Radiocarbon Dating of Fourteen Dead Sea Scrolls

Non-destructive Investigation of the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls belong to the most important cultural assets of mankind. Their long term preservation and study is a challenge that demands an interdisciplinary approach. As early as the 1950s natural scientists assisted the scholars in studying the scrolls. It was at this time that the first extensive study of the scroll material took place. It was found that most fragments were written n...

The Theme of Apocalyptic War in the Dead Sea Scrolls

The theme of apocalyptic war was widely developed in Qumran literature. The main source of information about the apocalyptic war can be found in lQM, whch Sukenrk named "The War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness."' According to Paolo Sacchi, "The word 'apocalyptic' is a modern invention, deriving from the wish to conceptualize the field of research on the affinities between the ...

Radiocarbon Dating.

Radiocarbon Dating of Scrolls and Linen Fragments from the Judean Desert

We report on new 14C measurements of samples of 18 texts (scrolls) and 2 linen fragments from Qumran Caves 1, 2, and 4 and from Na al ever, both in the Dead Sea region. The radiocarbon results are in good agreement with estimates of age based on paleography.

Radiocarbon Dating of Ground Water

Radiocarbon dating of ground water is used in combination with the primary measurements of classical hydrological and chemical analyses. Radiocarbon dating will produce the best results when it involves multiple measurements or sequential sampling. The most useful data come from these comparisons and not from absolute ages. In the case of multiple measurements, the apparent ages of the ground w...