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Newly discovered scrolls from Israel
Photo: Sebastian Scheiner / AP
In Israel, archaeologists have discovered dozens of fragments of ancient scrolls by the Dead Sea.
This was announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The documents bear biblical text and were found in a difficult-to-access cave in the Judean Desert - near the Dead Sea.
They are around 1900 years old.
The experts speak of a groundbreaking discovery and compare it to the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, also known as the Qumran Manuscripts.
They were found in the 1940s and 1950s.
It is now the first time in decades that similar artifacts have been unearthed.
Possibly the documents could have been hidden during a Jewish uprising against Rome nearly 1900 years ago.
The revolt under rebel leader Bar Kochba broke out in AD 132 during the reign of Emperor Hadrian and was suppressed around three years later.
The parchment fragments that have now been found were written in Greek and come from this time.
The name of God is written in Old Hebrew, reports the Jerusalem Post.
The texts accordingly contain excerpts from the Book of the Twelve Prophets.
In addition to the documents, a 6000 year old, mummified skeleton of a child, coins, arrowheads, clothing, sandals, louse combs and a large basket were found.
The latter is 10,500 years old and thus probably the oldest in the world.
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A conservator presents the newly discovered fragments
Photo: Sebastian Scheiner / AP
According to the archaeologists, the excavation campaign is an initiative to protect historical sites in the region from predatory graves.
The newly discovered fragments of scrolls are a wake-up call to the state.
Resources would need to be allocated to complete this historically important operation.
"We have to make sure that we get all the data that have not yet been discovered in the caves before the robbers do this," the Jerusalem Post quoted chief Israeli Hasson as saying.
Finds reflect the cultural heritage of humanity
According to the authorities, the cave in which the objects were discovered is in a rock wall and can only be reached by abseiling.
"The finds are not only important for our cultural heritage, but also for the whole world," said the head of the Ministry of Jerusalem and Cultural Heritage, Avi Cohen.
The Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of Jewish texts found in desert caves in the West Bank near Qumran, date back to the 3rd century BC.
They comprise the earliest known copies of biblical texts and documents and are among the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century.
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joe / AP / dpa