Discovered by Bedouin
Shepherds nearly 2,000 years
00:00:33.80\00:00:37.57
later.
00:00:37.60\00:00:38.93
And what vital message
do they have for us today.
00:00:45.71\00:00:49.41
In the first century A.D. about
70 years after the birth of
00:01:04.03\00:01:08.33
Christ, members of a mysterious
religious sect hid a collection
00:01:08.36\00:01:13.07
of over 900 sacred scrolls
in caves in the Judean desert
00:01:13.10\00:01:17.97
bordering the Dead Sea.
00:01:18.01\00:01:19.57
The chance discovery of
the Ancient Scrolls 2,000 years
00:01:19.61\00:01:24.08
later by Bedouin Shepherds
was considered one of the
00:01:24.11\00:01:27.55
greatest archeological
discoveries of all time
00:01:27.58\00:01:30.89
and sent shock waves through
the world of Bible scholarship.
00:01:30.92\00:01:35.22
Who wrote them?
Why were they here?
00:01:35.26\00:01:38.83
And why are they so
important to us today?
00:01:38.86\00:01:42.13
Join me as we travel with me
to Quran in search of answers.
00:01:42.16\00:01:46.94
Buried treasure, hordes of
it. Yes, I know where there is
00:02:15.26\00:02:19.00
enough hidden wealth
to boggle the imagination.
00:02:19.03\00:02:22.27
There are boxes of precious
incense and vast quantities
00:02:22.30\00:02:26.47
of gold and silver, all
told, 200 tons of the stuff
00:02:26.51\00:02:31.81
worth over a billion dollars
lying 5 to 6 meters under
00:02:31.85\00:02:35.68
the ground. All buried
in the desert by a strange
00:02:35.72\00:02:39.72
religious sect.
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To get the breathtaking details
I've come to the middle east
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to visit one of the
most inhospitable places
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in all the world. But one that
has captured the imagination
00:02:53.94\00:02:57.84
of people everywhere
and popularized the signs of
00:02:57.87\00:03:01.81
archeology.
00:03:01.84\00:03:03.18
To get there we've got to leave
the sacred city of Jerusalem
00:03:03.21\00:03:10.09
and travel east
through the Judean Desert.
00:03:10.12\00:03:12.72
Here the mountainous
landscape plummets dramatically
00:03:12.75\00:03:16.99
1200 meters to the blistering
hot basin of the Dead Sea.
00:03:17.03\00:03:21.86
On the way we passed the
Sea Level sign, however we
00:03:21.90\00:03:27.04
still haven't reached the
sea. Although the plaque says
00:03:27.07\00:03:30.21
Sea Level, we still have
to keep going down and down.
00:03:30.24\00:03:34.88
We're on our way to
the lowest place on earth,
00:03:34.91\00:03:38.61
the Dead Sea is 400 meters
or 1,312 feet below Sea Level
00:03:38.65\00:03:45.62
it's the lowest place on
planet earth's land surface
00:03:45.65\00:03:49.86
so we've still
got a long way to go.
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The Dead Sea is 50
km long and 15 km wide
00:04:01.00\00:04:06.07
and reaches a depth of 400
meters, it covers an area of
00:04:06.11\00:04:10.95
605 square Km. Virtually
all of its water comes from the
00:04:10.98\00:04:16.05
Jordan River which
flows into it from the north.
00:04:16.08\00:04:19.15
The Dead Sea has no
outlet, in Hebrew it's called
00:04:19.19\00:04:24.03
the Sea of Salt, it's the
world's saltiest body of water
00:04:24.06\00:04:30.77
ten times more
salty than sea water.
00:04:30.80\00:04:33.37
In fact, nearly a third of
it consists of dissolved salt
00:04:33.40\00:04:36.71
and other minerals, it's super
saline waters make floating
00:04:36.74\00:04:41.04
easy, it's so
salty you can't sink.
