Burnt and charred ancient Bible scroll resurrected by computer science
An ancient biblical scroll that was reduced to a charred lump in a fire that destroyed a Jewish community in AD 600 has been virtually "unfurled" and read for the first time.
The scroll was one of several "charred lumps of what appeared to be animal skin" found nearly 50 years ago in the ark of a synagogue at En-Gedi on the shores of the Dead Sea.
It turned out to be the earliest example of the Book of Leviticus ever discovered, dating from around 400 BC.
The charred scroll fragments were preserved by the Israel Antiquities Authority but it was assumed that they were unreadable....