A powerful new AI model is shaking up ancient history. Researchers say the Dead Sea Scrolls may be decades older than previously believed—bringing them closer to the era of key biblical events.
Key Facts:
- Researchers from the Netherlands, Italy, and Denmark developed a machine learning model called Enoch to analyze Dead Sea Scroll handwriting.
- The model suggests many scrolls date to around 200 B.C., older than the previously estimated 150–50 B.C. window.
- Enoch used Bayesian ridge regression on handwriting features and was cross-validated with radiocarbon dating.
- The findings were published on June 4 in the journal PLOS One.
- The Dead Sea Scrolls were originally discovered in desert caves near the Dead Sea in the 1940s and 1950s.
The Rest of The Story:
The new study combines traditional radiocarbon dating with advanced AI handwriting analysis to deliver a more accurate timeline for the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Researchers trained an artificial intelligence model—aptly named “Enoch” after the biblical figure—to predict dates based on writing style.
The results suggest many of the scrolls are at least a generation older than previously thought.
According to the study, “Enoch’s style-based predictions are often older than traditionally assumed paleographic estimates.”
The model’s results place some texts closer to 200 B.C., helping to shift the timeline of key Jewish writings.
The researchers emphasized that “there are no compelling paleographic or historical reasons that preclude these older dates as reliable time markers.”
Discovered in the mid-20th century, the Dead Sea Scrolls contain religious and historical texts that have fascinated scholars for decades.
They offer an unmatched glimpse into Jewish life and thought during the Second Temple period.
Commentary:
This new study isn’t just a scientific breakthrough—it’s a major moment for biblical scholarship.
If these scrolls are older than previously believed, then some of the earliest religious texts we have could have been written far closer to the lifetimes of the biblical figures themselves.
A 50-year shift might seem minor, but in the study of ancient history, that’s seismic.
It pulls these texts out of a shadowy gray zone and brings them closer to the cultural and theological climate that shaped early Judaism—and eventually Christianity.
For generations, skeptics have treated the Bible as little more than a collection of myths or late inventions.
But discoveries like this, aided by new technologies, continue to build the case that the biblical record has a firm historical foundation.
It’s fascinating to see artificial intelligence—so often criticized for cultural drift—being used to affirm ancient traditions.
Instead of undermining faith, this technology is helping shine a light on its roots.
As AI matures, it may continue to confirm what believers have long accepted—that the Scriptures weren’t composed in a vacuum or centuries after the fact, but by real people recording real experiences during turbulent times.
The Bottom Line:
A new AI-driven study reveals that many of the Dead Sea Scrolls may be significantly older than once believed.
This fresh timeline supports the historical credibility of key Jewish texts and suggests a closer tie to the biblical era.
As technology advances, it’s increasingly reaffirming what Scripture has claimed for millennia.
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