00:04:41.08\00:04:44.18
You can float in the Dead
Sea and read a book without
00:04:44.21\00:04:48.22
fear of sinking. The Dead
Sea has attracted visitors
00:04:48.25\00:04:53.89
for thousands of years, it
was one of the world's first
00:04:53.92\00:04:57.59
health resorts for Herod the
Great and it has been a supplier
00:04:57.63\00:05:01.96
of a wide variety of products.
00:05:02.00\00:05:04.13
From asphalt for
Egyptian mummification to potash
00:05:04.17\00:05:08.50
and fertilizers, people
also use the salt and minerals
00:05:08.54\00:05:13.07
from the Dead Sea to create
cosmetics and herbal sachets.
00:05:13.11\00:05:17.31
It rarely rains here and
summer temperatures often reach
00:05:17.35\00:05:22.92
45 degrees Celcius, it's a harsh
and inhospitable environment.
00:05:22.95\00:05:28.12
Near the northwestern shore
of the Dead Sea in a wilderness
00:05:28.16\00:05:32.76
of terrible beauty is the
hillside that is honeycombed
00:05:32.79\00:05:37.53
with caves, this is the
site of one of the most exciting
00:05:37.57\00:05:42.30
discoveries of all time.
00:05:42.34\00:05:43.77
Many archeologists are
convinced that the treasure
00:05:43.81\00:05:51.71
found in this area is
more valuable than all the gold
00:05:51.75\00:05:55.32
and wealth found in the ancient
tombs of kings and pharaohs
00:05:55.35\00:05:58.75
the discovery here
happened by accident.
00:05:58.79\00:06:02.86
One day in 1947 a Bedouin
boy called Mohammed the wolf
00:06:11.30\00:06:16.94
was minding some goats near
these cliffs along the shores of
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the Dead Sea, now these goats
are very agile and are able
00:06:20.18\00:06:24.31
to climb incredible heights
in search of the tender green
00:06:24.35\00:06:27.65
tufts of grass that grow in
springtime among the pebbles
00:06:27.68\00:06:31.79
and sand of this desert region.
00:06:31.82\00:06:33.86
One of the shaggy goats that
Mohammed the Wolf was minding
00:06:33.89\00:06:38.13
chanced to stray from
the rest of the flock,
00:06:38.16\00:06:41.13
while searching for
this aggravating animal
00:06:41.16\00:06:44.53
he noticed a small cave in
the rocky cliffs that he hadn't
00:06:44.57\00:06:47.94
noticed before thinking that
his goat may have taken shelter
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in the cave from the blistering
summer heat, Mohammed picked up
00:06:52.04\00:06:56.41
a stone and threw it into
the cave but the sound that came
00:06:56.44\00:07:00.78
back to him was not the familiar
echo of stone striking stone,
00:07:00.82\00:07:05.82
he was startled to hear
the strange echoing sound
00:07:05.85\00:07:10.06
of shattering pottery.
00:07:10.09\00:07:11.49
Panic-stricken, he rushed
away in fear of evil spirits
00:07:11.53\00:07:16.43
but was it an evil
spirit? or was it gold?
00:07:16.46\00:07:21.40
Now, Mohammed, the Wolf
belonged to a group of smugglers
00:07:22.77\00:07:26.47
from the Tamara Tribe who were
trying to get their livestock
00:07:26.51\00:07:30.08
and other goods out of
Jordan and into Palestine.
00:07:30.11\00:07:33.82
They're on their way to
Bethlehem to sell their goods
00:07:33.85\00:07:37.69
on the Black Market.
00:07:37.72\00:07:39.75
They detoured far south to the
northern shores of the Dead Sea
00:07:39.79\00:07:44.56
to avoid crossing the Jordan
Bridge which customs officers
00:07:44.59\00:07:48.90
guarded with guns. And
they set up camp at Ein Feshkha
00:07:48.93\00:07:52.83
the desert oasis near
the ancient ruins of Qumran.
00:07:52.87\00:07:56.74
These nomadic Arab people
inhabit the vast desert regions
00:08:01.68\00:08:06.48
of the Middle East and
have a culture of herding camels
00:08:06.51\00:08:10.05
and goats, these animals
comprise their livelihood
00:08:10.09\00:08:13.25
and are used for meat,
dairy products, and wool.
