TRAVEL
Dead Sea Scrolls magic lives on

By Lydia Aisenberg

IN 1947, two Bedouin shepherds wandering the dusty, rock-strewn north-western shore of the Dead Sea searching for stray animals stumbled across a cave — unwittingly opening a priceless Pandora’s box.

It was full of mystery, intrigue, theft, forgeries, international battles over ownership, highly acclaimed research as well as deeply divided academic opinions, some of which are on-going to this day.

But above all, the followers of the Muslim faith had stumbled across a most magnificent legacy for the Jewish people.

Back then in ’47, seeing that one of their lost lambs — actually it was a goat — had entered a cave, the shepherds tentatively followed suit.

But being as the darkness emanated a rather none-to-welcoming aura, the wary Bedouin threw a few stones into the void in the hope that their precious animal would react and make a quick exit.

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