could this be the biggest find since the dead sea scrolls? 70 metal books found in a cave in jordan could change our view of biblical history
by fiona macrae for the updated daily mail:
For scholars of faith and history, it is too valuable a treasure for the price.
You are reading: 70 metal books found in jordan
This ancient collection of 70 tiny books, with their lead pages bound together with wire, could reveal some of the secrets of the early days of Christianity.
Scholars are divided on their authenticity, but say if verified, they could prove as pivotal as the 1947 discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
On pages not much larger than a credit card, there are images, symbols and words that seem to refer to the messiah and possibly even the crucifixion and resurrection.
Adding to the intrigue, many of the books are sealed, leading scholars to speculate that they are actually the lost collection of codices mentioned in the bible’s book of revelation.
The books were discovered five years ago in a cave in a remote part of Jordan to which Christian refugees are known to have fled after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Important documents from the same period have been found there.
Initial metallurgical tests indicate that some of the books could date to the 1st century AD.
See Also: 45 Best Books for 9 Year Olds: Chapter Books for Fourth Graders
This estimate is based on the form of corrosion that has occurred, which experts believe would be impossible to achieve artificially.
If the dating is verified, the books would be among the first Christian documents, prior to the writings of Saint Paul.
The possibility that they may contain contemporary accounts of the last years of Jesus’ life has excited scholars, though their enthusiasm is tempered by the fact that scholars have previously been misled by sophisticated forgeries.
>
David Elkington, a British scholar of ancient religious history and archaeology, and one of the few to have examined the books, says they may be “the greatest discovery in Christian history.”
“It is an impressive thought that we have had these objects that could have been in the hands of the early saints of the church,” he said.
but the mysteries between its ancient pages are not the only enigma of the books. today, his whereabouts are also a mystery. After its discovery by a Jordanian Bedouin, the treasure was subsequently acquired by an Israeli Bedouin, who is said to have illegally smuggled them across the border into Israel, where they remain.
However, the Jordanian government is now working at the highest level to repatriate and safeguard the collection. Philip Davies, Emeritus Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield, said there was strong evidence that the books have a Christian origin in the engraved plates on an illustrated map of the holy city of Jerusalem.
“As soon as I saw that, I was shocked,” he said. ‘That struck me as so obviously a Christian image. there is a cross in the foreground, and behind it is what must be the tomb [of jesus], a small building with an opening, and behind it the city walls.
See Also: The 33 Best Happiness Books of All Time (That Everyone Should Read)
‘there are also walls depicted on other pages in these books and they almost certainly refer to jerusalem. it is a Christian crucifixion that takes place outside the city walls.’
The British team leading the work on the discovery fears that the current Israeli “keeper” may be looking to sell some of the books on the black market, or worse, destroy them.
but the man holding the books denies the allegation and claims they have been in his family for 100 years.
Dr. Margaret Barker, former president of the Society for the Study of the Old Testament, said, “The Book of Revelation speaks of a sealed book that was opened only by the Messiah.”
‘Other texts from the time speak of sealed books of wisdom and of a secret tradition transmitted by Jesus to his closest disciples. that is the context of this discovery.’
Professor Davies said: “The images certainly suggest the possibility of a Hebrew-Christian origin and, if so, these codices are likely to shed a dramatic new light on our understanding of a very significant period, but so far little understood, of history.’
elkington, who is leading uk efforts to get the books returned to jordan, said: ‘it is vital that the collection can be recovered intact and safe in the best possible circumstances, both for the benefit of their owners and for a potentially fascinated international audience.’
*British scientists have discovered as many as eight million mummified dogs, believed to have been sacrificed to Anubis, the god of the dead, 2,500 years ago after tunneling through the ancient Egyptian city of Saqqara.
See Also: Top 10 cats in literature | Fiction | The Guardian