00:08:13.29\00:08:17.23
The Bedouin travel from
place to place looking for water
00:08:17.26\00:08:21.76
and grazing for their animals.
Because they have to be mobile
00:08:21.80\00:08:27.20
they carry all their
worldly possessions with them
00:08:27.24\00:08:29.97
as they travel. They live
in large tents that they pitch
00:08:30.01\00:08:33.91
when they find a
suitable location.
00:08:33.94\00:08:35.94
The tents are made by hand of
goat and sheep hair and provide
00:08:35.98\00:08:40.82
ideal shelter in the desert,
its loosely woven material
00:08:40.85\00:08:45.32
let's air come in and the smoke
out so the tent is pleasant
00:08:45.35\00:08:49.26
inside, however on
rare occasions when it rains
00:08:49.29\00:08:53.43
the fiber gets swollen and
the tent becomes waterproof.
00:08:53.46\00:08:57.20
So these grand desert tents
are ideal for the Betouin's
00:08:57.23\00:09:02.27
nomadic lifestyle and
function well in all conditions.
00:09:02.30\00:09:06.54
That night as Mohammed the
Wolf sat in the family tent
00:09:06.57\00:09:12.78
he told his
cousin of his experience,
00:09:12.81\00:09:15.32
the boys were intrigued by
possibilities of what the cave
00:09:15.35\00:09:19.79
might contain.
What was in there?
00:09:19.82\00:09:22.66
What secrets lay hidden
in its dark and interior?
00:09:22.69\00:09:26.76
The next morning found the boys
on the mountainside at the cave
00:09:26.80\00:09:34.24
dreaming of a trove of hidden
treasure the boys squeezed
00:09:34.27\00:09:38.44
through the narrow opening
and dropped into the cave.
00:09:38.47\00:09:41.88
To their amazement they
discovered that there was a
00:09:41.91\00:09:46.38
collection of large dust covered
pottery jars standing on the
00:09:46.41\00:09:51.19
floor of the cave. Eagerly
the boys removed the lids,
00:09:51.22\00:09:54.82
imagine their disappointment
when they discovered that
00:09:54.86\00:10:01.26
the jars contained only
rolls of old letter covered with
00:10:01.30\00:10:05.50
strange writing all
carefully wrapped in cloth and
00:10:05.53\00:10:09.30
blackened by age.
00:10:09.34\00:10:10.84
They had hoped to find a hoard
of treasure of gold and silver
00:10:10.87\00:10:14.78
but instead, they found brittle
old scrolls that were not much
00:10:14.81\00:10:20.52
use for anything. They
were deeply disappointed
00:10:20.55\00:10:24.39
but actually, they had
found treasure even though
00:10:24.42\00:10:28.46
they didn't know it.
They had found the treasures
00:10:28.49\00:10:31.49
now known as the
Dead Sea Scrolls.
00:10:31.53\00:10:35.73
On that legendary day
not realizing their value was
00:10:35.76\00:10:40.50
significant, the disappointed
Bedouin boys stuffed the three
00:10:40.54\00:10:45.17
scrolls into their shirts
and took them back to camp
00:10:45.21\00:10:48.48
hoping they might get a bit
of money for them in Bethlehem.
00:10:48.51\00:10:51.78
During the next couple of
weeks, the boys discovered
00:10:51.81\00:10:55.42
four more scrolls in the
cave and a couple of unbroken
00:10:55.45\00:10:59.15
scroll jars. Over the next
few months the scrolls hung
00:10:59.19\00:11:06.49
from the tent poles
in the Bedouin camp.
00:11:06.53\00:11:08.60
Eventually, the Bedouin
took the scrolls and two jars
00:11:08.63\00:11:12.77
to as shopkeeper and
cobbler friend in Bethlehem
00:11:12.80\00:11:16.04
by the name of Kando At
first, no one was interested
00:11:16.07\00:11:21.04
in the dirty old scrolls.
