Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 08-26-2008, 01:16 PM

Israel to Show Dead Sea Scrolls on the Internet (NY Times article)

Quote:

Equipped with high-powered cameras with resolution and clarity many times greater than those of conventional models, and with lights that emit neither heat nor ultraviolet rays, the scientists and technicians are uncovering previously illegible sections and letters of the scrolls, discoveries that could have significant scholarly impact.

. . .

The entire collection was photographed only once before — in the 1950s using infrared and those photographs are stored in a climate-controlled room since they show things already lost from some of the scrolls. The old infrared pictures will also be scanned in the new digital effort.

"The project began as a conservation necessity," Ms. Shor explained. "We wanted to monitor the deterioration of the scrolls and realized we needed to take precise photographs to watch the process. That’s when we decided to do a comprehensive set of photos, both in color and infrared, to monitor selectively what is happening. We realized then that we could make the entire set of pictures available online to everyone, meaning that anyone will be able to see the scrolls in the kind of detail that no one has until now."

XKV8R · 08-26-2008, 07:12 PM

digital reconstruction and preservation of objects and sites are not only the future of archaeology and museum conservation, they are the present. this is something that several of us in the fields of archaeology, near eastern studies, and the digital humanities have been working towards for some time now. i applaud the iaa for their decision to preserve these important documents and make them available for study online. not only will this digitization process help preserve the texts, but the process of high-resolution infrared photography will actually lead to new discoveries and innovations in scrolls studies. digital work like that done by simon tanner of the king's digital consultancy services at king's college london and bruce zuckerman and marilyn lundberg of the west semitic research project at usc is essential to the preservation of ancient texts and archaeological objects. likewise, the accessibility of digital objects online increases visibility of these important pieces of history and drives both academic research and museum attendance. the iaa has taken a strong step in the right direction and should be applauded for their decision.

Toto · 08-26-2008, 07:37 PM

Are there any examples of "previously illegible sections and letters of the scrolls" that have been recovered that you know of?

XKV8R · 08-26-2008, 07:50 PM

this process of hi-res and infrared imaging of ancient scrolls has actually been going on for some time. see here. the interesting part of this announcement is that the results will be made available online. this, as you know, is almost the opposite of what was done for the first forty years of the scrolls. the fact that these images will be available online will be great for scholarship and for tourism.

Toto · 08-28-2008, 12:02 AM

From papyrus to the web

Quote:

In a project that could take five years and cost millions of dollars, the fragments will be photographed first by a 39-megapixel digital camera then by another digital camera in infra-red light. Finally, some will be photographed using a sophisticated multi-spectral imaging camera.

Eventually all the fragments will be available to view online, with transcriptions, translations, scholarly interpretations and bibliographies provided for academic study. "The aim is that you can go online and call up the scrolls with the best possible resolution and all the information that exists about them today," said Pnina Shor, head of the artefacts treatment and conservation department at the antiquities authority

Dead Sea Scrolls to go online

Quote:

But at the end of the project, anyone with a passing interest - scholar or amateur - will have direct access to material that would have been all but out of reach before.

That includes people with religious agendas and for whom the fragmentary nature of the scrolls allows wide scope for interpretation. But Ms Shor is not worried about that.

"This is what all this is about. Now that everything is published, it is up to you and me and anybody else to look at it and decide if you agree or you don't agree," she said.

"If you don't agree, write an article."

actual photos

thentian · 08-28-2008, 01:54 AM

Wonderful news! The IAA should be strongly applauded for this decision.

XKV8R · 08-28-2008, 09:10 PM

the other nice thing about this kind of photography is the possibility of photographing the backs of documents in areas where there are lacunae (holes) in the text. since the ink leaves a slight leak/impression on the back of the scroll when it is rolled up, it is possible to photograph these trace remains on the backs of the documents and align them with the text on the fronts. in areas where the scroll has decayed, it is sometimes possible to look at the corresponding area on the back and supply the missing text.

08-26-2008, 07:12 PM	#2
XKV8R Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: ucla, southern california Posts: 140	excellent decision by the iaa digital reconstruction and preservation of objects and sites are not only the future of archaeology and museum conservation, they are the present. this is something that several of us in the fields of archaeology, near eastern studies, and the digital humanities have been working towards for some time now. i applaud the iaa for their decision to preserve these important documents and make them available for study online. not only will this digitization process help preserve the texts, but the process of high-resolution infrared photography will actually lead to new discoveries and innovations in scrolls studies. digital work like that done by simon tanner of the king's digital consultancy services at king's college london and bruce zuckerman and marilyn lundberg of the west semitic research project at usc is essential to the preservation of ancient texts and archaeological objects. likewise, the accessibility of digital objects online increases visibility of these important pieces of history and drives both academic research and museum attendance. the iaa has taken a strong step in the right direction and should be applauded for their decision.

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08-26-2008, 07:37 PM	#3
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Are there any examples of "previously illegible sections and letters of the scrolls" that have been recovered that you know of?

08-26-2008, 07:50 PM	#4
XKV8R Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: ucla, southern california Posts: 140	this process of hi-res and infrared imaging of ancient scrolls has actually been going on for some time. see here. the interesting part of this announcement is that the results will be made available online. this, as you know, is almost the opposite of what was done for the first forty years of the scrolls. the fact that these images will be available online will be great for scholarship and for tourism.

08-28-2008, 01:54 AM	#6
thentian Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Norway Posts: 694	Wonderful news! The IAA should be strongly applauded for this decision.

08-28-2008, 09:10 PM	#7
XKV8R Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: ucla, southern california Posts: 140	the other nice thing about this kind of photography is the possibility of photographing the backs of documents in areas where there are lacunae (holes) in the text. since the ink leaves a slight leak/impression on the back of the scroll when it is rolled up, it is possible to photograph these trace remains on the backs of the documents and align them with the text on the fronts. in areas where the scroll has decayed, it is sometimes possible to look at the corresponding area on the back and supply the missing text.

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