Mysterious Dead Sea Scrolls code finally cracked revealing 2,000-year-old biblical writings
One of the last undeciphered Dead Sea Scrolls has been decoded, revealing biblical phrases and themes about the end of days.
After more than 70 years, a scientist has finally decoded one of the last undeciphered writing systems among the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The breakthrough centers on the so-called Cryptic B manuscripts, two heavily damaged fragments labeled 4Q362 and 4Q363 that were long considered 'impossible' to read because they used an unfamiliar alphabet.
Researcher Emmanuel Oliveiro of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands determined that each cryptic symbol corresponded consistently to letters in Hebrew.
Once deciphered, the fragments revealed familiar biblical phrases and themes about the end of days, including divine judgment, the coming of a Messiah and the ultimate destiny of Israel.
Among the phrases is Yisrael (meaning 'Israel'), along with references to Judah, Jacob, and Elohim (meaning 'God').
The manuscripts were produced by the Qumran, a Jewish sect that lived near the Dead Sea more than 2,000 years ago. Known for preserving religious texts, the Qumran community's writings shed light on early Jewish beliefs, ritual practices and prophetic traditions.
The Dead Sea Scrolls, uncovered in caves near the West Bank between 1947 and 1956, include some of the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts, written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and occasionally Greek.
While Cryptic A was successfully deciphered in 1955, Cryptic B remained a mystery for decades. Its strange symbols, inconsistent handwriting, and tiny surviving fragments made it exceptionally difficult to decode.
The Dead Sea Scrolls, uncovered in caves near the West Bank between 1947 and 1956, include some of the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts, written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and occasionally Greek
Only two manuscripts, 4Q362 and 4Q363, use this cipher exclusively, and many pieces of these texts are damaged, with some fragments measuring just a few millimeters across.
The surviving fragments are tiny, fragile and worn. The leather is cracked, darkened or frayed, and some pieces show margins, stitching holes or wrinkles.
Letters were written in black ink using fine- or medium-tipped pens, but their shapes, proportions, and spacing are inconsistent, with occasional corrections or double-tracing.