00:11:21.08\00:11:23.04
An employee of the Department
of Antiquities called them
00:11:23.08\00:11:27.02
worthless. Kando decided to
buy four of the ancient scrolls
00:11:27.05\00:11:32.22
he felt that if nothing
else they may have some uses
00:11:32.25\00:11:36.62
leather for shoe repairs.
The remaining three scrolls
00:11:36.66\00:11:40.50
was sold to an
antiquities dealer named Salahi.
00:11:40.53\00:11:44.23
Kando then re-sold the four
scrolls he had to Archbishops
00:11:44.27\00:11:49.34
Samuel, head of the Syrian
Orthodox Monastery of St. Mark's
00:11:49.37\00:11:53.61
in Jerusalem.
00:11:53.64\00:11:54.98
The journey of the
scrolls then becomes stranger
00:11:55.01\00:12:01.12
than fiction, truly amazing
a Hebrew university professor
00:12:01.18\00:12:06.12
Eliezer Sukenik heard
about the scrolls and set out to
00:12:06.15\00:12:11.09
investigate the
significance of the discoveries.
00:12:11.13\00:12:14.20
It was extremely dangerous
00:12:14.23\00:12:16.93
Arab Jewish tensions were
high as the modern state Israel
00:12:16.97\00:12:21.44
was emerging.
00:12:21.47\00:12:22.87
But Sukenik was prepared to
risk everything for the scrolls
00:12:22.90\00:12:28.24
he traveled to meet an Armenian
Antiquities dealer at the
00:12:28.28\00:12:32.85
British divided military
zone on the Jerusalem border.
00:12:32.88\00:12:36.35
In this Clandestine meeting,
the dealer held up a fragment
00:12:36.38\00:12:41.32
leather for the
Jewish professor to examine.
00:12:41.36\00:12:44.69
As Sukeinik peered through
the barbed wire he immediately
00:12:45.26\00:12:49.63
recognized the
ancient Hebrew writing.
00:12:49.66\00:12:51.90
Eager to see more
Sukenik traveled with the dealer
00:12:51.93\00:12:56.20
to Arab/ Bethlehem to see
Salahi who had the first three
00:12:56.24\00:13:00.74
scrolls. He was amazed to see
the Hebrew scrolls and agreed
00:13:00.78\00:13:05.81
to purchase the three of
them. It was the first time
00:13:05.85\00:13:09.28
the scrolls had been
read for two thousand years.
00:13:09.32\00:13:12.65
As tensions in the Middle East
burst into war, the archbishop
00:13:12.69\00:13:20.00
smuggled the four remaining
scrolls from Jerusalem to
00:13:20.03\00:13:23.63
America and there he advertised
them in The Wall Street Journal
00:13:23.67\00:13:27.54
Classified Ad. In a
strange twist of fate
00:13:27.57\00:13:31.87
Yigael Yadin, Professor
Sukenik' s son an Israelian
00:13:31.91\00:13:36.41
war hero bought all four of
the scrolls through a front man
00:13:36.44\00:13:40.55
the first seven original scrolls
were united again in Israel.
00:13:40.58\00:13:47.22
Well, Wayne knew that the
scrolls were very valuable
00:13:49.82\00:13:53.46
reached the Bedouin and their
friends, hundreds of treasure
00:13:53.50\00:13:56.97
hunters rushed to the
area near the Dead Sea.
00:13:57.00\00:14:00.00
They searched every conceivable
crevice, rock formation
00:14:00.04\00:14:04.71
and hillside cave that
might possibly hide more of the
00:14:04.74\00:14:08.61
precious scrolls. In ten
new caves they found the remains
00:14:08.64\00:14:13.55
of over 900 scrolls, one cave,
cave four once had 500 scrolls
00:14:13.58\00:14:21.62
hidden in it. Most of
these scrolls had been broken
00:14:21.66\00:14:24.79
into small pieces. All together
about 40,000 pieces came from
00:14:24.83\00:14:29.86
cave four, each one had
to be brought from the Arabs
00:14:29.90\00:14:33.44
who found them at an
average price of four dollars
00:14:33.47\00:14:36.44
per square centimeter.
