How will the “science” of the Dead Sea Scrolls be incorporated into the exhibition?
The science of interpreting the scrolls will be fully presented including the use of infrared photography to enhance the appearance of the soiled and weathered texts; DNA analysis to match individual scroll fragments; multi-spectral imaging to read fragile rolled scrolls; chemical analysis of clay scroll jars to determine the location of the source of the clay; computer programs to match edges of torn scrolls; Carbon 14 dating to precisely date the scrolls; paleography to establish a chronology based on the evolution of styles of ancient handwritings; archaeology of nearby settlements of the same period; analysis of ancient human burials near Qumran; and the conservation and preservation of the scrolls.
