Dead Sea Scrolls could be even older than previously thought, according to new study

The Dead Sea Scrolls may be even older than researchers thought, according to a new study driven by an artificial intelligence (AI) model.

A group of researchers from the Netherlands, Italy and Denmark recently published their findings in the journal PLOS One on June 4.

The researchers said they developed an AI-based date-prediction model named Enoch, a nod to the biblical patriarch of the same name.

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Enoch “was trained as a machine learning-based date-prediction model applying Bayesian ridge regression on established handwriting-style descriptors,” according to the study. 

In order to date the scrolls, the model analyzed each one’s handwriting style. Researchers also integrated radiocarbon dating methods — and found that most of the scrolls were at least a generation older than previously thought.

Previous estimates placed the scrolls between 150 and 50 B.C., but the model found that many of the scrolls date to around 200 B.C.

“There are no compelling paleographic or historical reasons that preclude these older dates as reliable time markers.”

“Enoch’s style-based predictions are often older than traditionally assumed paleographic estimates, leading to a new chronology of the scrolls and the re-dating of ancient Jewish key texts that contribute to current debates on Jewish and Christian origins,” the paper states.

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The researchers also indicate that the new dates are “realistic.”

“There are no compelling paleographic or historical reasons that preclude these older dates as reliable time markers,” the authors said.

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The scrolls, found in desert caves near the Dead Sea in the 1940s and 1950s, date between the third century B.C. to the first century A.D. 

They offer a wealth of knowledge about ancient Judaism, with many religious texts during the Second Temple period that were previously unknown.

Since their discovery, the scrolls have attracted a great amount of interest from both scholars and the public at large.

In 2021, Israeli researchers uncovered dozens of new Dead Sea Scroll fragments.

In April, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library showcased a special collection of eight ancient Jewish manuscripts as part of its exhibition on the Dead Sea Scrolls.