00:14:36.47\00:14:37.87
These thousands of fragments
were brought to the Rockefeller
00:14:37.91\00:14:42.48
Museum in Jerusalem, they
were laid out in the courtyard
00:14:42.51\00:14:45.98
and sorted, then specialists
began the long and tedious
00:14:46.01\00:14:50.19
task of piecing the
scrolls back together again
00:14:50.22\00:14:53.82
and deciphering the
strange writing, an ancient form
00:14:53.86\00:14:57.19
of Hebrew.
00:14:57.23\00:14:58.99
Archeologists returnd to
the rugged Dead Sea shoreline
00:15:03.83\00:15:07.74
and re-explored the area
their efforts were rewarded
00:15:07.77\00:15:11.51
when they found a cave
that contained a most unusual
00:15:11.54\00:15:15.24
scroll. They discovered three
strips of finely beaten copper
00:15:15.28\00:15:19.95
that had been inscribed
and rolled up into a scroll
00:15:19.98\00:15:23.79
as the archeologists searched
the caves, and found more
00:15:23.82\00:15:27.59
fragments, they realized
that these scrolls had been part
00:15:27.62\00:15:31.79
of a large
library. But who wrote them?
00:15:31.83\00:15:35.00
and why did they
hide them in the desert?
00:15:35.03\00:15:38.03
Well, the answer lay 100
meters from cave four where they
00:15:38.07\00:15:43.97
found largest cache of
scroll fragments here in some
00:15:44.01\00:15:47.34
old ruins that had
been on maps for decades
00:15:47.38\00:15:50.88
These Qumran ruins were
mistakenly assumed to be
00:15:50.91\00:15:54.62
the remains of an old Roman
fort. Now Archeologists began
00:15:54.65\00:16:01.56
excavations which revealed that
the ruin had been a monastery
00:16:01.59\00:16:05.63
of a Jewish sect, the Essenes,
around the time of Christ.
00:16:05.66\00:16:09.63
The excavations revealed a lot
about the community that lived
00:16:09.66\00:16:13.07
here. There was a large Kitchen
and Dining Room which contained
00:16:13.10\00:16:17.31
thousands of plates and
bowls, clearly a large number of
00:16:17.34\00:16:21.64
people ate together
here. They had large systems
00:16:21.68\00:16:26.82
for containing water, the region
is very dry and in order to
00:16:26.85\00:16:31.69
obtain water the people
made a canal to draw rain water
00:16:31.72\00:16:35.96
from the hills behind.
The systems are big enough
00:16:35.99\00:16:39.56
to supply the needs of hundreds
of people, there are storage
00:16:39.59\00:16:44.47
rooms where they kept
their produce and supplies,
00:16:44.50\00:16:47.67
they had workshops for
potters and laundrymen,
00:16:47.70\00:16:51.01
a large watchtower ensured
they had ample warning of
00:16:51.04\00:16:55.01
approaching danger.
00:16:55.04\00:16:56.78
Nearly every phase of
life of these remarkable people
00:16:56.81\00:17:01.65
has been pieced together
by the scholars who unearthed
00:17:01.68\00:17:05.19
this self-sufficient community.
But why did these people
00:17:05.22\00:17:10.83
choose to live in such and
uncomfortable isolated place?
00:17:10.86\00:17:14.73
The nearby cliffs are rugged
and bare, the plateau is flat
00:17:14.76\00:17:20.67
and dry and barren, the
sun beats down mercilessly
00:17:20.70\00:17:26.07
in summer and makes the
rocks so hot it's impossible to
00:17:26.11\00:17:29.88
stand still in one spot
for more than a few seconds,
00:17:29.91\00:17:33.68
there are no trees to give
shade, it's bleak, dusty, hot,
00:17:33.72\00:17:38.85
and unpleasant.
00:17:38.89\00:17:40.46
Yet these people built quite
and elaborate settlement here,
00:17:40.49\00:17:45.99
why? Why would
anyone want to live here?
