls translations were a well-kept secret.
Access was limited to a very few scholars. Reputations could be made if you were one of the chosen few, and there were safety and preservation issues.
Then access was relaxed and the public began to get glimpses of the scrolls and translations.
Abegg smiled when he described two people who were excited about the exhibit: the 6-year-old who wanted to see the Dead Sea Squirrels, and the adult looking forward to the Grateful Dead Scrolls.
It’s all in the translation.
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