Veronica Green - Research

Can you imagine using infrared technology to uncover the origins of Christianity? As part of National Geographic research, I had the opportunity to view Science of the Bible: Decoding the Dead Sea Scrolls prior to its Sunday March 11th premiere. In this program, you get to watch as world class archaeologists and scholars use modern technology to understand the meaning behind these ancient texts. I believe the story of these scrolls will appeal to anyone who enjoys a mystery, regardless of the role religion plays in their lives. After all, who wouldn't be intrigued by a story with a real life ancient treasure map in it?

I felt immersed in a world Indiana Jones might find himself in, as I took in images of the hidden desert caves in Qumran where the scrolls were discovered. It is hard to fathom the hundreds of centuries that have passed since letters were first printed on these scripts. In my world of emails and text messages, it is easy to forget a time in which words did not instantly appear on a screen. Instead, they had to be written on materials such as papyrus, animal hide and even partially on copper. With a quill pen! After all, these are the oldest known biblical documents.

And that brings another thought to mind: who exactly wrote these mysterious scrolls? It turns out that this question, like many others about the texts, cannot be answered with absolute certainty. Written mainly in Hebrew, the scrolls contain more than 900 manuscripts in total. Imagine the dedication these authors had to have in order to amass such a collection complete with thoughts that shape how we think about religion today. These works are the earliest seeds of the religious beliefs that many have been taught and grown accustomed to. Who were these writers and what were their lives like?