THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS AT PRESENT ON SHOW IN THE AMMAN MUSEUM, THE KHIRBET QUMRAN CAVES OF THE DEAD SEA, WHERE THE SCROLLS WERE FOUND IN THE 1940'S/AND 1950'S, AND SOME NEARBY RUINS. INSCRIBED IN HEBREW AND ARAMAIC, THE MANUSCRIPTS ARE ON COPPER AND LEATHER.




Initials RM/S/MR/JM



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Background: JORDAN IS TO LEND THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, SO THAT THEY CAN BE EXHIBITED IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND BRITAIN. THE SCROLLS WILL BE SENT TO NEW YORK NEXT WEEK.

THE STORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS BEGAN IN ABOUT 1945 WHEN BEDOUIN FOUND SOME OF THEM IN ONE OF THE CAVES IN THE NORTH WESTERN CORNER OF THE DEAD SEA. THE 1947 AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION EXCAVATED THE CAVE AND UNEARTHED HUNDREDS OF MANUSCRIPTS FRAGMENTS.

IN 1952 AND SUBSEQUENTLY, TEN MORE CAVES WERE FOUND CONTAINING FRAGMENTS OF MANUSCRIPTS WITHIN A FEW MILES OF THE FIRST ONE. SOME OF THE MANUSCRIPTS HAVE SINCE BEEN PUBLISHED.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORK IN THE KHIRBET QUMRAN AREA HAS ALSO UNEARTHED SOME RUINS, BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN THE DWELLINGS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT PRODUCED THE SCROLLS. THE SETTLEMENT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED DURING 103-176 B.C.