00:17:46.03\00:17:49.60
Well, the answer lies
right here, this room was the
00:17:49.63\00:17:54.54
nerve center of the Essene
Community, they came to this
00:17:54.57\00:17:58.67
inhospitable region to live
in seclusion and spent their
00:17:58.71\00:18:02.68
lives copying out the Bible.
00:18:02.71\00:18:05.28
This room is the scriptorial
or Writing Room, originally
00:18:05.31\00:18:10.29
it was a two-story building
that housed a library and a
00:18:10.32\00:18:13.86
writing area, here the Essene's
worked carefully copying out
00:18:13.89\00:18:18.43
the scriptures,
commentaries, and other works
00:18:18.46\00:18:21.53
their whole lives
revolved around this work.
00:18:21.56\00:18:25.60
They had copies of the Hebrew
scriptures or the Old Testament
00:18:25.63\00:18:29.40
part of the Bible and they spent
their time carefully copying
00:18:29.44\00:18:33.94
it out. Archeologists
made a amazing discovery here
00:18:33.98\00:18:39.11
in this very room where the
copying of the scripture was
00:18:39.15\00:18:43.52
done they found desks inkwells
and quills the Essene's used
00:18:43.55\00:18:47.59
more inkwells were found here
than any other site from this
00:18:47.62\00:18:52.29
period the inkwells
still had dried ink in them.
00:18:52.33\00:18:56.16
And here's what's truly amazing
when they analyzed the ink
00:18:56.20\00:19:02.07
in these inkwells and compared
it to some of the ink on the
00:19:02.10\00:19:05.51
Dead Sea Scrolls, they
were found to be identical.
00:19:05.54\00:19:09.91
They also found pottery
jars that are identical to those
00:19:09.94\00:19:14.65
found in the caves which
contained the Dead Sea Scrolls.
00:19:14.68\00:19:18.29
But in June of 1868 death came
to Qumran and all writing here
00:19:18.32\00:19:29.63
ended forever, that was the
time of the first Jewish revolt
00:19:29.66\00:19:34.30
against Rome. On their way
to attack Jerusalem, the Roman
00:19:34.34\00:19:39.07
legions destroyed the
Essene Settlement at Qumran.
00:19:39.11\00:19:42.94
Those residents that did
escape just had enough time
00:19:55.32\00:19:59.66
hide the Sacred Scrolls
they couldn't carry in these
00:19:59.69\00:20:02.86
Cliffside caves
before they _ the Romans.
00:20:02.90\00:20:05.93
They hoped that when the Romans
had gone, the scrolls could be
00:20:05.97\00:20:09.80
rescued, however,
they didn't live to return.
00:20:09.84\00:20:13.54
Some of the scrolls were
lost in landslides or through
00:20:13.58\00:20:17.25
dampness, but many survived
and lay undisturbed in the
00:20:17.28\00:20:23.32
desert caves for almost 2,000
years to become the greatest
00:20:23.35\00:20:28.22
manuscript discovery in history.
00:20:28.26\00:20:30.69
As the experts pieced together
and deciphered the scrolls
00:20:30.73\00:20:35.40
they discovered some
very interesting things,
00:20:35.43\00:20:38.77
for example, the copper scroll
was an inventory of 61 hordes
00:20:38.80\00:20:43.87
of treasure, gold,
silver, incense and the like.
00:20:43.91\00:20:48.04
This treasure according
to the scroll had been hidden
00:20:48.08\00:20:52.05
in a number of secret places
near the Dead Sea in Jerusalem.
00:20:52.08\00:20:55.28
It hasn't been found yet
so if you'd like to join the
00:20:55.32\00:21:00.32
treasure hunt, you can.
There's nearly 200 tons of
00:21:00.36\00:21:04.59
treasure worth over a billion
dollars buried 5 to 6 meters
00:21:04.63\00:21:08.96
under the ground somewhere
near here. It's believed to be
00:21:09.00\00:21:13.03
treasure from the temple
at Jerusalem that was hidden
00:21:13.07\00:21:16.50
away for safekeeping.
