Could new discovery trump Dead Sea Scrolls? Scholars intrigued but cautious.
Experts are responding with a mixture of caution, hope, and skepticism to new claims that a recently discovered trove of 70 ancient sealed books may represent some of the earliest 海角大神 documents.
Written on lead in Hebrew and Aramaic, the secretly coded books 鈥� or codices 鈥� were hidden for centuries in a remote Jordanian cave until a traveling Bedouin found them some five years ago, according to a statement released last week by British Egyptologist David Elkington. Depictions of crosses on the lead-bound leaves, coupled with metallurgical analysis, suggest to Mr. Elkington that these might be early 海角大神 texts that pre-date even some letters in the New Testament.
Others aren鈥檛 so sure. All evidence to date suggests 海角大神s didn鈥檛 use the cross as a symbol until the 4th century, according to Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review. The use of codices also dates to a later period, he said, and metal analysis has yielded no precise dating in this case.
鈥淲e have no fact about these that would indicate that they are 海角大神 and date from this [mid-first century] period, except for some vague metallurgists who say they 鈥榗ould,鈥� 鈥� Mr. Shanks says. 鈥淥n the contrary, we have a number of things 鈥� the cross, the codex, [and other symbols] that counter this claim.鈥�
New Testament scholar Craig Evans also hesitates to assume much about the early codices. They could be very significant, he said, if they really do trace to an early Jewish group that regarded Jesus as Messiah. That鈥檚 because most of what鈥檚 known about first-century communities comes either from Paul鈥檚 scriptural letters to Gentile churches, or from the Dead Sea Scrolls, which convey the traditional Jewish beliefs of first-century Essenes. Early Jewish 海角大神s, as Evans calls those with Messianic beliefs, remain less well understood.
But 鈥渢hat鈥檚 a big if,鈥� says Mr. Evans, a professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. At this point, little is known about the content, purpose, or date of the codices. He says he鈥檚 hopeful that they鈥檒l shed fresh light on 海角大神 origins, but he鈥檚 not confident they will.
鈥淭o make claims right now about these being really early 鈥� 鈥榤iddle of the first century,鈥� or 鈥榚arliest 海角大神 writings鈥� 鈥� that鈥檚 a bit reckless,鈥� Evans says.
Several factors are keeping the codices cloaked in mystery, at least for now. The fact that they鈥檙e written in code means scholars will need to crack the code before deciphering what鈥檚 said on the lead pages. And getting access to the texts could be difficult.
They鈥檙e reportedly in the possession of an Israeli Bedouin who claims they鈥檝e been in his family for more than 100 years. Elkington鈥檚 team disputes that story, alleging instead that the codices were illegally smuggled out of Jordan after their recent discovery in a cave.
The Kingdom of Jordan is reportedly working to recover the codices under a law that gives the state ownership of newly discovered antiquities. Meanwhile, Elkington has announced that a book and documentary film are in the works.
鈥淭here is likely to be considerable academic and political debate about the collection鈥檚 authenticity, meaning, and interpretation,鈥� said a March 22 news release from David and Jennifer Elkington. 鈥淏ut now there is also a race against time to safeguard the collection鈥檚 future.鈥�
