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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Nicola Davis Science Correspondent

Many of Dead Sea scrolls may be older than thought, experts say

Fragments of the Dead Sea scrolls
The first of the ancient scrolls were discovered in the caves of Qumran in the Judean desert by Bedouin shepherds in the mid-20th century. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Many of the Dead Sea scrolls could be older than previously thought, with some biblical texts dating from the time of their original authors, researchers say.

The first of the ancient scrolls were discovered in the caves of Qumran in the Judean desert by Bedouin shepherds in the mid-20th century. The manuscripts range from legal documents to parts of the Hebrew Bible, and are thought to date from around the third century BCE to the second century CE.

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