00:21:16.54\00:21:18.31
But what interested scholars
most was the true treasure
00:21:18.34\00:21:22.61
you see the majority of
the scrolls were Biblical
00:21:22.64\00:21:26.05
Manuscripts, copies of books
of the Bible, the Hebrew Bible,
00:21:26.08\00:21:30.65
also known as the Old Testament,
in fact all of the books
00:21:30.69\00:21:35.09
Old Testament were discovered
at Qumran with the exception of
00:21:35.12\00:21:39.63
Esther. Now the question
naturally arises why are the
00:21:39.66\00:21:45.73
Dead Sea Scrolls
considered such great treasure?
00:21:45.77\00:21:48.77
Why are they so important?
and what vital message do they
00:21:48.80\00:21:53.84
have for us today?
00:21:53.88\00:21:56.08
Well the question is often asked
how can we know that our Bible
00:21:56.11\00:22:01.05
today is accurate just as the
prophets originally wrote it?
00:22:01.08\00:22:05.29
How can we know that it speaks
the same message that it did
00:22:05.32\00:22:09.62
thousands of years ago
when the prophets wrote it?
00:22:09.66\00:22:12.49
How can we know that it
wasn't changed or that mistakes
00:22:12.53\00:22:16.26
didn't creep in down
through the centuries?
00:22:16.30\00:22:18.93
Well, this is where the
Dead Sea Scrolls fit in,
00:22:18.97\00:22:23.41
and this is what makes
them so important to us today.
00:22:23.44\00:22:26.71
Before the discovery of
these scrolls in 1947 the oldest
00:22:29.01\00:22:33.98
manuscripts of the Old
Testament the Hebrew scriptures
00:22:34.02\00:22:37.42
that anybody had come from
the 9th century A.D., 900 years
00:22:37.45\00:22:43.26
after the time of
Christ. Nothing even approaching
00:22:43.29\00:22:48.06
an original was available
to us, the best we could expect
00:22:48.10\00:22:52.03
was only a copy of a copy,
no one knows how many copies
00:22:52.07\00:22:56.47
and there was always
the re-occurring question,
00:22:56.50\00:22:59.61
what may have happened
to the accuracy of the text
00:22:59.64\00:23:03.85
through all the
centuries of the copying?
00:23:03.88\00:23:06.45
But as scholars examine and
decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls
00:23:07.92\00:23:10.89
they confirmed that they were
written before or at the time
00:23:10.92\00:23:15.36
of Christ. So the Dead Sea
Scrolls are 1,000 years older
00:23:15.39\00:23:20.70
than any complete Biblical
Manuscript in existence,
00:23:20.73\00:23:24.40
it's the age of these scrolls
that makes them so valuable.
00:23:24.43\00:23:29.94
In one stroke, we are brought
1,000 years nearer to the
00:23:29.97\00:23:35.71
original writings of the Bible
prophets and when these ancient
00:23:35.74\00:23:40.32
scrolls were compared with
the words of our Bible today,
00:23:40.35\00:23:44.09
they were found to
be virtually identical.
00:23:44.12\00:23:47.16
Professor Burrows of Yale
University who worked on the
00:23:47.19\00:23:51.76
scrolls said:
00:23:51.79\00:23:57.83
Do you see what this means?
It means that we could know
00:23:57.87\00:24:02.30
that our Bible today is
virtually the same as when
00:24:02.34\00:24:06.54
it came from the
hands of the prophets.
00:24:06.57\00:24:08.44
You can trust the
Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls
00:24:08.48\00:24:15.38
allow us to be certain that
our Bible has been miraculously
00:24:15.42\00:24:20.12
preserved down through
the ages and more importantly
00:24:20.16\00:24:25.29
in this age of modern scientific
discovery it challenges us
00:24:25.33\00:24:30.10
to seriously consider
the Bible and its claims.
