Using advanced digital technology, Israeli archaeologists have deciphered text from an ancient bible found 45 years ago. Though the charred scroll is only the second-oldest biblical writing after the Dead Sea Scrolls (http://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/?locale=en_US), its discovery is quite remarkable because it is the first Torah scroll to have been found in a synagogue.
Ancient Bible Found in Israel Deciphered with Advanced Technology
The Israel Antiquities Authority (http://www.antiquities.org.il/) have announced they have deciphered a 1500-year-old ancient bible found 45 years ago. Thanks to medical advancements and digital imaging software, the scorched scroll has been virtually unrolled to reveal the first eight verses of the Book
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For archaeologists, this is an extremely important find as it is now the second oldest biblical text after the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Even without its comparison to the Dead Sea Scrolls, the new finding is quite significant for biblical archaeology as it is the first Torah scroll that has been found in a synagogue by an archaeological excavation. To top that, it was also found inside the Holy Ark of the synagogue.
However, the importance of the discovery to biblical archaeology may not have been found had it not been for the combination of advanced medical and scientific research technologies. How Researchers Analyzed the Burnt Writing on the Ancient Bible
The burnt ancient Torah was not an easy text to decipher. It was only through the joint collaboration of several companies, countries, and researchers that the first Torah to be discovered was decoded.
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) along with Merkel Technologies Company, Ltd. first had to scan the scroll with a micro-computed tomography machine, also known as a CT scan. They then delivered the CT scans to the University of Kentucky for further analysis using digital-imaging