They're some of the most important historical documents ever discovered and now they're here in Cincinnati.
The Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit opens Friday, November 16th at the Museum Center.
It features more than 600 objects ranging from pottery to the scrolls themselves.
Uzi Dahari is deputy director of archaeology with the Israel Antiquity Authority.
"All these phases in making a monotheistic nation, we can see in this exhibit step by step. That's the uniqueness of this exhibition," he says.
The scrolls were found between 1947 and 1956 in 11 caves along the shore of the Dead Sea in Israel. The scrolls date from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE. They are some of the oldest-known copies of biblical writings, hymns, prayers and other important writings.
Locally, Hebrew Union College has played an integral role in the Dead Sea Scrolls project. The school's former president Nelson Glueck led efforts to recover some of the scrolls from antiquities dealers, authenticate the scrolls and participate in early academic work surrounding the scrolls.
The exhibit runs through mid-April.
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