Dead Sea Scrolls: Researchers Use DNA Testing on Tiny Parchment Fragments to Unlock Their Secrets

In the decades since the Dead Sea Scrolls were first found in and near the Qumran Caves in the Judaean Desert, many of the manuscripts have been deciphered through painstaking examination and analysis. A large number of fragments have remained mysteries, however. Recently, Israeli researchers applied advanced DNA testing techniques to analyze the tiny pieces of parchment, and they revealed some fascinating new information.
 
Quote: “We have discovered through analyzing parchment fragments that some texts were written on the skin of cows and sheep, whereas before we thought they had all been written on goat skin. This proves that the manuscripts do not come from the desert where they were found.” — researcher Pnina Shor
 
Sources: Wikipedia, APF via Yahoo.com
 
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