In 1970, archaeologists discovered the charred remains of a parchment scroll in the ruins of a Byzantine synagogue at Ein Gedi, along the western shore of the Dead Sea. It was inconceivable, at the time, that this cigar-shaped charcoal briquette could reveal its contents.

But last summer, University of Kentucky professor Brent Seales used digital imaging software he developed to analyze the x-rays from a computer tomography scan of the scroll. Israeli archaeologists were amazed to see the first 8 verses of the book of Leviticus, making the 1,500-year-old Ein Gedi scroll the oldest known book of the Bible outside of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Book of Leviticus Verses Recovered from Burnt Hebrew Bible Scroll