International Research Project to Trace Origins of Dead Sea Scrolls Using AI and Chemical Analysis

A groundbreaking international research project led by Professor Malden Popović from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands has received a 2.5 million euro grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to study the origins of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The five-year project, conducted in collaboration with the Israel Antiquities Authority and research laboratories across Europe, aims to identify where the scrolls were created and written, shedding new light on the scribes, knowledge centers, and text dissemination in ancient Judea.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, preserved and studied in the Israel Antiquities Authority laboratories in Jerusalem, include some of the oldest known biblical texts. Despite extensive research over the past 70 years, the exact locations where these ancient manuscripts were produced remain unclear. The study will use chemical analyses of ink, parchment, and papyrus, handwriting examination, codicology, and advanced artificial intelligence to detect material and stylistic "fingerprints" of the scrolls. This approach will determine whether the scrolls originated from a single site like Qumran, multiple production centers, or were brought from other locations such as Jerusalem.

Approximately 250 samples of parchment and papyrus from the Dead Sea Scrolls collection will be analyzed, including for the first time papyrus samples from Egypt to compare with those from Qumran and other Judean sites. AI tools will process the chemical data to identify complex patterns, which will be integrated with linguistic and literary features to map the scribes and scrolls in time and space. The project also seeks to pinpoint centers of writing, study, and knowledge transmission in ancient Judea and beyond.

Professor Popović described the project as the largest AI-driven study of the cultural context of the Dead Sea Scrolls, enabling questions about the authorship, production locations, and knowledge networks that were previously unanswerable. Dr. Ilit Cohen-Ofri from the Israel Antiquities Authority emphasized the unprecedented chemical database the research will create, enhancing understanding of the materials and preservation of the scrolls. The project involves experts and laboratories in Jerusalem, Pisa, Naples, Odense, Berlin, Turin, and Leuven.

Israeli Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu highlighted the scrolls as a profound testament to the ancient Jewish world of faith, study, and creativity in the Land of Israel, underscoring the national responsibility to preserve and scientifically study these invaluable texts for future generations worldwide.