The Dead Sea scrolls were perhaps the most important discovery ever made in biblical archaeology. These ancient scrolls were hidden and preserved in the dry climate for millennia. But they were fragile and it took decades to publish them. Now a new technology has been developed that allows fragile artifacts like the Dead Sea scrolls to be virtually unrolled. Using digital imaging technologies, researchers at the University of Kentucky, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Israel Antiquities Authority have pioneered the technique on a scroll found at En-Gedi, Israel in 1970.¹ The scroll dates to around AD 600 when an ancient synagogue was burned. Inside the ark of the synagogue were found rolled up biblical scrolls that were reverently taken out to be read each Sabbath almost 1,500 years ago. The scroll published is one of the oldest biblical books from the Pentateuch ever found—the book of Leviticus.

The process took an entire year to develop. The “virtual unwrapping” technique is a complex process involving several stages. The new technique uses CT scanning technology. The first stage begins by segmentation, which digitally recreates pages to hold the potential writing. This is done creating a triangulated mesh in 3D volume that can be “filled” later with the content or text. The second stage is to texture the page by applying the written content of the scroll on the page. But a text on a 3D surface will be difficult to read. The third stage then is to flatten the image so the text can be read in 2D. The final merging extracts the text, placing it in the cylindrical wraps. The final product is a legible text that can be accessed by scholars from anywhere for research and study.

Emmanuel Tov, professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, states:

This provides a clear indication of continuity. The text from this scroll of the sixth century AD is identical with those of other scrolls that were used clear down to the invention of the printing press. The scroll from En-Gedi is evidence that this medieval text has deep roots. Nothing changed over 2000 years.²

What makes this system so helpful for further research and study is that it does not damage the scrolls themselves. Had this technology been available fifty or sixty years ago, scholars would have been able to read the Dead Sea scrolls in a more efficient way that provided for both conservation and the sharing of data. This is an example of how technological advancements help unlock mysteries centuries old and bring new understanding to the development and preservation of the Bible through history.