00:24:30.13\00:24:33.44
The Bible claims to be special
and unique, it claims to be
00:24:33.47\00:24:37.54
God's Word, it claims to
contain vital information
00:24:37.57\00:24:41.28
for us today.
00:24:41.31\00:24:42.71
The story of the Dead
Sea Scrolls and their amazing
00:24:42.74\00:24:46.82
discovery has captivated
and inspired people all over
00:24:46.85\00:24:50.69
the world. These
ancient scrolls demonstrate that
00:24:50.72\00:24:54.72
the Bible has been miraculously
preserved down through
00:24:54.76\00:24:57.86
the centuries. The Dead
Sea Scrolls challenge us to
00:24:57.89\00:25:02.86
seriously consider
the Bible and its claims.
00:25:02.90\00:25:05.70
The Bible claims to be special
and unique, it claims to be
00:25:05.73\00:25:09.54
God's word, it claims to contain
vital information for us today,
00:25:09.57\00:25:14.31
it claims to hold the key to
true inner peace and happiness.
00:25:14.34\00:25:18.88
If you'd like to
consider the claims of the Bible
00:25:18.91\00:25:22.05
if you're looking
for peace and happiness
00:25:22.08\00:25:24.69
then I'd like to recommend
the free gift we have for all
00:25:24.72\00:25:28.96
our viewers today.
It's our new booklet
00:25:28.99\00:25:32.59
Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls,
this booklet will explain
00:25:32.63\00:25:38.23
why the scrolls are
worth millions of dollars,
00:25:38.27\00:25:41.04
why they are so relevant
to us today and it will also
00:25:41.07\00:25:45.51
provide practical tips
on how to read the Bible.
00:25:45.54\00:25:48.91
This booklet is our gift to
you and it is absolutely "Free,"
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I guarantee there are no
costs or obligations whatsoever.
00:25:53.68\00:25:57.72
So make the most of
this wonderful opportunity
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to receive the gift
we have for you today.
00:26:02.02\00:26:04.69
Here's the information you need:
00:26:04.73\00:26:07.46
Phone or text 0436.333.555
in Australia, or 020.422.2042
00:26:07.50\00:26:17.87
in New Zealand, or
visit our website at TiJ.tv
00:26:17.91\00:26:22.64
or simply scan the QR code
on the screen to request today's
00:26:22.68\00:26:27.05
Free offer and we'll send it
to you totally Free of charge
00:26:27.08\00:26:30.59
and with no obligation so
don't delay, call, text, or
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visit our website or simply
scan our QR code on your screen
00:26:34.56\00:26:38.59
and we'll send you today's Free
offer totally free of charge
00:26:38.63\00:26:42.60
and with no obligation. Write
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2001 Australia, or PO Box
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00:26:49.34\00:26:57.58
New Zealand. Don't
Delay, call or text us now.
00:26:57.61\00:27:01.15
If you've enjoyed today's
journey to Ancient Qumran,
00:27:06.96\00:27:10.23
and our reflections
on the Dead Sea Scrolls
00:27:10.26\00:27:12.66
and their message for us today,
then be sure to join us again
00:27:12.69\00:27:16.67
next week when we will share
another of life's journey's
00:27:16.70\00:27:19.93
together. Until then, why
not make a decision to seriously
00:27:19.97\00:27:24.94
consider the
Bible and it's claims,
00:27:24.97\00:27:26.98
why not make a decision to
check it out, to give it a try
00:27:27.01\00:27:31.45
right now as we pray.
00:27:31.48\00:27:34.45
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your word
00:27:34.48\00:27:39.19
the Bible. We are so
grateful that you miraculously
00:27:39.22\00:27:43.16
preserved it down
through the centuries.
00:27:43.19\00:27:45.16
We thank you for
the message of the Bible
00:27:45.19\00:27:47.86
a message centered around Jesus
and the peace and happiness
00:27:47.90\00:27:52.03
that He provides. We
want to experience that peace
00:27:52.07\00:27:55.50
and happiness in our
lives, please grant this to us,
00:27:55.54\00:27:59.77
we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
00:27:59.81\00:28:03.95